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Gerry Wall is featured on Outbound Radio |
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 Gerry was born and raised in Saskatchewan, for which he is most and mostly grateful. He moved to Hamilton, Ontario to attend university and master foosball and bridge, and then to Toronto to complete a doctorate (and slipped noticeably in bridge and foosball skills). Ottawa is now his home. There are not many singer songwriters who hold a Ph.D. in Economics; Gerry's undergraduate degree in English Literature may help explain his unusual lifestyle choices. "While growing up in Saskatoon, I tried to make a few bucks by delivering a weekly newspaper. Anyone who has tramped outdoors on Saskatchewan February mornings will fully appreciate that toes and fingers shouldn't be taken for granted. One of my deliveries was to the Anderson household where the parents of Joni Mitchell lived. Joni (way too familiar, aren't I?) was by that point already a bit of a legend. She opened the door one morning, surprising me. I guess she was back for a visit. Although purely fortuitous, I believe that the fact she couldn't pay me, didn't know when her parents would be back and didn't invite me in to get warm, in any event inspired me to a musical career. Well she did smile at me –warming and inspirational yes." Taking his cue from Joni, and hearing a band of Prairie boys called The Mozart Group (who looked like they came from any place but the flatlands) perform soaring falsetto harmonies and laying down a cavernous Motown groove, got Gerry hooked on a kind of music with no limits and no pretension. This has led him to his unique roots sound – one might call it Canadiana with an emphasis on the lyrical. Since 2000, Gerry has released four albums – most recently ex Patriots' Day (2007) which is already getting the nod from Canada's CBC. Tobermory (2000), Returning Fire (2004) and Winter Grass (2006) showcase the emotional honesty and simple richness of Gerry's songwriting – like a good cup of coffee that is finished too soon. Stand-out tracks include "Fire in Saint Peter's" and "Your Fabulous Life" on the 2004 album, while the title track of the third album "Winter Grass" and "Poor Man's Train" continue to receive critical acclaim. Gerry writes with Graham Knight, a long-time friend who is also a fellow canoeist and sometimes legal counsel. As Gerry puts it, "I try and write without musical or lyrical clichés. I'm not always capable of that, but that's my goal." |
