Anna Gutmanis

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Latest News

"Glimmer In The Dark"

Glimmer In The Dark
Anna performs live on Canada Day and at Musideum! See July news).

Reviews, Quotes & Press

What people are saying about Anna's New CD:

"Gutmanis jockeys between musical styles as with her sultry mid-baritone and exceptional piano work. Songs like “Hello Again” and “First In Love” (featuring second vocalist Karen Dinardo) exude a playful and poignant Leonard Cohen cabaret breeziness while “People (Got To Get It Together)” finds Gutmanis channeling her best Mavis Staples inspirational gospel voice." - Jaimie Vernon (author of Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia), ‘Don’t Believe A Word I Say’ column

"Reviewing “Glimmer In The Dark” was a bright spot in my day, and will impress any music lover who appreciates hearing the voice of experience, social consciousness, and outstanding music!" - Paul Anderson, The Entertainment Bank

"Gutmanis radiates with her musical mission. The album's most ambitious track, "Middle of the Line," features a blazing electric guitar solo, and sounds like something that Bonnie Raitt would cover." - Gregg Shapiro, The Bay Area Reporter, OutSmart Magazine

"She surprises the world once again and releases "Glimmer In The Dark" and every track is greater than the last. Anna and everyone who made this CD possible – you nailed it!" - Tom Edmondson, Producer - The Tenth Voice 90.1FM KKFI Kansas City, Missouri USA

"This could well be a 'best of' CD… Whether songs of love, friendship, activism, appreciation, inspiration or loss, Gutmanis is universal in her appeal and comprehension... Much like John Lennon's "Imagine", Anna has the ability to touch your soul with a common and shared emotional sense of what is." - Len Rogers, Founder – Rainbow World Radio and StoneWall Society

"I personally LOVE Anna’s new album “Glimmer In The Dark”! I hope it gleans the rewards/awards which in my opinion are justly deserved." – Anita Gibbons, Producer, "Women On Waves", JOY Melbourne

"Anna Gutmanis has a gorgeous deep voice, and her pop songs speak of love and coming out and people getting together. The CD has 13 tracks and they're all good to hear." - BB, CJLY, Nelson BC Canada

For complete quotes and selected reviews and press, visit new Reviews, Quotes and Press page!

Lyrics

First In Love

It seems not very long ago
That we went for a drink and show
That show turned out to be at my place
Didn’t it baby
I fell softly for you that night
It was more than a quick delight
Who knew that twenty years after
We’d still be in love and laughter
Chorus
Tell me all of the things you said
When we were first in love
Tell me all that was in your head
When we were first in love
We’ve had so many ups and downs
We’ve had so many smiles and frowns
These years have put many lines on my face
Haven’t they baby
If I knew then what I know now
I’d still go for you anyhow
On this sweet night in November
We dream ahead and we remember
Chorus
Instrumental
Chorus
©2010 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

Glimmer In The Dark

The woman you see standing here is solitary
Of those who try to move in closer she is wary
She followed where the melody led
And with a muse in love she is wed
So no one gonna know what’s on her mind or in her soul
Chorus
You are always giving me a glimmer in the dark
Just when I’m afraid to see you make my eyes so sharp
While they smile you give me sadness
While they pine you give me gladness
I can never be alone and so I stand apart
The passion came while she was growing in a small town
When she could see the ones beside her were gonna fall on down down down
Well her and them had nothing to say
When she left you know she left it that way
‘Cause no one pays attention to the bell except when it tolls
Chorus
Instrumental
And so I’ll have my friends and I will have my lovers
And I will spend a bit of time with many many many others
But I am never gonna refuse
A visit from my beautiful muse
And no on gonna captivate the woman that she stole
Chorus
You are always giving me a glimmer in the dark
©1983 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

People (Got to Get it Together)

People got to get it together
I know that we’re gonna see the light
Chorus 1
People got to get it together
People got to fight
People got to get it together
Man we’ve got to see the light
We’ve been told that we are living in a great democracy
And we’ve been told we have the right to get together peacefully
But all these cops and water cannons are the only thing I see
And oh my god they’re going to shoot us
If we don’t just let them loot us
Chorus 1
Chorus 2
People got to get it together
People got to know
Mr. Man ain’t gonna protect you
He is gonna let us go
When did we become a nation where the rich abuse the poor
And when did we become a nation that is so in love with war
And when did caring for the earth become an antiquated chore
It ain’t too late to change direction
Reclaim all our love and affection
Instrumental
Chorus 1
Chorus 2
©2010 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

