Collaborations"I saw those guys when…"
Left, Michael Friedman; centre, Sam Masich; right, Mark James Fortin.
FFM
Friedman, Fortin and Masich create "Folk-Noire"Three guitars… no waiting.
A new sound has been emerging on the Canadian West Coast since Michael Friedman, Mark James Fortin and Sam Masich have started pulling their music together. Imagine Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and Bruce Cockburn stranded on a desert island… with guitars. Three-part harmony and acoustic soul collide as this trio creates a new kind of Folk Noire sound for the singer-songwriter genre… And they're funny.
Michael Friedman frequently tours in North America and Europe as a solo guitarist and vocalist. He brings to the trio a passionate and powerful 3 1/2 octave voice, a breathtakingly profound and eclectic acoustic guitar style and a mature writing approach. His songs and performances have been defined as "nothing short of stunning".
Sam Masich has written many of the lyrics on Michael's last two discs "Angst Ridden Writer" and "Diamond Space". Masich has had some 50 of the nearly 300 songs in his catalogue published on seven CD's. Sam's performances have been described as "passionate and mesmerizing".
Mark James Fortin possesses a superlative voice and a driving guitar style and represents the cream of Canadian songwriters. His singles, "Easy Way Out" and "This Harbour Town" have been top 10 hits in Canada and he has opened for such acts as Level 42 and Jimmy Cliff. Mark is well known in Vancouver as one of the main forces behind the fabulous "Just Singin' Round" concert series which has raised over $100,000 for charity. Mark's performances are simply "jaw-dropping".
The acoustic trio combines co-written tunes with support on each others' solo material.
