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SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEK
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Blues On The Rideau presents
MonkeyJunk
The Cove Inn, Westport ON
Friday & Saturday, March 18 & 19
$55 for full course Buffet Dinner & Show
Some tickets left for Friday, March 18;
Saturday, March 19 is Sold Out (get on the waiting list for last minute cancellations)
Proceeds to the Friends of Foley Mountain
Ottawa’s own and a very HOT band these days. Winners of the Blues Music Award for Best New Band Debut and 6 Maple Blues Awards in 2010, 3 more Maple Blues Awards in 2011! Swamp R&B, soul boogie & bedroom funk at its best. Fresh off a European Tour with a new CD about to be released.
www.myspace.com/monkeyjunkottawa
Blues On The Rideau is produced by Choose The Blues Productions, Kenmore Ontario in cooperation with The Cove Inn, Westport Ontario
Visit www.choosetheblues.ca for more information
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David Gogo’s Birthday Weekend Celebration
Rainbow, 76 Murray Street
Friday & Saturday, March 18-19
Although still relatively young in "blues years", David Gogo has accomplished much in his career. So far he has three Juno nominations, was named Musician of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards, was twice named Guitarist of the Year at the Maple Blues Awards, and has been bestowed with the CBC Saturday Night Blues, Great Canadian Blues Award for a lifetime contribution to the blues in Canada.
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“He Said – She Said”
Peter Karp & Sue Foley
National Arts Centre Studio
Saturday, March 19 @ 8 pm; tickets $30
"He Said - She Said" is the new inspired show featuring a collaboration of original songs by Peter Karp and Sue Foley. The project is based around a correspondence the two shared through letters that were written over a year period. These letters started as a casual exchange between two committed performers sharing their common bond of the loneliness of the road, the pain of separation from family and home and above all, the drive to make music. But as time went on the letters they shared became more poignant, more revealing. Those letters became their songs.
The result is "He Said - She Said." The show features songs of two artists in development, sharing artistic purpose and spiritual kinship in a meeting of hearts and minds. Whether they're performing as an acoustic duo or with their electric band the music encompasses elements of folk, jazz, flamenco, and blues resulting in a show that is moving, literate, romantic, rocking and exciting.
http://www.myspace.com/thehesaidshesaidproject
http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/whatson/event.cfm?ID=6532
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LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEKEND
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Three Times Lucky
“Mojo Offa Muddy” CD Release Party
Elmdale House Tavern, 1084 Wellington Street
Friday, March 18 @ 10 pm; $6
Originally formed in early 2009, with a common appreciation of music, decades of friendship and live music experience, and a commitment to making uncompromised musical statements, Three Times Lucky always bring their top game to any live music venue, studio or festival stage near you.
Our Mission Statement: Write, record and perform live, our own home-grown brand of Canadian Blues/Roots music, that we hope will entertain people, and resonate with their own lives and individual experiences. We also hope to relay our own heartfelt and sometimes humourous observations on current and past socio-political issues of Pan-Canadian and Trans-Global concern. Or maybe just have a good time playing our music. In short, Three Times Lucky just might be that Rootsy/Folk Rockn'/Blues Alternative Band you've been looking for all your life.
Opener Rock Snake
http://www.myspace.com/3timeslucky
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AREA HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK
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Rita Chiarelli
Black Sheep Inn, Wakefield C
Friday, March 18
“These past few years, I took long and lonely journeys to Mississippi and Louisiana... the songs you will hear are the bluesy swampy rootsy experiences I had... they are real and they are from the heart”
www.ritachiarelli.com
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Phil Motion Trio
Kaffé 1870, Wakefield QC
Friday, March 18 @ 9 pm; $5
Come check out the Phil Motion Trio – Phil, Marc Decho and the newest addition to the mix, Pascal Delaquis on drums. A special guest or two, some harmonica, some slide guitar and classic mix of old-school blues, funk and soul … some originals, some of the Meters, Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, some new material from a few rare-groove 45s.
www.myspace.com/philmotion
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LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS EVERY WEEK
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Southside Tuesdays with Steve Marriner
Irene’s Pub, 885 Bank Street
Tuesdays
Join multi-talented multi-instrumentalist Steve Marriner for something different every week - blues/country/roots music of all kinds.
http://www.myspace.com/stevemarriner
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Irene’s Blues AllStars
Irene’s Pub, 885 Bank Street
Thursdays, 9 pm – 1 am
A bonafide grass roots event that has grown out of the very floorboards of Irene’s Pub and has become a real crowd pleaser for musicians and music lovers alike, this weekly Thursday night jam features Corky Kealey on drums with Vince Halfhide on bass and a host of great local players who rotate according to availability. Each week the cast is topped up with a guest host who steers the song selections in whatever way they're inspired and the jamming begins. It's a great concept and the proof is in its continuing popularity.
Special guests:
March 17 – Dr. Dave
March 24 – Jarhead & Jerome
March 31 – Rod Williams & Murray Kinsley
http://bacton.smugmug.com/share/cFoCZfrollzaE
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Open Blues Jam
Rainbow Bistro, 76 Murray Street
Every Sunday, 4-7 pm; cover $3 (jammers free)
The jam is open to all ages. Jammers sign up on the jam sheet at the door & each jam session lasts for 3 songs. Drums & amps are provided, you only need to bring your instruments (but you can bring your amps if you want to).
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Sunday Blues, 6-9 pm, no cover
Atomic Rooster, 303 Bank Street (at MacLaren)
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Southwest Sundays
With The Dusty Drifters
Irene’s Pub, 885 Bank Street
Sundays, 9:30 pm – 1 am
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The Jam @ Kaffé 1870, Wakefield QC
Every Wednesday @ 9 pm, no cover
6 rotating hosts, each specializing in a different genre
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LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS ONCE A MONTH
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Blues Jam
Avant-Garde Bar & Restaurant, 135½ Besserer Street
First Wednesday of each month @ 8 pm
Hosted by River City Junction, this jam is open to guest performers, but is not an ’open jam’.
