'FOUR STRONG WINDS' ft. Sylvia Tyson & John Muirhead: Chest Feve's Latest Single from The 21st Century Last Waltz
Full band on stage during "Four Strong Winds"
John Muirhead
Cindy Cashdollar
The live recording, which was originally recorded sixty years prior in 1963, features Chest Fever, Sylvia Tyson—the latter of whom made the very song itself popular while in the folk duo Ian & Sylvia—John Muirhead, Scarlet Rivera, Cindy Cashdollar, Albert Lee, Rebekah Hawker, and The Pairs; a lineup that reflects both the song's deep Canadian roots and the wide circle of artists who've carried the enduring spirit of folk music forward over the decades.
Sylvia Tyson’s presence on stage, in Massey Hall of all venues, was felt throughout the room. For guitarist and harmonica player John Muirhead (Toronto-based folk singer), sharing the stage with Sylvia Tyson was a career-defining honor: "It was an incredible experience, just growing up knowing that song, talking to my friends and my parents and my peers, letting them know I was going to be playing it with Sylvia Tyson at Massey Hall. I think it's every Canadian folk musician's dream, and it was definitely a pinching moment to sort of talk to her, to take on that role in the song. I’m very, very grateful that it turned out that way."
Rebekah Hawker (Ontario-based singer-songwriter), whose own songwriting has been shaped by the tradition Tyson helped establish, also spoke to the deeper impact of the moment: "My connection to the music is sort of like, oh, wow, cool shit can can come from here [Canada], and it made me feel a kind of empowerment in my own identity as a Canadian songwriter,” she says.
When asked his favorite song of the night, Muirhead doesn’t hesitate: “I think “Four Strong Winds” has to be my favorite,” he says. “To come up and play that song, just… yeah, it just felt right. I felt like they did a really good job of choosing and pairing musicians with songs, because I think that's a song that's right up my alley.”
The song was further elevated by Grammy-winning steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar, whose career has included collaborations with Paul Butterfield, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Rod Steward, and several members of The Band. Violinist Scarlet Rivera—best known for her unforgettable contributions to Bob Dylan's Desire and The Rolling Thunder Revue tour—added her characteristic musicianship to the performance, and Albert Lee, whom Eric Clapton once called “the greatest guitarist in the world”, also lent his guitar playing to the song.
Cashdollar, reflecting on the experience of watching Tyson on stage, said, "It was great that they had Sylvia Tyson, because she's an icon—a native up there—and it was very sweet when she got a standing ovation." Sharing the stage with Rivera also carried its own history: "I was pleased to see Scarlett Rivera and Sylvia Tyson again [...] We had both done a tour many years ago, so it was fun to come full circle."
"Four Strong Winds” is available for streaming on all major platforms with the corresponding music video available on Youtube. The full album, The 21st Century LAST WALTZ – Live At Massey Hall, will be available for streaming on September 18, 2026.
For more updates, releases, tour announcements, and other exclusive content, visit chestfeverofficial.com, and follow Chest Fever on social media:
Facebook: Chest Fever Official
Instagram: @chestfeverofficial
YouTube: Chest Fever Official
X: @chestfeverog
Read the full story behind The 21st Century LAST WALTZ, now available on the Blind Owl Records website, and stay up to date by subscribing to the Blind Owl Newsletter at the bottom of the page.
Blind Owl Records
6339 Charlotte Pike Unit #D146
email us here
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
