Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre - 1233 Wellington at Holland
Sunday, November 2 @ 8 pm; tickets $20 at the GCTC box office or by phone 613-236-5196
Enthralled with the harmonica at an early age, Steve studied the great Chicago harp players while immersing himself in the music of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, among others. At age 14, he won the Ottawa Blues Harp Blow-Off and appeared at Bluesfest that year. Rooted in traditional Blues, Steve’s original songs are delivered with passion and emotion. He is widely recognized as one of Canada’s premier blues harp players and has toured in Canada, the US, the U.K. and Australia.
This show will be recorded live by CBC, for a later broadcast on the Canada Live show, hosted by Alan Neil.
UPDATE!!
Steve has just been nominated for a 2009 Maple Blues Award in the Harmonica category.See below for the Maple Blues Awards press release and a complete list of nominees.
FRESH CROP OF CONTENDERS FOR 2009 MAPLE BLUES AWARD NOMINATIONS
- JEFF HEALEY BLUES BAND LEADS THE WAY
TORONTO - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008 - Blues fans will be thrilled with the many new faces filling the ballot for this year's Twelfth Annual Maple Blues Awards, Canada's national award program that promotes and recognizes outstanding achievement in blues music. Nominees from Atlantic Canada to BC have been announced for 2009 and voting begins online at www.mapleblues.ca from November 1, 2008 at 1:00 am (NFLD) until 11:59 pm (PT) December 6, 2008. The Gala Awards Ceremony will take place in Toronto at 8:30 pm on Monday, January 19, 2009.
Although there is a strong showing from all across this blues land of ours, of the sixteen Maple Blues Awards categories, the late guitarist extraordinaire Jeff Healey and his blues band lead the nominations with a total of seven - including Entertainer, Electric Artist, Guitarist and Recording of the Year (for his posthumous album Mess of Blues). Healey's seasoned accompanists Al Webster, Dave Murphy and Alec Fraser are each nominated in their respective instrumental categories.
Barrelhouse blues pianist Julian Fauth and veteran act Downchild are next in line, earning four nominations apiece. Fauth's honours include one in the recording category for his current album, Ramblin' Son, while Downchild's include two in instrumental categories for Michael Fonfara and Pat Carey.Following closely with three nominations each are Maritimer and "funkabilly-blues-soulman" Garret Mason, Toronto's powerhouse blues vocalists Treasa Levasseur and Paul Reddick and Western axeman Amos Garrett (including his horn player Dave Babcock).
Fresh new faces not seen on the ballot last year are predominant in the instrumental categories: Seventeen of the 30 nominees are new, including JW-Jones and Curley Bridges. Not to mention New Artist of the Year contenders Daddy Long Legs, Keith Hallett, Marshall Lawrence, Monkey Junk and Sojourners. Multiple Drummer of the Year recipient, Maureen Brown, is also back in the race.
Returning this year are Atlantic blues faves Thom Swift, who garnered two nods, Tom Easley (Hot Toddy) and Geoff Arsenault (Morgan Davis/Thom Swift).Montreal is well represented, with recognitions going to Ray Bonneville (with two nods), Guy Belanger, Stephen Barry, Bob Walsh and Michael Jerome Browne, all with one each and last year's Maple Blues host Dawn Tyler Watson, with two. Ontario raises up past Maple Blues winners Jack de Keyzer, Shakura S'Aida, Suzie Vinnick, Carlos Del Junco and Chris Whiteley, among others. The West has an increased presence this year, with distinctions going to Big Dave McLean - who has been making a big impact on the music scene of late - receiving two noms, as well as Amos Garrett, Dave Babcock, Harry Manx, bassist Keith Picot and drummer Chris Nordquist of The Twisters.
Of special note is the 2009 BLUES BOOSTER OF THE YEAR AWARD (selected by the
Toronto Blues Society Board of Directors) which will go to the affectionately known "Professor of Rock n' Roll" Rob Bowman for his outstanding contributions to the Canadian Blues industry. Bowman is a five-time Grammy Award nominee, and one-time winner (in 1996 for Best Album
Notes for his 47,000-word monograph accompanying the 10-CD boxed set of The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 3: 1972-1975, which he co-produced).He also pioneered popular music studies at York University. He lectures, publishes and broadcasts in many areas of music, from country, R & B, blues and gospel to reggae, rap and funk. He has written liner notes for dozens of recordings including many of those by blues artists such as Colin Linden, and regularly authors, produces and advises on major documentary and CD reissue projects for record companies in Europe and North America.
