Rogers, who lives on a horse farm in Ontario, began his career just after completing high school, working with and arranging music for his late brother, Stan. Influenced by a wide array of musical styles, Garnet has taken a much more contemporary approach to his own music than his older brother did. His songs are literate, sensitive and often cinematic in detail — presenting slices of life infused with humor and social commentary. Among his best known compositions are “All That Is,” “Frankie & Johnny,” “Night Drive,” “Small Victories” “Summer Lightning” and “The Outside Track.”

Kathy Sands-Boehmer posed a few questions to Rogers recently.

Garnet Rogers asked me to edit this to make him more human and likable. Whoa! This man is one of the most human and likable musician I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, and I told him that there was no need for editing.

Garnet Rogers is a presence. He’s a skyscraper of a man; his baritone voice is a mighty instrument, and his guitar playing is impeccably pure. He sings and plays with conviction. It’s impossible not to be moved by his music. Give it a listen. Click here to see and hear Garnet perform “The Lost Ones,” the first song he ever wrote.

We understand that you’re writing a book about your life as a musician. Can we assume that there’s a large portion of your book that is devoted to “on the road” tales of you and your brother, Stan?

Yeah, the book is largely about life as we knew it on the road back in the 70s and 80s . . . how naive and stupid we were, trying to play folk music — as we understood the term — in places where it was never played and for people who didn’t want to hear it . . . the only thing that saved us was the fact that we were both large and were able to beat up on members of the audience who objected. We were young and scared and foolish . . . bad business model.

Are there any similarities between writing non-fiction narrative and songwriting?

There are differences and similarities between the two forms of writing. All writing needs to have a rhythm which is part of the reason I have been reading bits of the book out loud. It helps with the editing process and allows me to determine if the thing has what an Irish friend of mine calls “skip and flit.”

As Mark Twain said, the only difference between fiction and history is that fiction has to be believable. My memoir, I think, is hard to believe sometimes, but it is all true.

Stan’s songs were more traditional Canadian Maritime type songs. Did you make a deliberate attempt not to copy his style? Or did you just naturally gravitate to a more soulful bluesy rock and roll style?

I basically just write whatever comes along. I listened to a lot more varied music than Stan did, I think. He was not a big fan of electric music, but the Maritime traditional sound we developed was a response to partly the market and partly simply due to the commissions we were given by the CBC. We did a lot of soundtrack work for radio dramas and a lot of it was in Halifax. It just got out of control.

After the first record came out, we were largely pigeonholed into being Maritime artists, and that was not what we sounded like before the first album. We were a lot closer to Elton John and Dan Fogelberg, if you can believe it. . . .Stan really wanted to explore different styles. Had he lived, I think he would have gone in a very different direction with his writing.

Is it true that after Stan’s passing, that you were unable to come to the United State to tour and that Odetta came to your aid? Tell us how that all came about.

Yeah, Odetta did help. Bless her. She was approached by Widdie Hall at the Folkway when my visa was turned down, and she stepped in to add gravitas to the petition. God help the State Department official who tried to say no to Odetta. She was a force of nature.

Do you have any favorite new musicians you’ve discovered lately?

I haven’t heard much lately that made me sit up and take notice and swoon. I find, within the folk world, that a lot of stuff gets recycled every six to ten years, and I have been around a long time. I have kind of heard it all before.

I’m always impressed by anything that sounds like it would exist whether people are listening or not and not being made with an eye to the market. Some stuff sounds a wee bit on the calculated side to me sometimes . . . but that’s just me There are lots of people whose music just kills me, but they have largely been around for at least a couple years. Susan Werner consistently makes me swoon. I love Natalia Zukerman, Chris Smither, Greg Brown, Ani Difranco. There is a lovely trio from Newfoundland called The Once. I like them a lot — beautiful harmonies and arrangements. I like Dave Gunning a lot — both musically and personally. He is the real deal on every level.

Any plans for a new recording any time soon?

No plans for a new record beyond perhaps a book CD interspersed with music. I have been getting requests for that. But that is a long way away . . . maybe 2014. I continue to write songs but time has been in short supply of late. The last two years have been largely taken up with helping my parents. It’s only been in the last couple of months that things have loosened up, and I am exhausted. I hope to get back to it on a more regular basis soon.

