Loose Blues News

Happy Birthday Mel Brown: Last month, Mel Brown celebrated his 64th birthday. Mel is most recently heard on Electro-Fi recording colleague Snooky Pryor's new release Mojo Ramble, Live in Concert. Mel is also hard at work on a new studio CD of his own, Blues is a Beautiful Thing which will be released in 2004. Mel will also be appearing at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland on November 15th with the Mississippi Wrecking Crew.

Harmonica Knights: Mark "Bird" Stafford takes his harmonica showcase on the road with appearances at the Red Dog in Peterborough, Kitchener's Boomer's Basement, Thorold's, Canal Bank Shuffle- the Moose and Goose, and of course Upstairs in the Bird's Nest at Chicago's in Toronto. Special Harmonica Guests include: Donnie (Mr. Downchild) Walsh and Michael Pickett, David Rotundo and Mojo Willie, Al Lerman and Lil Bobby, Tortoise Blue and Richard Hunter. It seems the show is attracting interest from the USA as well. Richard Hunter in town for Mark's Chicago's date, is known as an innovative harmonica player and author of Jazz Harp Book from Oak Publications. Check your listings.

Fathead has hired drummer Hayden Vialva (left) after a month of auditions. Hayden brings a whole lot of soul and experience to the band and so far, he's made a great impression with both the fans and the band members. Originally from Trinidad, Hayden grew up in Toronto and now makes his home in Guelph, Ontario. Maple Blues "Drummer of the Year" nominee Chuck Keeping recently left the band to join alternative-pop artist Anjolie who is signed to SONY Records.

New Venue in Kitchener-Waterloo: Blues fans in the K-W area have a new haunt, the Bourbon Street Lounge at 1333 Weber St. East in Kitchener. The club presents a Mel Brown tribute on November 8 featuring Shawn Kellerman, Mark "Bird" Stafford, Little Bobby Chorney, Julian Fauth & Wayne Charles, Brandon Alexander, the Water Street Blues Band, Daddy Long Legs and others

Winterfolk II: Blues artists are invited to submit applications for Winterfolk II which will take place at several clubs in Toronto Jan 30-Feb 1, 2004. One third of the performers are selected from showcase applicants and the application form is available at www.winterfolk.com.

Gogo update: Cordova Bay Records reports that David Gogo's CD Skeleton Key has been selected as the winner in the Top Blues/Rock CD category in Real Blues Magazine's 9th Annual Awards. Gogo is currently touring with George Thorogood in British Columbia and Alberta before heading back to Vancouver Island to showcase his "Evolution of the Blues" stage production with Ken Hamm, Bill Johnson and Layla Stravoff at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo, November 28th. "Singed Sealed Delivered" is a new Gogo single targeted at rock, classic rock and hot AC radio.

Danny Marks Update: Danny Marks remains out of action due to the fall that broke his right foot and shattered his left wrist, precluding any gigging for at least six weeks. This is literally a tough break for a man accustomed to keeping busy: His regular Saturday afternoon spot at The Silver Dollar Room, a lucrative series of concerts set up for Dundas Square, and a guest appearance at Healey's, all have been cancelled, although radio station JAZZ.FM has brought equipment to Danny's home studio so that BLUZ.FM can continue uninterrupted every Saturday night from 8 pm to midnight. Cards and letters for his speedy recovery can still be sent to JAZZ.FM, 150 Mutual St., Toronto M5B 2M1, or emailed to dmarks@bluz.fm.

Bill King's return to radio: On Jazz FM, Sundays 2 to 4 pm, Bill King will present Jazz Preview, two hours of carefully selected and programmed new releases.

Jams, Jams, & More Jams: Part 1 - A new open jam at the Rose & Thorne in Etobicoke (Brown's Line), Saturdays, 4 to 8 pm, with Slinger, "a 5-piece classic rock & blues band" with Chuck Forrestor and Mike Ellis, and Herve Bassett, John Huntley, and Bob Gibbons. Part 2 - A blues jam at Gate 403 (403 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto) every Wednesday from 8:30 to midnight, with alternating hosts, Brian Cober (of The Nationals) on double slide guitar, and Jim Finlayson on piano. Part 3 - A Thursday night new "Acoustic Jam" night at the Madhatter in Newmarket (Yonge Street, east side, north of Davis/Hwy 9), 9 pm until close; all acoustic music styles welcome, hosted by Jim Krueger.

Scarborough Live Music Needs Your Support: The Spectacular Embers has been trying to establish the PG Pub as a live music venue since June, and has set a deadline of the end of October to either get this venue happening or it will be converted to a banquet hall. The PG Pub offers a huge stage area and seating for 120 guests with perfect sight lines from every seat. It features a custom built EAW speaker system (we believe came from Ontario Place Cinesphere) and a 32 channel 200B Soundcraft board with great stage monitors. They have been hosting a live jam every Wednesday with the help of Dave Duval from Encore Music Exchange. This night features Dave's band Jaboogie - The Rhythm Of The Blues. Drop in to 781 Warden Avenue, Scarborough (East side of Warden, across from Wal-mart just south of Eglinton)".