The funky academic and music spokesperson has many broadcast credits as well, including a five-part radio series on the history of Canadian popular music and frequent guest spots on CBC Radio's Definitely Not the Opera.Besides being a musician himself, Bowman has also authored a book called Soulsville, U.S.A. - The Story of Stax Records (1997), about the legendary Memphis-based record label. Upon hearing the news of his award, Bowman had this to say, "For years I have admired the work done by those behind the Maple Blues Awards in acknowledging the great blues music made by Canadian musicians and I am extremely honoured to have been chosen to receive the "Blues Booster of the Year Award."
All nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of blues experts from across Canada, and winners are selected by the votes of Canadian blues fans.
Voting begins online at www.mapleblues.ca from November 1, 2008 at 1:00 am (NFLD) until 11:59 pm (PT) December 6, 2008.
2008 MAPLE BLUES NOMINEES
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Big Dave McLean
Dawn Tyler Watson
Downchild
Garrett Mason
Jeff Healey
ELECTRIC ARTIST OF THE YEAR
David Rotundo
Downchild
Garrett Maso
Jack de Keyzer
Jeff Healey
JW-Jones
ACOUSTIC ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Big Dave McLean
Harry Manx
Julian Fauth
Michael Jerome Browne
Thom Swift
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Bob Walsh
Danny Brooks
Harrison Kennedy
John Mays (Fathead)
Paul Reddick
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dawn Tyler Watson
Roxanne Potvin
Shakura S'Aida
Suzie Vinnick
Treasa Levasseur
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Daddy Long Legs
Keith Hallett
Marshall Lawrence
Monkey Junk
Sojourners
RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Amos Garrett/Get Way Back/Stony Plain
Jeff Healey /Mess of Blues/Stony Plain
Julian Fauth/Ramblin' Son/Electro-Fi
Ray Bonneville/Goin' By Feel/Red House
Treasa Levasseur/Low Fidelity/Slim Chicken
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Eric Bibb
James Hunter
Mavis Staples
Taj Mahal
Watermelon Slim and the Workers
GUITARIST OF THE YEAR
Amos Garrett
Garrett Mason
Jeff Healey
JW Jones
Steve Strongman
HARMONICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Carlos Del Junco
Guy Belanger
Jerome Godboo
Paul Reddick
Steve Marriner
PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Curley Bridges
Dave Murphy (Jeff Healey Blues Band)
Julian Fauth
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne
Michael Fonfara (Downchild)
HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Murphy
Chris Whiteley
Dave Babcock (Amos Garrett)
Johnny Ferreira
Pat Carey (Downchild)
DRUMMER OF THE YEAR
Al Webster (Jeff Healey Blues Band)
Bucky Berger (Fathead)
Chris Nordquist (Colin James & many others)
Geoff Arsenault (Morgan Davis)
Maureen Brown
BASSIST OF THE YEAR
Alan Duffy (Jack De Keyzer)
Alec Fraser (Jeff Healey Blues Band & Broken Joe)
Keith Picot (The Twisters)
Stephen Barry
Tom Easley (Hot Toddy)
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Julian Fauth
Paul Reddick
Ray Bonneville
Thom Swift
Treasa Levasseur
BLUES BOOSTER OF THE YEAR
Rob Bowman
The Maple Blues Awards are supported by FACTOR and the Government of Canada
through the Canadian Music Fund, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario
Arts Council, Ontario Trillium Foundation, the City of Toronto through the
Toronto Arts Council, KMP Designs Inc., Stony Plain Records, Long & McQuade
Musical Instruments and CBC Radio/Saturday Night Blues.
Beverly Kreller
SPEAK Music
www.speak-music.com
bev@speak-music.com 416.922.3620
CKCU-FM is a remarkable and unique institution; starting thirty-three years ago as a campus radio station, it saw and accepted the challenge of the needs of the diverse communities who live in Canada’s National Capital Region, and today, as a campus/community station, it broadcasts in over twenty languages. I also believe that our quality of programming in blues, classical, country, dance, jazz and world music is unsurpassed by any other Canadian radio station.
