Loose Blues News

Winter in July: Edgar Winter, that is. Late last month, Edgar Winter appeared as a surprise special guest at Healey's, joining onstage special guest Steve Lukather (Toto, famed L.A. session whiz), and Jeff Healey, with Kim Doolittle and the Dave Murphy house band. For their final few songs they were also joined by drummer Chris Sutherland (Kim Mitchell, Mama Mia). For well over an hour, Winter played sax and sang, including "Tobacco Road." A highlight of the evening was Winter trading vocal licks with Healey's guitar licks.

Musicians on Capital Hill: Charlie Angus of the Grievous Angels won a seat in parliament for the Timmins riding. He's long been considered one of the best songwriters in Canada, and his gritty stories of working class life are remarkable indeed. Once he gets the hang of Ottawa, he'll keep the Liberals' feet to the fire, especially on cultural issues.

Makin' Noise for Salome: This is the title of "a special celebration of the illustrious career of a true Canadian pop/jazz icon - Salome Bey" - to be aired on CBC Television, Wednesday, August 4 at 8 pm. "Fifty-six admiring artists and musicians gathered at Bambu By The Lake in Toronto on the wonderful occasion of Bey's 70th birthday to toast four decades of her illustrious career, during which she has excelled as a performer, composer, writer, actress and director, and to acknowledge Bey's humanity, compassion and inspiration. Highlights of this unforgettable evening, hosted by Denis Simpson, include performances by B.J. Reed and Rudy Webb, Molly & Taborah Johnson, Billy Newton Davis, Jackie , Maestro, Joe Sealey, Liberty Silver and more, accompanied by some of Canada's finest jazz instrumentalists.

See her live first: Salome Bey will be performing at Hugh's Room in Toronto on Friday July 30th and Saturday July 31st, joined onstage by Bruce Skerritt. "Affectionately known as Canada's Queen of Jazz and Blues, Salome Bey is celebrated for her unique contributions to music and the stage. Productions such as "Madam Gertrude" and "Indigo" both of which she wrote, were critically acclaimed: "Indigo" won her a Dora Mavor award for performance. She was also nominated for a Grammy Award for the cast album of "Your Arms too Short to Box With God", and won the Obie Award for "Love Me, Love My Children". Her musical career, both solo (check out her latest CD, "I Like Your Company"), and with such artists as Dan Hill, Moe Koffman and Bill Cosby, has earned her great praise. Salome Bey has been the recipient of many other accolades including a Juno nomination, the 1991 Toronto Arts Award, 1996 Martin Luther King Jr. Award, and the 2003 City of Toronto Arts Award.

On June 3rd, jazz aficionado, guitarist extraordinaire and night club owner Jeff Healey was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (D. Litt) by McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Nominated by a neighbour who was impressed with Healey's outstanding achievements in music and for work with various charities in his community, McMaster chose Jeff to receive one of two honorary Doctorate of Letters degrees, the other Doctorate of Laws degree given at the same ceremony to legendary baseball player Ferguson "Fergie" Jenkins, Jr. Performing live at the ceremony with his jazz trio, Healey was handed his Doctorate, hood and mortar board cap by Dr. P. George, President of McMaster University. "I'm thrilled to be recognized by McMaster for my contributions to the arts," said Jeff. "It's good to be Doctor!" he quipped.

4th Annual Blues Brews & Barbeques Festival: In Downtown Kitchener, Thursday August 5th to Sunday August 8th, this free community event promotes "blues music, great barbeque food and responsible drinking in a family friendly environment". Over 25 blues acts will be playing over 3 days on 3 stages, including headliners Koko Taylor, Crowbar, Downchild Blues Band, Mel Brown, Lazy Lester, Jack de Keyzer, and Fruteland Jackson. As well, several of Kitchener's finest BBQ chefs providing day-long BBQ, and a beer garden will have a great view of the stage. There will also be 12 participating venues featuring live blues bands after the main stages end. A double decker blues shuttle bus will provide transportation. The Blues Brews & Barbeques Gala & Awards will take place on Thursday August 5th at The Wax nightclub, and will include the 2nd annual Mel Brown Award for Service to the Blues Community: this year's recipient is local blues promoter Glenn Smith. For additional information, including a full schedule of events, visit www.bluesbrewsandbbqs.ca

The Odyssey is Over: After more than 6 years of presenting the blues every Saturday afternoon The Odyssey Tap & Grill in St. Catharines is closing it's doors. Owners Ray and Jacki Goldin supported the blues through the good and the bad times.