Hello Again

We were younger, we had the hunger
That was way back then
I left town but now I’m around
And so hello again
I’ll be leaving sure as you’re breathing
On that morning train
‘Til I do this song is for you
And so hello again
Though it seems like a crime that I don’t have the time
To write you or give you a call
I am always aware of the bond that we share
‘Cause time doesn’t change you at all my lady
I may wander way over yonder
Through the sun, through the rain
Still I find you’re one of a kind
And so hello again
Though it seems like a crime that I don’t have the time
To write you or give you a call
I am always aware of the bond that we share
‘Cause time doesn’t change you at all my lady
I may wander way over yonder
Through the sun, through the rain
Still I find you’re one of a kind
And so hello again
©1988 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

You Won’t Be Sorry

So your love affair was not so nice and I must entice
But you won’t be sorry
Now you’re taking all the good advice and you’re thinking twice
But you won’t be sorry
I won’t break your heart in the morning
I won’t leave without any warning
Give me a chance to give you love and affection
When the world is closing in on you
When you think a curse is upon you
I’ll be around to give you love and protection
We’re in love and that is how we’ll stay, caring day by day
And you won’t be sorry
We will be together come what may, I can truly say
That you won’t be sorry
I won’t break your heart in the morning
I won’t leave without any warning
Give me a chance to give you love and affection
When the world is closing in on you
When you think a curse is upon you
I’ll be around to give you love and protection
Instrumental
Oh we’re in love and that is how we’ll stay
I can truly say
That you won’t be sorry
And you won’t be sorry
©1988 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

Another Way Out

My school is really like a battle zone
But when you’re queer you walk the halls alone
Nobody brave enough to be my friend
And the slings and arrows are never ending
I’ve been assaulted in the parking lot
And now they’re saying that I should be shot
This morning I just want to stay in bed
‘Cause the pressure has gone to my head
Chorus
I’m looking for another way out
I'm looking for another way out
I told a teacher what I’m going through
He said there’s nothing he can really do
He told me all about the sins of man
And to get with my god if I can
Chorus
Now my daddy has a dear kid
Doesn’t have a queer kid
If he had a queer kid, man I could say my goodbye
I’ve got nobody I can turn to now
I’m tired of living these lies
Chorus
©2008 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

This Love Is Real To Me

We may not be the picture of youth and glamour
Sometimes we’re more like a nail and hammer
Sometimes we don’t have a lot of talkin’ to do
Ain’t it true
We get up, go to work, and we come home tired
It can be hard to remain inspired
Still I can say every single day that I want to be with you
Chorus
This love is real to me
What I feel and hear and what I see
This love is real to me
And it’s better than a fantasy
Now it’s so many years since I first embraced you
Still what I know is my heart has stayed true
Being together is unbelievably fine
So divine
And I marvel at all you and I have been through
And at the places that we have been to
Nobody else knows me half as well and I know that you are mine
Chorus
Instrumental
Chorus
©2009 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

When I Get Out of Bed

Chorus 1
Maybe I’ll feel better when I get out of bed
When I get out of bed sometime today
Maybe I’ll feel better when I get out of bed
When I get out of bed sometime today
Chorus 2
Maybe I’ll feel better if I’m not left for dead
And if I put on my head sometime, someway
Maybe I’ll feel better when I get out of bed
When I get out of bed sometime today
I tried to do what needed to be done
I set the bar impossibly high
I should have known that it wouldn’t be fun
And now I’m so weary that I can’t begin to cry
Chorus 1
I ought to throw some clothes on my body
I ought to comb my hair into place
But everything looks terribly shoddy
There’s so much around me that I can’t begin to face
Instrumental
I’m gonna go and slay me a dragon
I’ll write a song that everyone hears
But now my whole damn body is saggin’
And as for my mind, I’m gonna wait until it clears
Chorus 1
Chorus 1
©2009 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

The Rain

The day’s overcast, it’s just like the last
And the winter is seeping in slow
There’s something inside keeps a telling her she’s got to go
She ain’t gonna hide when she’s walking outside
And the wind starts its dancing again
Oh why should she fight
It’s just right for her day in the rain
Remembers a park in the drizzling dark
Where some wonderful stories were told
Hey under that isle they once buried a treasure of gold
And maybe some day when the sky ain’t so grey
We’ll go down to see what we can gain
With thoughts of the find on their minds
They walked home in the rain
Chorus
And the rain o fills me with beautiful pain o
Never leaves nothing the same o
Colouring all that I do
Can you say why it doesn’t matter how I try
When it falls down I know I’ll fly
To find that there’s something that’s true
The people she meets when she’s walking the streets
Are all trying to get out of there fast
They don’t like the rain and they’re hoping it’s not gonna last
Umbrellas held high and the look in their eye
Says that girl’s looking pretty dragged down
She ponders their loss as she crosses the street into town
She thinks of that time she was hoping so blind
For a saviour to come to her side
O mama I say he’ll come back and you know I don’t lie
I never never lie
Then came the day when they took him away
And she knew she would go it alone
And the rain falling down on the window was cold as a stone
Instrumental
Chorus
©1980 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

