You may never have heard of Jacob Moon. In the pantheon of Canadian musicians he is a lesser deity, one of those people who has managed to make music his profession as well as his calling, without ever breaking through in popular imagination. His music is complex, and not particularly radio friendly.

Jacob is touring Canada right now to celebrate 20 years as a recording artist, showcasing a new album, a best of compilation with a couple of new songs thrown into the mix. Everyone who shows up for the celebratory concerts receives a copy of the new record as a souvenir. I caught him live at the Ottawa event a week or so ago, in an intimate theatre, where he took the audience on a voyage through his career. Once again I had the opportunity to marvel at his mastery of a guitar technique known as “looping.” When playing live, Jacob frequently records himself for a few seconds, then plays a different guitar part over that recording, creating layers of sound. It can be fascinating to watch and takes a skill level on he instrument that I can only dream of having.

Among those who have appreciated his music are legendary Canadian rock band Rush.

When they were being inducted into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, Rush was asked who they would like to perform at the induction ceremony. Their choice was Jacob Moon. That turned a few heads, especially for those who had never heard Jacob’s brilliant cover of their tune “Subdivisions,” which has received almost half a million views on YouTube.

Congratulations to Jacob on surviving this long in a tough business. Here’s to 20 more years!