In this issue: Canadian Stage, Tapestry Opera and Vancouver Opera collaborate to take Gogol’s short story The Overcoat to the operatic stage; Montreal-based Sam Shalabi brings his ensemble Land of Kush, and his newest composition, to Toronto; Five Canadian composers, each with a different CBC connection, are nominated for JUNOs; and The WholeNote team presents its annual Summer Music Education Directory, a directory of summer music camps, programs and courses across the province and beyond.
Beat by Beat | Mainly
Beat by Beat | Mainly Clubs, Mostly Jazz! Discovering New Venues DAVID PERLMAN In the February issue of HalfTones, our between-print-issues e-letter, we ran a story by Sara Constant on this year’s recipients of the TD Toronto Jazz Discoveries Series Awards, now in its eighth year. As described in that story, the series started in 2011 as a part of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival’s outreach to local performers creating original work, and to year-round, multi-venue jazz programming in the city. “Each year, an assembled Toronto Jazz Fest jury selects four projects to receive support and funding from the festival. Over the last eight years,” the story continues, “the series has accumulated an alumni list that serves as a veritable who’s who of local jazz innovators –[helping] transform the festival from an annual affair into a yearround showcase of local music-making.” It’s not hard to see how this year’s four recipients fit the bill: Harley Card’s Sunset Ensemble at Lula Lounge, March 1; the Heavyweights Brass Band at Lula Lounge, March 29; Adrean Farrugia and Joel Frahm at Gallery 345, April 27; and a show curated by Aline Homzy titled The Smith Sessions Presents: Bitches Brew at Canadian Music Centre, April 28. Just as interesting as the alumni, from the perspective of this column, is taking a look at the venues that have been the most active participants in this initiative over the years, both the ones you’d expect to find mentioned regularly here, and also the ones you might not usually associate with jazz. Lula leads: of the usual venues you’d expect to be involved, Lula Lounge leads the pack, starting with the series’ first-ever concert, a Fern Lindzon CD release in April 2011. Since then the Dundas St. W. venue has hosted series concerts by Jaron Freeman-Fox in February 2013, a Heavyweights Brass Band CD release concert in March 2014, D. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz) Alexander Brown in March 25, Sundar Viswanathan’s AVATAAR in March 2016 and Chelsea McBride’s Socialist Night School CD release in January of last year. And this year the beat continues with Harley Card, March 1 and The Heavyweights in a return visit on March 29. The Rex and Jazz Bistro: as you might expect, the city’s two premier mainstream venues are both in the running for silver and bronze, with three appearances each over the eight years. The Rex has been venue of choice for a Barry Elmes Quintet CD Release in March 2011, a Nick Fraser double-CD release in May 2016, and The Further Adventures of Jazz Money (Dillan Ponders, Apt and Ghettosocks) in March 2017. And the Bistro has hosted a Beverly Taft Meets the Nathan Hiltz Orchestra CD release concert in April 2014, a first big gig for the Alex Goodman