Folk Alley Sessions: The Small Glories

There’s a proud troubadour tradition in the folk music world: musicians heading out to unfamiliar and sometimes unfriendly places, gathering songs and stories and music they hear, and then sharing all of it with anyone who wants to listen. Often, that tradition is combined with a collaborative energy and spirit – the brave song and story collectors teaming up with others who feel the same way to compile and share something special, something unique. Well, that troubadour tradition is something The Small Glories honored on their 2019 recording, Assiniboine & the Red. This Winnipeg based duo, made up of musical friends JD Edwards and Cara Luft, say this album kind of represents the story of…well, of them. Both have had extensive solo careers, and careers with other bands (Luft, for example, was a founding member of the Wailin’ Jennys) and both have the kinds of musical contact lists you and I can only dream of. In additional, neither of these talents are originally from Winnipeg, and of course the two rivers that meet in the middle of the city – the Assiniboine and the Red – aren’t from Winnipeg either. Yet, that’s where they meet, that’s where they converge, and that’s where they get stronger, too. And strength, resilience, and connection are three of the main themes Edwards and Luft showcase on the album. They joined Folk Alley at the Lake Flower Landing in Saranac Lake, NY to talk about their history, their music, and their very exciting plans for the future.