David Jacobs -Strain (right), who will release his second album on NorthernBlues in September makes a long-awaited return to Toronto with an appearance at Hugh's Room on August 19 opening for Ruthie Foster, who Greg Quill of the Toronto Star calls "one of the breakout acts on this summer's festival circuit." Photo by Michael Riemenschneider

But the Odyssey Blues Band is now playing every Saturday afternoon 3:30 - 7:30 at the Lions Hotel in Port Dalhousie ("the home of Lakeside Park - remember the song by Rush? - and the world famous 5 cent carousel"). In future, they may bring in guests from Toronto & Buffalo, in the tradition of the Odyssey Tap & Grill. "If you've never been to `Port', there's plenty to do on a summer weekend. Lots of shops, many bars and restaurants, swim in the Lake, (it's usually okay), a great place to picnic, and, if you're a boater, there's plenty of visitor docking".

And, the Blooze Hounds have started a "Pro Jam" at Your Neighbourhood Pizza Co., 7241 Lundy's Lane, Niagara Falls, (905-356-0623) every Saturday from 8:30-12:30. Beginning September18, the show will start at 4 pm and continue straight through until 11 pm. From 4-8 special guests from the Canadian and Western New York blues scene will be performing with The Blooze Hounds: already scheduled guests include Dylan Wickens, Raoul Bhaneja, Al Lerman, John Mays, and Buffalo's Rod Nickson. The Blooze Hounds will continue the day of blues from 8-11 pm with a Pro Jam. "The venue has great food at great prices with a full rack of ribs for just $9.99, and a pint and a pound of wings at $6.50 during the matinee performance. Lots of free parking."

The Filberg Festival, Comox BC: Friday, July 30 to Monday, August 2, 2004: "The the 22nd edition of this family friendly festival boasts 140 craft booths, 20 food booths, and 40 Canadian entertainment acts. One of the largest juried arts & crafts festivals in Western Canada, the Filberg Festival is becoming increasingly well known for its music, featured on 2 stages, as well as its comprehensive children's entertainment program. The 2004 edition has a roots music feel', including blues-friendly performers Big Dave McLean (Winnipeg), David Gogo (Nanaimo), Ken Hamm (Cedar), Sam Hurrie (Cumberland), Tim Williams (Calgary), and Gary Comeau and the Voodoo Allstars, among others. In addition to their solo blues performances, there will also be a Blue Moon Blues Panel Concert featuring several of these bluesmen on stage together, to take the audience on an imaginary trip down the Mississippi Delta, sharing the long and colourful history of the blues, much like an oral historian". For more information: www.filbergfestival.com, or 250-334-9242.

The First Annual Toronto City Roots Song Celebration: September 3 to 6 (Labour Day weekend) at The Distillery Historic District in Toronto, this new event is described as "a renaissance of roots, folk, blues, country and city music". More than 80 musical artists will perform on 4 stages over 4 days and 3 nights. Main stage ticketed events will feature performances by Sylvia Tyson, Fred Eaglesmith, Ashley MacIsaac, Lynn Miles, and Serena Ryder. Additional artists will be announced shortly. Daytime programming will be free to the public, and the main stage will be fully licensed. There will also be open stage sign-up opportunities, buskers and street dancers, a music workshop stage, and autograph signing. Howard Gladstone, Executive Director, describes the festival as "a contemporary reflection on the tradition of roots, folk, blues, singer-songwriters living and performing in and out of Toronto." For more information, visit www.torontocityroots.com, and www.thedistillery.com. The festival will be utilizing many volunteers in different types of positions, and volunteers will receive free festival passes and t-shirts, and an invitation to the festival after-party. Contact Jennifer Claveau at 416.929.9079 to sign-up, or visit the website.

2nd Lys Blues Awards: Presented by Le Net Blues webzine, "you can vote for your favourite blues artists nominated for this year's awards by September 15th. Simply follow the 4 simple steps at the website to access the voting page. http://lenetblues.dynalias.org/survey/lysblues2004/survey.php."