Chamber Quintet in April 2015 and Robi Botos’ Movin’ Forward CD Release in March 2015. Gallery 345: When you get past those three obvious choices, though, you’re entering some interesting territory – venues with audiences more often in other genres but offering fertile ground for jazz. Gallery 345 on Sorauren heads the list: Mike Downes in March 2012, Shannon Graham and The Storytellers in April 2013, and the Nancy Walker Quintet in 2014. Adrean Farrugia and Joel Frahm (April 27 this year) will actually push Ed Epstein’s little-gallery-that-could ahead of its more storied mainstream colleagues into the silver medal spot. The Best Rest Space doesn’t permit the same level of detail for the rest of the venues used to date for the series, but the point is that there are venues out The Heavyweights Brass Band there for putting on shows for audiences that are there to listen. The Music Gallery, previously at St. George the Martyr Church on John St., and its new housemates at 918 Bathurst Cultural Centre have been used four times so far. Small World Music Centre, Alliance Française, the late-lamented Trane Studio, the Lower Ossington Theatre, Knox Presbyterian and Beit Zatoun have also all been used. This year the Canadian Music Centre on St. Joseph joins the list. If the series continues to encourage adventurous venue hunting as much as it does adventurous music-making, it will continue to serve a worthwhile purpose. publisher@thewholenote.com As we work towards listing club events with our main listings in an integrated searchable format, some listings here are less complete than they were previously. Please visit the website addresses provided for specific venues or use the phone number provided for more detailed information. We apologize for this temporary inconvenience. 120 Diner 120 Church St. 416-792-7725 120diner.com (full schedule) All shows: PWYC (- suggested) Alleycatz 2409 Yonge St. 416-481-6865 alleycatz.ca All shows: 9pm unless otherwise indicated. Call for cover charge info. Every Mon 8:30pm Salsa Night. Every Tue Bachata Night. Every Wed Midtown Blues Jam. Every Thurs 7:30pm Claudia Lopez Duo Jazz. Mar 2 Graffitti Park. Mar 3 & 23 Gyles Band. Mar 9 & Apr 6 Red Velvet. Mar 10 All Request Band. Mar 16 Urban Jive. Mar 17 Sound Parade. Mar 24 Soular. Mar 30 Parkside Drive. Mar 31 & Apr 7 Lady Kane. Artword Artbar 15 Colbourne St., Hamilton. 905-543-8512 artword.net (full schedule) All shows at 8pm unless otherwise noted. Mar 1 Toivi Unt. Mar 2 Edgar Breau (CD release). . Mar 3 The Worst Pop Band Ever. . Mar 4 7:30pm Celebration of the Music of Ken Aldcroft /(adv). Mar 24 Zero Point. The Blue Goose Tavern 1 Blue Goose St. 416-255-2442 thebluegoosetavern.com (full schedule) Every Sun 4pm Blues at The Goose. Big Groove featuring Downchild’s Mike Fitzpatrick & Gary Kendall with Special Guests: Mar 4 Mike Branton & Jesse Whiteley. Mar 11 Dylan Wickens & Tyler Burgess. Mar 18 Jenie Thai & Fraser Melvin. Mar 25 Mark “Bird” Stafford & Jake Chisholm. Bloom 2315 Bloor St. W. 416-767-1315 bloomrestaurant.com All shows: 19+. Call for reservations. Mar 29 7pm Hilario Durán Trio Dinner & Concert Burdock 1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033 burdockto.com (full schedule) Mar 1 Graham Nicholas Album Release w/ Grady