Loose Blues News

Toronto Blues Society Talent Search Winners David Rotundo & The Blue Canadians appear at the Harbourfront Labatt Blue's Festival Saturday July 6th, at 5 pm in the Brigantine Room and their performance will be recorded for national broadcast on CBC Radio's Saturday Night Blues. David will also be appearing at the Beaches International Jazz Festival ((July 18-21), the Mudcat Blues Festival (August 2-5), the "House Full of Blues" festival in North Bay (August 22-25) and can be seen regularly around town, often doing duo gigs with pianist Julian Fauth. Here the band are seen performing their winning set at the 2002 Toronto Blues Society New Talent Search. (l. to r.) Pete Schmidt, David Rotundo, Greg Cooper, Shane Scott, Julian Fauth. They received a cash prize of $1,000 as winner of CBC Galaxie's Rising Stars Award. Photo by Cal McQuiggan.

Blues Wedding: Darren Gallen (guitarist with Raoul & The Big Time among others) has tied the proverbial knot with Maryann Mitchell (operating room nurse, and former bass player for Chris Armstrong, Kim Doolittle, and Steven C, among others). The newlywed couple celebrated at Grossman's last month with Celtic Rock fusion outfit Taxi Chain (featuring blues-friendly bass player Joe Burns).

Posted Blues: James Cowan of the National Post previewed the Toronto Blues Society's Talent Search with an interview of TBS President Derek Andrews, accompanied by a rather unflattering photo. The article "They got a right to play the blues - The Toronto Blue Society's talent contest will be a showcase for a wide variety of styles" provided welcome national coverage of this successful event.

Northern Ontario Blues: The partners who staged the Callander Blues Festival for the past two years (Peter Sabourin a.k.a. Sab and Dan Lindsay a.k.a. Harry) have a big event at downtown North Bay Restaurant/Tavern One Hundred Georges on August 23, 24 & 25. "A House Full of Blues" will feature Jack de Keyzer, Downchild Blues Band, Maureen Brown, Jake Thomas and the Fundamentals, many more Ontario bands and, of course, SAB, Brent & Waxxie. This is just the beginning of an ongoing series of blues at One Hundred Georges from northern Ontario's pioneer blues promoters.

NorthernBlues in the south: Fred Litwin of NorthernBlues Music had "a blast" at the Handy Awards in Memphis last month. His recording artist Otis Taylor won a Handy for Best New Artist Debut, but Litwin also raved about performances, including Shemekia Copeland, Marcia Ball, Charles Musselwhite with Keb' Mo, and. at the end of award night, BB King with Ike Turner, Roscoe Gordon, and Little Milton. Litwin also mentioned the Handy Award ceremony presenters, including Sam Phillips (founder of Sun Records) with Ruth Brown, Robert Jr. Lockwood with Odetta, and David Johanson with Ike Turner (who changed costumes for every stage appearance). Other highlights for Litwin included the Saturday night benefit concert for Music Makers (to assist blues artists) including terrific Alabama bluesman Jerry McCain on harmonica, as well as seeing Charles Musselwhite play with Otis Taylor, and Colin Linden sitting in with another nominated Northern Blues artist, Paul Reddick & The Sidemen.

Omar and the Howlers made a great impression with their recent appearance in Toronto and many new fans will be glad to hear they are coming back to town for a one-nighter at Healeys on Friday, July 5.

Mudcat Bluesfest: The line-up for this year's Mudcat Bluesfest, August 2-5, emphasizes "presenting very intimate and unforgettable concerts, so there will be no main outdoor stage. Three indoor venues, plus a couple of free afternoon concerts, and some travelling troubadours will keep the town of Dunnville rockin' all day and all night! The week-end will feature Rob Lutes (Montreal), Sharon Musgrave, Mike Branton with guest Michael Pickett, Slowpoke, Brian Blain and, from Montreal, Big Mark & his Blues Express Trio, the Dylan Wickens Band, Leonard/Kendall/Keeping, Catfish, Odyssey Blues Band with Suzanne Hyatt, Big Daddy G, David Rotundo & Julian Fauth, Michael Pickett, Danny Brooks, Jackie Washington, Curley Bridges, and Mel Brown. For details of schedule, times, tickets, visit www.readerscafe.com.

Best of the West Prairie Pickers: Johnny V, Amos Garrett, and Big Dave McLean will be touring this show in the first two weeks of July, including performances in Toronto (Silver Dollar, July 12), the Thunder Bay Bluesfest, and the Hippy Festival near Timmins. Check out the website at www.johnnyv.org/bestwest.