Middle of the Line

Looking for meaning, looking for work
Cooking and cleaning, dealing with jerks
Nearing the middle years of my life
I’m more than mother and wife
Chorus 1
Call the conductor
This isn’t mine
I’m caught in the middle
Middle of the line
I need to break out
I need to shine
But I’m caught in the middle
Caught in the middle of the line
Mom needs compassion, so do the kids
I learn to ration ‘cause I can’t flip my lid
All that I give is never enough
The times are horribly tough
Chorus 2
Call the conductor
This isn’t mine
I’m caught in the middle
Middle of the line
My destination ain’t on that sign
I’m caught in the middle
Caught in the middle of the line
Here at my window I see a land of rolling hills
And wandering waves
It’s such a sin though to travel through it
To a land of masters and weary slaves
Instrumental
Chorus 2
Chorus 1
©2001 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

In The Sun

Step into the wicket
Buy myself a ticket
Wishing it was one-way
Heaven knows I’ll want to stay
Say goodbye to pressure
Say hello to leisure
Now I’m off and running
To my hard-earned southern fling
Chorus
In the sun you can play ‘til you’re done
And when you’re hotter water’s waiting for you
In the sun we can melt into one
Here on vacation, stationed, nothing to do
Now I see the palm trees
Now I feel the cool breeze
I could really live here
If I shift into a lower gear
This is so relaxing
It’s never ever taxing
And I feel so lazy
That’s the way I like to be
Chorus
Instrumental
Chorus
©1989 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN)

I am who I am

I'm out, I'm proud
I've done the things I vowed
Nobody gonna take away my freedom
If you believe
My friends and I should leave
You're gonna have to fight us everyone
Chorus
I am who I am, no matter what you say to me
I am who I am, no matter what you do
I am who I am, no matter what you take from me
To myself I will be true
You call me ill
My kind you want to kill
And then you sing of heaven’s love on Sunday
But I can see through your hypocrisy
It’s hatred of yourself that you betray
Chorus
You took from me
A sense of history
I grew up learnin' how to hide my secret
But now I've found
My people all around
And you will find you ain't seen nothin' yet
Chorus
You took from me
A sense of history
I grew up learnin' how to hide my secret
But now I've found
My people all around
And you will find you ain't seen nothin' yet
Chorus
©2003 Anna Gutmanis/Ban-Anna Music (SOCAN) (3:26)

Vote

Remember to vote every month at OutVoice for your favourite CDs and songs by GLBT musicians.

Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter

Number One Song on the OutVoice 2012 Top Ten Song Chart - "I Am Who I Am"

Number One CD on the OutVoice 2011 Chart - "I Am Who I Am"

Winner of the Pride In The Arts "2009 Pride Song" Award - "I Am Who I Am"

Nominated for 2 RightOUT TV Music and Video Awards

New Album - "Glimmer in the Dark"

New Press Release by Terrance Schemansky

Canadian Recording Artist Anna Gutmanis Offers An Intelligent Brand Of Rock!
December 5, 2012
Ontario, Canada – Singer/songwriter Anna Gutmanis is no stranger to Canada’s independent music scene. Her self-titled 1989 release was met with high regard, and her single ‘Then Came You’ can still be heard on commercial radio stations throughout the country. Her powerful fusion of indie, soul, blues, and R&B on Glimmer In the Dark is just part what drives her music. Having come from a family of music lovers, she is able to use music to examine societal issues and produce a form of activism through song.

Personal accounts of living an often-stigmatized lifestyle provide the inspiration for her most recent single: ‘I Am Who I Am’. Promoting understanding through introspection, the song offers a unique perspective on the often-polarizing gay and lesbian movement through the eyes of an individual immersed in it. Having already received exposure on various indie, women’s and LGBT radio stations, ‘I Am Who I Am’ won the Pride in the Arts Pride Song Award, and was nominated for Best Song So Far for the RightOUT TV Music and Video Awards.