If you want to play, please contact River City Junction in advance to work out what instrument you play & what songs you would like to do.
Contact Jason jason@rivercityjunction.com
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BLUES ON THE RIDEAU 6th SEASON
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Blues On The Rideau at The Cove Inn, Westport Ontario, the popular once a month Dinner & Show Fundraiser Series featuring some of Canada's best Blues artists, is now in its 6th season. It’s another superb Line-Up of artists this year with multiple Juno, Maple Blues and American Blues Award nominees/winners. Proceeds from all Shows go to support different local charities. $27,000 has been raised over the past 5 years and the goal is to raise at least $5,000 more this season. If you love good food and great Blues in a small, friendly atmosphere and you haven’t been to a BOTR @ The Cove night before then you owe it to yourself to try one. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re a regular you already know how good these nights are!
2010/11 LINE-UP
All artists appear with their bands
Visit artists’ web sites and MySpace sites for more information, audio and video clips.
March 18 & 19 (*2 night stand) – MONKEYJUNK
Ottawa’s own and a very HOT band these days. Winners of the Blues Music Award for Best New Band Debut and 6 Maple Blues Awards in 2010, 3 more Maple Blues Awards in 2011! Swamp R&B, soul boogie & bedroom funk at its best. Fresh off a European Tour with a new CD about to be released.
www.monkeyjunkband.com www.myspace.com/monkeyjunkottawa
Proceeds to the Friends of Foley Mountain
April 15 – PAUL REDDICK
Canada’s poet of the Blues with his superb harmonica and voice returns to BOTR for a 3rd visit. A multiple Maple Blues Award winner with a great new album.
www.paulreddick.ca www.myspace.com/paulreddick1
Proceeds to Westport In Bloom
May 20 – TREASA LEVASSEUR
Back for a 2nd visit. The slim lady with the BIG voice. A 2010 Juno Award nominee & multiple Maple Blues Award nominee. Delicious Blues, soul, funk & R&B.
www.treasalevasseur.com www.myspace.com/treasalevasseur
Proceeds to the Rideau District Museum
June 10 – RAOUL & THE BIG TIME
Toronto actor and Blues man who blows harp like Little Walter reincarnated. A multiple Maple Blues Award winner. Rough ‘n ready swing Blues.
www.raoulandthebigtime.com www.myspace.com/raoulandthebigtime
Proceeds to Habitat For Humanity
NOTE:
* If there is enough advance ticket demand on single show weekends a Saturday night show may be added - so BOOK EARLY!
* All Shows are filmed by Ken Bowman with audio by Little Chicago Sound Company and one song is posted to YOU TUBE soon after the performance. Visit www.choosetheblues.ca for examples from last year.
* Artists and dates subject to change. Visit www.choosetheblues.ca or call The Cove closer to each show for updates.
The Cove Inn www.coveinn.com is located in the beautiful town of Westport, Ontario on Upper Rideau Lake - a 45 minute drive from Kingston, 1.5 hours from Ottawa, 4 from Toronto and 3.5 from Montreal. Well-priced accommodation is available at The Cove and nearby B&B’s so out-of-town blues fans can stay overnight and enjoy a great little getaway.
$55 (plus HST) for full course buffet dinner, show & dancing.
All Shows 7 to 11 pm
Advance Reservations required
CALL THE COVE (613) 273-3636 or 1-888-COVE-INN
Reserve your tickets early! Most Shows sell out weeks ahead. It’s even more important to book early if you need accommodation. There are a limited number of rooms available at The Cove and the B&B's in town and they fill up fast.
Blues On The Rideau is produced by Choose The Blues Productions, Kenmore Ontario in cooperation with The Cove Inn, Westport Ontario
Visit www.choosetheblues.ca for more information
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SINGING COURSE – R&B
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Sing classic Blues, Soul & Motown favourites
Alcorn Music Studios, 903 Carling Ave @ Sherwood Dr. (Dow’s Lake/Preston area)
10 weeks, Tuesdays 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Dates: March 22,29, April 5,12,19,26, May 3,10,17,24
Cost: $234.00 (non-refundable)
Instructor: vocalist/music educator Elise Letourneau, B.Mus., M.Ed.
Pre-requisite: Some singing experience preferred.
Maximum participants: six
Register: 613-729-0693 info@alcornmusicstudios.com
Location: Note: This is a "less Scent" class we ask all participants to avoid wearing perfume, body spray or cologne.
This course will focus on the stylistic considerations of the R&B and Blues genres. You will learn vocal techniques for breath support, phrasing, flexibility, range, judicious use of vibrato, diction, how to “belt” responsibly, lyric interpretation. Explore the art of backing vocals. All participants will be singing lead and back-up. Last class the students rehearse with a live band and participate in the Alcorn Music Studios adult student Coffee House at Tucson’s Sunday May 29th!
You will have an absolute blast!
http://www.alcornmusicstudios.com
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MUSIC FROM THE BIG HOUSE
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Ottawa Premiere of
Music From the Big House
Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank Street
Wednesday & Thursday, March 23-24 @ 9 pm
Mayfair Theatre members $6, non-members $10
4 bands, 1 woman, and 2 hours of the blues.
From acclaimed director Bruce McDonald, teaming with an Emmy- and Oscar-nominated documentary producer, comes a rare and exclusive musical journey. Rita Chiarelli, an award-winning recording artist, has decided to take a pilgrimage to the birthplace of the blues — Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary aka Angola Prison. She never imagined that her love of the blues would lead her to play with inmates serving life sentences for murder, rape and armed robbery. In what was once the bloodiest prison in America, inmates relatives were invited to listen alongside other prisoners, to hear remarkable voices singing stories of hope and redemption.
