Gordie Fleming

According To Gordie

Tracks

Album Details

Gordie Fleming, one of Canada’s finest musicians, was a native of Winnipeg. He performed on the vaudeville Army circuit in the 30’s and 40’s, and later, in Montreal in the ‘50’s, opened for such visiting artists as Charlie Parker, the King Cole Trio, Lena Horne, Dizzy Gillespie, and Cab Calloway. He was active in the vibrant jazz and studio worlds of both Toronto and Montreal from 1949 to 1990, and he died in 2002. Over the course of those decades, this virtuoso accordionist evolved in the company of some of music’s most respected and illustrious jazz and popular music ersonalities, from Edith Piaf to Hank Snow. He performed with most of the great Canadians in jazz at one time or another including Oscar Peterson and Maynard Ferguson. The material on this recording,part of Justin Time’s acclaimed Just A Memory series, were culled mostly from CBC radio shows, and happily, several broadcasts that featured Gordie Fleming have survived. This delightful album features a historical performance of Gordie Fleming and company opening for Charlie Parker as part of the poll-winning group The Canadian All Stars, at Montreal’s Chez Paree on Feb. 7, 1953. Three cuts from the All-Stars’ Discovery LP (Savoy) are included, as well as one from Waterbed, the Buddy DeFranco recording that featured Gordie Fleming on the Choice/Candid label. The compilation was compiled by a JUNO-nominated producer Heidi Fleming, Gordie’s daughter.