The award-winning single offers a glimpse at what listeners can expect on Glimmer in the Dark. Working with Juno-nominated producer Karen Kane, the album was recorded at Chalet Studios and was mastered at Phase One Studios in Toronto, which has seen the likes of Bono, Rihanna, and Sting. Thought-provoking and bold, Glimmer in the Dark features some of the most talented musicians in the Toronto area, and represents Anna Gutmanis’ strongest musical effort to date. Political songs (‘People (Got To Get It Together)’), romantic tunes (‘First In Love’), joyous Caribbean-influenced numbers (‘In The Sun’) and the jazzy title track showcase the depth of Anna’s songwriting skills. And eminent music critic Gregg Shapiro has suggested that Bonnie Raitt cover ‘Middle of the Line’, a song that many women will take to heart.

While listeners all over Canada take notice, Anna plans on building upon the momentum of ‘I Am Who I Am’. In the near future, she will play numerous gigs throughout the Toronto area and begin work on a new video for the moving ‘Another Way Out’, a song about bullying. Until then, ‘I Am Who I Am’ can be purchased at iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp.com, and Glimmer in the Dark can be found at CD Baby and Bandcamp.com.

For more information on Anna Gutmanis and her intelligent brand of rock and roll activism, check out her website at www.annagutmanis.com, and the Anna Gutmanis Facebook Page.

Permalink: http://www.wireservice.co/entertainment-arts/canadian-recording-artist-anna-gutmanis-offers-an-intelligent-brand-of-rock/4030/

Press Release by Jamie Anderson

Pride activist Anna Gutmanis releases Glimmer in the Dark
Toronto singer-songwriter Anna Gutmanis is proud to announce the January 16th release of Glimmer in the Dark, a collection of pop/rock originals spanning her whole career, from 1980’s ballad "The Rain” to the more recent "First in Love.” She includes political issues like LGBT pride, always with a personal touch; she can also sing a heck of a love song. Produced and engineered by JUNO nominated Karen Kane, the release also features top notch musicians like saxophonist Colleen Allen (Anne Murray, Loraine Segato) and harmonica player Roly Platt (Ronnie Hawkins, David Clayton-Thomas). Rounding out the band are guitars, drums, bass, cello, harmony vocals and Anna on keyboards. It’s available on CD Baby and download sites including iTunes and Amazon MP3.

She’s performed since she was 19. In the 80’s she played solo and with L’Etranger, a prominent Toronto band. In ’93 she took a break to raise two kids with partner Georgia Wilder. Now she’s back, great new release in hand, and ready to gig.

Laura Nyro is a big influence and you can hear that in soulful ballads like the title cut and "The Rain.” She switches gears to a touch of reggae in "In the Sun,” about a longing for a vacation in the sun. "First in Love” is a love song for grown-ups -- "Who knew that twenty years after / We’d still be in love and laughter.” "This Love is Real to Me” is also in that vein, only with a lighter touch -- "We may not be the picture of youth and glamour / Sometimes we’re more like a nail and hammer.”

"People (Got to Get It Together)” was supposed to be at a fast tempo. They recorded the basic tracks that way but an assistant engineer’s error caused them to rerecord it. With this new opportunity, Kane suggested they slow it down. It starts with an R&B fused guitar and sax, then a choir that’s so joyful you expect them to shout "hallelujah.” Anna completes it all with her expressive alto and dynamic lyrics about the change we need to see in this world.

Alyssa Wright’s emotional cello opens up "Hello Again,” a beautiful ballad about longing for an old friend.

"Another Way Out” was written when she was working at a YWCA shelter. One of her clients had a male friend who was gay bashed at school. This incident plus others inspired this moving song.

In "Middle of the Line” she’s looking for the meaning of life, bringing it home with slide guitar accents and a wailing harmonica. With this kind of song it’s no surprise that she’s a fan of blues shouter Big Mama Thornton.

The disc ends with the rousing anthem "I Am Who I Am” where she emphatically states, "I am who I am / No matter what you say to me.” Take that, conservatives!

An extensive radio campaign, including worldwide LGBT shows, is planned. She’ll be doing an album release show in Toronto in May of this year.

