The good folks at VZ Magazine have uploaded some new footage from our GEMS ON VHS shoot in Nashville, TN last December. Travis Wetzel joins me on this acoustic rendition of Now That I’ve Found You, from Peaks & Valleys. I hope you enjoy, we have lots of exciting things on the go this year and I will fill you in as things progress. ://:

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Here’s to a Merry Christmas or “Happy Holidays” (whichever you prefer) and a great start to 2012. I don’t have any Christmas music to bring to you this holiday season but I have another youtube video for you. Recorded in Nashville a couple weeks ago with my friend Travis “The Mad Fiddler” Wetzel, this song was filmed at Bobby’s Idle Hour for VZ magazine, and it was a lot of fun. Travis hadn’t heard this song before, which is a favourite of mine by Rex Griffin -a long since forgotten singer/songwriter from the Hank Williams era. Much like Hank, Rex suffered from a lot of “personal demons” and died at a fairly young age, in 1959. Unlike Hank though, Rex Griffin never achieved a similar deal of success, notoriety or recognition. While his songs have been covered by artists such as Glen Campbell, The Beatles, and Willie Nelson, the only recording of Rex singing that exists is a 3 CD boxset from Bear Family Records available by mail order from Germany.

I had a couple requests recently for the chords to Gaspereau Valley. I’ve finally got around to typing that out. Thanks for a great year, it was the most fun I’ve had.
Merry Christmas xo
Gaspereau Valley chords & lyrics

We have finally come to the end of our consecutive Analog Song releases. It was a lot of fun bringing a new song to the web each week and it’s always fun to work with my favorite landed immigrants: Stephen Cooper & Katy Hopkins. They came to Canada as a couple of wild kids with a crazy dream, and now they have a blossoming family of roosters, rabbits and chickens, all on a sprawling piece of real estate in Queens County, Nova Scotia. Please check out their new website for videos by other artists from Nova Scotia and beyond.
Here is a picture of Stephen & Katy at the Yarmouth Mariners Centre:

All of the songs you have watched over the past 3 months were filmed in July 2011 in Chebogue, NS and could not have been made possible without the efforts of Analog Songs (Stephen Cooper & Katy Hopkins) Kelly Sloan, Brad Reid, Kevin Roach, Robin Dellinger, Larry Hattie, Jeff Tooker, Ferguson Music Productions, and Bud & Vivan Kennedy. > I have nothing else to say but thank you, you are really great people.

We end this journey with an original song that I wrote on a snowy Sunday morning in 2006 which I debuted later that evening at the Yarmouth Correction Facility… twas the week before Christmas.

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As soon as we stepped off the plane and into the Nashville airport the first person we saw was Mr. Lionel Richie:

He was looking pretty sharp and didn’t mind posing for a picture with my promoter to compliment our latest Analog Song “Easy” by the Commodores.

A holiday reminder that all of our shirts are now available in the online store and we have just reduced the prices to make them more affordable in this struggling economy.
Click on the photo below to check them out out:

Lastly, I’ve been shivering all day as it is suprisingly cold in the south but it also makes me think of all the lobstermen of Southwest Nova who set sails this morning on another real-life season of the deadliest catch. Good luck and a safe season to all!

photo by Corey Ritchie

This weeks Analog Song is a rendition of the John Hartford song “Where Does an Old-Time Riverman Go?” John Hartford was an amazing songwriter whom also penned one of our previous Analog Songs “Gentle on my Mind”. Hartford was none for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore. He died on June 4th 2001 in Nashville, TN. www.johnhartford.com

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As the countdown to CHRISTMAS and Happy Holidays begins we’ve decided to list the latest Peaks & Valleys tour shirts in our ONLINE store from now until Christmas! Stocking stuffer? =Happy Camper. To check them out simply click here or on any of the shirts below:

After a very busy spring, summer and fall, I will be taking a break from performing over the next 5 months. This will be my first extended absence from the stage in almost 5 years. I will resume touring in the spring of 2012 but until then I will be performing only on a handful of select shows. I am departing for Nashville in a few days and will be spending some time researching and writing for my next album. Looking forward to seeing some old friends and checking out a hockey game at Bridgestone Arena with Peaks & Valleys Producer John Walker.