The International Acoustic Music Awards competition promotes excellence in acoustic music performance and artistry. Awards were announced in eight categories. In addition to Francey, first-place winners included Joachim Nordensson & Brooke Wandler (Best Group/Duo) for “I Was With You;” Roland Albertson (Best Male Artist) for “Broken;” Kelly Zullo (Best Female Artist) for “Firecracker;” Horseshoe Road (Country/Bluegrass) for “We Don’t Smell the Home Fires Anymore;” Luke Doucet & The White Falcon (AAA/Alternative) for “Thinking People;” Laura Hoover (Acoustic Open Genre) for “The Most Beautiful Fear;” and Tim Farrell (Instrumental) for “Rosewood Alley.”

A panel of music industry judges evaluated entries based on music performance, production, originality, lyrics, melody and composition. In addition to valuable products and services, the winners and top runners-up in each category will be featured on a compilation CD that is distributed to radio stations.

David Francey is one of Canada’s most revered folk poet-singers. His songs and stories resonate with audiences from all over the world. To find out more about David, go to his website. A video of “Come Rain or Come Shine,” which displays David’s easy way with his fans and the melodic songs, for which he’s so famous, can be found on YouTube.

Your latest CD, Seaway, was inspired by a two-week voyage on a large carrier which went from Montreal to Thunder Bay along the St. Lawrence Seaway. How did that adventure come about?

I have always been fascinated with the Seaway from its construction to its role in the life of both our countries today. I have been lucky enough to have lived near the Seaway and I was always curious about the life on board a lake boat and that other view of the familiar, from the water itself. My wife Beth Girdler and I came up with a concept for a Canada Council Grant that involved me taking passage through the system on an ore-carrier, chronicling the trip in song and presenting them to certain Ontario schools along the route at a later date.

We were supported by the Seaway Corp. and Algoma Central Marine and myself and fellow musician Mike Ford took passage on the M.S. Algoville, an Algoma bulk carrier. Our trip took us from Montreal on the St. Lawrence River to Defasco Steel Mill in Hamilton harbor, to off load of taconite ore, and on to Thunder Bay in ballast. The return trip took us back to Montreal with a cargo of wheat from the prairies. As suspected there was a wealth of stories to be found on board and on shore, from the sailors to lock workers to the relatively near past and living history we were sailing through.

The fact that you have received numerous awards in Canada makes you somewhat of a musical ambassador down here in the United States. Do you feel that the impression you give to those down here as opposed to at home in Canada is different? Do you have to alter your show a bit to explain the back stories of your songs more here than you do while playing in Canada?

Although there are certainly many differences between our countries, I have always found American audiences receptive and understanding. We share some common traits, kindness and openness among them, as well as a border. It is found in equal measure on either side of the borderline. As in most things, mutual tolerance and willingness to meet half way usually rules the day.

I love that your song “Skating Rink” is the official song of Hockey Day in Canada. Are you a hockey fan?

The song “Skating Rink” has been used to promote “Hockey Day in Canada” since the event was first presented. Beth called the producers and informed them of the CD Skating Rink, which had just won a Juno award, and they decided to use it. It is a tremendous thrill for me, being an avid hockey fan and until recently an avid player. Thanks to that song I have played goal with the NHL old-timers at the Juno Cup, and met many players I have admired and cheered on for years. Also a few that I have singularly not been a fan of. All were wonderful to meet, to a man, and they are an exceptionally happy and fit bunch of retirees. Their skills are barely diminished from their playing days, which makes warm-ups before the game a fairly sobering experience in the nets.

I understand that your songs are being taught to school children in Canada. What songs are they and what kind of reception do you get from these young fans?

Two songs in particular are taught in schools, both from the first CD. “Torn Screen Door” a 1:38 second-long a capella piece about farm foreclosure, and “Red Winged,” Blackbird,” a song with a simple and strong chorus about the coming of spring, a greatly anticipated event north of the 49th parallel. I think they are both very easy to sing, and both have strong images running throughout. It is a wonderful gift made manifest when kids from 4 to 14 come up and request them by name at shows. We always perform them when requested.

What is up next for you? Any new recordings or other projects in the works?

I hope to keep recording and producing CDs in the future, with a new release in the fall. I have also become a painter of sorts over the years and would like to continue to develop that field of creativity as well.

Like many of us, Kathy Sands-Boehmer wears many hats. An editor by profession, she also operates Harbortown Music and books artists for the Me and Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead, Massachusetts. In her spare time, Kathy can be found at local music haunts all over New England. This and many of her previous Q & A interviews with artists are archived at www.meandthee.org/blog, as well as in the Features section of AcousticMusicScene.com.