Singer-songwriter Susan Cogan is launching her new album, The Fields of Friendship, on her daughter’s birthday.
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Her daughter, Ora, turns 28 on Nov. 7, the date of Cogan’s CD release concert at Hugh’s Room in Toronto.
“Twenty-eight years ago, I was going push, push, and now I’m pushing out The Fields of Friendship,” says Cogan with a chuckle.
Born in Toronto but now based in British Columbia, Cogan has been working on the CD for a couple of years with Bob Cohen on guitar, Michael Rosen on drums and David Woodhead on bass. The songs fuse folk, jazz and world music.
“The uniting factor of these three guys is that they are all pros, fabulous musicians and that they all started out together in a high school band in Montreal,” Cogan says.
“They hadn’t played together since, but I was the link between them and it unfolded in this project. It was kind of a thrill to put these old friends together, and they sound really good. So, we recorded in Toronto, and it was really quite fun and fun for me to watch the reunion.”
Other people playing on the album include daughter Ora, who sings and plays guitar on one track, as well as Cogan’s friends, Tara MacLean and Brent Titcomb.
Ora, MacLean and Titcomb are slated to join Cogan on the Hugh’s Room stage.
The Fields of Friendship includes 15 tracks, including a song in Hebrew called If The Wind, along with an English spoken-word poem recited by poet Joe Chandler.
“I get a lot of feedback from people who say they like to hear me sing in Hebrew, whether they are familiar with Hebrew or whether it is just an exotic sounding language for them,” Cogan says.
After the release concert, she will be touring until the spring in support of the CD, her ninth, both as a solo act and with Cohen, Rosen and Woodhead, who are collectively known as The Weeds.
Cogan plans to release two more CDs soon: Lady Slipper, a jazz album, and an English version of the album Merciful Me in Canada, along with a Hebrew version in Israel.
For tickets to Cogan’s record release, visit hughsroom.com/wordpress or call 416-531-6604. www.susancogan.com