Kelneck. Mar 3 Emma Cook w/ Julie Neff. Cameron House 408 Queen St. W. 416-703-0811 thecameron.com Mar 5, 12, 19 & 26 6pm David Leask (new album Six in 6/8) No cover. Castro’s Lounge 2116 Queen St. E. 416-699-8272 castroslounge.com (full schedule) All shows: No cover/PWYC C’est What 67 Front St. E. (416) 867-9499 cestwhat.com (full schedule) All concerts are PWYC unless otherwise noted. Mar 3 3pm The Hot Five Jazzmakers. Mar 4 7pm Women in Music, Vol. 4. . Emmet Ray, The 924 College St. 416-792-4497 theemmetray.com (full schedule) All shows: No cover/PWYC Mar 4 6pm Robert Chapman Trio. Gate 403 403 Roncesvalles Ave. 416-588-2930 54 | March 1 – April 7, 2018 thewholenote.com
gate403.com (full schedule) All shows: PWYC. Grossman’s Tavern 379 Spadina Ave. 416-977-7000 grossmanstavern.com (full schedule) All shows: No cover (unless otherwise noted). Every Sat 4.30 The Happy Pals Dixieland jazz jam. Every Sun 4pm New Orleans Connection All Star Band; 10pm Sunday Jam with Bill Hedefine. Every Wed 10pm Action Sound Band w/ Leo Valvassori. Hirut Cafe and Restaurant 2050 Danforth Ave. 416-551-7560 Every Sun 3pm Hirut Sundays Open Mic. Home Smith Bar – See Old Mill, The Hugh’s Room 2261 Dundas St. W 416 533 5483 hughsroom.com Mar 1 Maria Doyle Kennedy /(adv). Mar 2 & 3 Songs Are Like Tattoos - A Tribute to Joni Mitchell /(adv). Mar 7 Chip Taylor .50/.50(adv). Mar 8 Carole Pope /(adv). Mar 9 Richard Shindell /(adv). Mar 10 Jane Bunnett & Maqueque with Nikki D Brown /(adv). Mar 16 A Man called Wrycraft Presents 50 Ways to Love Paul Simon /(adv). Mar 17 Rant Maggie Rant /(adv). Mar 19 Peter Asher and Jeremy Clyde /(adv). Mar 21 Ray Bonneville + Sugar Brown (CD Launch) /(adv). Mar 22 Jon Stancer /(adv). Mar 23 MAZ + Les Poules à Colin /(adv). Mar 24 Jack de Keyzer /(adv). Mar 25 Ken Whiteley’s Sunday Gospel Matinée - Season Finale /(adv). Mar 26 Dan MacDonald (CD Release) /(adv). Mar 28 Jazz.FM91: President’s Choice Concert Series - Dave Young . Mar 30 Slambovian Circus of Dreams /(adv). Mar 31 Ian Thomas /(adv). Apr 4 Suzie Vinnick (CD Release) /(adv). Jazz Bistro, The 251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299 jazzbistro.ca (full schedule) Mar 31 7:30pm Last Weekend Jazz Party w/ Faith Amour & Friends - Spring Edition. . Jazz Room, The Located in the Huether Hotel, 59 King St. N., Waterloo. 226-476-1565 kwjazzroom.com (full schedule) All shows: 8:30-11:30pm unless otherwise indicated. Attendees must be 19+. Cover charge varies (generally -) Lula Lounge 1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307 lula.ca (full schedule) Every Fri 7:30 Early Jazz & World Sessions free before 8pm; Every Fri 10:30 Havana Club Cuba Libre Fridays ; Every Sat 10:30 Salsa Saturdays . Mar 1 Harley Card Sunset Ensemble /(adv). Mar 29 7pm The Heavyweights Brass Band /(adv); (st) Manhattans Pizza Bistro & Music Club 951 Gordon St., Guelph 519-767-2440 manhattans.ca (full schedule) All shows: PWYC. Every Tue Open Stage hosted by Paul, Pete & Ron. Mây Cafe 876 Dundas St. W. 647-607-2032 maytoronto.com (full schedule) Mezzetta Restaurant 681 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-658-5687 mezzettarestaurant.com (full schedule) All shows: 9pm, (unless otherwise noted). Every Wed 9 & 10:15pm Wednesday Concert Series. Cover . Monarch Tavern 12 Clinton St. 416-531-5833 themonarchtavern.com (full schedule) Every Tues 9pm Vinyl Night ; Every Thu 10pm Monarch Karaoke . N’awlins Jazz Bar & Dining 299 King St. W. 416-595-1958 nawlins.ca All shows: No cover/PWYC. Every Tue 6:30 Stacie McGregor. Every Wed 7pm The Jim Heineman Trio. Every Thur 8pm Nothin’ But the Blues with Joe Bowden. Every Fri & Sat 8:30 N’awlins All Star Band; Every Sun 7pm Brooke Blackburn. Nice Bistro, The 117 Brock St. N., Whitby. 