Al Park: Lynchpin Of Otautahi’s World Class Songwriting Community

Al Park returns to the Folk Club having released a new album, One for the dog, one for the cat and, one for the people with a MONKEY on their back. MONKEY for short. Released in August to rave reviews, Al is celebrating the new album ‘MONKEY’. The album features contributions from fellow Cantabrian luminaries Adam Hattaway, Tess Liautaud, Elmore Jones, Reuben Derrick, Steve Harrop and Thomas Isbister. Copies will be available for purchase and the traditional artist signing.

For a man who has spent the last fifty years playing music in Christchurch it comes as no surprise that Park’s music is softening and it will be these songs that feature in this show.

From the young punk with a telecaster, to the old soul with the acoustic, Al has been not just a representative of music but sensei to some of its strongest exports (Marlon Williams, Aldous Harding, Delaney Davidson, the Adams – McGrath and Hattaway), always there making the magic move and the music sing.

A man who has no thoughts of retiring, Al is still digging in the record mines and as excited as a teenager with their first demo, Al keeps making records and writing songs and singing them for whomever comes a listening but more importantly because songs are his story. His comfort and joy, fire and light, answers and questions all at once.

Graham Reid in his review in the NZ Listener said, elsewhere the album makes a virtue of Park’s tarnished vocals-and the intimate, Twight Hour taps the downbeat street soul mood of Southside Johnny and Springsteen. My dreams have changed, I’m in the Twilight Hour -or maybe his hour has come.

To view The Twilight Hour https://youtu.be/Znq-yPwhrfg

Al Park will be accompanied by Gordon Gordy Goodinson and Lucinda Whiteley.