International Songwriting Competition Blues Category: "ISC is now accepting entries for 2004. Over $100,000 in cash and prizes will be shared by 50 winners. All Blues musicians/songwriters are invited to submit their song. ISC is the only major songwriting competition with a category that is solely dedicated to Blues music and judged by influential Blues artists such as B.B. King (2003 judge), Taj Mahal and Bo Diddley (2004 judges). Other judges include: Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records); Branford Marsalis; Peter Asher (Co-President, Sanctuary Artist Management); Kim Stephens (VP A&R, Lava Records); Barbara Sedun (VP Creative, EMI Music Publishing Canada); David Hidalgo (Los Lobos); Michael Gudinski (Chairman, Mushroom Group of Companies) and many more. ISC provides the perfect opportunity for bands, artists and songwriters looking to gain exposure in the music industry. In today's highly competitive music scene, ISC bridges the gap between artists and industry by bringing together some of the most influential and high-profile members of today's music industry to our judging panel. In addition to the cash and prizes, winners will benefit from a multilateral promo campaign designed to give them maximum exposure for their music. ?The media has been really good for me since winning!... I am thrilled with the prizes and the media attention!' says Rick Fines, 2003 ISC Blues category winner. Enter the ISC online or download an entry form to mail in your entry. Enter ISC by August 31, 2004 and save on multiple-song entries. www.songwritingcompetition.com."

2005 International Blues Challenge: "This Blues Foundation production will be held February 3 to 5, 2005, in Memphis, Tennessee. The Keeping the Blues Alive Awards ceremony will take place Saturday, February 5. The 21st annual International Blues Challenge semi-finals and finals bring to Memphis the culmination of months of regional competitions staged by Blues Foundation affiliates around the world. Over 90 acts compete for $25,000 in cash and prizes and the title of `Best Unsigned Blues Band' and `Best Unsigned Acoustic Act'. The judges also present the Albert King Award to the most promising guitarist. In addition to the long-standing live performance component of IBC, The Blues Foundation is for the first time presenting an award for the Best Self-Produced CD. Each affiliated blues society is able to further support and encourage a deserving blues musician by submitting a release for judging by a panel of blues authorities. The Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) awards honour the men and women who preserve, celebrate and support blues music. The KBAs, presented in 19 categories, are the opportunity for the blues community to congregate and recognize its peers and the accomplishments of supporting organizations. Other events during the weekend include seminars and presentations dedicated to providing resource, networking and educational opportunities for blues societies and musicians. More information on IBC is posted at www.blues.org/ibc." The Toronto Blues Society will be represented by the winner of the 2004 Talent Search, Bharath & the Catfish.

Fighting Idols: American Idol has taken an injunction against Blues Idol "to stop their quest to find the next generation of Blues greats. It's considered a classic David vs Goliath situation, and there is intent to fight all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary". The Blues Idol Advisory Board has been "blown away" with the quality of the songwriting and musicianship from the contestants, and they're "determined not to let a glorified karaoke competition stand in the way of real American roots music of long-standing history and tradition". For more information, contact Marino De Silva, President & Creator Blues Idol, www.marinodesilva.com.

Lithuanian Blues: Saulius Masalskis writes "Undeveloped music culture as well as low number of blues music places remains one of the major challenges for Baltic States (already EU!) audience. Our coming projects are described as involvement into one of the world's well known blues chain as Blue Note, or House of Blues, or other under franchise or partnership agreement (1), or new blues chain creation in the Baltics + Poland with having an investor/partner (2). The third project in our plans is to arrange a blues festivals in a very nice open place close to Vilnius city (35 km. away). Any way, we will start from blues club (supposed to be opened Autumn this year), located in Vilnius old town, so music management as well as agencies contacts would be appreciated very much as well. As per described above, we are trying to locate a commercial partner with the means to move effective Blues clubs chain management from western experience to the Baltic + Poland marketplace. Throughout new economy countries, as Baltic states are, partnership between experienced western and local citizen's know-how is emerging as an increasingly important development strategy in response to current development trends. With collaboration, we can take advantage of creative synergy and achieve outcomes that are hardly possible for anyone of them to achieve acting alone. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this idea with you in overall, or separate projects described above. If you have any questions or require any additional information, please contact me. Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to speaking with you soon. Best regards, Saulius Masalskis, phone: +37069928448, e-mail sauliusmasalskis@yahoo.com, internet: www.blues.lt, Postal address: P.O.Box 554, 2000 Vilnius, Lithuania".

He will be missed: "Buzz" Upshaw, one of the founding members of Toronto's blues community, passed away late last month. The family has not yet released details.

