songwriter Ray Harris entertained a small crowd, along with two local musical sensations. Joined by a dobro player along with a bass player equipped with a harmonica, Harris rocked the place with an acoustic set of what he described as Americanadiana – a mix of honky tonk country, rockabilly and folk.

Telling stories about Harris’ life and his Ottawa Valley ties, songs included some of his classics like “Shawville Girl”, “Pontiac County Blues” and “Good Old American Cars”.

According to the winery’s owner Scott Judd, the winery has been getting quite popular within the Ottawa Valley music scene, ever since they started hosting concerts on a weekly basis.

“We’ve actually started to have people contact us to play here,” he said.

Currently living in Ottawa, Harris said he had been envisioning an opportunity to perform at the winery for quite some time.

Having spent a significant portion of his childhood in Shawville, Harris felt delighted to rediscover his roots while performing with numerous family members and friends in attendance.

Having played at Café 349 on a number of occasions over the last couple of years, he was intrigued by the possibility of taking his talents to Clarendon as well but hadn’t been able to do so because of his tight schedule.

“It’s hard to get up here on a Friday,” he said.

Harris said he mostly performs in various establishments throughout the Ottawa Valley, while making the occasional trips to musical hot spots like Toronto and Nashville TN.

For Harris, the best part about performing in a cozy spot like the winery sitting only a few feet away from the audience and the sense of intimacy he feels with the crowd.

“The people sit and listen,” he said. “They’re here to hear the lyrics … they’re here for the music.”

“This building is cooler than I even thought it would be,” he said. “It’s a beautiful setting, the food is amazing and there’s wine.”

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