Music That Matters: Max Leighton

Max Leighton has spent a lot of his life listening to music, thinking about music, and chasing down rare records.

So he's a natural for our Music That Matters feature. As a matter of fact, it's kind of odd we waitedthis long to ask Leighton for five songs that inspire him.

"I started to get interested in blues when I was in university in my twenties," he said. "It was through the Harry Smith anthology, the Anthology of American Folk Music. Somebody told me about it. I was living in Sudbury, I didn't have a job ... and I just sat down one night and listened to it cover to cover."

"That got me into blues and country and old time string band music."

Not surprisingly, a lot of Leighton's choices came from those roots.

"My first choice is Skip James' Hard Time Killing Floor Blues, because to me, very few songs capture hard times like this one."

Leighton's second choice was a John Prine song, Summer's End.

"I went and saw him perform it with my wife right before we had our baby last summer, so it means a lot to me," said Leighton. "I think it also kind of ties up a bit of the feeling right now, it's kind of melancholy and really beautiful."

Leighton's third choice was a lot more political: Comin' Apart At Every Nail by Neil Young.

"I was listening to this song the other day and it just felt right at the moment."

"My next pick is Guitar Slim's The Things That I Used to Do. It's a dedication to everybody missing the things that they used to do, living in isolation."

Leighton's final pick came from legendary New Orleans songwriter, musician and producer Allen Toussaint, a lively number called Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky.

"This is aspirational," he said. "I feel like we just need a song that's going to get us through and remind us that things are going to be funky once again."