Let yourself be swept away by one of Blues’ most soulful pilgrim daughters who is finding out if music really is an escape.
“Morally complex… there are no answers here, [but] there is plenty of emotion, atmosphere, and great music.” (Montreal Gazette)
http://www.musicfromthebighouse.com/
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SPECIAL EVENTS COMING SOON
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Terry Gillespie
The Granary Beizli, 3270 County Road 10, Vankleek Hill
Tuesday, March 22; $10
With Jody Golick, Peter Measroch, Stephen Barry and Gordon Adamson, Jody Golick and Terry’s Annual Birthday Party.
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Vintage Bluebird Blues Revue
With Diana Braithwaite, Chris Whiteley and Bob Hall
Tucson’s, 2440 Bank Street
Thursday, March 24
If you like vintage blues from the 1930s and 40s, you don't want to miss the award winning Blues duo Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley together with the winner of the British Piano Player of the Year Award, boogie woogie piano player Mr. Bob Hall!
Critically acknowledged as Britain’s finest blues and boogie pianist, Bob Hall has had a lengthy career and a distinctive piano style that has influenced generations of piano players. He first came to fame in the rhythm ‘n’ blues explosion of the ‘60s as a founding member of Savoy Brown. Other blues stars he played and recorded with at that time included Alexis Korner, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter and Chuck Berry. Bob subsequently led head-lined bands Tramp and Rocket 88, whose sidemen included Jack Bruce of Cream, Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.
Music reviewers have called Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley “Masters of Old School Blues”. In January 2010, they were awarded Songwriters Of The Year at the Maple Blues Awards. In January 2011, their latest album “Deltaphonic”, released by Electro-Fi Records, hit #1 on B.B. King’s Bluesville network on XM satellite radio , with over 18 million listeners across the U.S. and internationally.
After two successful tours of arts centers and concert halls throughout the UK, this all-star trio is bringing the internationally renowned Vintage Bluebird Blues Revue show including songs performed live on BBC in England, to Canadian audiences.
Amazing Boogie Woogie piano, sparkling cornet, smooth vocal stylings and classic blues guitar.
Songs by Memphis Minnie, Lil Green, The BlueBird Record Revue, Sweet Georgia Brown!
Check out some Foot stomping Boogie Woogie Blues!
Two award winning dynamic blues acts join forces for a night to remember!!
http://www.braithwaiteandwhiteley.com
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Terry Gillespie & Lynne Hanson Birthday Party
Giving it back at The Blacksheep!
Blacksheep Inn, Wakefield QC
Friday, March 25 @ 8:30 pm; $12
Terry's birthday is March 30th, and Lynne's is March 17th, so they decided to join forces on a double bill at the Blacksheep Inn each with a full band to celebrate. As part of the birthday celebrations Terry will be giving away copies of Faux 45 - A Heaven's Radio Social Club Hit Single, and there will be a free draw inbetween sets for CDs. Terry and Lynne have each had a great year and this is a chance to give something back to their audience and friends.
Terry Gillespie – Righeous Blues seeded with a hint of R&B!
Lynne Hanson – Porch music with a little Texas Red Dirt
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Angel Forrest
La Basoche, 120, rue Principale (secteur d’Aylmer), Gatineau
Friday, March 25 @ 8 pm; tickets $25
Quebec's answer to Janis Joplin, Angel Forrest has captivated audiences for more than 20 years with her charismatic stage presence and powerful voice. No matter the setting, this blueswoman is capable of making an instant connection with her spectators.
http://www.myspace.com/angelforrest
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Guitar Workshop with Rick Fines
Wintergreen, 9780 Canoe Lake Road, South Frontenac ON
Friday – Sunday, March 25-27
Celebrate spring on the early side with a weekend of guitar with Rick Fines. The workshop will begin with a scrumptious gourmet dinner at the lodge on Friday evening. Later in the evening, you will enjoy the first informal session of music making.
On Saturday and Sunday, there will be a series of workshops on various styles of acoustic blues guitar playing. Workshops will help you develop your skills in rhythm, soloing, slide and fingerstyle blues. Bring an audio recorder if you like, to capture the parts you’ll want to work on later (no video recording please). Each student will receive Rick’s “Fingerstyle Blues” DVD with 75 minutes of instruction on Delta style guitar.
When you’re not working on your guitar playing, you will be able to enjoy the many trails on our hundreds of acres of land, or relax in our wood-fired sauna.
Saturday evening will feature a public concert by Rick Fines (free to workshop participants) – see info below. Late night jamming after the concert is a strong possibility!
After another morning of guitar playing and instruction, lunch will be served. The workshop will close after lunch on Sunday.
Tuition: $195 (20% discount on tuition if you come with a friend - $310 for two). HST extra.
Accommodation and meals for the duration of the workshop: $220 (bunks p.p.), $260 (shared rooms or cabins, p.p.), $300 (double bed, single occupancy), $395 (double bed, shared). Facilities and meals only (for registrants staying off-site): $150. HST extra.
http://www.wintergreenstudios.com
Dinner & Concert with Rick Fines
Wintergreen, 9780 Canoe Lake Road, South Frontenac ON
Saturday, March 26; dinner @ 6 pm, concert @ 7:30 pm; tickets $30
Reserve by email (info@wintergreenstudios.com) or by phone (613 273 8745)
Rick Fines is one of Canada’s leading blues, roots music, and slide guitarists, and he returns to Wintergreen for a second year, offering both a guitar workshop and a concert for the public. Recipient of Songwriter of the Year along with Suzie Vinnick, Rick’s work with Jackson Delta brought nominations from both the Juno and the Handy awards. He has played for legendary blues piano player Pinetop Perkins, songstress Colleen Peterson, and folk icon Penny Lang, among others. He tours from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic, from BC to NYC. Rick is also a gifted instructor. For the past quarter century, he has worked both with young students and adults – as an instructor at Sir Sanford Fleming College and at Trent University, as a featured artist in the Blues in the Schools program, as a youth mentor in the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and as a private instructor in Peterborough, Kerrville Texas, and on Hornby Island.
