The Newsy Neighbour Magazine
June Issue #116
Article Provided By:Kyle Penn
When I got the chance to sit down and speak to Glenn
Baker from High Steppin’ Daddy, we’d both just been through one heck of a day.
It was late May, and southern Alberta had been hit with what meteorologists
were referring to as an “inland cyclone” – essentially, a storm that would have
been called a hurricane if it had originated out on the ocean. Driving rain
interspersed with bits of snow had been rattling the windows all afternoon and
evening, as 100km/h winds howled across the Prairies and blew away everything
that wasn’t tied down. I’d been without power for several hours leading up to
my chat with Baker, and he’d spent the evening helping out some neighbours who
were on the verge of flooding due to sump pump troubles. Still, despite all
that, he graciously insisted on honouring his commitment to chat with me about
his band, High Steppin’ Daddy.
As I greeted Baker and we exchanged pleasantries, it
was clear as he relayed the events of the day that he had had a long one –
which, to be frank, was completely understandable. A couple of minutes into our
conversation, though – the moment we started talking about music – Baker’s
entire persona changed. The second our discussion turned toward guitars and
bandmates, Baker came alive, and all the wearies of the day seemed to slip away
as he chatted with me enthusiastically about High Steppin’ Daddy and his role within
the band. It was as though the harrowing storm and subsequent troubles hadn’t
even taken place just hours earlier. Such is the healing, invigorating power of
music!
“For me, when I can sing a harmony with another person,”
Baker summed up for me, “like, a three-part harmony, or something like that –
that’s something that I really get a reward out of. It feels good. That, and
the sharing of music. As long as the song is there, and we’re all sharing that
song together, that’s the cool part for me.” To this end, I can whole-heartedly
agree: there’s nothing quite like the feeling of sharing and collaborating with
another artist, especially when you throw in the exhilarating sensation that
comes from performing live in front of an audience.
Baker has made a name for himself performing with
local musical sensation High Steppin’ Daddy, a group that focuses primarily on
the golden age of country (think Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and their
ilk), while bringing their own spin and character to the sounds and songs that
people have grown to love. “We do some newer stuff, and classic rock, and all
kinds of stuff – we’re all over the map,” Baker explained. “But the catalyst of
High Steppin’ Daddy is that particular, country style of music. For me,
specifically, I find that era of music to be one in which artists honed their
craft, and actually sang the notes, and played the riffs…it was real music.”
Perhaps it’s this affection for the stylings of a
bygone epoch of country that’s behind the driving ideology of High Steppin’
Daddy: Real Music for Real People. This philosophy certainly holds true for the
nature of the band, as their efforts fall in line with a group that’s more
collaborative than it is exclusive. “Nowadays, basically, when I book a gig,
I’ll say, ‘Who’s around? Who’s available for that show?’” Baker elucidated.
“Our members have young families, jobs…so there’s probably a roster of more
than five, less than ten players who can sit in at any given point. It also
gives us the freedom to call different people, depending on what the gig is. If
it’s a straight-ahead country gig, I always like to bring in a pedal steel
guitar. I’m a keyboardist, but I’ll play bass, or I’ll play guitar, depending
on who’s available.”
As well as giving High Steppin’ Daddy the flexibility
to book more gigs more often, having a standing roster of talented musicians
also goes a long way towards making each of their shows that much more
enjoyable for their audiences. Even if you’ve seen High Steppin’ Daddy before,
every performance is unique, depending on who’s present, what instruments they’re
playing, and what the on-stage dynamic moulds itself into on that particular
evening.
While High Steppin’ Daddy might be playing for Real
People, they themselves are anything but. Having performed together for more
than half a decade at huge gigs like the Big Valley Jamboree, Craven Country
Jamboree, the Grey Cup Festival, Carnaval de Québec, and more, High Steppin’ Daddy
have played in nearly every province in Canada – in addition to performing all
the way across the Atlantic, in France! They’ve made quite a name for themselves
over the years, maintaining a gig schedule that keeps them constantly busy and hard
at work. With multiple members having been nominated on numerous occasions for
prestigious CCMA awards, High Steppin’ Daddy is a band with gobs of talent, and
loads of character to boot. Some of the more regular players include Baker himself,
as well as Owen Ehgoetz, Matt Beatty, Mitch Jay, and Kent Macrae – but, as I’ve
mentioned, these members are regularly joined or filled in for by other incredibly
talented individuals, which definitely plays into the charm that High Steppin’
Daddy brings to the stage every time they perform!
If you’ve got a penchant for Real Music being played
by phenomenally talented, local musicians, don’t miss High Steppin’ Daddy when
they stop by Legends Kitchen and Bar in Strathmore on June 10. Whatever your
musical pleasure, we’re sure that High Steppin’ Daddy will fit the bill!
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