Members' Update
Happy Blues Year: As the 03 calendar kicks in we're reverting to an old custom of taking up this space with some details for TBS members and other readers.
TBS programme planning continues to roll out through the winter, but it all started long ago and we'll explain here and get into other related details. The TBS annual
general meeting took place last month and various reports looked back at our year, finances and we revitalized our Board of Directors. The executive committee
developed recruitment strategy in the early fall that led to the nomination of three new members being to the slate of existing board members;
Sherill Middleton, Larry McCarthy and Fred
Litwin will serve as volunteers in the 03 year. Welcome aboard.
Barbara, Dan and more: Programme planning is developed well in advance at the TBS, as we learned years ago that it was critical for grant writing and fundraising. Our Grants Officer, Barbara Isherwood continues to craft proposals with existing and new funding agencies, and new programming is coming on line due to success in presenting well grounded and innovative approaches. Our first federal government funding comes in the form of Canadian Heritage "Arts Presentation Canada" support that will go to produce the first ever Blues Summit, January 25-27. As the summit is an industry oriented event, we are also seeing FACTOR funding expand as it covers the Maple Blues Awards and the Blues Summit with increased support. The TBS is grateful for these new funds, and owes thanks to Barbara for managing this important area.
As long time TBS members know, Barbara's shoes were hard to fill in the day to day operation of the office and events, and we're thankful to have Dan Kershaw steering new and old projects alike. Dan had a history in production at Roy Thomson / Massey Hall and in programming at Harbourfront Centre's Community and Educational Programmes before he came to the TBS. He also has a blossoming creative career as an award winning songwriter and touring performer, mostly in his band, The Brothers Cosmoline. The TBS exec moved to install Dan full time due to our increased activity, until May, so you can find him at the office Monday to Friday these days. In addition, we've hired an event coordinator for the Blues in the Schools programme that is linked to a major Trillium Foundation grant for 3 years starting in February. Alex Sinclair, who some may know in his role as a musician in Canadiana folk group Tamarack, is also the board treasurer of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals as a volunteer.
Summit Like it Hot: Things are heating up at TBS HQ due to a major new event that is taking place this month. Like the Maple Blues Awards, The Blues Summit was an idea percolating for a while that has taken shape after much consultation and is designed to serve the broad Canadian blues community. Since Toronto is the largest and most active blues community in Canada, it seems appropriate that the TBS host a meeting of blues music professionals who are trying to progress and develop the working conditions of musicians and the music being made, largely by independent artists. Through the help of the funding agencies mentioned above, the TBS will bringing together over 100 delegates to the Delta Chelsea Hotel for seminars, roundtable discussions, networking, showcasing and receptions. The keynote address of the event will feature Chicago's Alligator Records founder Bruce Iglauer, at his second TBS event (in the early days he spoke at at the Rivoli). The keynote is part of the delegate registration package, as is the ticket to Monday night's Maple Blues Awards, where Colin James will emcee this year. The summit will feature other guests from the U.S., including Chicago Blues Festival organizer Barry Dolins, Mississippi based authority Dick Waterman, Blues Foundation rep Pat Mitchell and various other festival organizers, agents and media. From this side of the border we're expecting Edmonton's blues boss Holger Petersen (Saturday Night Blues / Stony Plain) as well as the Edmonton Blues Festival rep Cam Hayden and journalist Peter North. From the east coast we've heard from Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival's Brent Staeben, who will mix it up with other festival organizers including Mount Tremblant's Suzanne Marie Landry, Ottawa's Mark Monahan, Windsor / London's Ted Boomer, Mudcat's Mark Neveu and numerous others.
As you can see in this issue a showcase of established and emerging artists has been pulled together for the Saturday and Sunday evenings of the Blues Summit, which will be open to the public as well as delegates. Local hot spots Healey's and Silver Dollar will both host 3 act sets on Saturday, but due to sound conflicts with the Comfort Zone we'll operate on Sunday at Healey's and RD's BBQ & Blues (4 artists will perform 30 minute sets at RD's).
Triggered by the success of the Maple Blues Awards, the Blues Summit is an attempt to organize and advance the Canadian blues community. Our efforts to embrace artists from across the country continues with the MBAs this year, and we are delighted to have one of the top blues performers anywhere in the form of Saskatchewan native and Vancouver resident Colin James as our event emcee. Performing with the Gary Kendall led "Maple Blues Band" will be another west coast star, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, a nominee both as keyboard player and producer this year. Montreal's Michael Jerome Browne is hot this year and his acoustic roots will be showing solo and with band back up in the live segment of the Maple Blues Awards. Ottawa's guitar slinger Sue Foley is the reigning queen of Canadian blues and we're going to feature her in the live performances at the MBAs this year as well.
The ballots are being counted shortly, but one award has been announced and that is the selection of Electro-Fi Records' Andrew Galloway as this year's Blues Booster. A champion of local legends Mel Brown and Curley Bridges among many great Canadian and U.S. artists, Andrew is a true booster in the challenging world of CD manufacturing. With radio personalities Holger Petersen and Danny Marks (JAZZfm) amongst the MBA presenters, this year's Phoenix based soiree will be an evening not to be missed by local blues fans (as well as Blues Summit delegates) who will be welcome to attend after they pick up their tickets at Ticketmaster, $20.00 for TBS Charter Members / $28.00 for non-members. Watch this space for more announcements on our February and March events!
- Derek Andrews