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Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons
Baldachin Inn, Merrickville ON
Saturday, March 26 @ 8 pm
Gram Parsons was the creative force behind some of the most important recordings of the late '60s and early '70s, and today is hailed as the patron saint of alt-country and Americana. He was born into a southern gothic tragedy straight out of Tennessee Williams – his family owned 18,000 acres of Florida orange groves, and they had all the infidelity, addiction, self-destruction and insanity money could buy. His father, "Coon Dog" Connor, committed suicide when Gram was 12 years old. His mother drank herself to death five years later.
Small wonder that Gram had a morbid compulsion to go out in a haze of glory, and on September 19, 1973, in a cheap motel on the edge of the Mojave Desert, Gram got his wish as he ODd on morphine and tequila. He was 26. But in death, his tale took another bizarre turn. Gram's road manager, Phil Kaufman, stole his body from Los Angeles airport, took it to the desert and burned it. A rock legend was born.
“Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons” stars Anders Drerup and Kelly Prescott as Gram and Emmylou Harris. The show was inspired by Michael Bate's March 1973 interview with the doomed singer in Boston. It was Parsons' last recorded conversation. The theatrical concert is produced and directed by Michael Bate, written by Michael Bate with David McDonald.
http://www.legendofgramparsons.com/
Tickets on sale at the Baldachin 613-269-4223, Compact Music in Ottawa, Shadowfax in Perth 613-267-6817(credit accepted here).
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Joe Bonamassa
Ottawa Civic Centre
Friday, April 1; $63.70-$86.30 + sc
Some tickets still available for this special deal … buy 3 tickets and get 1 free - Enter code: JB4PACK into Special Offers Box.
Touring in support of his soon-to-be-released album “Dust Bowl”, his 11th full-length solo release and 9th studio album, Joe Bonamassa will be playing the Ottawa Civic Centre, one night only.
A child prodigy, Bonamassa opened shows at age 12 for blues legend B.B. King, who said after first seeing him play, “This kid's potential is unbelievable…He's one of a kind.” His recording career began in the early ’90s with Bloodline, a rock-blues group also featuring Robby Krieger’s son Waylon and Miles Davis’ son Erin. His solo debut was in 2000 with the Tom Dowd-produced “A New Day Yesterday”.
Bonamassa tours constantly and averages 200 shows every year, almost always playing to sold-out crowds and ever-larger houses, and with each gig, he comes more into his own as a virtuoso and a vocalist. As he heads back to the road in support of his new album, he remains infinitely passionate about playing live, connecting with his audiences and making new fans along the way.
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Jack de Keyzer
Rainbow, 76 Murray Street
Saturday, April 2
Blues, jazz, funky R&B and swing are all part of the palette that colour Jack de Keyzer’s musical portraits. The much acclaimed guitarist, singer and songwriter has worked with artists as varied as King Biscuit Boy, Etta James, Blue Rodeo, Robert Gordon, Otis Rush and the Bop Cats. His guitar playing has been featured on hundreds of recordings; as a song writer he has been covered by Prairie Oyster on their hit album ‘Everyone Knows’ ; and as a singer he once sang a duet with kd lang. (Alright... it was a Budweiser commercial...) He performs internationally over 150 shows per year, and is a multiple Maple Blues Award nominee & winner and two-time Juno winner.
www.jackdekeyzer.com
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DOUBLE BILL –
John Primer
and Trevor Finlay & the Hot Damn Band
Rainbow, 76 Murray Street
Saturday, April 9
In 1995 former Muddy Waters and Magic Slim sideman John Primer released his major label debut "The Real Deal". He has since toured extensively in support of ten solo albums to date. With his strong traditionalist Blues phrasing and lightning fast slide technique, few artists can match him. A master storyteller and songwriter, his catalog of songs is endless and his sound is unforgettable. John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band continues to electrify audiences at clubs and festivals, and remain a driving force in the world of Blues music today.
http://johnprimerblues.com
Multi-faceted guitarist/singer-songwriter Trevor Finlay has stormed stages around the world from his native Canada to Australia and France, wowing audiences and winning fans everywhere. He is now setting his sights again on his audience with an exciting new tour and "Live" Bootleg Album. Onstage, Finlay is a musical dynamo, showcasing an eclectic, stir-fried mix of hard-driving roots rock, rock and rockabilly on electric guitar and Violap. Whether performing solo or backed by his new band, he's an engaging and highly-popular crowd-pleaser.
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Fundraiser for the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre & Kidney Cancer Canada
Koyman Art Gallery, 1171 St. Laurent
Saturday, April 16, 7-11 pm; tickets $10 at the door
A fundraiser is being hosted in honour of JP (Jean-Pierre) Bélisle on Saturday, April 16th 2011 from 7-11 pm at Koyman Art Gallery, at 1171 St. Laurent Blvd. This will be a heart-warming event to raise funds to be equally divided between The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre and Kidney Cancer Canada. JP has recently been treated with the Cyber Knife machine acquired by the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre in 2010 (a minimally non-invasive treatment for brain tumours). Drs. Shawn Malone and Christina Canil will be in attendance to speak on the Cyber Knife and Kidney Cancer. We promise to have a wonderful night with live music including Blues, Rock, Pop and Country, a light lunch, silent auction and a 50/50 draw.
If you wish to donate an item, a service or a monetary donation or if you have any questions please call Bonnie at 613-321-1548 (bmacdonald561@gmail.com) or Roxanne at 613-834-1561.