It’s true that lesbians love their cats. She put hers on the cover; he also makes a recording debut in a 15 second clip, even though he wasn’t paid union scale. Don’t hold that against Anna; get her album, you’re sure to love it.

by Jamie Anderson jamieanderson.com

Select a track :

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Production
Musicians
Notes
Thanks

Produced and Engineered by Karen Kane at Chalet Studio, Claremont ON
Assistant Engineer: Anthony Giglio
Mixed by Dajaun Martineau and Karen Kane at Phase One Audio Group, Toronto ON
Assistant Engineer: Anthony Giglio
Mastered by Mike Smith at Phase One Audio Group, Toronto ON
Assistant Engineer: Matt Snell
CD Design by Tracey Dey
Cover and other photography by Kelly Hurren

Anna Gutmanis – lead vocals, keyboard
Wayne DeAdder – guitar, bass
Dan Neill – drums, shaker
Karen Dinardo – background vocals, shared lead vocal on "First In Love"
Colleen Allen – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Roly Platt – harmonica
Alyssa Wright – cello
Terry Nash – organ
Dajaun Martineau – additional percussion section on "People (Got To Get It Together)"
Georgia Wilder – rain stick on "The Rain"
Bliss the Cat – meows

At a cursory listen, the songs on this album may seem very eclectic, ranging from bluesy rock to Caribbean rhythms and even a touch of gospel. Those of you with sensitivity to nuance and a spirit of adventure may be able to detect the subtle narrative that conjoins these pieces. The opening song and most recent composition, "First in Love,” celebrates the present and begins a long and personal journey back to Anna’s earliest days of songwriting. "Glimmer in the Dark” invokes the muse that inspired this song over 25 years ago. Like "The Rain,” written while she was still a teenager, it speaks of a quest of inspiration, of meaning in a world of loss, and of the search for self-identify that all fuse in "I Am Who I Am,” the anthemic bonus track. While "Hello Again” romanticizes the absent friend, songs such as "When I Get Out of Bed” and "Middle of the Line” confront the unpopular realities of middle age, of family pressures, of utter exhaustion. These songs reflect her days of social-worker burnout, compassion fatigue, and the unsentimental side of motherhood: being caught in the middle of working overnight shifts, raising teenagers, and watching her own mother slowly vanish in long-term care. It is a legacy of Alzheimer’s and other incomprehensible estrangements. But she shares realism, not pessimism. "This Love is Real to Me” revels in the joys of anti-cosmetic honesty. Longstanding love, intimacy, creativity, and even idealism dare to thrive, despite the ordinary torments and commonplace disapprovals of conformist culture. The harmonies and rhythms of social justice songs, including "People (Got to Get it Together)” and "Another Way Out” may inspire an activist voice in all of us who remain unfulfilled by the status quo and troubled by the oppressions of others. At the same time, we all need to relax and allow time for pleasure: the promise of a new relationship in "You Won’t Be Sorry” anticipates the vibe of "In the Sun,” a tune that brings us the beach vacation—perhaps even a hot honeymoon! There are surprises along the way. If you listen carefully, you will hear the little black cat tiptoeing along with the muse in "Glimmer” before his a cappella solo, "The Voice of Bliss.” The journey is not always linear, and these are songs to return to not only in the cold of a Canadian winter, but at times when our spirits need warmth and comfort. I hope that you enjoy this journey with us. -Georgia Wilder

• To Georgia Wilder for her unending support, love, encouragement, home-cooked meals during recording/mixing/mastering, musical and lyrical inspiration, coaching/recording Bliss, and thoughtful liner notes.
• To Karen Kane for always understanding the songs despite the sometimes dubious quality of the home demos, her incredible "dog ears”, her inspired arrangements, and all of the amazing musicians and technicians she brought to this project.
• To Wayne DeAdder for his great energy and help with arrangements.
• To David Chester and Sheila Marie Richardson for their kindness, warmth, and provision of a sublime recording environment.
• To Anthony Giglio for his enthusiasm and dedication.
• To Barry Lubotta and Mike Smith for a wonderful mixing and mastering experience.
• To all of the talented musicians and studio technicians who gave their very best work to this project. I feel privileged to have recorded and mixed with you!
• To all of the kind people at radio who have played my music and helped me personally.
• To all of the appreciative music fans who have supported me and my music to date.
• To the spirit who visited Karen, Georgia and me in the Japanese restaurant as our mixing week came to a close. Message received!

Many people I loved and admired have passed away since I first envisioned this project:
• I could not have recorded this album without the generous legacy of my mother Daina Gutmanis (1922-2010), a great music lover and provider of piano lessons.
• My Godparents Anita and Aleksis Dreimanis also sent their heavenly energy to me during recording and mixing. Their kindness and love of cats have influenced me deeply!
• "I Am Who I Am” has been successful on the LGBT grassroots music scene in large part because of the imaginative guitar work of Steve Horrell.