Maple Blues Online - Loose Blues News

In addition to his busy schedule as resident engineer at the Iridescent Music Studio, guitarist Steve Grisbrook (left) can be found playing around town in various configurations including the long-running Midnite Walk. These days, he can be seen regularly at Happy's Bar & Grill in Etobicoke where he plays with the Happy Bastards every Sunday (7:30) and with different guests on Friday nights. Photo by Gary Taylor

Congratulations: Harrison Kennedy took home the award for Blues Album of the Year at the Hamilton Scene Music Awards. Steeltown saxman Sonny Del Rio was Special Instrumentalist of the Year. Daniel Lanois won Instrumental Recording of the Year, Producer of the Year, Guitarist of the Year, and a Lifetime Achievement Award and performed at the gala event.

Remembering Baldry: More than $1,000 was raised at a Celebration for Long John Baldry at Hugh's Room on Nov. 12. The musicians taking part included Papa John King, Danny Brooks, Mr. Rick and the Biscuits, Greg Godovitz and Roy Young, and John Dickie and the Mississippi Hippies. Two other guests, Rick Morrison (sax) and Al Webster (drums) who - like John King - worked with John for many years and countless tours in Canada and Europe, also took part.

TO-bound: We'll be seeing a lot more of Roxanne Potvin in Toronto, starting with an appearance at The Women's Blues Revue and then an appearance at the Silver Dollar on Thursday December 29 and a guest spot at the Maple Blues Awards gala at the Phoenix on January 16th. Her Dollar gig will include an appearance by Paul Reddick (with guitarist Teddy Leonard), playing songs from Villanelle, Reddick's critically lauded NorthernBlues album, and it will mark Roxanne's first Toronto appearance with her new band. Roxanne has completed her next release, which will be released on the Alert label, distributed by Universal Music, in February. The album features some high-powered guests, and is produced by Colin Linden. She will include a number of her new songs in her show at the Dollar. And expect some rousing jamming with Reddick and Teddy Leonard to close the show...

Vancouver's Jenna Andrews will be making her Toronto debut at Chicago's on December 8, 2005. She has taken the charm and approachability of the Gershwin era, and integrated with elements of Latin jazz, Billy Holiday and Blossom Dearie. Jenna moved to Vancouver two years ago from her hometown, Calgary, Alberta, to record her first album with Juno award winning producer, Chin Injeti. Jenna has recorded most of her album at Hipposonic Studios with local musicians such as Chris Gestrin, Brad Turner, and Joe Cruz (who currently plays the nylon string guitar in Jenna's band). Jenna has also worked with various people such as Moka Only (of Swollen Members), Colin Linden and the Sweatshop Union.

Blues on the Tube: The Jackie Washington Story, produced and directed by Ari A. Cohen and produced in association with Bravo!, had its World Television Premiere on Tuesday November 22 on Bravo. An advance screening was held in Hamilton for friends, family and media and was followed by a performance by Jackie with his musical friends Ken Whiteley and Mose Scarlett. The film recounts the incredible life of this legendary musician who has overcome many obstacles, both personally and professionally, built a repertoire of nearly 1300 songs, and has encyclopedic knowledge of music history.

Treat Your Gift Recipients or Yourself!: Electro-Fi is offering a holiday sale of any 5 CDs from their entire catalogue for Cdn $50 (plus tax), and they pay the postage. The offer is in effect until January 7, 2006, by phone only, 416-251-3036, Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm E.S.T. (Limited to Canada and the U.S.A. only).

Julian Fauth: In addition to his recent appearance in a "Talkin' Blues" episode, and his numerous Maple Blues Award nominations, he received a most favourable review in the Toronto Star last month courtesy of Greg Quill.

David Rotundo: After his current tour in Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, and Austria, with 17 performances in these 5 countries, he'll return home to resume local touring, as well as to the studio to record his third CD.

Mike McKenna: The former Mainline guitarist now hosts a blues jam at the Black Swan every Saturday afternoon, 3 to 8 pm, with special guests, 154 Danforth Avenue, 416-469-0537.

And the West Coast Music Awards Go To: Long time blues veteran Amos Garrett was honoured last month with the WCMA for Outstanding Blues Recording, for `Acoustic Album', his first acoustic album in 25 years. Congratulations also to fellow nominees Billy Joe Green for `Muskrat Blues and Rock & Roll', Megan Lane and Deep Set Soul for `purple and blue', South Thunderbird for `Tough Go', and The Blue Voodoo for `Sparkle & Shine'. Loverboy was inducted to the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

`The Hawk - I'm Back': Ronnie Hawkins returns live to Toronto's Massey Hall on Saturday, December 17, 2005, at 8pm. The opening act will be recently reunited '60s band, The Checkmates. A portion of the ticket sales will aid The Schizophrenia Foundation.