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The 13th edition of Virée Blues Boréale
Presents
Harrison Kennedy
Le Petit Chicago, 50 Promenade du Portage, in the Old Hull sector
Wednesday, April 20 @ 8 pm
Harrison Kennedy’s 2nd place finish this year in the Solo/Duo category at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in February came as no surprise to those of us who have been following his blues career over the past few years. National Capital area fans have an opportunity to hear him in April.
Here’s what you’ll hear … his latest CD, “One Dog Barkin’” (on the Electro-fi label) was reviewed in the Winter Ottawa Blues Society newsletter:
“This acoustic CD is all original and the themes are topical –saving the planet, ‘90s trends, economic woes, homelessness – but Harrison has not neglected the tried and true blues themes – bad whiskey, my woman’s got someone new. He also pays homage to Jimmy Reed, Charlie Patton, Huddie (Leadbelly), Mel Brown and that ‘crazy’ is for Snooky Pryor! He offers hope, and a world tour of sorts, in ‘The Healing Power of the Blues’. Backed up on some tracks by Keith ‘Nappy’ Lindsay on keyboards and Justin Dunlop on bass, Harrison plays guitar, harp, mandolin, banjo and percussion, some on the spoons! But it’s his powerful vocals that impress the most. On the final track, ‘I Can Feel You Leaving’, the guitar is so sparse the song is virtually a capella and the lyrics and his vocals are heart-rending.”
http://www.harrisonkennedy.ca/
http://www.electrofi.com/
or on facebook under “vireebluesboreale”
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Johnny Max
Irene’s, 885 Bank Street
Friday, April 29
FINALLY … it’s certainly been a long road, but now everyone in Ottawa gets a chance to enjoy a Johnny Max Band show!
Johnny is a soulful singer whose respect and passion for all types of music is evident. He is also a brilliant entertainer who has audiences thoroughly enjoying each show. Johnny Max has built up a solid reputation as one of those guys who gives 110% and is one of the most action-packed and satisfying entertainers around. Johnny takes to performing like a fish to water, a perpetual motion machine, galvanizing his spicy blend of Stax/Volt, Atlantic, Funk, and Blues into frenzied heights, often propelling himself into the audience’s eager arms.
To listen to Johnny Max tell it, and to watch Johnny Max present it, you understand very quickly that there’s more to creating great music than simply performing a first-rate piece of music well. It’s much more all encompassing than that.
Max’s take includes engaging the audience, making his show accessible. He wants to more than simply feed off the audience, he looks to make them part of the experience. And he does so with his good natured wit.
Using humour to get your point across is always risky because there’s a fine line between entertaining and being the comic. To his credit Johnny Max knows how to tread that line because the music always comes first.
Max’s music doesn’t always follow conventional Blues lines. Rather than be confined to the traditional 12 bar influenced forms, this veteran of the musical wars favours substance rather than convention.
While his first three releases firmly established Max in the Blues idiom, it was on his fourth, the Juno nominated “A Lesson I’ve Learned” that Johnny added to his Blues sensibilities, and found his groove. And that groove had more to do with Southern Soul than straight up Blues. Of note, check the title track whose chorus might have been lifted from the Dan Penn songbook.
Max’s new disc “It’s A Long Road” picks up where “Lesson” left off – with a wallop! Partnering with a brand new band, Johnny lays down a dozen tracks with a heavy dosage of Gumbo R&B, nods to Rock’em Sock’em Soul, and hints of all-out Boogie work-outs and Tom Waits styled tonalities. Along the way, Johnny relates his most deeply personal stories to date.
You would think that all of the above would be enough to keep anyone busy but Max also finds time to host a radio show: “Sunday Morning Soul” on The HAZE FM, www.thehazefm.ca, Canada’s only commercial web radio station Sunday mornings at 11AM and Wednesdays at 10PM, and co-program the CNE Bandshell BluesFest, (with Rico Ferrara), among other ventures.
It’s all in days work for Max. And he and his fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Clio & the Blues Highway
La Basoche, 120, rue Principale (secteur d’Aylmer), Gatineau
Friday, April 29 @ 8 pm; tickets $25
Quebec City’s Clio and the Blues Highway released “My First Blues” in 2009. Definitely under the radar in our area, Clio fronts a crack band, she’s a talented vocalist and shows real promise in her songwriting. A rising new star from Quebec with a beautiful voice … nominated for both Lys Blues Award (Quebec) and Maple Blues Awards..
www.myspace.com/cliovalerie
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PRAIRIE SCENE
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From April 26 to May 8, Canada’s National Arts Centre will present Prairie Scene, the fifth in a series of national Scene festivals celebrating and showcasing our country’s finest established and emerging artists.
Prairie Scene will invite more than 500 Saskatchewan and Manitoba artists to take over the nation’s capital. Musicians, actors, choreographers, visual and media artists, filmmakers, writers and master chefs will be bringing their unique talents to audiences in concert halls, theatres, galleries, bars, clubs, museums and restaurants throughout the region – a virtual Prairie invasion!
Prairie Scene will also offer a chance for 70 national and international presenters to discover the best of Prairie culture, creating new performance opportunities for Prairie artists across the country and around the world.
Prairie Scene will present a vast living portrait of the region – combining rural and urban, traditional and contemporary, shaking stereotypes and celebrating new voices. Don’t miss it!
http://www.prairiescene.ca/en/
Prairie Scene bluesy offerings include:
Colin James Acoustic Duo
NAC Theatre, 53 Elgin Street
Wednesday, April 27, 7:30 pm; tickets $39.00
Get up close and personal with Colin James as he brings his acoustic duo show to Prairie Scene. In a career spanning two decades, Colin (who was mentored by the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan) has flourished into a multi-platinum artist many times over. His self-titled album debuted worldwide in 1989, garnering him two hit singles (‘Voodoo Thing’ and ‘Five Long Years’) as well as the first of many JUNO Awards. The emergence of The Little Big Band in the early 90s saw Colin’s career soar to new heights, and he remains one of the country’s most revered musicians.
