Tower of Song: a creative tribute to Leonard Cohen, featuring Oliver Swain & Glenna Garramone, plus special guest Adrian Dolan

This is not your average cover band, but a creative tribute and a re-imagining of Leonard Cohen’s songs and poetry by 2 of BC’s celebrated singer-songwriters: 2x Western Canada Music Award Winner and Juno Nominee Oliver Swain and Glenna Garramone. Together they have arranged Cohen’s timeless songs beautifully, for two voices, string bass, piano, guitar and banjo. For this performance they will be joined by Juno award winning multi-instrumentalist Adrian Dolan on violin/fiddle, viola, piano, accordion, and mandolin. This is the work of Leonard Cohen as you’ve never heard it before.

"I said to Hank Williams, how lonely does it get?
Hank Williams hasn’t answered yet
But I hear him coughing all night long
A hundred floors above me, in the Tower of Song"

When Leonard Cohen sang these words, the Tower of Song was a metaphor for the inspiration that flows between songwriters, each toiling away on their own, but connected by their shared craft. Moved by this concept, Oliver Swain and Glenna Garramone collaborated to produce a project that is a dialogue through song and a tribute to the legendary songwriter. Re-imagining both rare and classic works of Cohen, the duo have crafted a sound that resonates with both longtime Cohen fans and a younger audience.

As Canada’s longest running Leonard Cohen tribute, Tower of Song have toured across Canada several times, playing more than 200 shows to thousands of people in theatres and folk clubs. Highlights include a mainstage performance at the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, and sold out shows at Rotary Centre for the Arts in Kelowna, and packed houses at The McPherson Playhouse in Victoria, the West End Cultural Centre in Winnipeg, and Aeolian Hall in London.

“The tunes are hauntingly lovely. Wonderful takes with close harmonies and re-rhythmings. Musically sound. Faithful by being strongly, creatively Cohen, and yet wholly their own.”
– James N. Porter, Professor Emeritus (Arts), York University