Marc Jordan scores with Crucifix In Dreamland

Acclaimed songsmith delievers fine new album

Long one of Canada’s most talented and internationally successful songwriters, Marc Jordan has flown somewhat under the radar in terms of media attention. That has changed in the last couple of months for an unlikely reason, his debut foray into acting.
Jordan landed a key role in Canadian feature film Score: A Hockey Musical. It scored the prestigious opening premiere slot at TIFF and opened in theatres last week. In a recent Tandem interview, Jordan was modest about his work. “First of all, I can’t act, so I did this with some trepidation. I feel lucky to be part of a very cool little film.”
Jordan is cast as the husband of Olivia Newton-John in the film. “Thankfully, Olivia is a great friend of mine, so I felt comfortable working with her,” he says. Jordan’s wife, fellow singer/songwriter Amy Sky, actually co-wrote and produced Newton-John’s latest album, Grace and Gratitude.
Hopefully, his part in Score will help generate interest in Marc Jordan’s imminent new solo album, Crucifix In Dreamland. This ambitious yet accessible record marks something of a return to Jordan’s pop roots. From the mid ‘90s on, he released a series of jazz-oriented records (the Juno Award-winning Reckless Valentine, Cool Jam Black Earth, This Is How Men Cry, and Make Believe Ballroom) to critical acclaim. These albums confirmed Jordan as a subtle vocal stylist and a lyricist of poetic power, traits evident on Crucifix In Dreamland.
Jordan recruited a highly talented group of co-writers, including Ron Sexsmith, Luke McMaster, Stephan Moccio, and Christopher Bilton, his chief creative collaborator. Working with Bilton was the catalyst for the album, Jordan explains. “The moment I saw him play the piano I had an inkling I could write with him. We just started writing songs, and it evolved into this very filmic piece of music.”
Jordan and Bilton co-wrote 10 songs, and their writing method is an intriguing one. “Almost every song on record started musically with me first,” explains Bilton. “I’ll literally send Marc a finished track of just music that I’ve arranged in my head. It’s like a four minute journey, and Marc says he feeds off my playing. He does his thing on it, and he’ll then sing melody and lyrics over what I create musically.”
The recording sessions took place at Nashville’s Sound Emporium studio, with an A list of session players. “We cut the record live, and that was an interesting thing for me,” Jordan says. “When I started in music in Los Angeles, we used to put guys in a room and cut a record. Then with the changes in technology we started sitting behind computers and doing everything on Pro Tools. This one essentially all happened on the floor. We assembled this cast of musicians as a director would cast actors in a play, and they played so beautifully together.”
On the international stage, Marc Jordan has primarily been known as a songwriter for major stars in many different musical genres.Those covering his material have included:Chicago, Natalie Cole, Joe Cocker , Rod Stewart ( the huge hit “Rhythm Of My Heart”), Olivia Newton-John, Josh Groban, Cher, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, and Bonnie Raitt.
Canadian artists recording his songs have included Amanda Marshall, Molly Johnson Holly Cole, Jeff Healey, Sophie Millman, and The Canadian Tenors. The fact that vocalists of such diverse stylistic range are attracted to Jordan songs testifies to the inner strength of the material. “I think if a song is written properly it can transcend all kinds of genres,” he observes. “It is about writing something simple and truthful. If you have that as the small heart of a song it can be done many ways.”
Intriguingly, Jordan never specifically tailors them for other artists. “I just write for myself, and hopefully what comes out is truthful enough that it will connect with other singers as well. I never hoard my own songs. My feeling is they are much like paintings. Who cares unless someone looks at them, and who cares about songs if nobody hears them?”
As well as pursuing his solo career,, Marc Jordan is part of Lunch At Allen’s. This project comprises four of Canada’s best singer/songwriters, Murray McLauchlan, Ian Thomas, Cindy Church, and Jordan. From spontaneous beginnings, it has now spawned three albums and is a popular live act. “It is so much fun,” says Marc. “We’re all friends and we get to drive around this great country of ours. We’re real road dogs now!”

Crucifix In Dreamland is released on EMI on Nov. 9. Lunch At Allen’s play Toronto Centre for the Arts on Nov. 25. A local Marc Jordan date will be announced soon.

Publication Date: 2010-10-31
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=10653