905-668-8839 nicebistro.com (full schedule) Mar 14 Farrucas Latin Duo. Mar 28 Zoey Adams Old Mill, The 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-236-2641 oldmilltoronto.com The Home Smith Bar: No reservations. No cover. food/drink minimum. All shows: 7:30-10:30pm Every Tues, Thu, Fri, and Sat. Mar 1 Michael Dunston Trio. Mar 2 Canadian Jazz Quartet & Friends’ Celebrate First Fridays. Mar 3 Toivu Unt Trio, Mar 6 In Concert and Conversation with Gene DiNovi. Mar 8 Whitney Ross-Barris Trio. Mar 9 Allison Au Quartet. Mar 10 Brian Blain’s Second Saturdays Blues Campfire Jam. Mar 15 Cara Matthew Trio. Mar 16 Pat LaBarbera Trio. Mar 17 David Buchbinder Quartet. Mar 22 June Garber Trio. Mar 23 Lorne Lofsky Trio. Mar 24 Mark Kelso Trio. Mar 29 Fabio Ragnelli Quartet. Mar 31 Carol McCartney Quartet. Only Café, The 972 Danforth Ave. 416-463-7843 theonlycafe.com (full schedule) All shows: 8pm unless otherwise indicated. Pilot Tavern, The 22 Cumberland Ave. 416-923-5716 thepilot.ca All shows: 3:30pm. No cover. Every Sat 3pm Saturday Jazz. Mar 3 Sugar Daddies. Poetry Jazz Café 224 Augusta Ave. 416-599-5299 poetryjazzcafe.com (full schedule) Reposado Bar & Lounge 136 Ossington Ave. 416-532-6474 reposadobar.com (full schedule) Reservoir Lounge, The 52 Wellington St. E. 416-955-0887 reservoirlounge.com (full schedule). Every Tue & Sat, 8:45 Tyler Yarema and his Rhythm. Every Wed 9pm The Digs. Every Fri 9:45 Dee Dee and the Dirty Martinis. Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar, The 194 Queen St. W. 416-598-2475 therex.ca (full schedule) Call for cover charge info. Every Mon 6:30 University of Toronto Student Jazz Ensembles. Every Tue 6:30 Thompson Egbo-Egbo. Every Wed 6:30 Victor Batemen Trio. Every Thu 6:30 Kevin Quain. Every Fri 4pm Hogtown Syncopators. Every Sat 12noon The Sinners Choir; 7pm Justin Bacchus. Every Sun 7pm Tom Reynolds Trio Mar 1 9:30 Bruce Cassidy’s Hotfoot Orchestra. Mar 2 6:30 Lester McLean Trio; 9:45 Uri Gurvich Quartet. Mar 3 3:30 Swing Shift Big Band; 9:45 Dave Young Quintet. Mar 4 12noon Excelsior Dixieland Jazz; 3:30 Club Django; 9:30 Barry Romberg Group. Mar 5 9:30 Christian Overton’s Composers Collective. Mar 6 9:30 Tim Ries Quartet. Mar 7 9:30 Alan Heatherington. Mar 8, 9 & 10 9:45 Harold Mabern with Kirk Mac- Donald Quartet. Mar 9 6:30 Lester McLean Trio. Mar 10 3:30 Laura Hubert Band. Mar 11 12noon Excelsior Dixieland Jazz; 3:30 Red Hot Ramble; 9:30 Marc Van Vugt & Ineka Vandoorn. Mar 12 9:30 Peter Cancura. Mar 13 9:30 Classic Rex Jazz Jam. Mar 14 9:30 Neon Eagle. Mar 15 & 16 9:45 Avi Granite 6 (“Orbit” Vinyl Release). Mar 17 3:30 Jerome Godboo; 9:45 Al Henderson Quintet. Mar 18 12noon Hart House Jazz Ensembles; 3:30 Dr. Nick Blues; 9:30 Kite Trio. Mar 19 9:30 Jon Foster & Collective Order. Mar 20 9:30 Classic Rex