Loose Blues News
Electro-Fi recording artist Chris Whiteley celebrates both the New Year and the release of his new CD
It's The Natural Thing To Do with special guests December 31st at Hugh's
Room. The album features Chris with special guests
Curley Bridges and Diana Braithwaite as well
as Jesse and Dan Whiteley. Photo Gary Collver
Big Time Blues Videos: After appearing on the new OMNI Television soap Metropia, Raoul and the Big Time are again on the tube! Visit www.bravofact.com to see their featured short Baby Don't Stop, directed by Jeff Stephenson (Top 10 Canadian Film Makers 2004 - Now Magazine), which is currently airing on the BRAVO show BRAVOfact Presents (check the web site for details and listings). Their first video, Cold Outside (directed by Train 48 star Andrew Kenneth Martin) remains in rotation on COOL TV. In non-blues related news, Raoul is appearing in the play Helen's Necklace at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto until December 12 (www.tarragontheatre.com).
Jackie & Doug Riley in St. Catharines: Celebrate the season with Jackie , who'll be offering an evening of favourite holiday tunes with a jazz and blues twist, accompanied by Doug Riley on piano, at the Centre for the Arts at Brock University, on Tuesday, December 14, at 7:30 pm. For tickets, contact the Brock Centre for the Arts Box Office at (905) 688-5550, ext. 3257 or online at www.arts.brocku.ca.
Benefit for Sleeping Children Around the World: The benefit last month at The Dior Lounge with The Johnny Max Band successfully raised over $1,000, and provided 35 children's bedkits for the charity. Featured guests included Krista Blondin, Al Lerman, Virgil Scott, Kat Lovett, Bob Parker, Penny Skolski, Gayle Ackroyd, Bruce Longman and Jerome Godboo, backed by Kevin Higgins, Uli Bohnet and Duncan McBain. www.scaw.org.
More Money Raised: Blues On The East Side is an annual event put on by the Grand River Blues Society. Now in their seventh year, $6000 was raised for Community Living Cambridge with 450 attending the day long event in Cambridge. C.J Chenier, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Douglas Watson, local hero Mel Brown and guitar legend Hubert Sumlin performed in this mini-festival. Despite serious health challenges, Mel put on what many called the best show they'd ever seen him do (and was promptly re-admitted to hospital afterwards). Sumlin spent three days in the area, checking out the local Bar-B-Q joints and even sitting in with our own (barely)managing editor, Colorblind Brian at the Liquid Lounge Saturday Matinee in Brantford. Grand River Blues Society prez Bruce Hall (aka Brewster) was the official tour guide for Hubert and made sure he got a good taste of Canadian hospitality (and made sure there was plenty of good Canadian blues on the car stereo). They even brought out a birthday cake to help him celebrate his 73rd birthday (Cheryl Lescom helped him blow out the candles - Hubert just recovered from a heart attack and has only one lung). Those who had the opportunity to spend a little time with Hubert truly felt they had been visited by blues royalty. There's some great pictures of the event at http://www.talkinblues.com/boes2.html and a DVD of the performance is in the works.
Canadianblues.ca: The blues community has rallied to support canadianblues.ca which, since 2002, has been independently administered and financed by Andie Maranda and Baron Bedesky. Andie also serves as "listmom" for the canadianblues listserve. Baron is no longer involved and web hosting charges have accumulated so Andie is now looking at turning it into a non-profit organization. Andie writes "Rather than charge a membership fee for the site - this defeats the purpose of trying to bring awareness to the fans - we will be asking for donations. These donations will be used to pay for the upcoming site fees and for any fee required to register the site as a non-profit business." Cheques or money orders (payable to "The Out Box") can be sent to: Canadianblues.ca. PO Box 23083, MIdtown PO St. Catharines ON L2R 4A8 or donate online at www.canadianblues.ca.
Stefan Read (centre in the white shirt) is the new Office and Event
Co-ordinator at the Toronto Blues Society. Stefan is a graduate of Ryerson's Radio and Television Arts
program and brings a knowledge of communications and a passion for music with him to the TBS office. He can also be seen onstage most Sundays at the Tranzac playing melodeon
and mandolin with the folk music collective Raggle
Taggle.
