Loose Blues News

Fresh Jam: Chuck Jackson and The C-Notes (Gary Kendall, Steve Grisbrook, Mike Fitzpatrick) have started a Thursday night "Open Blues Jam" at JJ's Lounge, 2847 Lakeshore Blvd. West (just east of Islington), every Thursday from 9 pm to 12:20 am.

The Award Season Begins: The Ronnie Douglas Band CD "Big Brother" won "Best Blues or Jazz Album" nationally at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards held Friday, November 23, 2001. And The Carson Downey Band won 2 African Nova Scotian Music Awards, Artist of the Year and Album of the Year (All the Way), repeat wins in the same two ANSMA categories as last year. The Carson Downey Band is currently in the studio recording demos for their forthcoming album, but will ring in 2002 with a live outdoor performance on ATV's New Year's Eve broadcast from Halifax.

New Brunswickers Glamour Puss will be the house band on ATV's Christmas Daddies Telethon (the maritime CTV regional network), and then will host New Year's Eve at The Lord Beaverbrook Hotel in Fredericton. 2002 brings other international TV shows, the ECMAs, and headlining the Canada Games in February.

In the studio: Big Daddy G and Tortoise Blue are set for a January release of a live recording from the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival this past September in Fredericton, NB. Entitled Blue Sound - Live at the Harvest, the disc was engineered & mixed by Danny Greenspoon (Great Big Sea, Rita Chiarelli), and the recording also features guest appearances by pianist Richard Bell and Ottawa's Southside Steve Marriner on harmonica.

The TBS's own Blues Doctor, Julie Hill, has been back in the television studios in her daytime gig as a Psychologist, most recently for an episode of Canadian Living TV which will air on December 6.

Altruistic blues: On Sunday Nov.4th, Electro-Fi Records hosted the "Mojo Ramble" at the Lil Big Horn Saloon, 311 Dundas Street West in Cambridge, Ontario. Featured artists included W.C. Handy award winners Snooky Pryor and Mel Brown, Fathead, the Homewreckers with Miss Angel, Jack De Keyzer, Morgan Davis, Maureen Brown, and, direct from Vancouver, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne. The event was the 4th Annual Blues on the Eastside presentation in support of the Cambridge Association for the Mentally Handicapped. The event sold out, leaving 100 plus disappointed at the door, but rasing over $4,000 for a very worthy cause.

Not only is Bob Dylan playing more blues, but he's been looking up some old blues buddies, such as Toronto's Paul James who joined him onstage at the Air Canada Centre for two songs, "Highway 61" and "Positively Four Street."

Departed: We were saddened to hear that last year's MBA Blues Booster Ralph Stodeur has folded his great little blues mag out of Winnipeg, Scene Roots & Blues Magazine. It will be greatly missed. Great effort by Ralph, Sandra and the gang for putting this publication together in the first place.

Good Causes: Toronto's premier folk venue, Hugh's Room, is hosting The Concert To Benefit Toronto's Homeless, on Thursday, December 13, starting at 8 p.m., hosted by Chris Whiteley, and featuring a wide array of special musical guests such as Jenny Whiteley, Norm Hacking, Al Lerman of "Fathead", Mary de Keyzer, Tony Quarrington, Dan and Ken Whiteley, Victor Bateman, and Crazy Strings. Tickets are $10 and a non-perishable food item, so come on out, support a worthy cause, and feel good about helping those less fortunate this holiday season!

The 2nd Annual Musicians for the Toronto Humane Society at Vox Restaurant, 474 Adelaide East, Thursday December 6th 8:30 pm. Help aid abused and abandoned animals with some great blues musicians, including The Swingin' Blackjacks, and guests from Downchild, Fathead, Jeff Healey, Danny Marks, Johnnie Lovesin, Blue Willow, Jerome Godboo, and more. Donations are voluntary.

Touchdowns is following up on their 181 Hour Non-Stop Guinness World Record Breaking mega benefit with a Christmas Wish Fund Raiser on Saturday, December 8th with two special musical events from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with 75 tickets available per session at $25 each. All the money raised will go to the Mississauga Firefighters Benevolent Fund.