Jazz Jam. Mar 21 9:30 Buddy Aquilina. Mar 22 9:30 Paul DeLong’s Bucket of Fish Orchestra. Mar 23 6:30 Lester McLean Trio; 9:45 Jeff King’s Catalysst. Mar 24 3:30 Advocats Big Band; 9:45 Mike Murley Galas and Fundraisers ●●Mar 4 11:30am: 5th Annual Music March for Music Therapy. In support of the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund. In partnership with the Canadian Association of Music Therapists. Starting point: The Music Therapy Centre, 1175 Bloor St. W. Registration: 11:30am-12pm. March begins: 12 noon. March ends: 1:15pm (festivities to follow). End point: Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. W. Celebration at Lee’s Palace: 1:15-4pm. For information visit www.musictherapy.ca ●●Mar 24 7:00: Echo Women’s Choir. CD Launch and Fundraiser. Musical guests Eve Sunday, March 4 at 4:30pm Mike Murley Trio: Mike Murley, saxophone; Mark Eisenman, piano; Steve Wallace, bass E. The ETCeteras Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St. (north of St. Clair at Heath St.) Admission is free; donations are welcome. Quartet. Mar 25 12noon Excelsior Dixieland Jazz; 3:30 Freeway Dixieland; 9:30 Sharon Minemoto Quartet. Mar 26 8:30 John MacLeod’s Rex Hotel Orchestra. Mar 27 9:30 Classic Rex Jazz Jam. Mar 28 9:30 Gord Mowat’s Skeleton Crew. Mar 29 9:30 Hideaki Tokunaga with David Braid Quartet. Mar 30 6:30 Fabio Ragnelli Trio; 9:45 Ahmed Mitchel. Mar 31 3:30 George Lake Big Band; 9:45 Montuno Police Salty Dog Bar & Grill, The 1980 Queen St. E. 416-849-5064 thesaltydog.ca (full schedule) Every Tue 7-10pm Jazz Night. Every Thu 8:30pm Karaoke. Every Fri 9:30pm Blues Jam - house band with weekly featured guest. Sauce on Danforth 1376 Danforth Ave. 647-748-1376 sauceondanforth.com All shows: No cover. Every Mon 9pm Funky Mondays. Every Tue 6pm Julian Fauth Plays Barrel-House Jazz. Every Thursday 8pm An Evening of Music with Steven Koven and Artie Roth. Every Sat 4pm Saturday Matinees. Mar 3 Ike Cedar & the Daydrinkers. Mar 10 Sam Taylor. Mar 17 Two Beats Off. Mar 24 John Borra & Sam Ferrara. Mar 31 Matt Morgan. Apr 7 The Lesters. Tranzac 292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137 tranzac.org (full schedule) 3-4 shows daily, various styles, in four different performance spaces. Mostly PWYC. Every Mon 10pm Open Mic Mondays. Every Tuesday 8pm Annex Ukelele Jam Every Thursday 7:30pm Bluegrass Thursdays Every Sunday 7pm The Rhythmicaturgically Syncopated Social Hour Jazz Jam. Goldberg and Ukulele Orchestra of Toronto. Church of the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Square (behind the Eaton Centre; wheelchair accessible). Echo will perform music conducted by Becca Whitla, Alan Gasser and Annabelle Chvostek, with Becca Whitla also at the piano. , available from Echo members or at the door. CDs will be available for . Information at www.echowomenschoir.ca or by emailing info.echo@gmail.com. Lectures, Salons and Symposia ●●Mar 11 7:00: Andrea Botticelli. Exploring Early Keyboard Instruments: Lecture- Recital on the Koerner Collection. Vocal Featuring some of Toronto’s best jazz musicians with a brief reflection by Jazz Vespers Clergy Sunday, March 18 at 4:30pm Paul Novotny, bass; Robi Botos, piano 416-920-5211 www.thereslifehere.org thewholenote.com March 1 – April 7, 2018 | 55
