This one's a bit of a grab-bag, a 1982 compilation of live and studio recordings from the collection of Radio Canada International (RCI).

There'll Never Be Another You - Fraser MacPherson

Saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist Fraser MacPherson was born in Winnipeg in 1928 and was raised in Victoria, B.C. In 1948 he moved to Vancouver, where he played in local clubs, was an in-demand session musician and occasionally performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He was also a mainstay on CBC radio and television, constantly toured internationally (including an unprecedented four trips to the USSR during the height of the Cold War) and was awarded the Order of Canada in 1987 before passing away in 1993. This breezy ensemble rendition of the jazz standard "There'll Never Be Another You" is taken from the LP "Jazz Canada Europe." None of the other members of the band are identified on the sleeve, which is a drag because they're all great.

So Low Down - Alexis

There isn't a whole lot of information out there about Vancouver singer-songwriter Alexis "Rose" Radlin, but I can tell you she released one self-titled LP in 1975 on Mushroom Records (which was nominated for a Juno) before moving to Windsor, Ontario and recording another album for RCI in 1978. After that it sounds like she dabbled in acting and released one more LP at some point during the '90s. "So Low Down" is easygoing, folky pop-rock reminiscent of Ronney Abramson.

New Funk - UZEB

UZEB were a prolific Montreal-based jazz fusion band formed in 1976 by guitarist Michel Cusson. They were one of the biggest bands in Quebec throughout much of the '80s, winning Félix Awards as Group of the Year in '84 and '89, Jazz Album of the Year four times, and a lifetime achievement award in 1991. A series of Canadian and worldwide tours (they were also big in France) culminated in a huge outdoor farewell concert in Montreal in 1992. "New Funk" is pretty much exactly that; a very '80s take on funk (i.e. lots of synthesizer and brittle basslines) that originally appeared on their LP UZEB Live In Bracknell.

Anything You Want - Bim

"Bim" is the stage name of singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer and broadcaster Roy Forbes, who was born in Dawson Creek, B.C. in 1953. As a teenager he moved to Vancouver and started performing in local coffeehouses, folk clubs and festivals, both solo and as a member of a duo (with Connie Kaldor) and groups (including UHF). Forbes' songs have been covered by dozens of Canadian and American artists, and during the mid-'80s he started up a second career as a record producer. He has also scored films and television shows, hosted a couple of CBC radio programs and won and been nominated for a number of West Coast Music and Juno Awards over the years. Although he's well-known for his interpretations of Hank Williams songs, the low down and blue "Anything You Want" is a Forbes original.

In Love Again - Bernie Senensky

Jazz pianist Bernie Senensky has been featured on this site before. "In Love Again," a wistful ensemble number, was written by Senensky for his 1981 LP Free Spirit.