"All That Is: The Songs of Garnet Rogers" (07/09/2002) Folk Rogers, Garnet, Red House RecordsPersonnel includes: Garnet Rogers (vocals, acoustic guitar & electric guitars, octave 12 string violin, violin); David Sereda (vocals); Doug Long (guitar); Randall Hill (tenor banjo); Anne Lederman (fiddle); Ian Bell (accordion); David Woodhead (piano, harmonium bass); Mike Bonnell (Hammond B-3 organ); Corey Thompson (drums); Dan Brodbeck, Geoff Warder (background vocals). Recorded between 1990 & 1999. Includes liner notes by Red House Records. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Personnel: Garnet Rogers (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, violin, background vocals); David Sereda (vocals, background vocals); Rev. Douglas B. Long Long (guitar); Dan Aachen (electric 12-string guitar); David Tamulevich (dulcimer); Anne Lederman (fiddle); Ian Bell (accordion); Dave Woodhead (piano, harmonium, upright bass); Corey Thompson (drums); Dan Brodbeck (background vocals). Audio Remasterer: David Glasser. Recording information: Catherine North Recording, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (1996-1999); DB Studios, London, England (1996-1999); Lanaland Studios, Boston, MA (1996-1999); London, England (1996-1999); Maryhill (1996-1999). Photographer: Dave Landry. Arrangers: Rev. Douglas B. Long Long; Garnet Rogers. If you're not familiar with folksinger Garnet Rogers -- and if you live in the U.S., you probably aren't -- this is a good way to get introduced. Containing ten of the best tracks from the many albums he has released in his native Canada, All That Is shows Rogers to be blessed with a powerful baritone and a vocal style that's redolent of labelmate Greg Brown, who wrote the liner notes for the CD. Rogers' lyrics, though, are probably the best -- and occasionally worst -- thing about him. Never obscure or pretentious, he writes very simply and straight from the heart. As a result, perhaps, Rogers sometimes lapses into platitudes about love and nature; this sort of writing ain't easy. But when Rogers' approach works, it really works. See, for example, "Frankie & Johnny," one of the album's two live tracks. A song about brothers, one of whom dies and one of whom learns an important lesson, it rings so true you suspect that Rogers is really Frankie -- and wonder how he could have made the story seem so real and personal if he's not. In fact, there are strong parallels between this tale and that of Garnet and his real-life brother, the late folksinger Stan Rogers. Be that as it may, it's a track that will likely move you, and it's not the only one here that should. ~ Jeff Burger