The Good Brothers have been a part of the Canadian music scene for going on 40 years. Although their trademark sound hasn't changed dramatically, the family definitely has. It has grown bigger.
And at this year’s Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, more of the talented Good family will be on the stage.
Two thirds of the Good Brothers, Bruce and Larry Good, will be joined by Bruce's wife Margaret, their sons Travis and Dallas (of The Sadies), niece/cousin D'Arcy Good on fiddle and vocals, and the rhythm section of Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky (also from The Sadies).
Bruce’s son Travis warns against comparisons to another big musical family, the Carters. “Like the Carter Family, we are all related and play our own instruments. We also have an autoharp and so did they, but that's a coincidence. (But) no, it’s not that big a deal.”
Playing with a father and uncle who were responsible for hits like “Summertime,” “Person to Person,” and “Fox on the Run” could have been daunting for Travis, who began playing as a member of the Good Brothers at age 18.
“Back then, I felt the pressure of the family legacy, right there on stage in front of everyone. But now that I'm over that, we're all proud of each other for other things other than how well we play fiddle or banjo.”
Now, Travis comes with credentials of his own. After his time playing with The Good Brothers, he and his brother Dallas front the Juno-award winning band The Sadies.
Everyone in the Good Family writes their own music, but they will also perform works written by those outside the family, like Blue Rodeo frontman Greg Keelor, whom Travis considers “a member of the family or as he puts it, "a member of the cult."
"[Keelor] sort of got the ball rolling because he was singing a few songs in The Sadies set with my mom. He started saying that if neither the Good Brothers or The Sadies would make a record with my mom, he would.” Margaret, who also also sang with the Good Brothers and The Sadies, has appeared on Ronnie Prophet’s variety show, backing such artists as Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Mel Tillis and Dolly Parton.
Travis reminds people that although The Good Family will be bringing bluegrass, folk and country ballads to the stage on Saturday night starting at 11:30 pm, they don’t have to wait until nightfall for some great Good family music. “If you're coming with kids in the day, check out my uncle and aunt and cousins’ band The Campfire Crew.”
The significance of playing Mariposa is not lost on Travis or any of the other members of his extended family band. “When people around the world think of Canadian music, they often think of folk music like [Gordon} Lightfoot, [Neil] Young, [Joni} Mitchell, and when I think of folk festivals, I think of Mariposa.”
Find more information about 56th annual Mariposa Folk Festival, which begins tonight and runs through until Sunday, here.
