Lotus Wight

Hello and Welcome!

Thanks for checking out Lotus Wight: one of Canada’s busiest roots/folk acts! It has been an exciting year here at Lotus Wight Head Office here in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario.

There are many plans for the future as we wrap up the summer festivities and head into a busy autumn season. Lotus is looking forward to a tour of Scandinavia and Northern Europe playing banjo for the incomparable Hezekiah Proctor as he plans for a tour of Eastern Canada with guitarist Mike T. Kerr on the inaugural voyage of their new project, The Quilter’s Guild.

Lotus has also just signed on for a Home Routes tour of Alberta and BC playing solo next February, promoting his recent release, Original Works for Voice and Banjo, which was co-produced by the great James Stephens of Chelsea, Quebec.

Bio

Full Bio

Lotus Wight is the stage name of artist Sam Allison. He is known for his work as a performer, producer, songwriter, and festival host. His skills on banjo, upright bass, guitar, jaw-harp and bass harmonica have set him apart in the industry as an in-demand session player and he has garnered multiple nominations for his music work including JUNO, Dora Maver-Moore and Canadian Folk Music Awards both as solo artist and collaborator.

At the age of eight years old, Allison professed his love for the 1920s-era actress, Margaret DuMont, whom he had seen in the films of the Marx Brothers. When he learned of her death, he fell into a deep depression which could only be healed by listening to the music of that era. Tin-pan alley, ragtime jazz, and Appalachian fiddle tunes were the balm for his young soul, and an important influence on his later music.

As a young adult, Sam was engaged with an itinerant square-dance band from the Ottawa Valley and travelled throughout the United States for eight years, playing dance music and studying fiddle, banjo and songs of the American vernacular. It was during this time that Allison invented his alter-ego, Lotus Wight.

Wight plays music in the key of Folk, Blues and Ragtime. Audiences are captivated by Lotus’ seamless movement from banjo to jaw-harp to guitar and his own invention, the contrabass harmoniphoneum. Lotus sings and writes songs that sound like they have been plucked from the turn of the century and his inimitable style has been talked about in the folk music world for years. Wight has played all over the globe including festivals in The Shetland Islands, Turkey, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Wight’s anticipated 2025 release, “Original Works for Voice and Banjo” has been critically acclaimed as an important collection of original songs in the folk music world. He has been counted as an influence on many young folk artists such as Meredith Moon, The Oddfellows Orchestra and Hezekiah Procter.

Lotus Wight has long been known as founding member of the group, Sheesham, Lotus and Son, having attained status as peerless performers of Old-time music in Canada. This highly influential group was noted for their inventive musical approach, creating instruments and sounds hitherto unseen on Canadian and international festival stages; the contrabass harmoniphoneum, jaw harps, vocal horns and high-energy vaudevillian performances became their hallmark and led them to international recognition.

220 Word Bio

Lotus sings and writes songs that sound like they are from times of old and his inimitable style has been talked about in the folk music world for years. Wight plays music in the key of Folk, Blues and Ragtime. Audiences are captivated by Lotus’ seamless movement from banjo to jaw-harp to guitar and his own invention, the contrabass harmoniphoneum. Wight has played all over the globe including the Shetland Islands, Turkey, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Lotus was brought to Canada in a basket at the age of 18 months. At the age of eight years he professed his love for the 1920s era actress, Margaret DuMont, whom he had seen in the films of the Marx Brothers. When he learned of her death, he fell into a deep depression which could only be healed by listening to the music of that era.

Tin-pan alley, ragtime jazz and fiddle tunes from the American South were the balm for his young soul, and an important influence on his later music projects.

As a young adult, Lotus was engaged with an itinerant square-dance band and travelled throughout the United States for eight years, playing dance music and studying fiddle, banjo and songs of the American vernacular. It was during this time that Allison’s alter ego, Lotus Wight was conceived and born.

75 Word Bio

Lotus writes songs that sound like they are from times of old and his inimitable style has been talked about in the folk music world for years.He plays music in the key of Folk, Blues and Ragtime. Audiences are captivated by Wight’s seamless movement from banjo to jaw-harp to guitar and the contrabass harmoniphoneum. Wight has played all over the globe including festivals in The Shetland Islands, Turkey, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Elevator Pitch

Wight’s unique musical delivery and engaging style have made him a welcome guest at festivals and workshop stages around the world. He is is a player of home-made Americana tinged antique songs and unusual instruments like the jaw-harp and contra-bass harmoniphoneum.

Quotes

“The title ‘Original Works for Voice and Banjo’ is a total understatement for a record with such great songwriting. You put it on thinking you’ll get pleasant throwback “folk” music, and then the songs range from the hilarious ‘My Merchandise Profile’ to the disarmingly/emotionally/genuine ‘Fathers Three’ to tunes like ‘1929’ that you’d swear were covers of obscure masterpieces found on old 78s. It’s amazing to me that songs like these can still be written today in this tradition.” Recording Artist Li’l Andy, Back to Wax Records, Montreal

“One can detect strains of Stan Rogers’ booming baritone in Wight's unaccompanied ballads, while his protest songs echo the works of John Jacob Niles and the great singer, Geeshie Wiley.” Doug Williams, Film Director, Fraggle Rock, Mr. Dressup

“To witness a performance by Lotus Wight is equal in marvel to the reading of a good book which you absolutely cannot put down. His passion for the music shines through every string and every phrase as he manages to captivate his audience in a fashion rarely witnessed in today’s musical age.” Recording Artist Meredith Moon, Compass Records, Nashville, Tennessee

"There is an unproven rumor that Lotus Wight is in fact the illegitimate offspring of Elizabeth Cotton and Jacques Brel which he has refuted numerous times." Lester Moncrief, Canadian Press

Video

Photos

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Music

Original Works for Voice and Banjo

Ode to the Banjo

Dates

News

Hello, Folks! I am delighted to be sharing some good news for the spring season! It has been a long winter full of challenges and time for introspection, and I am excited to be making some announcements for the upcoming season.

There is lots of activity here at the Lotus Wight head office!

This just in; Lotus Wight will be bringing his solo show to three Ontario Festivals this summer season!

Northern Lights Festival Boreal-JULY 4-6. I am so excited to be going back to my favourite Ontario Festival.

Stewart Park Festival JULY 19, 20 I will be doing a workshop and a solo set respectively at this beautiful little festival in Perth, Ontario.

Blue Skies Festival AUGUST 1-3 I will be performing a tweener set and a workshop in mouth bows!

Additionally, I am delighted to announce that I will be touring with The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter this August and September in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Holland, with a show at Skeleton Park Festival in Kingston Town this coming JUNE 21.

Contact

lotuswight@yahoo.ca