This week’s Analog Song is one that my uncle Dave like’s a lot: a folksy country song called Everybody’s Talkin.  Written by Fred Neil,  the song was featured in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy in a performance by Harry Nilsson, which won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Our rendition was captured on Durkees Island in Yarmouth, NS shortly after we had performed it for the first time at the King’s Theatre in Annapolis Royal.

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In case you weren’t aware, I am sporting a moustache this month in support of Movember (annual, month-long event involving the growing of moustaches/facial hair during the month of November) . A moustache (US  /ˈmʌstæʃ/ or UK /məˈstɑːʃ/; American English: mustache)^[1] is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip.

So far I have raised $80, all of which goes directly to the Movember.com website to help find a cure for prostate cancer.  25,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in Canada this year alone. If you would like to support my moustache and the Movember cause you can donate at my profile: http://mobro.co/iryancook

Thank you!

I would like to thank John Walker and Scott Ferguson who helped co-produce my album Peaks & Valleys which was awarded the Country/Bluegrass Album of the Year at this past weekends’ 2011 Music Nova Scotia Awards in Yarmouth, NS. I would also like to thank each and every single person who purchased this album in the last year. I am so grateful for a career that allows me the opportunity to perform and do something that makes me happy. This weekend also marks the conclusion of five consecutive weeks of touring and I would like to thank each and every person from the very first show in Bathurst, New Brunswick, all across Quebec and Ontario, and back to Yarmouth, NS for the NSMW award show- Sunday night at the Yarmouth Mariners Centre.

This Sunday night I will be performing in memory of Emma Lee Stewart at the Reason for Hope event which takes places at the Glasgow Square Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. This event is an important one for me as it relates to a couple of close friends of mine. The Reason for Hope is a non-for-profit society in aid of Metatastic Breast Cancer Research.

Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Reason For Hope featuring Mat Minglewood, Doris Mason, Mary Stewart and special guests. @Glasgow Square
155 GLASGOW ST , New Glasgow, NS B2H 5E1
(902) 752-4800 Set: 7:00 PM
All Ages
Tickets: $20.00

Finally, this weeks’ Analog Songs video is of a song from my debut album Hot Times (2008) -Can’t Win For Trying. This was one of the first Country Songs I wrote, and like many at that time, I wrote it quickly and in one sitting. I remember most of the events in this song as they happened, and for the first time I was attempting to use songwriting as a form of therapy. I felt a great sense of relief in knowing that I could allow myself to laugh at events that had I thought about too much, surely would have made me miserable. I always thought it would be fun to make a music-video for this song and perhaps someday we will. Until then, here’s a snapshot of myself performing it with the Sunny Acres string-band in the Chebogue Baptist Church:

We have the following eight shows left on this tour and are looking forward to playing the Ottawa region this week as well as the Maritimes in the week following:

OCT. 26 – Acoustic Grill -Trio w/Allen Christie- Picton, ON
OCT. 27 – Pine Valley Restaurant -Trio w/Allen Christie- Griffith, ON
OCT. 28 – Kaffe 1870 -Trio w/Allen Christie- Wakefield, QC
OCT. 29 – Café Babylone -Trio w/Allen Christie- Quebec, QC
OCT. 31 – Plan B -Trio w/Allen Christie- Moncton, NB
NOV. 2 – Vintage Bistro & Lounge -Trio w/Allen Christie- Hampton, NB
NOV. 5- Molson Canadian Nova Scotia Music Week@ Grand Hotel- Yarmouth, NS
NOV.7- Molson Canadian NSMW Gala Show @Yarmouth Mariners Centre- Yarmouth, NS

So here I am, writing from the lovely and quite memorable Cherry Valley, Ontario. We had a great run of shows last week and are grateful for a couple sold-out nights, and of course our many new friends in Holland Landing :)
Here’s a pic of myself with our Holland Landing hosts before we parted ways yesterday morning:

We also had a lot of fun at our old “stomping grounds” in the Kensington Market, and the talented Paul Perrier was on hand to catch some of the highlights. Check out these photos and check out Paul for information on his upcoming film… wait for it…. “Facebookumentary“… YES!

Lastly, you can see me getting a good dose of bug spray in this weeks Analog Songs video of the Gene MacLellan classic Snowbird:

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I’m writing this evening from Holland Landing, Ontario, where we are staying with our good friends Gary and Tammy. We are about to be treated to a pork-roast, and Bradley Glen Reid has been playing his fiddle for 3 hours straight. His hands must be getting sore… or at least his fiddle.