We are listener-supported radio; this means we receive no subsidies whatsoever from any level of government and can only survive because of your contributions and our volunteers’ dedication.
I am writing to ask you to consider sponsoring one hour of alternative/community radio at CKCU-FM 93.1 in Ottawa. CKCU provides at least six unique and valuable services to the community:
1)We present a whole range of alternative music that you’ll never find on commercial radio, presented by people with passion and authority. Our jazz, blues, dance, world, country and classical music programs cover the whole history of these musics, are presented by acknowledged experts in each area, and reject the fashion-conscious “Top 40” approach you’ll hear on the region’s commercial stations.
2)We provide a voice and a community billboard for many of the communities that make up our population; we have regular Aboriginal, Asian, Caribbean, Chinese, Filipino, Gospel, Indian, Jamaican, Jewish, Latin American, Persian, Somali, and Vietnamese programming – to name a few!
3)We give an independent and diverse point of view on political and community affairs. We are not owned by a large profit-oriented corporation or a government, and our volunteers and our Board reflect the diverse opinions and viewpoints of the communities they come from.
4)We bring you the renowned BBC World news three times every weekday, respected internationally for its independence and broad coverage.
5)We support local musicians by publicizing their gigs and airing their CDs.You don’t have to be a big name to get heard on CKCU.
6)We keep you informed of upcoming jazz and blues concerts that you might otherwise miss, by mentioning them on our programs and in e-mailouts
As a former Treasurer and Chairman of the Board, I can assure you that CKCU has a bare-bones budget. Because most of us are volunteers, we are able to bring you world-class radio at a cost of a little over $40.00 per hour! We have three revenue sources:
A voluntary levy paid by the students of Carleton University
Income from organizations which sponsor particular programs
The community of listeners and musicians [You!]
Our community Funding Drive runs this year from Friday October 24 until Sunday November 9. Our target for 2008 is $108,000. You can Dial and Donate at 613-520-3920 or 1-877-520-3920. You can complete a Pre-Pledge form if you’ve received one in the mail. You can pledge by E-mail at www.ckcufm.com. However you pledge, you will receive a tax receipt for donations over $25.00, as we are a registered charity.
For those of you with pets, “In A Mellow Tone” will again this year have two special categories of donor – “Cool Cats” and “Hip Hounds”, so please mention your pet’s name and type if you’re pledging on his/her behalf.
When you pledge, please mention “In A Mellow Tone” or “Black and Blues” if you want to support these programs specifically.
Please see if you can sponsor just one hour of alternative/community radio. It’s your community and your radio station and will cost you a tax-free $40.00!
$20 members, $25 non-members ($20 for OBS members)
Steve is back from touring and ready for a fall harmonica workshop.Good for beginners to advanced students, Steve will break some new ground for harp enthusiasts of all ages.
Café Le Troquet, 41 Laval Street, in the Old Hull sector
Wednesday, October 29 @ 8 pm
Always on the lookout to present the best upcoming stars on the Blues scene, Virée Blues Boréale’s team is proud to introduce, “for the first time in La Belle Province”, not only a favourite but a LOCAL favourite – the Jeff Rogers Band.
Jeff appeared at Bluesfest, on his own and guesting with many friends, and holds down a regular weekly gig at Tucson’s in Ottawa.His CD, launched in April 2007, presents his Blues funk with rock colors and prominently features keyboards and sax but always accompanied by Jeff Rogers’ deep warm voice. The fusion of diverse musical styles, from funk to punk, including rock and pop, and always maintaining a little preference for salsa, jazz, swing and for sure, the blues, yields a most interesting result.
If you wish to be charmed by this superb voice, if you wish to be pleased by the incredible talent of this young 28 year old, then you must see and hear Jeff Rogers at Virée Blues Boréale on this Wednesday, October 29.
The poster description for this three-woman tour says it all: “A rollicking, estrogen-injected evening of powerhouse women in folk music from the Canadian West.”It’ll take them from Gabriola Island to Montreal, where the 22-date tour ends on October 31.