Hey, Hey, The Blues Is Alright

Texas soul singer ZZ Hill's anthem, "Hey, Hey, the Blues is Alright" may still provide the soundtrack for this summer at a time when audiences are baffled by the cancellation of the Cisco Systems Bluesfest in Toronto.

Are the blues alright? I think so, but it is not surprising audiences are confused. The cancellation of Mark Monahan's Ottawa-produced festival left a major hole in the Toronto concert calendar and has impacted artists, tours, music retailers, sponsors and the media. The abrupt nature of the cancellation spilled a lot of ink in the print media with stories telling the background of wonderful artists who in the end never arrived in Toronto.

Coupled with the cancellation of the 15-act "Blues on Tour" package (Ruth Brown, Ike Turner, Little Milton) that was to have been in the Hummingbird Centre on April 29 and the cancellation of the Harbourfront Centre July Blues Festival (after 18 years) one would wonder what the health of the blues concert or festival might be.

I'll not comment on the slipping away of the Harbourfront Centre festival for obvious reasons, except to note the irony of the summer festivals transit marketing campaign that features a photo of the acoustic Piedmont style duo, Bowling Green John Cephas and Harmonica Phil Wiggins. They are not performing in the Harbourfront season, but represent a commodification of the blues that suits that marketing campaign.

It may seem cynical, but this type of commodification of the blues is at the root of the problem with the Cisco System "Bluesfest" collapse. Mark Monahan has successfully developed a festival model in Ottawa over the past ten years employing a unique strategy of linking the integrity of the blues to the Ottawa festival. He has also linked big out-of-the-blues-genre artists with the real deal. In Toronto that same formula appears to work much less well and in my opinion it has a lot to do with a confusing message to concertgoers who are over-stimulated in this hyper-market.

It may be possible to overcome this dilemma of consumer confusion, but this would require a grassroots building of audience loyalty, as Mark has accomplished in Ottawa. It is hard to develop audience loyalty if no base of operations can be found that nurtures the details of complex (and confusing) messages to music consumers and fans.

In the U.S. there was a terrific body of work developed by Martin Scorcese to acknowledge the blues for PBS and NPR broadcasts during the "Year of the Blues." That exposure and the ongoing success of top drawer artists (B. B. King, Eric Clapton) and the development of new talent, new CDs and the general strengthening and organizing of the worldwide blues interest group flies in the face of the Toronto festivals' collapse.

Membership in the Toronto Blues Society is solid. Artists continue to get into the studio and out on disc independently or via Stony Plain, NorthernBlues or Electro-Fi, all Canadian companies. There are certainly issues with the live scene, as the alcohol (and cigarette) fueled environment does not work for the aging part of the blues audience.

That said, Toronto's roots music mecca Hugh's Room has combined early show starts, great food and the blues appearances of Odetta, Guy Davis and this month Salome Bey to much success. Watch for the Toronto debut of Ruthie Foster at Hugh's on August 19! Watch for much more blues coming with B. B. King's Molson Amphitheatre package (featuring Dr. John, Elvin Bishop, Shemekia Copeland and the Muddy Waters Band) and Port Credit's Southside Shuffle Festival early next month.

The Blues is Alright, and Toronto is Canada's blues capitol. The 18th edition of the Women's Blues Revue moves to Massey Hall this November and January sees the next edtion of the Maple Blues Awards and the second Blues Summit.

The Blues are alive and well, steady rollin' as they say. The Blues are not a commodity that can be exploited.

Last of the Blues Festival Updates

Final follow-up to our comprehensive Blues Festival Guide in the June Maple Blues. If you do not have a copy, we printed extra and there are still some available at the TBS office from Matt, our friendly office manager (if you ask him nicely).

With outdoor venues and clubs shows Maximum Blues will surely be a good time for Blues fans. Featuring Beau Kavanagh and the Broken Hearted, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater on Wednesday, Shirley Jackson and her Good Rockin' Daddys on Thursday, and David Gogo on Friday. Each of the performances is priced individually, ranging from $5 to 15.00. Visit www.maximumblues.net for schedule, lodging and performer information.