Montreal News: Last month, the Country Benefit For Le Chainon Women's Shelter featured Nanette Workman, Patrick Norman, Bourbon Gauthier, Roxanne Potvin, George Hamel, and Laurence Jalbert, among others.

Also last month, Bryan Lee returned to Montreal to film his first DVD and help out Sun Youth. Justin Time Records and CHOM FM presented Bryan Lee & the Blues Power Band, with very special guests Beau Kavanagh and The Broken Hearted (launching their new album Good Day For Dying). Following the success of his two concerts at the Montreal Jazz Festival last July, Wisconsin-born blind guitarist Bryan Lee was back at the Spectrum for a show that was filmed and recorded for a DVD/CD release in 2004. This will mark the fourth visit this year for the guitarist, still on tour promoting Six String Therapy, his latest and highly acclaimed album, released last year on Justin Time/Fusion III.

Deadlines: The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced that submissions are now being accepted for the 2004 JUNO Awards, until November 26, 2003. Submission forms can be downloaded at the CARAS Web site, www.junoawards.ca, or by calling 416-485-3135 or 1-888-440-JUNO. Submissions are open to Canadian artists, songwriters, recording engineers, and video producers (citizen or landed immigrant) who have released product during the period of September 1, 2002 to December 31, 2003.

Independent recording artists have until November 1st only to apply for the 2004 Canadian Independent Music Awards, the"Indies", to be held in Toronto on Wednesday, March 6, 2004 as part of Canadian Music Week (CMW) festivities. Entry forms along with submission rules and regulations can be obtained from the CMW Web site at www.cmw.net, by contacting Bessie Bullard at (905) 858-4747, or via email at communications@cmw.net. Entry forms can be obtained from the CMW Web site at www.cmw.net, or apply on-line at www.sonicbids.com/cmw2004. Artists who submit their showcase applications to CMW by November 1st are automatically entered into the Future Stars Talent Search.

More of "The Blues": If the TV specials and the radio series were not enough for you, there is now an expanded Web site at http://www.pbs.org/theblues with preview video clips, interviews with the directors, an interactive "road trip" that traces the evolution of the blues in various regions, audio clips of significant blues recordings, discography and even teachers' lesson plans and other online educational components created for social studies, English, and music classes.

XM satellite radio: The programmer of the blues channel at XM radio, out of Washington D.C., is looking for product. He is already playing a number of Canadian artists on this subscriber based, U.S. only service. Special receivers are required to picking up the feed, but close to a million people are using this in the U.S, and they will be showing up in General Motors cars (who are behind XM) in the future. CRTC approval is required before the service can come into Canada, which can be compared to an HBO for radio. No commercials, and the music is selected by informed genre-specific hosts. Artists and labels can send to Bill Wax, Bluesville, XM Satellite Radio, 1500 Eckington Place NE, Washington DC 20002

At age sixteen Alberta Hunter left her hometown of Memphis to go to Chicago to become a Blues singer. She got her professional start in 1911, eventually landing in the Dreamland Cafe where King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band played. During her stay there she became friends with Oliver's pianist Lil Hardin. In 1921 Alberta moved to New York and launched her recording career. Hunter wrote a lot of her own material including Bessie Smith's hit song "Down Hearted Blues." In 1923 she became the first African-American singer to be backed up by a white band, sang with Louis Armstrong and replaced Bessie Smith in the revue of How Come? Established as a star in New York, it wasn't long before she began touring internationally. Over the next thirty five years she performed in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Russia.

In 1956 she quit the music business. Nearing 60, she completed the training and for the next 20 years worked as a nurse. She was coaxed to do a couple of recordings in the 1960's, but with those exceptions she left her singing career in the past. Then in 1977 at age 82 she was forced into her second retirement. Barney Josephson located her and convinced her that she would be well received if she returned to the stage and when she opened at The Cookery club in New York, she was a hit. At age 82 she became an overnight sensation. She also began touring again and made recordings. She sang regularly at the Cookery until she was 89. In October of 1984, Alberta Hunter died.

Her biography was written in 1987, "Alberta Hunter: A Celebration In Blues" by Frank C. Taylor with Gerald Cook, and a new play about Alberta Hunter is soon to be appearing in Toronto.

Opening November 10th at the Bluma Appel Theater, "Cookin' at the Cookery: the Music and Times of Alberta Hunter", a new musical play written and directed by Marion J. Caffey, is an inspirational look at Hunter's life that tells how her bold and sultry singing style bridged the gap between classic blues, hot jazz and cabaret-flavoured pop. This co-production between The Canadian Stage Company and Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg, stars legendary Canadian singer/actress Jackie as the stunning Alberta Hunter. The blues lovers at Can/Stage have decided that TBS members get a special group discount rate on individually purchased tickets by contacting Peter Patterson at 416-367-8243 ext. 240 or by email at ppatterson@canstage.com

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Voting members of the Toronto Blues Society are eligible to run for the
2004 Toronto Blues Society Board of Directors.

In order to run, you must be a member in good standing, and you must be nominated in writing by three voting members of the society. Deadline to receive nominations is 5pm November 21. The slate of candidates will be announced in the December issue of MapleBlues.

Elections will take place at the
Annual General Meeting, Tuesday December 9, 7pm.

For further information contact the TBS office, 416-538-3885