Joanna Chapman-Smith grew up in a musical family with roots in New Zealand, Italy and Brazil. She’s a multi-instrumentalist with a powerful voice that melts audience hearts, and her style cuts across a variety of musical genres.
Sarah MacDougall, a Swedish-born songwriter and storyteller with a haunting voice, is building a reputation as one of the best emerging singer-songwriters in the West. There’s a slight touch of country in her basic folk style.
Kate Reid is tough, funny and feisty and blessed with an irreverent sense of humour. Hersung/spoken songs are long on wordplay, social-political commentary, and reflections on identity, love, and life in the queer community; the between-songs banter triggers both tears of recognition and spontaneous laughter.
The three singers have all built strong careers in British Columbia, and they all have new recordings to their name.They have been friends for a long time; the lengthy tour is the first time that the trio has created a show to take across the country.
Frontman for the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Mathus' solo career, bubbling under the surface for the past five years, has recently exploded in a volley of deep, hardcore blues with his sophomore album National Antiseptic.
“Jimbo Mathus is a link in what I call the 'crazy Mississippi white-boy' chain of music that goes all the way back through Elvis Presley to Jimmie Rogers – white musicians playing black music and influencing people in both cultures.” Luther Dickinson, North Mississippi All-Stars
Saturday, November 1 @ 8 pm; tickets $15 advance; $20 at the door
Part of the new British Invasion, Jon Amor is one of a number of up and coming UK-based artists that are making a major impact in the North American market.A former guitarist in The Hoax, one of the most successful British blues/rock bands in recent years, Jon Amor has gone on to make a name for himself as a songwriter and front man with his solo project. His new CD, “Unknown Soldier”, features a special guest appearance by legendary Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant.UK guitar sensation, Jon Amor returns to Ottawa to perform with his band at Tucson’s.
The Stellar Cast Blues Jam is 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.The Stellar Cast features Mike Ktenas (bass) and Corky Kealey (drums) as the foundation, and is filled out by 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 the popularity the night has garnered over the years.
Guest hosts coming up:
Oct 30 - Chuck Karn (guitar/vocals)
Nov 6 -Jesse Green (guitar/vocals)
Nov 13 - Ball & Chain
Nov 20 - Chris McCann
First Anniversary of Honky Tonk Saturday Night! This month’s featured guest is Al Bragg on pedal steel. Put on your best western shirt and cowboy boots, grab your dancing partner and let’s party! See you there!
The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has extended its submission deadline until December 1, 2008.ISC will continue to take online, mail-in, and MySpace entries until this date.All entries must be postmarked or uploaded online on or before December 1, 2008.So, if you have not already entered ISC and wish to do so, you still have time to enter.
ISC gives away over $150,000 in cash and prizes to 62 winners in 20 categories.The Overall Grand Prize includes $25,000 (US) in cash – the largest cash Grand Prize of any songwriting competition in the world.ISC is open to all levels of amateur and professional songwriters throughout the world.
Sarah DeLuca will be opening the show on a Steinway Grand Piano with overlap by Peter Voith & Quarter Life featuring co-written songs from the latest release “All Of My Heart” as well as a special guest appearance by Shawn Tavenier. We will be going out afterwards (around 9:30 pm) for some celebratory drinks and chatting at the local pub (walking distance away). This will be a very special show so please don’t miss it!
After 15 years, 33 band incarnations, and the release of his 7th CD, Jake Thomas feels he has finally captured his original band vision with the newest version of Jake and the Fundamentals.The eponymously-titled new CD showcases a unique and energetic Canadian blues band, whose repertoire encompasses a wide spectrum of influences from turn of the century Delta blues to the ‘driving grooves of modern R&B. From the Pink Pantheresque cheese of 'Spy Vs. Spy’ and the classic vocal style of Little Milton’s ‘I Can’t Quit You’, to the funky Stones treatment of ‘Something You Did’, listeners will be treated to edgy, raw, and highly danceable performances by this group of accomplished musicians.