"New...New...Newmarket Jam": A new jam and open mic night has commenced at one of Newmarket's newest venues, Abbey's Roadhouse (southwest corner of Davis & Yonge, beside the Go Bus Station), Thursday nights, 9 pm. All music styles are welcome, but the jam will be blues based.
Make It Real Records makes it to California: The Doodlin' Lounge is a Public Radio show in Santa Cruz California, and it's host, Pete Fallico, called Lance Anderson to do an interview. It is a show that exclusively features Hammond organ and he had been receiving requests from around the U.S. to do a feature on Make It Real Records, Footwork and 2B3 - The Toronto Sessions, and the organ scene here in Canada. Lance sent him a couple of play copies. Lance writes "When it aired, it turned out it was an hour feature with cuts from Footwork and 2B3! I'll be getting a copy of the show and will post it on our website. This is when the internet is fantastic. I probably never would have been in touch with Pete if it hadn't been for some i-sales, and the recommendation of strangers who are fans of the music. Here is the url for the Doodlin' Lounge: www.doodlinlounge.com. If you are an organist or have one featured on a track, give Pete a shout. And for the radio station itself: www.kusp.org"
Go Tell it on The Mountain : The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show - and Mavis Staples - A Tribute to Mahalia Jackson Holiday Show play Massey Hall, Thursday, December 23, 2004, 8 pm. Massey Hall rings in the holiday season with a soulful double bill featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama and Mavis Staples. The Blind Boys of Alabama showcase the comforting familiarity and startling innovation of their Grammy-winning holiday CD Go Tell It On the Mountain, while soul and gospel legend Mavis Staples, accompanied by an organist, mixes classic gospel songs made famous by Mahalia Jackson with her personal remembrances of her time with the gospel great. Tickets are $69.50 to $49.50, and available by phone at 416-872-4255 or by visiting the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office, or www.masseyhall.com.
The Four Tops at Roy Thomson Hall: Toronto audiences can celebrate Valentine's Day when one of the most beloved groups on the legendary Motown label, the Four Tops play Roy Thomson Hall, Monday, February 14, 2005 at 8 pm. After four decades of hits like "Baby I Need Your Loving", "I Can't Help Myself", "Reach Out I'll Be There", and "Standing in the Shadows of Love", The Four Tops will make their first-ever appearance at Roy Thomson Hall with original members Abdul "Duke" Fakir and Renaldo "Obie" Benson. The original foursome arrived at Motown in 1963 as seasoned veterans, having already logged nearly a decade in shows, and recording for the Chess, Red Top, and Columbia labels before Motown founder Berry Gordy lured them to Motown. The Four Tops performed together for over 40 years without a single change in personnel, cutting some of Motown's most memorable hit singles along the way, including "It's the Same Old Song", "Bernadette", "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I Got)", and "When She Was My Girl". The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. Tickets: $69.50 to $49.50 by phone 416-872-4255, or by visiting the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office, or www.roythomson.com.
The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, January 22 to 29, 2005: Join the single largest International Blues Party ever assembled for 1 week, land or sea, on Holland America's 5-Star MS Zuiderdam. The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise features 7 days and nights of bluesin' onboard the world's only fully chartered blues cruise. Featuring over 60 scheduled performances by 16 bands including Taj Mahal, Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi, Shemekia Copeland, Phantom Blues Band, The Derek Trucks Band, Anson Funderburgh with Sam Myers, Tommy Castro, Bernard Allison, Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Kenny Neal Band, Chubby Carrier, Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, Corey Harris, and Zac Harmon, among others. There are a limited number of cabins available, at 1-888-BLUESIN or www.BluesCruise.com. (Cabins can also be reserved for 2006, guaranteeing the best cabin by pre-booking.)
- Julie Hill, Brian Blain
Calling All Blues Musicians!
Showcase at Blues Summit IIThis is your chance to have your music heard by key people in the blues community. Please submit a sample of your music (3 tracks, please) and a bio to: There is a $15 processing fee. Thanks for your interest and good luck! Only those selected to participate
in the Showcases will be contacted. Attend Blues Summit IISpecial Musician Rates: Click here to securely register online.
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TBS MERCH AVAILABLE ONLINEToronto Blues Society Copyright _ 2004