Real Blues Magazine: ...Has joined forces with the Direct Marketing Group, and moved its base of operation back to Victoria, BC. This new arrangement will allow co-founder and music editor Andy Grigg to concentrate on writing and editorial content, while DMG will market, promote, and distribute the magazine. The first issue is scheduled for release on July 5th, publishing 20,000 copies per issue, bi-monthly (6 issues a year). Contact Information: Real Blues, Direct Marketing Group, 487 Burnside Road East, Victoria, BC V8T 2X3 Phone: (250) 388-0121 Fax: (250) 388-0214.

Stony Plain in the Movies: There will be seven songs from the Stony Plain catalogue in Brad Fraser's upcoming movie, provisionally titled "Poor Superman" and due in the Fall. This Canadian production will have a song by The Rockin' Highliners. In other Canadian movie news, director Anne Wheeler is using Stony Plain tracks from Walter Shakey Horton with Hot Cottage and Jr. Gone Wild in her next project, titled "The Investigation." Maria Muldaur's version of the Memphis Minnie classic "Me and My Chauffeur" was used in a recent installment of "Crossing Jordan," NBC TV's prime-time Monday night show. And the David Wilcox tune "Rattlesnakin' Daddy" will be used on a Playstation interactive ice hockey video game, "NHL 2003."

Labatt Blue's Festival

Friday, July 5th
Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage:
Fathead (8pm)
Michael Jerome Browne (9:05pm)
Shirley Johnson (9:30pm)

Saturday, July 6th
Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage
Odetta (2pm)
Harry Manx (3:30pm)
Dawn Tyler Blues Project (8pm)
Curley Bridges (9pm)
Paul Reddick + The Sidemen (10pm)

Ann Tindal Stage:
Michael Pickett (3pm & 7pm)
Michael Jerome Browne (4:30pm & 6pm)

Brigantine Room - TBS Talent Search Winner:
David Rotundo and The Blue Canadians (5pm)

Sunday, July 7th
Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage:
Jackie (2pm)
Mariza (3:30pm)
Slowpoke (3pm & 4:30pm)

Lakeside Terrace:
Beau Kavanagh & The Broken Hearted (2:30pm)
Jordan Cook Band (4pm)

The Labatt Blue's Festival also offers two up-close and personal workshops in the Lakeside Terrace, Friday 7pm (solo guitar) and Saturday 6pm. There will be a celebrity interview with Curley Bridges at 4pm on Saturday. Then for something completely different (but mighty tasty), Jason Girard, executive chef at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago, and author of The Blues Highways Cookbook will be demonstrating his culinary arts on Saturday and Sunday.

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee: Red River Blues 1948-1974 (4:30 pm)
Two Hours of the Best of Soul (7 pm)

Festival Roundup

July 5-7 Harbourfront Labatt Blue's Festival - Michael Jerome Browne, Shirley Johnson, David Jacobs-Strain, Odetta , Harry Manx, Paul Reddick + The Sidemen, Fathead, Jack de Keyzer, Michael Pickett, Dawn Tyler Blues Project, Curley Bridges, Georgette Fry, Slowpoke, Beau Kavanagh & The Broken Hearted, David Rotundo & The Blue Canadians, Long John Baldry, Jackie , Mariza and Jordan Cook www.harbourfront.on.ca (416) 973-3000

July 5-7 First Annual Thunder Bay Blues Festival - Colin James, Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards, Powder Blues Band, Eddy The Chief Clearwater, Big Walter Smith and the Groove Merchants, Lamont Cranston Blues Band and Rita Chiarelli www.tbayblues.ca.(807) 344-2589.

July 6 Porquis Blues Festival Porquis Junction, Ontario. Amos Garrett,
J-W Jones, Big Daddy G, Brian Blain, more www.surf.to/porquisblues

July 5-14: Cisco Systems Ottawa Bluesfest - Omar & The Howlers, Blind Boys of Alabama, Colin Linden , David Jacobs-Strain, Harry Manx, Pinetop Perkins, Long John Baldry, Mississippi Heat, Sue Foley, Holmes Brothers, JJ Cale, JW Jones Blues Band, Kenny Blues Boss Wayne, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Joe Louis Walker, Otis Rush, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Ann Rabson, Lucky Peterson, Bryan Lee, Jimmie Vaughn,Colin James, many more. www.ottawa-bluesfest.ca (613) 755-1111 or (613) 247-1188