Canada’s juke-joint Kings, The Myers Brothers Band, will be bringing their brand of electric juke-joint blues to Bass Line Station. Don’t miss this special evening of stripped-down hillcountry, juke joint, and rocking boogie blues.The band’s repertoire includes new originals from their upcoming “Truckin’ Boogie” CD, as well as covers from Big Jack Johnson, Willie King, R L Burnside, and many more. Blues aficionados will appreciate their old-school sound , vintage instruments, and all-tube amplification.Get the blues – c’mon!
Roots music interpreter and instrumentalist extraordinaire, Michael Jerome Browne releases a stunning album of original songs with full band – B3 organ, pedal steel, funky bass and drums.“This Beautiful Mess” is a toast to the bluesy mix of soul and country that flourished in the 1950s and 60s – the style of music captured on recordings by artists like Charlie Rich, Ray Charles and Solomon Burke.
Centrepointe Theatre, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Nepean ON
Saturday, November 8; tickets $55 & $45
After performing a sold-out concert at Centrepointe Theatre last January, EVOC is returning with music from their new CD “Olde School”.With decades of musical experience behind them, Ottawa natives Peter Kiesewalter and Tyley Ross came together in the late 90s as principals of the now-renowned NYC-based EVOC.Their latest work features arias by Verdi, Puccini, Bach, Mozart, and Wagner, mashed-up with Rock and Roll, R&B, 60s and 70s Pop, Surf, and Soul in an explosive mosaic of sound that is deliciously eclectic and singularly cohesive at the same time. Asfiltered through the group’s irreverent sensibility, rock meets opera in a triumphant celebration of all music, creating a musical highwire act that deftly balances tradition and renewal.
Sunday, November 9 @ 4 pm; all ages show; cover $7
MonkeyJunk is a band that draws heavily on the legends of the blues and translates that influence into a contemporary blend of sweet tones and good time grooves. This triple threat trio draws on over 50 years of combined experience playing blues live and in studio ... and it shows. Check out the energy and emotion present in their songs – it’s infectious – you can’t deny it – so don’t even try – just give in to the vibe that is MonkeyJunk.
Fathead is a multi-award winning band that has played the top blues rooms, concert halls and music festivals from coast to coast.Their music is steeped heavily in the blues, married with elements of R&B, funk and soul, and possesses a unique ensemble sound that is immediately recognisable as their own.Their latest release “Building Full Of Blues” received the 2008 Juno Award for ‘Blues Recording Of The Year’, nine years after the band won their first Juno for “Blues Weather”.The album typifies all things Fathead: solid grooves, soul drenched melodies, ace musicianship, and compelling true-to-life songwriting.
Though she’s only 25, Toronto-based songstress Serena Ryder is already a world-traveled artist. Now the singer/songwriter is poised to release “Is it O.K.” which highlights her powerful range, which veers from tough to tender, often in a single verse, and distinctive, classically romantic songwriting.
Ryder grew up in Millbrook, a rural/suburban town in eastern Ontario. Her mother a singing go-go dancer and biological father a Trinidadian-born Caribbean-folk musician, formed the origins of a truly eclectic spirit whose passion for music spans a wide array of styles, from folk and country to jazz, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll.
A naturalistic approach helps to define Serena Ryder, from her frank and direct personality to the warmth and wisdom of her lyrics. She views herself as part of a long musical continuum, a participant and player in the centuries-old saga of the song. That sense of history, of belonging to something greater than the moment, simultaneously roots Ryder in a glorious tradition, while also setting her apart from most of her modern musical peers.
Raised in Quebec, resident in Ontario, and now a performer with an international reputation, Roxanne Potvin will release her third CD next week.Intriguingly named “No Love for the Poisonous”, the collection of original new songs on the Alert Music label resonates deeply with the experiences of the 26-year-old artist’s generation.
Produced by Fembots leader Dave MacKinnon, “No Love for the Poisonous” outlines a new musical vision for the artist. While the passion and heart of the blues remain an integral part of her music, there’s a wider musical vocabulary at work. Funky New Orleans grooves fit perfectly with soul swagger, happy old-school pop, and introspective moments. Her earliest musical influences (and her family background) still resonate, and the CD contains a song in French, and another – like the singer herself – which is perfectly bilingual.
