A1

Tony McGarrigle

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

If a CD entitled Jesus on the Front Porch sounds like it might be old-style country gospel-well, it is. In content and design, Mill Cove native Dwayne Ferris aimed for a nostalgic feel to his new collection of 10 original songs.

"I wanted it to sound like the older style," he said. The black and white cover shot of a porch swing is intended to take us on a trip down memory lane.

"I've been working on this for about the last four to five years," said Ferris. This is his second release.

"In 1995 I recorded a cassette, I got some air play and interviews. It was a country album."

Both collections of music are Ferris' original songs.

"I prefer to write my own (songs) and sell original material. God's blessed me with these songs."

Ferris put his own money into the project and produced the CD himself.

"I had it done the way I wanted it done. The studio did a great job."

It was recorded at Ray Dunham Recording Studio in Coles Island. Dunham is new at recording, but has worked on several projects. Ferris does all the vocals and plays rhythm guitar.

Some names familiar to country music fans were studio musicians - Raymond Thebeau played bass guitar and Art Boyd played lead guitar.

"I got started in music because my dad was a musician and singer. When he passed away, I picked up the pieces and carried on. I got my start with my father."

On the inside of the CD cover is a picture of young Ferris with his family.

"That's very important to the CD. It takes the listener back to a time when we were children and had a lot of love in the house."

It was these happy times as a child that inspired the title track.

"I could see God on the front porch, his love, spiritually."

Another big influence on the CD was a Randy Travis song.

"'Three Wooden Crosses' changed my life, made me realize what life is all about. I want people to realize life is short."

He said the way Travis' songs have a story to them influenced his CD.

The songs aren't about fire and brimstone and condemnation. Instead, they are about accepting each other without judgement, something Ferris said was very important to him. The 'Judge not, lest ye be judged' theme is central to the song Judging, You Don't Have the Right.

"That song, that was my first song I wrote for the CD. We don't have that authority."

The song I Saw the Nail Prints in his Hands is about comparing a homeless man to Jesus. Seeing homeless people in Toronto, he realized their circumstances, and who they really are, were something he couldn't know.

"The pieces just fell together," he said of writing the song.

Ferris plays three or more shows a month.

"I play in different churches, a slew of benefits to help people out."

On Saturday September 26, he will be playing a free show at the Mill Cove nursing home where he works, a CD launch event. The CD is available by contacting Dwayne Ferris at 506-470-3302.

* NB Country is a regular This Week feature about New Brunswick country music and performers. If you have an idea for a future NB Country column, contact Tony McGarrigle at kingscountycountry@yahoo.com.