Known for his early work with The Band, the Arkansas-born King of Rockabilly is credited with bringing rock 'n' roll to Canada, his adopted home since 1958. He has recorded over 25 albums, scoring early hits with `Forty Days', which reached No. 45 on the Billboard charts, and `Mary Lou', which reached No. 26 on the charts in 1959. Introduced to Dick Clark, he played on all of his shows, including Philadelphia Bandstand, The Beechnut Show, and American Bandstand. Ronnie's influence has earned him several awards and special appearances. His 1984 LP, `Making It Again', earned him the Juno award for Country Male Vocalist. In 1989, he helped tear down the Berlin Wall, playing with The Band. In 1992, Ronnie performed at Bill Clinton's inaugural party, The Blue Jeans Bash. Ronnie's 1995 CD `Let It Rock' earned him a Juno Award nomination. Ronnie has played for every Canadian Prime Minister since John Diefenbaker, and he enjoyed playing for Poland's Lech Walesa at a Solidarity music festival. The pinnacle of Ronnie's influence on Canadian music was achieved when he received the Walt Grealis Special Lifetime Achievement Award as CARAS' Industry Builder in 1996. The City of Toronto declared October 4, 2002 to be "Ronnie Hawkins Day" when Hawkins was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in recognition of his lifetime contribution to music and his generous support of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario. Ronnie Hawkins was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame at the Canadian Music Industry Awards on March 4, 2004. In 2005, he was awarded an honourary degree from Laurentian University. In addition to music, Ronnie has become an accomplished actor. An award-winning documentary on his career, The Hawk, was released in the early 1980s. His movie appearances include `Heaven's Gate' with Kris Kristofferson, `The Last Waltz' with The Band, `Renaldo and Clara' with Bob Dylan, and `Hello, Mary Lou: Prom Night II', which took its title from Ronnie's song.

The recently reunited Checkmates were a '60s R&B sensation with the hit song `Bring It Down Front' (Sparton Records) in 1967. For nearly four years, Jon and Lee and The Checkmates reigned as one of Toronto's hottest live acts, thanks to a hot rhythm section and the gospel-inspired vocals of Canada's finest soul singer. The band's legacy travelled far beyond the city's limits, creating loyal followings in New York and Philadelphia. The Checkmates opened for the Rolling Stones twice in 1964-65, and for a crowd of 65,000 at Toronto's Nathan Phillips' Square. U.S. gigs followed with regular appearances alongside the Young Rascals and playing Shea Stadium with The Chiffons and The Temptations. When the group split, members Michael Fonfara, Larry Leishman, Peter Hodgson and John `Jon' Finley formed the core of Elektra supergroup Rhinoceros, enjoying U.S. Billboard and international Chart success with three albums and extensive touring throughout the U.S. as well as Southern Ontario. These four well-seasoned talents now bring back together some of the most compelling elements of that magical chemistry. Combining material from the legendary Checkmates, supergroup Rhinoceros and a naturally evolving R&B, Blues/Gospel direction featuring new recordings presently being mixed at Puck's Farm Recording Studios, the Final Four are closing out a series of select dates in 2005 with this appearance in concert with the legendary Ronnie Hawkins. Tickets are $80 to $45 by phone 416-872-4255, by web www.masseyhall.com, or at the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office, 60 Simcoe Street, Toronto.

House Party To Raise Awareness About Homelessness in Toronto: The Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC) and musician/producer Lorraine Segato announce the creation of `House Party', a first-time event to draw attention to the talent and value of homeless and under-housed Torontonians. House Party will take place on Tuesday, December 13, 2005, at the Berkeley Church, 315 Queen Street East (at Berkeley St., west of Parliament). In the two hours prior to the event, 300 hot meals as well as complimentary tickets to attend House Party will be provided to homeless individuals. House Party will then showcase the talents of people who currently find themselves homeless or under-housed. Segato and her band The Parachute Club have brought together like-minded musicians to support this advocacy project. The event will include a rare Canadian performance by rapper Snow, hot new Aboriginal band Digging Roots, and Toronto singer/songwriter Liam Titcomb. The Parachute Club will not only perform, but will also serve as the support band for the homeless musicians performing that evening. House Party will also feature a visual art and photography exhibition by street-involved and homeless youth from SKETCH, and photography by Meeting Place. The Harris Institute for the Arts has generously donated seven scholarships to be awarded to House Party participants from the homeless and under-housed community. Organizations involved in House Party include the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC), Adelaide Women's Resource Centre, The Corner Drop In, Fred Victor Centre, The Friendship Centre, Inspirations, The Meeting Place, Na-Me-Res, Parkdale, Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC), Regent Park Focus, Sanctuary, Sistering, SKETCH, and Tumivut. Tickets are $20(plus tax and service charges), and can be purchased at Rotate This, This Ain't The Rosedale Library, Another Story and Soundscapes. For information and to purchase tickets online through PayPal, visit www.houseparty2005.com.