2009 saw him release his 12th CD, “Rooftops and Satellites”, featuring rock radio hit ‘Man’s Gotta Be a Stone’. His greatest hits, “Take it From the Top”, released on March 15 with EMI, features bonus tracks recorded with legendary producer Bob Rock, bringing Colin full circle back to his original label. Today he captivates audiences everywhere with his seductive vocals and lush guitar playing in an exceptionally intimate acoustic duo with guest guitarist Chris Caddell.
Saskatchewan songstress sisters Jen and Megan Lane with noted guitarist John Antoniuk (aka Smokekiller) open the show.
Prairie Scene Women's Blues Night
With Suzie Vinnick, Little Miss Higgins, Romi Mayes & Megan Lane
Library & Archives Canada Auditorium, 395 Wellington
Friday, May 6
These four powerhouse prairie singer-songstresses can outplay and outsing just about anyone, and that’s just what they’re going to do at Prairie Scene. Saskatchewan’s Suzie Vinnick is a four-time Canadian Maple Blues Awards winner as vocalist of the year, with a voice described as “spun gold”. Little Miss Higgins is a Western Canadian Music Award (WCMA) winner for Outstanding Blues Recording, with a down-home raw talent that makes you sit up and pay attention.
2009 WCMA Songwriter of the Year, Manitoba’s Romi Mayes is a whisky-drinking straight shooter whose heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics and serious badass guitar playing have made her a favourite in venues from coast to coast; and Megan Lane’s distinctive voice and intense stage presence bridge the gap between blues, jazz, rock, and soul with a fierce passion.
http://www.littlemisshiggins.com/
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OTTAWA BLUESFEST NEWS
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She’s the One
. . . and she'll launch her career at the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest!
Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest organizers today announced a call for submissions for their She's the One Emerging Female Artist Competition. The competition is a cross-Canada talent search for the best in emerging Canadian female music talent. With the help of EZ Rock 99.7, Bluesfest is looking for promising female Canadian singers/songwriters or bands with female lead-members of any age.
The competition will include two categories: One is 'Solo', which means a female lead singer who also plays an instrument, and the second is 'Band'; two or more people in an act or group, with a female lead singer (or lead performer, if it's an instrumental band).
Ottawa Bluesfest organizers will gather submissions, with three finalists selected from each category. These six finalists will have a 20-minute slot to perform at the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest for a professional jury, on Saturday July 16, 2011. One winner will be chosen from each category. Judging will be based upon various criteria, including performance, stage presence/showmanship, originality, musicality, audience reaction, and the ever-important ‘It’ factor.
Up for grabs are cash prizes: Band Category winner will receive $5,000; Solo Category winner will receive $2,000. There’s also the bragging rights and exposure that go along with performing at one of North America’s pre-eminent music festivals.
Criteria for the competition and applications can be found at ottawabluesfest.ca. Deadline for submissions is midnight, March 28, 2011.
http://2011.ottawabluesfest.ca/shestheoneinfo
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'Street Lights'
Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC), 300–1227 Wellington West
Sunday, April 10, 11 am - 10 pm
Doors @ 11 am, play @ 2 pm, Acoustic Waves concert @ 8 pm
A day-long event called ‘Street Lights’ will include the showing and selling of art-work done by YSB youth. 'Street Food' will also be available.
This event is being held to promote a play called The Middle Place, which runs at the GCTC from March 29 - April 17, and to raise funds for the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa’s housing program for homeless youth (a program which helps youth permanently move off the streets and into safe and stable housing, go back to school, find a job, and feel hope for a brighter future).
Created from interviews conducted at a youth shelter, The Middle Place brings to the stage the extraordinary voices of 16 homeless teens, three tired caseworkers and one well-intentioned outsider. Lauded by critics, this piece of documentary theatre explores the lives of society's forgotten youth.
A talk back session after the play will be held, with youth who have experienced homelessness.
The day will culminate with an Acoustic Waves concert, presented by the Ottawa Folk Festival and featuring Tara Holloway and her band:
Tickets for the Tara Holloway concert go on sale Saturday, February 26 and will be available for $15 in advance at the GCTC box office and for $18 at the door (if still available).
Tickets for the event in its entirety are available by contacting the YSB Charitable Foundation at ysbfoundation@ysb.on.ca or 613-729-0577x1206)
http://www.ottawafolk.org/?concerts
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BLUES IN KINGSTON
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Morningstar Productions presents
Rita Chiarelli
Octave Theatre, Kingston ON
Saturday, March 19
MUSIC FROM THE BIG HOUSE...the amazing documentary chronicling her visit to the Louisiana maximum security prison in Angola...will be debuting in Toronto just two days later on March 21. This show promises to be unforgettable.
http://www.musicfromthebighouse.com/
Rita is going to be thoroughly stoked and the Octave is going to be one cosy little room full of rock & blues thunderbolts.
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KINGSTON COMING EVENTS
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Downchild Blues Band
Grand Theatre, 218 Princess Street, Kingston ON
Saturday, April 16 @ 8 pm; $40.00 + applicable extras
Forty years and sixteen albums on, the legendary Downchild Blues Band is a thread of gold in the fabric of Canadian music history. Led by founding member Donnie ‘Mr Downchild’ Walsh, they remain our premiere purveyors of jump and Chicago-style blues, the dues-payers for everyone who has followed them since they came together in Toronto in 1969.
Tickets available at Grand Theatre box office (613-530-2050)
Information: morningstar@bell.net (613-378-2736)
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Kingston Blues Society 5 Year Anniversary Show
Jack De Keyzer
Opening - Al Wood and The Woodsmen (winners of The Ottawa Blues Society Road to Memphis 2010 and band semi-finalists in the 26th International Blues Competition)
Confederation Place Hotel, Kingston ON
Saturday, May 7
Featuring Jack de Keyzer, the legend that started it all for the Kingston Blues Society.