Roxanne comes ‘home’ for a CD release event at the NAC Studio on Tuesday, November 18.
With a distinctive voice that lends itself to edgy, dark blues and an arresting stage presence, Ndidi was only seven when she first entered regional talent contests in her native British Columbia.Having grown up listening to her Nigerian-born father play drums, her music is infused with the rhythms of that African country as well as with the deep influence of her first love, the blues.What you get is a beguiling mixture that is truly Ndidi’s own creation.
On her debut “No, I Never”, Ndidi Onukwulu proved she can wrap her silky voice around anything from country blues to her own rootsy salon sound.Now we have “The Contradictor”, all about focus, training that formidable silk edge on everyone’s private pain, and contradicting the anguish with a full, upbeat, resonance.“The Contradictor” is personal and universal, built on Ndidi’s songwriting mining the extremes of intimacy with the bigger sounds and tones she is most interested in uncovering. These are songs of heartache, heartbreak, and longing.www.myspace.com/ndidionukwulu
Steve Strongman was nominated for the 2007 Maple Blues Award for Best New Artist of the Year although at age 37 with a long career playing blues, rock & country he is no newbie. Born in Hamilton – the home of many great Canadian blues artists including Richard Newell ‘King Biscuit Boy’, Daniel Lanois, Rita Chiarelli, Harrison Kennedy and many more – Steve started his career at age 16 playing around southern Ontario where he caught the eye of legendary Mississippi blues guitarist Mel Brown (Mel has played BOTR twice delivering dynamite shows as many will remember).
Mel tutored and encouraged Steve, introducing him to many of the blues greats. In 2007 Steve recorded his CD “Honey” which immediately got everyone’s attention, including mine! His LIVE shows are known for their high energy, great guitar and vocals. His band includes one of Canada’s best bass players Alec Fraser and Dave King (King Biscuit Boy, T-Bone Burnett) on drums. Mark ‘Bird’ Stafford who is in town doing his Harmonica Blues in the Schools presentation for the kids at Rideau Vista and St. Edward’s will get up on stage for a few songs with the band as well – an added bonus.
$55 per person includes dinner, show & dancing (taxes and donation to charity included). Call The Cove for tickets (613) 273-3636 or 1-888-268-3466.
Accommodation at The Cove and nearby B&Bs is available at very reasonable rates.If you live out of town this is a great way to enjoy BOTR – no driving home after a few drinks, you can relax and enjoy and as an added bonus – you get to meet and talk with the artists the next day at breakfast!It’s a perfect mini-getaway.Book well in advance though – rooms fill up fast.Call The Cove and they will make the arrangements for you.
This young prodigy is now taking on the Blues/Rock music scene with reckless abandon. Winner of the ‘Upcoming artist’ title at the Lys Blues award in 2006, nominated at the Maple Blues Awards in 2006, and winner of 2 Lys Blues awards in 2007, nominated in three different categories at the Quebec Lys Blues Awards for 2008.Come see why this excellent young player continues to impress!
Draft Horse Microbrewery, O’Meara’s Pub, 3495 Trim Road, Navan ON
Saturday, November 29
David Rotundo is a superb blues harmonica player and singer. He won the 2007 Maple Blues Award for Harmonica Player of the Year and is described as “one of the top 10 blues performers in Canada” by Real Blues Magazine. He and his great band already have a strong following in this part of the world – last February they sold out two Shows at Blues On The Rideau at The Cove with performances that literally blew people away. It promises to be the same kind of night at The Draft Horse.
Proceeds will go to support CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario) – a world-class children’s hospital (affiliated with the University of Ottawa) with a 30-year history of quality care, research and teaching.
O’Meara’s Pub is named after the founder of this beautiful small town, Michael O’Meara who emigrated from Ireland in 1841. Located in a converted 120 year old Grist Mill, The Draft Horse, adjacent to O’Meara’s, is one of only a few microbreweries in eastern Ontario and it boasts 5 naturally brewed house beers. The room holds 150 people with good acoustics and a nice sized dance floor.
