After 5 is the sixth, and maybe the final offering from local artist Fraser Ritchie, commonly known as Hedo.
Hedo has lived a life of music, playing and writing in LA for many years. He made his way to the valley in 1999 and continued to make music and teach guitar to eager students.
It looked as though his career would fall victim to a neuromuscular disorder, which was robbing him of the use of his hands. As his abilities were declining, he released a CD in 2004.
Four years later, he figured out how to make music again. He was shipped a synthesizer and in 2008 released Axe Free. He hit a prolific point in his career releasing an album every year since.
In early 2011 he released an album simply called 5. This week he is releasing his second work this year called After 5. It contains 18 tracks and is coming out a day shy of his 52nd birthday.
This album has a few departures for Ritchie. He has included a couple cover tunes and is accompanied on one track by Chris Conley playing a Les Paul. The combination of live guitar playing and synthesized music was a pleasant surprise, and demonstrated he was on the right track. In listening to the track neither musician could tell which was which.
This album also allowed Ritchie to strum some strings again. He found on a borrowed lap steel he could still play, and uses it in three tracks.
It has been a tough year for Richie and his album is dedicated to his mother Margaret who passed away of cancer. It is also dedicated to Jasmine, his faithful dog who also passed away.
These events have had an effect on Ritchie - he has announced this will be his last album.
This is not an abandoning of his creative endeavors. Before he dedicated his life completely to music, he was a promising writer. He excelled and earned his English Degree at the University of Regina, and his professors saw great potential for his writing. After three decades, he wants to explore this talent. While music will always remain an important part of his life, he has decided to go back to writing.
He released his album on Tuesday, November 29. It is on sale at Riverside Value Drug Mart, and the proceeds of the sale go to the University of Calgary for neuromuscular research.