This week’s Analog Song has pretty much become a standard in Country Music. “I’m so lonesome I could cry” was written and recorded by the immortal Hank Williams Sr. in 1949. I spent quite a few weeks impersonating Hank Williams in a play version of THE SHOW HE NEVER GAVE but when director Stephen Cooper asked me to perform it for Analog Songs, I decided to sing it as myself for a change. It features some great accompaniment from the Sunny Acres string band, and I think you’ll find it looks pretty cool being photographed in the ol Chebogue Baptist Church in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

(remember to set your player to at least 720p HD for best quality!)

We are having a great tour and I would love it if you could catch one of our remaining shows if you are up for some banjo, guitar, fiddle and voice.
here’s a list of what’s coming up, thanks for your support!

OCT. 20 – The Little Bean Coffee Bar -Trio w/Allen Christie- Kitchener, ON
OCT. 21 – The Moonshine Café -Trio w/Allen Christie- Oakville, ON
OCT. 22 – The Wild Wing -Trio w/Allen Christie- Holland Landing, ON
OCT. 23 – Graffiti’s Bar & Grill -Trio w/Allen Christie- Toronto, ON
OCT. 26 – Acoustic Grill -Trio w/Allen Christie- Picton, ON
OCT. 27 – Pine Valley Restaurant -Trio w/Allen Christie- Griffith, ON
OCT. 28 – Kaffe 1870 -Trio w/Allen Christie- Wakefield, QC
OCT. 29 – Café Babylone -Trio w/Allen Christie- Quebec, QC
OCT. 31 – Plan B -Trio w/Allen Christie- Moncton, NB
NOV. 2 – Vintage Bistro & Lounge -Trio w/Allen Christie- Hampton, NB
NOV. 5- Molson Canadian Nova Scotia Music Week@ Grand Hotel- Yarmouth, NS
NOV.7- Molson Canadian NSMW Gala Show @Yarmouth Mariners Centre- Yarmouth, NS

Thank you to each and every person we met in the last 11 days on our tour with Travis Tritt. Thanks to PMD concerts, all the venues, Tim Horton’s cashiers, and most of all, the FANS for coming out!

Ryan Cook, Travis Tritt, Joanne Quinn @Imperial Theatre 11/10/11 Closing night.

If you have friends in any of the cities listed below, let them know we will be showing up this month! Allen Christie and Bradley Glen Reid will be joining in with some bass fiddle fun, guitars and banjo… Kelly Sloan will be lending her voice on appearances in Ontario :)

OCT. 14 – Private Performance -Trio w/Allen Christie- Brockville, ON
OCT. 15 – The Branch Restaurant -Trio w/Allen Christie- Kemptville, ON
OCT. 16 – The Cameron Street Co-op -Trio w/Allen Christie- Cannington, ON
OCT. 20 – The Little Bean Coffee Bar -Trio w/Allen Christie- Kitchener, ON
OCT. 21 – The Moonshine Café -Trio w/Allen Christie- Oakville, ON
OCT. 22 – The Wild Wing -Trio w/Allen Christie- Holland Landing, ON
OCT. 23 – Graffiti’s Bar & Grill -Trio w/Allen Christie- Toronto, ON
OCT. 26 – Acoustic Grill -Trio w/Allen Christie- Picton, ON
OCT. 27 – Pine Valley Restaurant -Trio w/Allen Christie- Griffith, ON
OCT. 28 – Kaffe 1870 -Trio w/Allen Christie- Wakefield, QC
OCT. 29 – Café Babylone -Trio w/Allen Christie- Quebec, QC
OCT. 31 – Plan B -Trio w/Allen Christie- Moncton, NB
NOV. 2 – Vintage Bistro & Lounge -Trio w/Allen Christie- Hampton, NB
NOV. 5- Molson Canadian Nova Scotia Music Week@ Grand Hotel- Yarmouth, NS
NOV.7- Molson Canadian NSMW Gala Show @Yarmouth Mariners Centre- Yarmouth, NS

This week we picked an Analog Song that seemed fitting for the conclusion of our time with Mr. Travis Tritt. Here’s a good ol country song from 1972… Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues.
Thanks!
Ry & Jo!

(be sure to set your players resolution to at least 720p HD!)