July 11 - 14 Windsor and London Bluesfest International - Blues Traveller, Eddy Clearwater, Mick Taylor, Eric Burdon & the New Animals, Colin James, Amos Garrett, Powder Blues Band, Rita Chiarelli, and more. www.thebluesfest.com

July 12-14 Toronto International Bbq & Blues Festival, The Roundhouse, Bremner Blvd. Loco Zydeco, Chris Whiteley`s Blues Party, The Downchild Blues Band, Mike Hassin, The Barry Mack Trio, Little Bobby & The Jumpstarts, Swamperella, Guitar Shorty, Powder Blues, Laura Hubert, Alvin Youngblood Hart and the New World Vipers, Junior Watson

July 18-21 The 14th Annual Beaches International Jazz Festival - Blackboard Blues Band, Big Daddy G, David Rotundo & The Blue Canadians, Raoul & The Big Time, Blue Room, Laura Hubert, Blueshound, Rusty Zinn, Big Joe & The Dynaflows, Bill King's Saturday Nite Fish Fry, Alex Pangman & Her AlleyKatz, Jack de Keyzer, Fathead www.beachesjazz.com

July 19-21 11th Annual New York State Rhythm n Blues Festival, Syracuse NY - Otis Rush, Jimmy Vaughan with LouAnn Barton, Robert Lockwood Junior, Lucky & James Peterson, Sonny Landreth and lots more! www.nysbluesfest.com

July 26-28 Stewart Park Festival, Perth, Ontario - Andrea Koziol, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Sue Foley, Staggered Crossing, Curley Bridges, Georgette Fry, more. www.stewartparkfestival.ca

Aug 2-5 Mudcat Blues Festival, Dunnville, Ontario - David Rotundo & Julian Fauth, Michael Pickett, Rob Lutes, Jackie Washington, Big Mark & the Blues Express, Catfish, Leonard/Kendall/Keeping, Mike Branton, Slowpoke, Sharon Musgrave, Danny Brooks, Brian Blain, Odyssey Blues Band, Brian Griffith & Jesse O'Brien, Dylan Wickens Band, Big Daddy G, Curly Bridges & the legendary Mel Brown.. www.readerscafe.com or e-mail at mudcatblues@hotmail.com

August 4 Saugeen Rockin' Bluesfest, Walkerton, Ontario Sue Foley, Michael Pickett Band, Chris Chown, Fathead, Johnny V. Sass Jordan www.saugeenrocks.com

Aug 8-10 Collingwood Jazz & Blues Festival Collingwood, Ontario, Wayne Buttery & Groove Project, Curley Bridges, Mae Cromwell, Majestics, Jay Douglas, Downchild Blues Band www.collingwoodjazz.ca

August 17 Oshawa Jazz and Blues Festival, Memorial Park, Oshawa - Fabulous Tonemasters, Downchild Blues Band, Johnny V Blues Allstars, AlexPangman. info: kerri@eclipseconcerts.com

August 22-25 House Full of Blues, 100 Georges, North Bay, Ontario - Big Daddy G, David Rotundo, Michael Fonfara, Pat Carey, SAB, Sunny Fournier, Maureen Brown, Jack DeKeyzer

August 24-25 Peterborough Folk Festival Brian Blain, Terry Wilkins, Silver Hearts, more http://www.ptbofolkfest.ca

Sept 6-7 Southside Shuffle, Port Credit - Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards, Downchild, Magic Slim, Jack de Keyzer, more. www.southsideshuffle.com

Sept 6-7 Niagara Falls Blues In The Park - Steve Burnside with the Original Marquis, Odyssey Blues Band with Suzanne Hyatt, Fathead, Nightshift Blues Band, LMT Connection, Big Daddy G with Tortoise Blue, Kelley Hunt and much more. www.bluesinthepark.com

The Festival Round-up will continue for one more issue of MapleBlues Send your festival updates to listings@torontobluessociety.com

Your Blues Society needs you!

Telling people about the TBS at info-booths at various blues events, helping around the office (filing the mound of photos), helping with the newsletter mailing (the last Wednesday of every month - refreshments provided) and, if you have writing or photography skills, perhaps you could help out with the newsletter and website (email capability is a must for most of these).

Contact Volunteer Co-ordinator Valeri Chamberlin at 416-944-0102 or valerie.chamberlin@sympatico.ca

Harry Manx	Long John Baldry	Mariza
Georgette Fry	David Jacobs-Strain	Slowpoke's Eddie Baltimore