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THE TORONTO BLUES SOCIETY PRESENTS TWO DAYS OF CANADIAN BLUES
Warm-up Showcases and Fireside Chat with Blues Booster Richard Flohil
lead up to Maple Blues Awards Gala
MAPLE BLUES AWARDS
What: Canada’s national blues award programme
Where: Phoenix Concert Theatre, 410 Sherbourne Street, Toronto
When: Monday, January 16, 2006, doors and buffet 7:00pm, show 8:30pm
Website: www.torontobluessociety.com
Ticket Info: See below
To gear up for the Ninth Annual Maple Blues Awards, the Toronto Blues Society presents two days of great blues music and events on January 15 and 16, 2006.
The blues begins at 8:30PM on Sunday January 15 with eight “Blues Warm-up” showcase concerts by great blues acts at Healey’s (178 Bathurst Street, Toronto) and Chicago’s Diner (334 Queen Street West, Toronto). Featuring both Maple Blues nominees and other notable blues acts, the rocking showcases at Healey’s will kick off with Toronto Blues Society 2005 Talent Search winners and New Artist of the Year nominee Wickens-Knight. Also taking the stage will be British roots music legend Steve Payne, Toronto vocal sensation Ndidi Onukwulu, and blues roots rockers Mr. Rick and the Biscuits. Over at Chicago’s, gospel shouter Danny Brooks, harmonica wizard Jerome Godboo, sultry chanteuse Shakura S’Aida, and urban storyteller Brian Blain will showcase some of the best Canadian blues on offer. All showcases are pay-what-you-can and open to the public.
On Monday at 2PM in Monarch’s Pub (in the Delta Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerard Street West, Toronto), a very special Fireside Chat with promoter, publicist, journalist, editor and music-industry fixture Richard Flohil, this year’s Blues Booster will recognize his outstanding contribution to the blues over a span of 40 years in the business. This meet and greet opportunity will also feature a live musical performance by Black and Tan recording artist Harrison Kennedy of Hamilton, who is nominated in three categories this year.
Juno and Grammy-award winning blues legend True North recording artist Colin Linden will host the Ninth Maple Blues Awards, Canada's national award programme that promotes and recognizes outstanding achievement in blues music. Linden will also appear with the Maple Blues Band as one of four special musical guests. Reflecting the regional diversity of the nominees, the other performers are Halifax’s Garrett Mason, Vancouver’s David “Hurricane” Hoerl (from The Twisters), and Ottawa’s Roxanne Potvin.
Maple Blues Awards nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of blues experts from across Canada, and winners are selected by the online votes of Canadian blues fans. The full list of nominees is available at www.mapleblues.ca/nominees.aspx.
The awards gala will be held on Monday, January 16, 2006 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre (410 Sherbourne Street, Toronto). Tickets are available through Ticketpro (www.ticketpro.ca, 1-866-908-9090). Doors are at 7PM with a buffet by Southern Accent and the show begins at 8:30PM.
The Maple Blues Awards are supported by Prime Sponsor Cordova Bay, FACTOR and the Government of Canada through the Canadian Music Fund, GALAXIE - CBC's Continuous Music Network, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, KMP Designs Inc., CBC Radio/Saturday Night Blues, Sam the Record Man, Stony Plain Records, Steve’s Music Store/Pearl Drums, Lee Oskar Harmonicas, and Long & McQuade, St. John’s Music/Yamaha Music Canada, LiveTourArtists, and Fusion 3 Distribution/Justin Time Records
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For more information, photos, interviews, please contact:
Toronto Blues Society, (416) 538-3885, info@torontobluessociety.com