The Canadian Musicians For Liberty marathon, organized by Downchild's Chuck Jackson, raised over $25,000 so far for the Red Cross Relief Fund in New York City, and donations are still gratefully being accepted. Toronto blues players (too many to list here) came to the rescue and showed a true community spirit. To donate whatever you can please phone Touchdowns at 905-403-9941, or email cmfl@isys.ca

The owners of P.K. Creek Bar and Grill in Mississauga (Phil, Kevin and Frankie) thank all the members of the blues community who helped to support their musical benefit on November 3rd which raised $1,500 for Canadian Red Cross volunteers. Virgil Scott kept the entertainment going from 2 until 8 p.m., with numerous bands and special guests.

Niagara Blues: There is a new venue for blues fans in the Niagara Peninsula - Tulky's, 1644 Merritville Hwy, just north of Welland, offering live blues and roots music every Wednesday and most Saturdays. Wednesdays from 8 pm to 12 am there is an open blues jam with "Juke", and Saturdays have artists performing from 9 pm to 1am. Performers to date have included Dutch Mason, Paul Reddick and the Sidemen, Gary Kendall, and Sparkjiver (Gene Hardy, Rod Phillips and Jim Casson). Scheduled artists for December include Danny Brooks and the Rockin' Revelators, and Chuck Jackson's All Star Band.

Another spot for live blues in Niagara is Arizona's, also on the Merrittville Hwy, at Beaverdams Road in St. Catharines (just south of Brock University). Every Saturday afternoon from 2 to 6 pm Mojo Willie hosts, with different special guests each week.

Showcase opportunity: Canadian Music Week will take place from February 27 - March 3, 2002 in Toronto, ON. Over 300 bands will perform in over 30 of the city's hottest venues. Showcase deadline is November 30th. Applications and information can be found on Canadian Music Week's web site at www.cmw.net or call (905) 858-4747.

The Indies: 2nd Annual Canadian Independent Music Awards - Kickoff event of CMW 2002 at Steamwhistle Breweries Roundhouse Feb 27th 9 pm. Blues is one of 16 categories. Applications available now on www.cmw.net. Deadline for receiving submissions Dec 15. Michael Pickett won for the Blues category last year. For more info contact Siren Promotions, Linda Woods (416) 532-3440.

New OrleansJazzFest Spring Tuneup: Early notice on a new packaged opportunity to travel to New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival this April 25-30. Hospitality Tours has invited TBS pres to host a tour into the first weekend of the 10 day event. This music adventure package is being finalized and includes 5 nights accommodation at a French Quarter hotel (Best Western Landmark), return air and numerous other delights to enhance your Crescent City experience. Contact Ann Molnar or Rade Sekulic at Hospitality Tours. Info: 416-968-3481, mail@hospitalitytours.com www.hospitalitytours.com. Reserve your space now.

A Winter Blues Fest: The Bleu Blanc Blues Festival at the Stoneham ski resort near Quebec City will be held January 18-20, 2002.

Latin Blues: The AUTOBLUES is a weekly two-hour program broadcasted every Wednesday afternoon, and repeated on Sundays, on RADIO ECONOMIA (FM 104.8), a young financial news broadcasting station with a potential audience of more than a million listeners in the Basque Country of Spain, covering the province of Bizkaia and a wide area of the province of Cantabria. The program covers all blues styles, and the show's director is soliciting recordings and press releases, c/o Henao, 13 ñ 4 Plta 48009 BILBAO Bizkaia-Spain.

Ricardo Munoz reminds us of Blues Special Records, the first exclusively blues-oriented label in Argentina, started in 1995. In addition to their activity as a recording label, they're also distributing Wolf label productions in Argentina. Their website is www.Bluesspecialrecords.com.

- Julie Hill, Ruth Schweitzer, Derek Andrews, Brian Blain, Joe Curtis, Jacquie Houston

The BluesBook is Going On-Line!

We are planning an updated web-based version of the BluesBook Directory. Performing artists (solo or bands), managers, agents, venues, festivals, producers, publications, radio stations, specialty retailers, teachers, schools, audio technicians, photographers, should send their contact info to info@torontobluessociety.com.

Please include name, full mailing address, telephone, fax, web site and e-mail. Performers can include a brief description of their music, and if CDS or videos are available (titles are not necessary) Type "BLUESBOOK LISTING" in the subject line.