Tickets for the Dinner & Show are only $49 per person (tax and donation to CHEO included). A full buffet including dessert and coffee will be served. Buffet starts at 7 pm, Show at 9 pm.Advance reservations are REQUIRED. Call or visit O’Meara’s Pub (613) 835-9883 and book now
Choose The Blues Productions and The Cove Inn, Westport have decided to revert to Friday Night Only Shows for the remainder of the 2008/09 Season of Blues on the Rideau @ thje Cove, instead of the double Friday & Saturday Shows as originally planned. A second Show on Saturday will only be added if advance demand warrants it and will be subject to the artists’ availability. lease check www.bluesontherideau.ca and watch for Email Blasts as we get closer to each Show for updates.
Reason for the change? Advance ticket sales this year, although good, are not as much as we had hoped for. The current economic climate – far different from what it was when we planned the Series last spring – is no doubt a factor and, with hindsight, we were probably overly ambitious in moving from single to double Shows for every weekend all in one year. In addition ticket purchases to date are more or less evenly split between the two nights which means – with double the expenses – that we are at risk of having two half-full Shows instead of one full one. If that were to happen over time the losses would be substantial and the Series would be at risk of not continuing. Nobody wants that!
We ask that if you have booked for a Saturday Show this season please contact The Cove at (613) 273-3636 or 1-888-COVE-INN and let them know whether you want to move to the Friday or cancel. When you book would you also please tell us if you would prefer the Saturday night *if it is added* and we will contact you to offer first choice of seats if that occurs.
Our sincere apologies to those who have booked for the Saturday nights – and to the artists – for the inconvenience this change may have caused.
The revised 2008/09 Schedulefor Blues on the Rideau @ The Cove:
November 21 – STEVE STRONGMAN BAND
Proceeds to Blues in the Schools with Mark ‘Bird’ Stafford & David McCarthy Scholarship
January 16 – ROXANNE POTVIN BLUES BAND
Proceeds to Westport Area Food Bank & Lions Club Mobility Van
February 20 – FATHEAD
Proceeds to Friends of Foley Mountain & Rideau District Museum
March 20 – RICK FINES & SUZIE VINNICK w. BAND
Proceeds to Juvenile Diabetes Association of Ontario & Gilda’s Club for Cancer Families
April 17 – PAUL REDDICK & THE SIDEMEN
Proceeds to Rideau Waterway Land Trust & Westport in Bloom
May 15 – DANNY BROOKS & THE MEMPHIS BROTHERS
Proceeds to Compassion Canada Sponsor a Child & Habitat for Humanity
June 19 – STEPHEN BARRY BAND with
Special Guest MICHAEL JEROME BROWNE
Proceeds to Lucy Drysdale Memorial Scholarship & Westport Library
Accommodation at The Cove and nearby B&Bs is available at very reasonable rates.If you live out of town this is a great way to enjoy BOTR – no driving home after a few drinks, you can relax and enjoy and as an added bonus – you get to meet and talk with the artists the next day at breakfast!It’s a perfect mini-getaway.Book well in advance though – rooms fill up fast.Call The Cove and they will make the arrangements for you.
Artists may change - check the web site or call The Cove for updates.
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: 3:30-4:30 pm
Iron Maidens
with Diane Wells (D.D. Rocker)
Where female musicians of steely determination dare to challenge their male peers in the wide, wonderful world of music.From roots to heavy metal, she’ll cover it all. To the women of the world, let your voices and instruments be heard!
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Wednesdays: 9-11 pm
In A Mellow Tone
with Ron Sweetman
Jazz from every era & every style – from 1917 to 2008. 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, October 29 – Meet the Johnsons: Meet Budd, Bunk, Dink, Freddy, Henry, Howard, James P, JJ, Ken, Lonnie, Mark Courtney, Molly, Pete, Russ, Syl & Vernard Johnson.
Next week, November 5 – Listen Before You Buy:Argentieri, Frederic Borey, Carlos Del Junco, Gabe Hasselbach, Mike Khoury, Markus Lauterburg, Piotr Michalowski, Ben Sidran, Thomas Silvestri, Alain Tissot, Matt Ulery and Wayne Wallace.
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Monthly, every 4th Saturday, 9-9:30 am:
Honky Tonk Saturday Morning
with Ball and Chain
This 12-part series features Michael Ball and Jody Benjamin performing live on radio.Each month will have a different theme like classic country, bluegrass, old time, drinking, cheating and yodelling.
