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Six new blues voices!
Toronto Blues Society announces Talent Search finalists.
WHAT: Toronto Blues Society’s annual Talent Search competition for
up-and-coming Canadian Blues Artists.
WHO: Six finalists chosen from submissions from across the country: Trouble
and Strife, Riverside Blues, Donna Lynn Kay, Matchstick Mike and the Chain
Smokin’ Alter Boys, Brock Stonefish, The Undesirables
WHERE: Celebrate Toronto Street Festival, Midtown Mix Stage (at Yonge and
Eglinton)
WHEN: Finals: Saturday July 8th 12-3pm; Winner Showcase: July 9th 230pm
The Toronto Blues Society is pleased to announce the six finalists in the
2005 Talent Search. Each will perform a set for a panel of distinguished
industry judges on Saturday July 8th at the Celebrate Toronto Street
Festival.
The winning act will perform another special showcase at the Celebrate
Toronto Street Festival on July 9th, and will also win performance
opportunities at the South Side Shuffle on September 10th and the Toronto
Blues Society Blues Summit in January 2007. In addition, the winners receive
a professional development package including a live CBC recording, studio
time at Bass-Line Studios, and a photo shoot with Rick Zolkower.
Previous winners of the Toronto Blues Society Talent Search include The
Rockin’ Highliners, Jake & the Blue Midnights, and David Rotundo & the Blue
Canadians, and Wickens-Knight
The Celebrate Toronto Street Festival runs July 7th-9th. Admission is free.
The finalists are:
Trouble and Strife
Trouble and Strife are a band who make no excuses for playing only the
blues. This electric quintet of Larry Kurtz, Bruce and Michael Ley, Greg
Smith, and Maureen Brown play soulful, low-down, take-your-time blues
inspired by the countrysides of Southern Ontario. Trouble and Strife are
the only full electric blues band to make the finals this year.
Riverside Blues
Riverside Blues is an acoustic duo from Montreal consisting of Martin
Goyette on harmonica and vocals, and Tytus Zurawski playing finger-style
guitar. Since forming in 2001, they have played many festivals and events
in the Montreal region, taking home the top prize at the Festiblues de
Montreal talent search in 2002. Riverside Blues mainly draw their
inspiration from blues artists from the 30s and 40s which gives them a
unique sound that will set them apart from the competition.
Donna Lynn Kay
Donna Lynn Kay is a Canadian singer and slide guitarist whose musical
influences draw from the American Deep South and the Mississippi Delta.
Recently returned to Toronto from Austin where she was a regular on the
local blues scene, she is equally comfortable playing electric guitar at the
bigger venues, or playing more intimate clubs where her instrument of choice
is her National Guitar. Her soulful voice and laid-back accompaniment make
her a powerful contender in this year’s finals.
Matchstick Mike and the Chain Smokin’ Alter Boys
Driving half way across the country just to compete, Fredricton’s Matchstick
Mike and the Chain Smokin’ Alter Boys will bring their upbeat,
dance-inspiring music to Toronto for the first time. Having been compared
to a genetic-freak cross between Lyle Lovette, Steve Earl, and Muddy Waters,
Mike has been playing roots music for 30 years since picking up the mandolin
at age 7. A staple of the East Coast blues circuit, Matchstick Mike and the
Chain Smokin’ Alter Boys are ready for their big break into the rest of
Canada.
Brock Stonefish
Brock Stonefish, a 22 year old member of the Delaware First Nation, recently
opened for B.B. King, which anyone would agree is a pretty good stepping
stone on the way to establishing a career singing the blues. Playing rhythm
and slide guitar, Brock started in music as a Powwow singer before noticing
the similarity between Native and Blues Music. Though he took up the blues
on a whim, Brock is a bright new talent who impressed B.B., and may well
impress this year’s judges.
The Undesirables
The Undesirables are a refreshing and infectious songwriting duo.
Guitarist/harmonist Sean Cotton and lyricist/singer Corin Raymond deliver a
brand new vibe with roots blues clout. In performance, The Undesirables are
a mesmerizing unit who perform with total commitment. Corin hand-delivers
each lyric with entrancing conviction while Sean digs into the guitar with
mastery and taste and their voices blend with sibling harmony. Fixtures of
the Toronto music scene, both independently and as a duo, The Undesirables
might just have the right experience and the right sound to win it all this
year.
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For more information, photos, interviews, please contact: Stefan Read, Toronto Blues Society
(416) 538-3885, info@torontobluesociety.com
Grant Ramsay, City of Toronto Special Events
(416) 395-7318, gramsay@toronto.ca