Watch for announcement of a third band – making it the first KBS triple band show!
(more details coming soon)
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KINGSTON REGULAR EVENTS
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KBS Monthly Jam
The Standeasy
RCHA Club, 193 Ontario Street, Kingston ON
Saturday, March 19, $3 at the door
Come out and see Mojo Shooter with special guest Zak Colbert
Zak is one of Kingston’s finest musicians and we are very excited to have him join us for our jam.
Always one of the best nights of entertainment Kingston has to offer – come early as seating is limited.
Sponsored by the Kingston Arts Council and the City of Kingston
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Georgette Fry
Brandees, 178 Ontario Street, Kingston ON
Every Thursday night at 8:30 pm (new start time)
The Ones
Monte’s in the Prince George Hotel, 200 Ontario Street, Kingston ON
Every Thursday night @ 9 pm
Sam Hopkins and Spencer Evans
Upstairs @ the Brew Pub
Every Second Sunday 2-4 PM
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For more, please contact Kingston Blues Society
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BLUES ON THE RADIO
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101.9 DAWG-FM, CIDG, is ON THE AIR! Blues 24/7
Live streaming on the website at http://www.dawgfm.com/
Sundays: 8 pm
Ottawa Blues Society DAWG’ON BLUES
Each week OBS hosts keep you up to date on what’s happening on the Ottawa area blues scene, play some great blues from local bands and showcase regional and Canadian talent.
This week, March 20 – Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley and Rita Chiarelli
Next week, March 27 – Music from the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, February 2011
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Sundays: 6-8 pm
INSIDE THE BLUES with James Doran
Inside The Blues features music and interesting backgrounder information on today’s top Blues artists with a strong focus on Canadian talent mixed in with some great Blues classics. Hour Two features an in-depth interview and music from a different artist or blues industry VIP every week. All Shows are archived on www.insidetheblues.ca after broadcast and can be listened to there at any time.
This week, March 20 – A Tribute to Mel Brown
Next week, March 27 – Interview – Harry Manx
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On CKCU-FM 93.1
The Mighty 93.1
Community Radio serving the Ottawa Carleton Region
Sundays: 9-11 pm
Black and Blues
with John Tackaberry
The show features a heavy dose of electric blues and rhythm and blues, with the occasional selection of sixties soul. The first hour is dedicated to artist profiles and reviews of recordings on particular labels. In the second hour there is a blues calendar, a rundown of events in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, and interviews with “new and reissued blues and rhythm and blues tracks on wax”, alternating with “live blues and R&B for a Sunday night” in the last half hour of the show. On the last Sunday of every month, the show goes “down in the delta” for a selection of acoustic blues tracks in the final half hour of the program.
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Wednesdays: 9-11 pm
In A Mellow Tone
with Ron Sweetman
Jazz from every era & every style – from 1917 to 2010. Each program features an artist, group, instrument, event, city or record label. Check out Ron’s website www.inamellowtone.com for info on upcoming shows and playlists (current show is posted several days in advance and past shows are archived). Ron is always happy to hear from listeners at ronsweetman@kalixo.com
This week, March 16 – Henry Threadgill: Co-Host Jim Reil explores the career of seminal Chicago musician and composer Henry Threadgill through selections from the recent Mosaic 8-CD box set of Threadgill’s Columbia and RCA recordings. Outstanding and diverse music from one of the greats.
Next week, March 23 – Ethiopian Jazz: Co-Host Alnoor Allidina presents two hours of Ethiopian jazz, focusing heavily on Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke.
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Alternate Sunday overnights (Monday morning) from 2-7 am
Rockin' the Blues From Canada
with Diane Wells
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On CBC Radio Two 103.3 FM
Saturdays: 6-8 pm
On CBC Radio One 91.5 FM
Saturdays: 9-11 pm
Saturday Night Blues
Host Holger Petersen has been a broadcaster, record producer, album collector, and serious blues fan for over 30 years. His collection of blues records numbers in the thousands. On Saturday Night Blues each week you’ll hear a mix of classic blues from the ‘Petersen Vaults’, concerts, interviews, artist features, new releases, plus anything that boogies, jumps, or swings, plus your requests from the Bluesline.
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On CJHR 98.7 Valley Heritage Radio
Thursdays, 8-10 pm
Got The Blues
Pat Watters has been hosting this blues only radio show for the last 2+ years. It can be heard throughout the Ottawa Valley and now streaming on the internet at valleyheritageradio.ca so Ottawa folks can now listen!
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CBC RADIO CONCERTS ON DEMAND
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Some bluesy selections from this week's Canada Live broadcasts at 7 pm nationwide on CBC Radio Two...
Tuesday, March 15
concert 1: Bruce Cockburn, recorded at Showplace Theatre in Peterborough, Ontario
Bruce Cockburn has been performing for over 35 years, and during that time he has been equally respected for his charitable and activist work. In 2001, Bruce was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. He is also an Officer of the Order of Canada and has honorary degrees in Letters and Music from numerous North American universities, including Berklee and Toronto's York University. Bruce Cockburn has 20 gold and platinum awards and 11 Junos - and he shows no sign of slowing down. Canada Live was thrilled to be able to record Bruce Cockburn as he performed solo at the Showplace Performance Centre in Peterborough, Ontario.