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.
The House of Blues Radio hour, hosted by Dan Aykroyd aka Elwood Blues, features an hour of rockin’ blues from a wide variety of performers ranging from traditional to contemporary. The show is the most widely syndicated radio program dedicated to the blues in North America, and has been running on stations across the continent for over ten years.
Effective immediately, Talkin’Blues Media Inc. is piloting a series of “Talkin’Blues video podcasts” which will be available – absolutely free of charge – through the iTunes Store and http://talkinblues.podbean.com . To subscribe to these podcasts, go to the iTunes store, click on video podcasts and search “Talkin’Blues podcasts” or go to www.talkinblues.com and select the “podcast” option.
“The goal of these podcasts is simple: to provide more blues/roots music content on the iTunes network. Each will consist of one or two songs, together with a short interview with the featured artist. Each podcast will be a condensed, slightly simplified version of the Talkin’Blues television series. I am hoping to produce a number of episodes to monitor interest in the project, with decisions to continue based on the outcome”, says series producer, Mako Funasaka.
The first video podcast features Billy Boy Arnold performing “Squeeze Me Tight” from his latest Electro-Fi CD release, “Billy Boy sings Sonny Boy”. This video also features Mel Brown, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Bob Stroger and Billy Flynn. Several other podcasts have been completed and will be published every 3 – 5 weeks. Future podcasts will include The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Ruthie Foster, Gary Clark Jr., Julian Fauth and Watermelon Slim – to name a few.
In addition to producing these video podcasts, Mako Funasaka and his wife, Patti recently spent a week in Notodden, Norway to document interviews, workshops and performances at the Notodden Blues Festival for the future European Blues Senter (Center). The European Blues Senter is scheduled to be built in Notodden, Norway over the next few years.
“It’s truly an honour to be working with Jostein Forsberg and everyone at the European Blues Senter in Norway on this project”, says Funasaka. “It’s a compliment that they would include our work in presenting the Blues to their audiences. To be able to get in on the ground floor with such an exciting project is a wonderful opportunity for us and we’re absolutely thrilled about it.”
Downchild Blues Band (2005):Series exploring the world of contemporary blues music. This episode features words and music from award-winning Canadian veterans Downchild Blues Band and their leader, Donnie Walsh.
Tuesday, November 4 @ 7 am – Talkin’ Blues
WC Handy Awards (2005):Series exploring the world of contemporary blues music. This episode, shot in Memphis, offers an overview of the 26th Awards, a performance from Watermelon Slim and a profile of Michael Powers - both 2005 nominees.
Monday, November 10 @ 11 am - Asa Nisi Masa (2007) This musical group showcases the melding of South-Indian rhythms, jazz improvisation and elements of folk and blues, with instruments such as harmonica, multiple percussions, electric guitar, sousaphone and electronics.
Tuesday, November 11 @ 7 am – Talkin’ Blues
Hands Across the Table (2005):Series exploring the world of contemporary blues music. In this episode, artist Dania Madera-Lerman discusses her paintings that capture the blues and its musicians; a video from Sugar Ray and the Bluetones; a profile of Zac Harmon.
Saturday, November 15 – Long John Baldry: In the Shadow of the Blues (2006) The life and legacy of guitarist and singer Long John Baldry is examined in this one-hour documentary. Baldry played a key role in the growth of the British rhythm and blues movement, and led bands in the mid-1960s that featured Rod Stewart and Elton John, both of whom are interviewed in the documentary. In the `80s, Baldry emigrated to Canada, living first in Toronto and then in Vancouver, where he died in 2005.
Tuesday, November 18 @ 7 am & 5:30 pm – Talkin’ Blues
Dis, Dat or D’Udda (2005):Series exploring the world of contemporary blues music. This episode features the legendary Dr. John, the singer/songwriter whose blend of African, American-Indian and Creole influences has made him one of New Orleans's most distinctive voices.
This is a completely informal update of blues & blues-related events in Ottawa, along with occasional information on events further afield. If you wish to receive this information by weekly email (be warned! it's a *long* email!), please contact me at ottawablues@rogers.com to have your name added to the list.
