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TBS
Birthday Blues Bash
Diana Braithwaite
will be a featured vocalist at The Toronto Blues Society's 20th annual birthday bash at Toronto's Mod Club on May 25 at 8:00 p.m. (doors at 7:00), featuring
The Maple Blues Revue, which also features singers
Chuck Jackson, John Mays and the The Maple Blues
Band, made up of bassist Gary Kendall, guitarist
Teddy Leonard, keyboard player Michael
Fonfara, drummer Tom Bona, saxophonists Chris Murphy and
Pat Carey, trumpeter Chris Whiteley, and Al Lerman on
harmonica and tenor sax. This is the Revue's Toronto debut.
The first meeting of what was to become the Toronto Blues Society took place at the long, oval stand-up bar at the back of Toronto's Albert's Hall in 1985. During the 1980s, the club featured international and local blues artists, and kick-started the enthusiasm of many blues fans.
Derek Andrews, the former talent co-ordinator of Albert's Hall, often met blues fans David Barnard and John Valenteyn there. The three founded the TBS in May 1985, at a time when blues was thriving in the city.
However, they feared the music could fall into obscurity again, as it had during the disco era. "Some of us had heard about U.S. blues societies and felt it was a way to bring the Toronto community together and protect us from a drought similar to the one that had happened in the late '70s, says Andrews, who has been TBS president since 1985. "At the time, Toronto had a strong venue in Albert's Hall and some interest. We wanted to build solid infrastructure to offset any shifts in blues interest."
Barnard, TBS vice-president from 1985 to 1990 and the co-host of the CKLN blues show, says he was "concerned about the future, knowing that with most upturns, they're followed by a downturn. What I hoped was that with the establishment of a blues society, it would help to link everyone involved in the blues community, from the musicians to fans to bars owners to radio DJs, and help provide encouragement and support through good times and bad."
Celebrating its 20th birthday in May, the TBS has featured hundreds of local artists at its monthly events over the years. The Women's Blues Revue, which debuted in a small club, grew into a concert attended by thousands at Toronto's venerable Massey Hall last year.
The society presented its first Blues With A Feeling Award to Willie Dixon at Toronto's Underground Railroad Restaurant in '85 to a small gathering. Ten years later, that award morphed into the Maple Blues Awards, a Canadian version of the W.C. Handy Awards. The MBAs attract hundreds of musicians and fans every year for a celebration of Canadian blues.
The TBS publishes a monthly newsletter, which is mailed to its some 500 members and to the media, and is also posted on the society's extensive website. The society was largely responsible for the creation of a separate Juno category for blues, and the organization's activities have expanded to include a Blues in the Schools program. And, last January, the society hosted its second Blues Summit conference, which was attended by blues festival organizers from the United States and Canada.
What the TBS has accomplished over the past 20 years is amazing, especially considering that mostly everyone involved is a volunteer - from the people who work the merchandise table at events to the president.
The society receives financial support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canadian Heritage, the Toronto Arts Council, The Socan Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Cultural Careers Council Ontario and Human Resources Development Canada. "Blues has become more legitimate in the eyes of cultural agencies, and we hope to see some further expansion of its acceptance and more financial support in the future. Our musical cousins, folk, jazz and world music, enjoy strong support at Canada Council, and we hope to see increased recognition of blues at that funding body in particular," Andrews says.
He notes that the TBS has "played a pivotal role in communicating the many and
various aspects of the Toronto blues scene. We have also played a role in educating fans and providing professional development for artists. Our hallmark events such as the Women's Blues Revue, Maple Blues Awards and Blues Summit distinguish the TBS as a popular music organization.
"The TBS has tried to link the national blues community through the Maple Blues Awards and Blues Summits. I think the entire Canadian community is better exposed both internationally and domestically because of some of the TBS initiatives. We take advantage of every opportunity to lobby Canada Council, CBC and other organizations about the relevance of blues music, when given a chance."
Barnard says the impact of the TBS has been huge. "There are now blues societies across the country and the growth in blues scenes in practically every major urban centre in Canada has a link to the work of the TBS." He notes that the growth of the blues scene in Canada over the past 20 years is evident by the number of Canadian recordings now available. In 1985, there were about 25 Canadian blues records in his collection and now there are more than 300.
But despite the activity in the blues scene, Valenteyn, Andrews and Barnard worry that aspects of it are in a slump.
Valenteyn, who has been on the TBS executive since '85 and reviews CDs for the society's newsletter, says: "The regional nature of the scene has lately become more obvious, with many players either forced to or preferring to stay local. Only Quebec seems to be generating a bit of a buzz. The economics of touring seem to keep keep many 'names' away from Toronto." But he adds that "the affordability of producing CDs is helping a lot. The Junos are doing a great service by making locally produced music more visible across the country. Garrett Mason's CD (2005 Juno Award winner) is only available in Halifax, but he now has national recognition."
Addressing the question of the ageing of the blues audience, Bernard says: "I'm relieved that so many young musicians are getting out there and playing with such intuitive emotional feeling. I only wish there were more young folk in the audiences. It worries me that I still feel I'm one of the youngest people attending blues show (he is 43). My hope is that the young musicians will help to draw a younger crowd. The Blues in the Schools program is a hugely important endeavour in this regard, too."
Also, on the question of the ageing audience, Andrews adds: "We are intent on developing younger audiences. Current members of the blues community are aging, which means they're just not showing up as predictably in the nightclubs."
Barnard is also concerned about the state of live blues: "Every indication I had from the musicians I talk to tells me we should be worried about the state of live performance (this isn't isolated to blues musicians). Poor financial prospects and working conditions will quickly kill the scene. The recent disappearance in 2004 of summer blues festivals in Toronto was a sobering experience for many musicians and fans. Is the age of touring artists almost at an end?
"Are record stores a thing of the past? Will blues fans buy recordings online? How can you hear the music if you don't have a local radio station that supports a blues show? Will Internet radio flourish?"
Barnard adds that he's still thinking about the future, and given the number of troublesome questions he says he's coming up with, he can say with confidence that "the TBS will have an important role to play now and in the future."
As far as the Toronto Blues Society's near future goes, Andrews says that putting together the society's 20th Anniversary Compilation CD has stimulated discussion about other CD projects that it hopes to develop. "We envision more activity with getting artist CDs into the hands of blues fans, perhaps through our website. Blues Summit II has inspired us to assist in developing a national network of Blues Festivals."
The Toronto Blues Society's 20th annual birthday bash takes place at Toronto's Mod Club on May 25 at 8:00 p.m. (doors at 7:00), featuring The Maple Blues Revue, which includes singers Chuck Jackson, John Mays and Diana Braithwaite, and the The Maple Blues Band, made up of bassist Gary Kendall, guitarist Teddy Leonard, keyboard player Michael Fonfara, saxophonist Chris Murphy and Al Lerman on harmonica and tenor sax. This is the Revue's Toronto debut.
Kendall has been involved with the TBS for many years and is currently on the society's Musicians Advisory Council. He started playing blues in the early 70s and is a longtime member of the Downchild Blues Band. "I'm glad I stuck it out. There were times in Canada there was not a lot going on," he says. "It's amazing what the TBS has done for blues in Canada."
- Ruth Schweitzer
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