Wednesday, March 16
concert 1: Roxanne Potvin
Solo is a cross-cultural music project which showcases talented artists from the Ottawa region, Ontario and Quebec. Tonight, we're inside the theatre of La Nouvelle Scène in downtown Ottawa where we welcome artist Roxanne Potvin, a talented Quebec-based singer, songwriter and vocalist. Roxanne started playing gigs at the age of 19, playing mostly blues clubs in Ottawa and eventually playing blues events and festivals in Quebec and the Toronto area. Now 28, Roxanne has been busy compiling her own musical vocabulary. The passion and heart of the blues remain an integral part of her music. She is now embarking in a different direction with her music; her latest album, No Love for the Poisonous, includes funky New Orleans grooves to alternative pop styles. The band is a small cast of stellar musicians and good friends: Roxanne Potvin on vocals and guitar, Christine Bougie on guitar and lap steel, Roger Travassos on drums and Mark McIntyre on bass. Together, they create an intimate setting for the songs to soar.
concert 2: Rick Taylor
Rick Taylor is a fine blues-based singer-songwriter currently revving up his solo performing career in Ontario after many years on the west coast. His musical accomplishments go a lot farther back than that, though: his first significant solo gig was at the Mariposa Festival in 1971; he went on to be Willie P. Bennett's guitarist for some time, and was a sideman for a host of other artists including Stan Rogers and Colleen Peterson. Rick's guitar playing was an early source of inspiration for the likes of Colin Linden, and for Tom Wilson of Blackie and The Rodeo Kings. And now his inspired songwriting is showcased in a pair of solo albums: "The Wonky Years" (2008), and "Lucky Room" (2010). For this concert, recorded at Fenian Films in Hamilton, ON, Rick is joined by the latest incarnation of the Rick Taylor Band, anchored by the legendary Toronto-based rhythm section of Terry Wilkins on bass and Bucky Berger on drums.
Friday, March 18
concert 1: Doc MacLean, recorded at the Ironwood Stage & Grill in Calgary
Doc MacLean has been traveling the highways and byways of North America for over 40 years in search of the blues. This fall he covered 23,000 kilometers on his fifth annual tour across Canada, dubbed the "Darker Ways Blues Tour". He performed 100 shows in private homes, in clubs and concert halls with his battered 1929 National Steel guitar. CBC Radio 2 caught up with Doc MacLean at the Ironwood Stage & Grill in Calgary.
CBC Radio 1 broadcast, Fridays at 2:05 pm
Friday, March 18 on CBC Radio 1
concert 1: Bruce Cockburn, recorded at Showplace Theatre in Peterborough, Ontario
Bruce Cockburn has been performing for over 35 years, and during that time he has been equally respected for his charitable and activist work. In 2001, Bruce was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. He is also an Officer of the Order of Canada and has honorary degrees in Letters and Music from numerous North American universities, including Berklee and Toronto's York University. Bruce Cockburn has 20 gold and platinum awards and 11 Junos - and he shows no sign of slowing down. Canada Live was thrilled to be able to record Bruce Cockburn as he performed solo at the Showplace Performance Centre in Peterborough, Ontario.
Lots of blues available in the concerts on demand section of the CBC Website …
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WEEKLY EVENTS ON THE SMALL SCREEN
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ALWAYS check local listings to confirm.
On BRAVO – http://www.bravo.ca
Yonge Street: Toronto Rock & Roll Stories
This series of three one-hour shows debuts the week of the Junos in celebration of their 40th anniversary. Directed by Bruce McDonald, this series is a love letter to Toronto and to the birth of Canada's music scene.
Monday, March 21 @ 10 pm – Part 1: (1955-1960) (repeated Monday March 27 @ 6 am)
Travel back to sleepy and dull Toronto in the 1950s, where they rolled up the sidewalks after dark. There was no rock ‘n’ roll music until that fateful night when Ronnie Hawkins & Levin Helm pulled up in their car from Arkansas, popped the trunk and let that Rock ‘n’ Roll out.
Features interviews with Robbie Robertson, Ronnie Hawkins, Cathy Young, Grant Smith, Stan Endersby and many more key people in the music scene.
Tuesday, March 22 @ 10 pm – Part 2: (1960-1965) (repeated Monday March 27 @ 7 am)
In the early 1960s, the Toronto music scene spread out to Yorkville, where folk music began to thrive. But Yonge Street was still the home of the more raucous, wild Rock & Roll bands like Levon and the Hawks.
Features interviews with Ian Tyson, Sylvia Fricker, Gordon Lightfoot, John Finley, Kay Taylor, Shawne Jackson and many more key people in the music scene.
Wednesday, March 23 @ 10 pm – Part 3: (1965-1970) (repeated Monday March 27 @ 8am)
In the mid-‘60s, Yorkville had become the mecca for folk music but, when Dylan went electric, everything changed. Rock & Roll and psychedelic music began to share the clubs with the folk music coffeehouses.
Features interviews with Skip Prokop, John Kay, Ritchie Yorke, John Brower, Jan Haust, George Olliver, David Clayton-Thomas, Daniel Lanois and many more key people in the music scene.
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LOCALS LOOK AHEAD
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Friday, March 25
The Priorities @ Tucson’s
Sunday, March 27
River City Junction hosts the Sunday afternoon Blues Jam @ the Rainbow, 4-7:30 pm
Wednesday, March 30
Al Tambay @ the Elmdale House Tavern
Friday, April 1
Drew Nelson Band @ Irene’s
Sunday, April 3
Maria Hawkins hosts the Sunday afternoon Blues Jam @ the Rainbow, 4-7:30 pm
Friday, April 8
Sherri Harding & the Heat @ Irene’s
Sunday, April 10
Dr Dave hosts the Sunday afternoon Blues Jam @ the Rainbow, 4-7:30 pm
Sunday, April 17
Al Wood hosts the Sunday afternoon Blues Jam @ the Rainbow, 4-7:30 pm
Wednesday, April 20
Bluestone @ the Rainbow
Sunday, April 24
River City Junction hosts the Sunday afternoon Blues Jam @ the Rainbow, 4-7:30 pm
Saturday, April 30
Tony D Band @ the Rainbow
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