`Songcast' Songwriting Celebration and Exploration: "Are you a songwriter with an urge to share some ideas about the process of songwriting?" On January 31, 2006, 7 to 9 pm, at the Emmanuel Howard Park Church at 31 Wright Avenue on the corner of Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto, a "discussion and jam about the songwriting process" will be hosted by CAST Canada - registration is free by emailing regehr@stn.net or by calling 905-877-6547. Bring your acoustic instruments. "In celebrating the power and beauty of songwriting we can gather a better understanding of the process, how it nurtures our souls, how it may be a metaphor for life, and how it parallels the effort of addiction healing. The effort is intended to raise awareness of both processes, to have a good bit of fun, and to explore the possibility of a concert in March. CAST Canada is a group of addicts working through education and support to raise awareness, to reduce suffering, and to improve quality of life." For information, visit cast.stn.net.

Congratulations: With the abundance of death notices in this issue it is heartening to pass along the news that Montreal-based performer/producer Michael Jerome Browne and his partner/lyricist B. Markus have settled on a name for their new daughter, Delia Beatrix Markus, born September 21, 2005.

We Remember...

In a month of remembrance for fallen soldiers, the music community has suffered some tragic losses. John Dickie, singer, songwriter (Mondo Combo, Mississippi Hippies, John and the Sisters) and former broadcaster (Q-107 and CFRB) delivered a touching eulogy at the funeral for guitarist Larry Goodhand and we invited him to share some of his memories with our readers.

The world lost a truly fine musician in Larry Goodhand on Oct 29th of this year, and I lost one of my oldest friends. Larry was a blues guitarist of striking originality and one of the funniest people I've ever met. Over the years Larry played with an impressive array of luminaries from the blues community, locally and internationally, artists such as Michael Pickett and the late Hock Walsh and Tony Flaim, Fraser Finlayson, and Rocky Verweel. Internationally with Carey Bell, Sonny Rhodes, Big Joe Turner, Byther Smith, Jimmy Witherspoon and Sunnyland Slim. Larry was a quiet, humble and unassuming man who seemed to be possessed of a kind of underlying sadness a man curiously unprepared for the vagaries of this unrelelentingly cruel business.. A man who preferred to let his guitar speak for him. Larry Goodhand was a blues guitar player. Not a guitar player who played the blues, but a pure blues player. Larry had other musical interests but really only wanted to play the blues. I first met Larry in the fall of 1962, we were both in the same class at Neil Mcneil High School in Toronto's east end. Three things were memorable about Larry back then, he had black hair, his ears stuck out and he was playing the guitar. He wasn't playing blues at this young age but was noodling Duane Eddy instrumentals. One day while we were over at my house I played Larry some Jimmy Reed and Chuck Berry recordings which he seemed to like but at that age music was really a secondary passion, baseball was Larry's main interest which Larry kept for the rest of his life.(an interesting sidebar Larry was a good pitcher and could throw ambidextrously) When we were both eighteen we were playing in local blues bands. Larry had honed his guitar playing into a highly original form. He had distilled the best elements of Elvin Bishop, Sammy Lawhorn and Hubert Sumlin into a distinctly original style. Larry would only play Gibson guitars (335's 45's and 55's and a Birdland) and would only use Fender amps. I remember seeing Larry performing at the El Mocambo in the late 70's with the legendary Cueball band .It was a big band with four horns (fronted by harmonicist Fraser Finlayson and trumpet man Rocky Verweel) and they were performing a slow blues and as they were going into the final chorus of Larry's guitar solo I looked at the person next to me and said " he smells blood" because Larry was virtually slashing and ripping through every emotion with his guitar. It was unbelievable, all the anger, joy, pain and love expressed honestly musically and artistically. But that was Larry Goodhand. He could do this, and did it consistently over the course of his life. I will miss Larry. Over the course of a 40 year friendship you accumulate a truckful of memories. None were more satisfying than sitting around the kitchen table at Pat Watters' house and trading songs until daybreak, or playing the Liquid Lounge in Brantford with Gary Latimer and Mike Fitzpatrick just watching Larry tear it up.

"and it's strange to see you my old friend
now that the years have slipped away,
when we were young and wild, and going strong
we loved to make the music play"

Sincerest sympathies to Larry's wife Marilyn, son John, sister Maryann and families.

Outside of Toronto, there were some more great losses. Ottawa blues DJ Brian "The Source" Murphy passed away and BC bassist James "JT" Taylor of The Twisters was killed in a road accident while on tour with the band. There have been tributes and celebrations of James' life, and fundraisers to help out Carla his wife, and their one year old daughter, Rebecca. Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund should make a deposit to Rebecca Taylor Fund, Royal Bank account #1017102, Transit #06720 (payable at any Royal Bank).

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