Another favourite festival in Southern Ontario, the 4th Annual Blues, Brews and BBQs festival features a monster line up of Blues talent. This free festival in downtown Kitchener boasts a main stage, acoustic stage and a workshop stage. There will also be plenty of club performances in the surrounding bars. The main stage performers for Friday, August 6 are Daddy Long Legs, Downchild Blues Band and the legendary Crowbar, featuring Kelly Jay. Saturday the music starts bright and early at noon with Shane Gang, Steve Strongman, Soul Kings, James Anthony, Lazy Lester, Jack De Keyzer, Brent Parkin, Loco Zydeco, and making her only Canadian stop this year, legendary Blues belter, Koko Taylor. Sunday's line up, starting at noon, features incredible talent such as Julian Fauth & the Chain Gang, a Gospel Choir, Mighty Revelators, Mel Brown & the Homewreckers with Miss Angel, and Fruteland Jackson. The acoustic stage will have performances on Saturday from Mo' Kauffey Trio, Poor Charlie, Fruteland Jackson, Dave Mowatt, Brandon Alexander and the Matt Osborne Tribute .Visit www.bluesbrewsandbbqs.ca for driving directions, schedule, and general festival information.

A new festival to add the listing this year is the Atomic Bluesfest. This event will be held at the Academy Theatre and will feature Downchild Blues Band, Harry Manx, Jimmy Bowskill, Dawn Tyler Watson and Powder Blues Band. More info can be found at www.atomicbluesfest.com .

This festival put together by Downchild front-man Chuck Jackson just keeps getting better every year. The club-crawl alone is worth the trek to Port Credit. The big blow-out for the end of the season! Along with the famous Street Shuffle, there is a main stage, a lake-side stage and club shows. The massive line-up for the main stage this year includes David Gogo, Rita Chiarelli, and Savoy Brown featuring Kim Simmonds, on Friday. Saturday night will feature performances from The Tony D Band, Jimmy Bowskill, Rob Lutes, Michael Pickett & Steve Payne, Dawn Tyler Watson, and headliners, Downchild Blues Band. Sunday has a gospel brunch hosted by Danny Brooks and Ken Whitely, followed by the popular Janis Joplin tribute by Krista Blondin, The Juke Joint Rockers feat. Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Bob Stroger, The Pappy Johns Band, and to close out the weekends festivities will be the Southside Super Jam featuring The Maple Blues Band and Special Guests Kim Simmonds, Donnie Walsh, Chuck Jackson, Dawn Tyler Watson, David Gogo, Michael Pickett & Jimmy Bowskill. The awesome street shuffle along Lakeshore Rd. features a wide variety of Blues bands positioned along the street (a la Beaches) playing from 6 pm to 10 pm. Included in this roster are The Odyssey Blues Band, Raoul and the Bigtime, Roxanne Potvin, David Rotundo & The Blue Canadians, Mr Rick & The Biscuits, Brian "Colorblind" Blain, Tone Dogs, Swing Noir, Midnight Walk, Loco Zydeco, Bebop Cowboys, The Johnny Max Band, Maria Aurigema & The Livin' Blues Band, Wayne Buttery and the Groove Project and The Weber Brothers to name a few!

This festival is in it's 6th year and only gets better with age. Go to www.southsideshuffle.com for more details.

This excellent festival features 150 performances, 20+ stages, 5 city blocks over 5 days. Looks great so far with confirmed appearances from Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bernard Allison, JW Jones Band, Dutch Mason, Rick Fines, Hot Toddy, Kenny Neal and Billy Branch, Morgan Davis, Jack de Keyzer, John Campbelljohn, Harry Manx, Peter Narvaez, Charlie A'Court and many more. Tickets for this event range from $20 _ 125.00 (for full festival passes). Visit www.harvestjazzandblues.com for schedule, accommodations, and general festival information.

The seventh annual Blues On The Eastside will take place on Sunday November 7, at the Lil Big Horn Bar and Grill in Cambridge Ontario. This annual event has established itself as one of the premiere Blues events in the region and continues with this tradition with an all star line-up. Headlining this year's event is C.J. Chenier and his Red Hot Louisiana Band. Also on the bill is the blues sensation Alvin Youngblood Hart, the legendary Hubert Sumlin, long time guitar player for Howling Wolf. This event would not be complete without the annual appearance of local legend, Mel Brown and the Homewreckers. Local blues-R&B sensation, Douglas Watson and his band will kick things off at 2pm. As usual, we are giving away plenty of door prizes throughout the day including a brand new Epiphone Electric Guitar. Doors will open at 12 noon. Show starts at 2pm. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations as well as Lil Big Horn Bar and Grill. For more information, visit: www.bluesontheeastside.com

Check out our new and improved merch page. We've got cool t-shirts, mugs, harmonica necklaces, hats, etc.
Also new: Now you can join the TBS online. See our join up page for details.