Sometimes, when you listen closely to Al’s  poetry, you can hear music. In some poems it’s spelled out. “The Freezing Music” takes us to a place where “lake water sings into ice.” In “The Dead Poet,” Al hears “the music of blood on the Street of the Silversmiths.”

Now Al Purdy’s words are giving life to some actual music with THE AL PURDY SONGBOOK. This is a new venture to raise money and awareness for the A-Frame a benefit album of original music inspired by Al’s life and work, distributed by Universal Music Canada.

Here are some of the artists who have agreed to contribute:  LEONARD COHEN, BRUCE COCKBURN, SARAH HARMER, GORD DOWNIE, GREG KEELOR, JANN ARDEN, JASON COLLETT, DOUG PAISLEY, SNOWBLINK, FELICITY WILLIAMS, DAVE BIDINI, MICHELLE MacADOREY,  and THE SADIES. More artists will be announced soon.

This crowd-funding campaign will raise money for recording. And a slice of all major donations will go directly to the A-Frame. Donors can sign up for all kinds of exciting rewards, from early editions of Purdy to naming rights for parts of the A-Frame. Full details at the link below: