David Gray (guitar, background vocals), Matt Horner (keyboards, background vocals), John Johnson (saxophones), Mark Kelso (drums, background vocals), Robert Occhipinti (bass, background vocals) . February 5, 6, 7 9pm Mark McLean (drums), with Wade O. Brown (voice, piano), James Bryan (guitar), JK (bass) (Thurs)/$20(Fri/Sat). February 8 12pm Sunday Brunch with Eli Pasic ; 7pm Sunday Cabaret with Dorothy Stone $20. February 10 8pm Julian Fauth (piano, voice) with Jay Danley (guitar), Shawn Nykwist (sax), Tim Hamel (trumpet), James Thomson (bass), Ken Yoshioka (harmonica), Jon McCann (drums) .00. February 11 8pm George Olliver (voice) with Tony Padalino (piano), Peter Mueller (guitar), Eli Elisenburg (bass), Paul Delong (drums) .00. February 12, 13, 14 9pm Valentine’s Weekend with June Garber and the Mark Keiswetter Trio (Thurs)/$20(Fri)/0( Saturday, includes dinner, champagne and flowers). February 15 12pm Sunday Brunch with Eli Pasic ; 7pm George Evans: “Down with Love: A Post-Valentine Cabaret” . February 17 8pm Lenny Solomon: “Blues Violin” CD Release: Lenny Solomon (violin), Mark Lalama (piano), Marc Ganetakos (guitar), Shelly Berger (bass), Steve Heathcote (drums) . February 18 8pm Parkside Drive: Meghan Parnell (voice), David Barnes (guitar), Todd Pentley (piano), Michael Meusel (bass), Joshua Park (drums) . February 19, 20, 21 9pm Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop: Tara Davidson (alto sax), Kelly Jefferson (tenor sax), William Carn (trombone), Adrean Farrugia (piano), Jim Vivian (bass), Ernesto Cervini (drums) . February 22 12pm Sunday Brunch with Eli Pasic . February 24 8pm Chris Tsujiuchi (voice), with Mark Kieswetter (piano), Ross MacIntyre (bass), Rob Claxton (drums) . February 25 8pm Brave New Records Double-Bill: Mack Longpre (drums), Group: Alison Au (sax), Tara Kannagara (trumpet), Rob Grieve (guitar), Chris Pruden (keys), Tyler Emond (bass); 9:30pm Brave New Records Double-Bill: Alex Tait (voice) with Thomas Francis (keys), Mack Longpre (drums), Shafton Thomas (bass), Neil Whitford (guitar) for both sets. February 26, 27, 28 9pm Don Thompson (vibes) Quartet with Reg Schwager (guitar), Jim Vivian (bass), Terry Clarke (drums) (Thurs/ Fri)/$20(Sat). Jazz Room, The Located in the Huether Hotel, 59 King St. N., Waterloo. 226-476-1565 kwjazzroom.com (full schedule) All shows: 8:30-11:30. Attendees must be 19+. February 6 8:30pm Alfredo Caxaj (percussion voice) Latin Jazz Ensemble with Paco Luviano (bass), Rob Larose (percussion), Steve McDade (trumpet), Dave Wiffen (sax), Peter Hysen (trombone) $20/(st). February 7 8:30pm Robi Botos (piano) Trio with Jim Vivian (bass), Ted Warren (drums) $20/(st). February 13 8:30pm Francois Jalbert /(st). February 14 8:30pm Vinx (voice) / Julie Michels (voice) Quartet with Adam Bowman (drums), TBA (piano) . February 19 8pm Genticorum $20. February 20 8:30pm Ted Gibbons (guitar) Band with Charlie Bell (saxophone), Matthew Lima (bass), Andy McPherson (drums) . February 21 8:30pm Tom Guarna (guitar) Quartet D. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz) with Manuel Valera (piano), Orlando le Fleming (bass), E.J. Strickland (drums) . February 27 8:30pm Rachel Therrien . February 28 8:30pm Turboprop Sextet: Kelly Jefferson (tenor sax), Tara Davidson (alto sax), William Carn (trombone), Adrean Farrugia (piano), TBA (bass), Ernesto Cervini (drums) $20. Joe Mama’s 317 King St. W 416-340-6469 joemamas.ca Every Tue 6pm Jeff Eager. Every Wed 6pm Thomas Reynolds & Geoff Torrn. Every Thurs 9pm Blackburn. Every Fri 10pm The Grind. Every Sat 10pm Shugga. Every Sun 6:30pm Organic: Nathan Hiltz (guitar); Bernie Senensky (organ); Ryan Oliver (sax), Morgan Childs (drums). KAMA 214 King St. W. 416-599-5262 kamaindia.com (full schedule) All shows: 5-8pm. Local Gest, The 424 Parliament St. 416-961-9425 (call for concert schedule) Jazz Sundays 4:30-7:30pm. No Cover. Lula Lounge 1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307 lula.ca (full schedule) February 6 7:30pm Laura Fernandez Trio Free before 8pm; 10:30pm Changui Havana , free for women before 10pm. February 7 10:30pm Conjunto Lacalu . February 8 8pm Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate T $20. February 12 8pm Zorana Sadiq $20. February 13 7:30pm David Buchbinder Trio Free before 8pm. February 14 7pm Valentine’s Day Romance & Dance with Payadora ; 10:30pm Yani Borrell . February 15 8pm The Salida Project . February 18 8pm Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar Album Release Party to . February 21 10:30 Ricky Franco & The P-Crew Orchestra . February 26 7:30pm SONUSKAPOS . February 27 7:30pm Alexis Baro Quartet Free Before 8pm. February 28 10:30 Orquesta Fantasia . Manhattans Pizza Bistro & Music Club 951 Gordon St., Guelph 519-767-2440 manhattans.ca (full schedule) All shows: PWYC February 4, 11 Jokela & Vogan feat. Charlie Cooley. February 6, 18, 28 John Zadro. February 7 Les Petits Nouveaux. February 8, 22, 27 Stan Chang. February 10, 20, 24 Carmen Spada. February 13, 14 Alex Pangman & Her Alleycats. February 26 Joni Nehrita Duo. Mezzetta Restaurant 681 St. Clair Ave. W 416-658-5687 mezzettarestaurant.com (full schedule) All shows: 9pm, unless otherwise noted. Monarch Tavern 12 Clinton St. 416-531-5833 themonarchtavern.com (full schedule) February 9 7:30pm Martin Loomer & His Orange Devils Orchestra . Monarchs Pub At the Eaton Chelsea Hotel 33 Gerrard St. W. 416-585-4352 monarchspub.ca (full schedule) All shows: 8pm-midnight. No Cover. February 4 Brownman Akoustic Trio. February 5 The Swingin’ Blackjacks. February 11 The Harley Card Quartet. February 12 Wild T & the Spirit. February 18 Gene Hardy. February 19 Son Roberts. February 25 The Toronto Jazz Collective. February 26 The Gary Kendall Band. Morgans on the Danforth 1282 Danforth Ave. 416-461-3020 morgansonthedanforth.com (full schedule) All shows: 2-5pm, no cover. February 1 2pm Dave Restivo (piano) & Beverly Taft (voice). February 8 2pm Allyson Morris (voice) Trio with Mark Kieswetter (piano), Ross MacIntyre (bass). Musideum 401 Richmond St. W., Main Floor 416-599-7323 musideum.com (Full schedule) February 7 8pm Steve Koven Solo Piano Concert $20. February 8 3pm Bruce Chapman; 8pm Storyville Project Trio: Sarah Begin (voice), Jorge Gavidia (banjo, Cuban tres, bass, voice), Dilbert Nolasco (percussion, voice) $20. February 20 8pm Natasha Roldán & Jorge Gil $20/(st). February 26 6pm Jambanda $20. Nawlins Jazz Bar & Dining 299 King St. W. 416-595-1958 nawlins.ca All shows: No cover/PWYC Every Tue 6:30pm Stacie McGregor. Every Wed 7pm Jim Heineman Trio. Every Thu 8pm Nothin’ But the Blues w/ guest vocalists. Every Fri 8:30pm All Star Bourbon St. Band. Every Sat 6:30pm Sam Heinman; 9pm All Star Bourbon St. Band. Every Sun 7pm Brooke Blackburn. Nice Bistro, The 117 Brock St. N., Whitby. 905-668-8839 nicebistro.com (full schedule) Old Mill, The 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-236-2641 oldmilltoronto.com The Home Smith Bar: No Reservations. No Cover. $20 food/drink minimum. All shows: 7:30-10:30pm February 5 Luanda Jones (voice) Quartet with Gord Sheard (piano), George Koller (bass), Mark Kelso (drums). February 6 James Brown (guitar) Trio with Ernie Tollar (sax), Jim Vivian (bass). February 7 Lou Pomanti (piano) Trio with Marc Rogers (bass), Davide DiRenzo (drums). February 12 John Sherwood (piano) Trio with Steve Wallace (bass), Terry Clarke (drums). February 13 Alison Young (sax) Trio with Jeff McLeod (piano), Paul Novotny (bass). February 14 William Carn (trombone) & Tara Davidson (sax) Quartet with Nancy Walker (piano), Kieran Overs (bass). February 19 Ilana Waldston (voice) Trio with Mark Kieswetter (piano), Ross MacIntyre (bass). February 20 Josh Grossman (trumpet) Trio with Don Scott (guitar), Jon Maharaj (bass). February 21 Don Vickery (drums) Trio with Mark Eisenman (piano), Neil Swainson (bass). February 26 Lara Solnicki (voice) Trio with Ted Quinlan (guitar), Mike Downes (bass). February 27 Hilario Duran (piano) Trio with Roberto Occhipinti (bass), Mark Kelso (drums). February 28 Chase Sanborn (trumpet, flugelhorn) Duo with Mark Eisenman (piano). Paintbox Bistro 555 Dundas St. E. 647-748-0555 paintboxbistro.ca (Full schedule) Painted Lady, The 218 Ossington Ave. 647-213-5239 thepaintedlady.ca (full schedule) Pilot Tavern, The 22 Cumberland Ave. 416-923-5716 thepilot.ca All shows: 3:30pm. No Cover. February 7 Roberto Occhipinti (bass) Quartet with Luis Deniz (sax), Mark Kelso (drums), TBA (piano). February 14 Alexis Baro Quartet. February 21 Sugar Daddies Sextet: John Johnson (sax), Dave Dunlop (trumpet), Gord Sheard (piano), Tom Bellman (guitar), Steve Conover (bass), Peter Howard (drums). February 28 Christopher Butcher Quartet. Poetry Jazz Café 224 Augusta Ave. 416-599-5299 poetryjazzcafe.com (full schedule) All shows: 9pm 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 9:45pm Tyler Yarema and his Rhythm. Every Wed 9:45pm Bradley and the Bouncers. Every Thu 9:45pm Mary McKay. Every Fri 9:45pm Dee Dee and the Dirty Martinis. Every Sat 9:45pm Tyler Yarema and his Rhythm. Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar, The 194 Queen St. W. 416-598-2475 therex.ca (full schedule) Call for cover charge info. February 1 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band; 3:30pm Club Django; 7pm Autobahn; 9:30pm Scott Marshall Group. February 2 6:30pm U of T Jazz Ensembles; 9:30 Humber College Jazz Ensembles. February 3 6:30pm Trevor Giancola Trio; 9:30 Classic Rex Jam hosted by Chris Gale. February 4 6:30pm Brett Higgins Group; 9:30 Matt Wilson Quartet (NYC). February 5 6:30pm Worst Pop Band Ever; 9:30 Matt Wilson Quartet (NYC). February 6 4pm Hogtown Syncopators; 6:30pm The Jive Bombers; 9:45 Atomic (Sweden/Norway). February 7 12pm Danny Marks and Friends; 3:30 Laura Hubert Group; 7:30pm Nick Teehan Group; 9:45 Dave Young Group. February 8 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band; 3:30pm Red Hot Ramble; 7pm Autobahn; 9:30pm Nick Scott Group. February 9 6:30pm U of T Jazz Ensembles; 9:30 Humber College Jazz Ensembles. February 10 6:30pm Trevor Giancola Trio; 9:30 Classic Rex Jam hosted by Chris Gale. February 11 6:30pm Juhas Brothers; 9:30 Mike Milligan Group. February 12 6:30pm Worst Pop Band Ever; 9:30 Robb Cappelletto Group. February 13 4pm Hogtown Syncopators; 6:30pm The Jive Bombers; 9:45 Chuck Jackson. February 14 12pm Danny Marks and Friends; 3:30 N.O.J.O. 46 | February 1 - March 7, 2015 thewholenote.com
Beat by Beat | Mainly Clubs, Mostly Jazz! Continued from page 18 Martin Loomer on Jim Galloway Guitarist, arranger and bandleader Martin Loomer, told me that his 14-piece outfit, the Orange Devils, would likely not exist were it not for the encouragement of one wee yet powerful jazzman: “I met Jim Galloway in the late 1970s,” remembers Loomer. “His cornetist with the Metro Stompers, Ken Dean, was the father of saxophonist Alex Dean, who was in the band I was in at the time, Shox Johnson and his Jive Bombers. Jim wanted to organize a band like the National Jazz Repertory Orchestra that Chuck Israels was leading in the U.S. Ted O’Reilly booked the proposed band for a CJRT Science Centre concert, forcing us both to get moving. I wrote arrangements by transcribing numbers from tapes Jim gave me, and he organized the personnel and logistics. Jim introduced me to any number of great bands and artists whose recorded work I continue to mine for pieces the Orange Devils can recreate and perform live once again. He gave me the opportunity to transcribe any arrangement I thought suitable for the band, and to get it played as soon as it was ready. I also met and worked with many great musicians, not only from Toronto, but elsewhere, like Jay McShann, Fraser MacPherson and Clark Terry. Certainly his influence changed the direction of my musical career and most of my endeavors for the past 25 years.” These days Martin Loomer and the Orange Devils make for happy ears and happy feet when they perform at private functions, from dance halls to weddings, as well as every second Monday of the month at the Monarch Tavern on Clinton Street. “The band loves playing at the Monarch Tavern,” says Loomer. “The management and staff are great supporters and super co-operative. They’ve been very patient and allowed us the chance to try and develop a following. And they have that great rarity, a grand piano, which they maintain quite well! The ambiance is perfect for what we do. It’s kind of like having a paid rehearsal with a bunch of friends dropping by to listen and party with us. Relaxed and fun. Because of our size and style, we haven’t been able to play many other venues. We’ve done several concerts, notably for the Duke Ellington Society, which are wonderful, but they don’t have the same relaxed atmosphere as being in a club, not to mention the availability of alcohol.” In addition to reed players such as Merlin Williams, Tom Skublics and Andy Ballantyne, soloists include Scott Suttie on trombone, John MacLeod on trumpet and Richard Whiteman at the piano, to name a mere few. In addition to playing instrumental charts by the likes of Fletcher Henderson, Benny Carter, Jimmy Lunceford, Count Basie and Duke Ellington, each gig features a handful of vocal tunes delivered charmingly by Rita di Ghent. Says di Ghent: “Being the band vocalist in the Orange Devils is a dream gig. Who wouldn’t want to sing on stellar arrangements with A-list players that Martin Loomer and the Orange Devils swing like crazy? And Marty is a dream bandleader. He knows my voice and chooses repertoire accordingly: a lot of bluesy material like Fine Brown Frame and Going to Chicago and complex ballads like Ellington and Strayhorn’s Daydream. He consults with me on every tune. He’s so kind and talented. I’m delighted that his tireless work has paid off and that the Orange Devils are quickly becoming the ‘it’ band with the swing dance crowd.” Indeed, what has made the monthly Mondays especially marvellous of late is an increasingly loyal following of swing dancers. Says Loomer: “I have to say, I’m always mindful of the fact that the music we play was originally conceived to be played for dancers. So we’re all very pleased when it can serve its original function and inspire swing dancers to get out on the floor and show their finest Lindy Hop moves. If the dancers are in the mood, then the band falls in the groove and we feed on each other’s energy.” Monday February 9 will be the next gig for Martin Loomer and the Orange Devils. Ten dollars at the door is the best deal in town, and while enjoying these fantastic arrangements performed by stellar players and joyously interpreted on the dance floor, I challenge you not to smile! Ori Dagan is a Toronto-based jazz musician, writer and educator who can be reached at oridagan.com. ORI DAGAN (Neufeld Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra); 7:30 The Bacchus Collective; 9:45 Tara Kannangara Group. February 15 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band; 3:30pm Dr. Nick & The Rollercoasters; 7pm Autobahn; 9:30pm Run Stop Run. February 16 6:30pm U of T Jazz Ensembles; 9:30 John Cheeseman Jazz Orchestra. February 17 6:30pm Trevor Giancola Trio; 9:30 DanJam Orchestra (New York). February 18 6:30pm Juhas Brothers; 9:30 DanJam Orchestra (New York). February 19 6:30pm Worst Pop Band Ever; 9:45 Tom Guarna Quartet (New York). February 20 4pm Hogtown Syncopators; 6:30pm The Jive Bombers; 9:45 Tom Guarna Quartet (New York). February 21 12pm Danny Marks and Friends; 3:30 Swing Shift Big Band; 7:30pm The Sinners Choir; 9:45pm Marito Marques Group. February 22 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band; 3:30pm Freeway Dixieland Band; 7pm Autobahn; 9:30pm Three Blind Mice. February 23 6:30pm U of T Jazz Ensembles; 8:30 John McLeod’s Rex Hotel Jazz Orchestra. February 24 6:30pm Trevor Giancola Trio; 9:30 Classic Rex Jam hosted by Chris Gale. February 25 6:30pm Brett Higgins Group; 9:30 Eric Deutsch & The Jazz Outlaws (Brooklyn). February 26 6:30pm Worst Pop Band Ever; 9:30 Eric Deutsch & The Jazz Outlaws (Brooklyn). February 27 4pm Hogtown Syncopators; 6:30pm The Jive Bombers; 9:45 Jeff King’s Catalyst. February 28 12pm Danny Marks and Friends; 3:30 Jazz Mechanics Big Band (Brampton); 7:30pm Nick Teehan Group; 9:45 Dave Liebman (NYC) with Mike Murley Quartet. Salty Dog Bar & Grill, The 1980 Queen St. E. 416-849-5064 (call for full schedule) Sauce on the Danforth 1376 Danforth Ave. 647-748-1376 sauceondanforth.com All shows: No cover. Every Mon 9pm The Out Of Towners: Dirty Organ Jazz. Every Tue 6pm Julian Fauth. February 11 6pm Ewan Farncombe. Seven44 (Formerly Chick n’ Deli/The People’s Chicken) 744 Mount Pleasant Rd. 416-489-7931 seven44.com (full schedule) February 2 7:30pm Advocats Big Band No cover. February 9 7:30pm Bob Cary Big Band No cover. February 16 7:30pm George Lake Big Band No cover. February 23 7:30pm Mega City Swing Big Band No cover. Toni Bulloni 156 Cumberland St. 416-967-7676 tonibulloni.com (full schedule) No Cover. Saturday shows: 9pm. food/ drink minimum. Sunday shows: 6pm. minimum. February 21 Irene Torres. February 28 Gene Hardy & Donavan LeNabat. Tranzac 292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137 tranzac.org (full schedule) 3-4 shows daily, various styles. Mostly PWYC. Every Mon 10pm Open Mic Mondays. Every Thurs 7:30pm Bluegrass Thursdays: Houndstooth. Every Fri 5pm The Foolish Things (folk). This month’s shows include: February 1, 15 5pm Monk’s Music. February 3 10pm Peripheral Vision. February 6 7pm Bass- Piano! With Andrew Wedman, Tania Gill, & Ryan Driver. February 8 10pm The Lina Allemano Four. February 10 10pm Stop Time. February 20 7:30 Dust: The Quietest Big Band in the Known World. February 17 10pm The Ken McDonald Quartet. February 25 7:30pm Trevor Giancola. February 27 10pm The Ryan Driver Sextet. thewholenote.com February 1 - March 7, 2015 | 47
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Choral Scene: Uncharted territory: three choirs finding paths forward; Music Theatre: Loose Tea on the boil with Alaina Viau’s Dead Reckoning; In with the New: what happens to soundart when climate change meets COVID-19; Call to action: diversity, accountability, and reform in post-secondary jazz studies; 9th Annual TIFF Tips: a filmfest like no other; Remembering: Leon Fleisher; DISCoveries: a NY state of mind; 25th anniversary stroll-through; and more. Online in flip through here, and on stands commencing Tues SEP 1.
Following the Goldberg trail from Gould to Lang Lang; Measha Brueggergosman and Edwin Huizinga on face to face collaboration in strange times; diggings into dance as FFDN keeps live alive; "Classical unicorn?" - Luke Welch reflects on life as a Black classical pianist; Debashis Sinha's adventures in sound art; choral lessons from Skagit Valley; and the 21st annual WholeNote Blue Pages (part 1 of 3) in print and online. Here now. And, yes, still in print, with distribution starting Thursday October 1.
Alanis Obomsawin's art of life; fifteen Exquisite Departures; UnCovered re(dis)covered; jazz in the kitchen; three takes on managing record releases in times of plague; baroque for babies; presenter directory (blue pages) part two; and, here at the WholeNote, work in progress on four brick walls (or is it five?). All this and more available in flipthrough HERE, and in print Tuesday Nov 3.
In this issue: Beautiful Exceptions, Sing-Alone Messiahs, Livingston’s Vocal Pleasures, Chamber Beethoven, Online Opera (Plexiglass & All), Playlist for the Winter of our Discontent, The Oud & the Fuzz, Who is Alex Trebek? All this and more available in flipthrough HERE, and in print Friday December 4.
July/August issue is now available in flipthrough HERE, bringing to a close 25 seasons of doing what we do (and plan to continue doing), and on stands early in the week of July 5. Not the usual bucolic parade of music in the summer sun, but lots, we hope, to pass the time: links to online and virtual music; a full slate of record reviews; plenty new in the Listening Room; and a full slate of stories – the future of opera, the plight of small venues, the challenge facing orchestras, the barriers to resumption of choral life, the challenges of isolation for real-time music; the steps some festivals are taking to keep the spirit and substance of what they do alive. And intersecting with all of it, responses to the urgent call for anti-racist action and systemic change.
"COVID's Metamorphoses"? "There's Always Time (Until Suddenly There Isn't)"? "The Writing on the Wall"? It's hard to know WHAT to call this latest chapter in the extraordinary story we are all of a sudden characters in. By whatever name we call it, the MAY/JUNE combined issue of The WholeNote is now available, HERE in flip through format, in print commencing Wednesday May 6, and, in fully interactive form, online at thewholenote.com. Our 18th Annual Choral Canary Pages, scheduled for publication in print and flip through in September is already well underway with the first 50 choirs home to roost and more being added every week online. Community Voices, our cover story, brings to you the thoughts of 30 musical community members, all going through what we are going through (and with many more to come as the feature gets amplified online over the course of the coming months). And our regular writers bring their personal thoughts to the mix. Finally, a full-fledged DISCoveries review section offers cues and clues to recorded music for your solitary solace!
After some doubt that we would be allowed to go to press, in respect to wide-ranging Ontario business closures relating to COVID-19, The WholeNote magazine for April 2020 is now on press, and print distribution – modified to respect community-wide closures and the need for appropriate distancing – starts Monday March 30. Meanwhile the full magazine is right here, digitally, so if you value us PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK AS WIDELY AS YOU CAN. It's the safest way for us to reach the widest possible audience at this time!
FEATURED: Music & Health writer Vivien Fellegi explores music, blindness & the plasticity of perception; David Jaeger digs into Gustavo Gimeno's plans for new music in his upcoming first season as music director at TSO; pianist James Rhodes, here for an early March recital, speaks his mind in a Q&A with Paul Ennis; and Lydia Perovic talks music and more with rising Turkish-Canadian mezzo Beste Kalender. Also, among our columns, Peggy Baker Dance Projects headlines Wende Bartley's In with the New; Steve Wallace's Jazz Notes rushes in definitionally where many fear to tread; ... and more.
Visions of 2020! Sampling from back to front for a change: in Rearview Mirror, Robert Harris on the Beethoven he loves (and loves to hate!); Errol Gay, a most musical life remembered; Luna Pearl Woolf in focus in recordings editor David Olds' "Editor's Corner" and in Jenny Parr's preview of "Jacqueline"; Speranza Scappucci explains how not to reinvent Rossini; The Indigo Project, where "each piece of cloth tells a story"; and, leading it all off, Jully Black makes a giant leap in "Caroline, or Change." And as always, much more. Now online in flip-through format here and on stands starting Thurs Jan 30.
Welcome to our December/January issue as we turn the annual calendar page, halfway through our season for the 25th time, juggling as always, secular stuff, the spirit of the season, new year resolve and winter journeys! Why is Mozart's Handel's Messiah's trumpet a trombone? Why when Laurie Anderson offers to fly you to the moon you should take her up on the invitation. Why messing with Winterreisse can (sometimes) be a very good thing! And a bumper crop of record reviews for your reading (and sometimes listening) pleasure. Available in flipthrough here right now, and on stands commencing Thursday Nov 28. See you on the other side!
On the slim chance you might not have already heard the news, Estonian Canadian composing giant Udo Kasemets was born the same year that Leo Thermin invented the theremin --1919. Which means this is the centenary year for both of them, and both are being celebrated in style, as Andrew Timar and MJ Buell respectively explain. And that's just a taste of a bustling November, with enough coverage of music of both the delectably substantial and delightfully silly on hand to satisfy one and all.
Long promised, Vivian Fellegi takes a look at Relaxed Performance practice and how it is bringing concert-going barriers down across the spectrum; Andrew Timar looks at curatorial changes afoot at the Music Gallery; David Jaeger investigates the trumpets of October; the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution (and the 20th Anniversary of our October Blue Pages Presenter profiles) in our Editor's Opener; the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at 125; Tapestry at 40 and Against the Grain at 10; ringing in the changing season across our features and columns; all this and more, now available in Flip Through format here, and on the stands commencing this coming Friday September 27, 2019. Enjoy.
Vol 1 of our 25th season is now here! And speaking of 25, that's how many films in the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival editor Paul Ennis, in our Eighth Annual TIFF TIPS, has chosen to highlight for their particular musical interest. Also inside: Rob Harris looks through the Rear View Mirror at past and present prognostications about the imminent death of classical music; Mysterious Barricades and Systemic Barriers are Lydia Perović's preoccupations in Art of Song; Andrew Timar reflects on the evolving priorities of the Polaris Prize; and elsewhere, it's chocks away as yet another season creaks or roars (depending on the beat) into motion. Welcome back.
What a range of stuff! A profile of Liz Upchurch, the COC ensemble studio's vocal mentor extraordinaire; a backgrounder on win-win faith/arts centre partnerships and ways of exploring the possibilities; an interview with St. Petersburg-based Eifman Ballet's Boris Eifman; Ana Sokolovic's violin concert Evta finally coming to town; a Love Letter to YouTube, and much more. Plus our 17th annual Canary Pages Choral directory if all you want to do is sing! sing! sing!
Arraymusic, the Music Gallery and Native Women in the Arts join for a mini-festival celebrating the work of composer, performer and installation artist Raven Chacon; Music and Health looks at the role of Healing Arts Ontario in supporting concerts in care facilities; Kingston-based composer Marjan Mozetich's life and work are celebrated in film; "Forest Bathing" recontextualizes Schumann, Shostakovich and Hindemith; in Judy Loman's hands, the harp can sing; Mahler's Resurrection bursts the bounds of symphonic form; Ed Bickert, guitar master remembered. All this and more in our April issue, now online in flip-through here, and on stands commencing Friday March 29.
Something Old, Something New! The Ide(a)s of March are Upon Us! Rob Harris's Rear View Mirror looks forward to a tonal revival; Tafelmusik expands their chronological envelope in two directions, Esprit makes wave after wave; Pax Christi's new oratorio by Barbara Croall catches the attention of our choral and new music columnists; and summer music education is our special focus, right when warm days are once again possible to imagine. All this and more in our March 2019 edition, available in flipthrough here, and on the stands starting Thursday Feb 28.
In this issue: A prize that brings lustre to its laureates (and a laureate who brings lustre to the prize); Edwin Huizinga on the journey of Opera Atelier's "The Angel Speaks" from Versailles to the ROM; Danny Driver on playing piano in the moment; Remembering Neil Crory (a different kind of genius)' Year of the Boar, Indigeneity and Opera; all this and more in Volume 24 #5. Online in flip through, HERE and on the stands commencing Thursday Jan 31.
When is a trumpet like a motorcycle in a dressage event? How many Brunhilde's does it take to change an Elektra? Just two of the many questions you've been dying to ask, to which you will find answers in a 24th annual combined December/January issue – in which our 11 beat columnists sift through what's on offer in the upcoming holiday month, and what they're already circling in their calendars for 2019. Oh, and features too: a klezmer violinist breathing new life into a very old film; two New Music festivals in January, 200 metres apart; a Music & Health story on the restorative powers of a grassroots exercise in collective music-making; even a good reason to go to Winnipeg in the dead of winter. All this and more in Vol 24 No 4, now available in flipthrough format here.
Reluctant arranger! National Ballet Orchestra percussionist Kris Maddigan on creating the JUNO and BAFTA award-winning smash hit Cuphead video game soundtrack; Evergreen by name and by nature, quintessentially Canadian gamelan (Andrew Timar explains); violinist Angèle Dubeau on 20 years and 60 million streams; two children’s choirs where this month remembrance and living history must intersect. And much more, online in our kiosk now, and on the street commencing Thursday November 1.
Presenters, start your engines! With TIFF and "back-to-work" out of the way, the regular concert season rumbles to life, and, if our Editor's Opener can be trusted, "Seeking Synergies" seems to be the name of the game. Denise Williams' constantly evolving "Walk Together Children" touching down at the Toronto Centre for the Arts; the second annual Festival of Arabic Music and Arts expanding its range; a lesson in Jazz Survival with Steve Wallace; the 150 presenter and performer profiles in our 19th annual Blue Pages directory... this is an issue that is definitely more than the sum of its parts.
In this issue: The WholeNote's 7th Annual TIFF TIPS guide to festival films with musical clout; soprano Erin Wall in conversation with Art of Song columnist Lydia Perovic, about more than the art of song; a summer's worth of recordings reviewed; Toronto Chamber Choir at 50 (is a few close friends all it takes?); and much more, as the 2018/19 season gets under way.
PLANTING NOT PAVING! In this JUNE / JULY /AUGUST combined issue: Farewell interviews with TSO's Peter Oundjian and Stratford Summer Music's John Miller, along with "going places" chats with Luminato's Josephine Ridge, TD Jazz's Josh Grossman and Charm of Finches' Terry Lim. ) Plus a summer's worth of fruitful festival inquiry, in the city and on the road, in a feast of stories and our annual GREEN PAGES summer Directory.
In this issue: our sixteenth annual Choral Canary Pages; coverage of 21C, Estonian Music Week and the 3rd Toronto Bach Festival (three festivals that aren’t waiting for summer!); and features galore: “Final Finales” for Larry Beckwith’s Toronto Masque Theatre and for David Fallis as artistic director of Toronto Consort; four conductors on the challenges of choral conducting; operatic Hockey Noir; violinist Stephen Sitarski’s perspective on addressing depression; remembering bandleader, composer and saxophonist Paul Cram. These and other stories, in our May 2018 edition of the magazine.
In this issue: we talk with jazz pianist Thompson Egbo-Egbo about growing up in Toronto, building a musical career, and being adaptive to change; pianist Eve Egoyan prepares for her upcoming Luminato project and for the next stage in her long-term collaborative relationship with Spanish-German composer Maria de Alvear; jazz violinist Aline Homzy, halfway through preparing for a concert featuring standout women bandleaders, talks about social equity in the world of improvised music; and the local choral community celebrates the life and work of choral conductor Elmer Iseler, 20 years after his passing.
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.
In this issue: composer Nicole Lizée talks about her love for analogue equipment, and the music that “glitching” evokes; Richard Rose, artistic director at the Tarragon Theatre, gives us insights into their a rock-and-roll Hamlet, now entering production; Toronto prepares for a mini-revival of Schoenberg’s music, with three upcoming shows at New Music Concerts; and the local music theatre community remembers and celebrates the life and work of Mi’kmaq playwright and performer Cathy Elliott . These and other stories, in our double-issue December/January edition of the magazine.
In this issue: conversations (of one kind or another) galore! Daniela Nardi on taking the reins at "best-kept secret" venue, 918 Bathurst; composer Jeff Ryan on his "Afghanistan" Requiem for a Generation" partnership with war poet, Susan Steele; lutenist Ben Stein on seventeenth century jazz; collaborative pianist Philip Chiu on going solo; Barbara Hannigan on her upcoming Viennese "Second School" recital at Koerner; Tina Pearson on Pauline Oliveros; and as always a whole lot more!
In this issue: several local artists reflect on the memory of composer Claude Vivier, as they prepare to perform his music; Vancouver gets ready to host international festival ISCM World New Music Days, which is coming to Canada for the second time since its inception in 1923; one of the founders of Artword Artbar, one of Hamilton’s staple music venues, on the eve of the 5th annual Steel City Jazz Festival, muses on keeping urban music venues alive; and a conversation with pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, as he prepares for an ambitious recital in Toronto. These and other stories, in our October 2017 issue of the magazine.
In this issue: a look at why musicians experience stage fright, and how to combat it; an inside look at the second Kensington Market Jazz Festival, which zeros in on one of Toronto’s true ‘music villages’; an in-depth interview with Elisa Citterio, new music director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; and The WholeNote’s guide to TIFF, with suggestions for the 20 most musical films at this year’s festival. These and other stories, in our September 2017 issue of the magazine!
CBC Radio's Lost Horizon; Pinocchio as Po-Mo Operatic Poster Boy; Meet the Curators (Crow, Bernstein, Ridge); a Global Music Orchestra is born; and festivals, festivals, festivals in our 13th annual summer music Green Pages. All this and more in our three-month June-through August summer special issue, now available in flipthrough HERE and on the stands commencing Thursday June 1.
From science fact in "Integral Man: Music and the Movies," to science fiction in the editor's opener; from World Fiddle Day at the Aga Khan Museum to three Canadians at the Cliburn; from wanting to sashay across the 401 to Chamberfest in Montreal to exploring the Continuum of Jumblies Theatre's 20-year commitment to the Community Play (there's a pun in there somewhere!).
In this issue: Our podcast ramps up with interviews in March with fight director Jenny Parr, countertenor Daniel Taylor, and baritone Russell Braun; two views of composer John Beckwith at 90; how music’s connection to memory can assist with the care of patients with Alzheimer’s; musical celebrations in film and jazz, at National Canadian Film Day and Jazz Day; and a preview of Louis Riel, which opens this month at the COC. These and other stories, in our April 2017 issue of the magazine!
On our cover: Owen Pallett's musical palette on display at New Creations. Spring brings thoughts of summer music education! (It's never too late.). For Marc-Andre Hamelin the score is king. Ella at 100 has the tributes happening. All; this and more.
In this issue: an interview with composer/vocalist Jeremy Dutcher, on his upcoming debut album and unique compositional voice; a conversation with Boston Symphony hornist James Sommerville, as as the BSO gets ready to come to his hometown; Stuart Hamilton, fondly remembered; and an inside look at Hugh’s Room, as it enters a complicated chapter in the story of its life in the complex fabric of our musical city. These and other stories, as we celebrate the past and look forward to the rest of 2016/17, the first glimpses of 2017/18, and beyond!
In this issue: a conversation with pianist Stewart Goodyear, in advance of his upcoming show at Koerner Hall; a preview of the annual New Year’s phenomenon that is Bravissimo!/Salute to Vienna; an inside look at music performance in Toronto’s health-care centres; and a reflection on the incredible life and lasting influence of the late Pauline Oliveros. These and more, in a special December/January combined issue!
In this issue: David Jaeger and Alex Pauk’s most memorable R. Murray Schafer collabs, in this month’s installment of Jaeger’s CBC Radio Two: The Living Legacy; an interview with flutist Claire Chase, who brings new music and mindset to Toronto this month; an investigation into the strange coincidence of three simultaneous Mendelssohn Elijahs this Nov 5; and of course, our annual Blue Pages, a who’s who of southern Ontario’s live music scene- a community as prolific and multifaceted as ever. These and more, as we move full-force into the 2016/17 concert season- all aboard!
Music lover's TIFF (our fifth annual guide to the Toronto International Film Festival); Aix Marks the Spot (how Brexit could impact on operatic co-production); The Unstoppable Howard Cable (an affectionate memoir of a late chapter in the life of of a great Canadian arranger; Kensington Jazz Story (the newest kid on the festival block flexes its muscles). These stories and much more as we say a lingering goodbye to summer and turn to the task, for the 22nd season, of covering the live and recorded music that make Southern Ontario tick.
It's combined June/July/August summer issue time with, we hope, enough between the covers to keep you dipping into it all through the coming lazy, hazy days. From Jazz Vans racing round "The Island" delivering pop-up brass breakouts at the roadside, to Bach flute ambushes strolling "The Grove, " to dozens of reasons to stay in the city. May yours be a summer where you find undiscovered musical treasures, and, better still, when, unexpectedly, the music finds you.
INSIDE: The Canaries Are Here! 116 choirs to choose from, so take the plunge! The Nylons hit the road after one last SING! Fling. Jazz writer Steve Wallace wonders "Watts Goode" rather than "what's new?" Paul Ennis has the musical picks of the HotDocs crop. David Jaeger's CBC Radio continues golden for a little while yet. Douglas McNabney is Music's Child. Leipzig meets Damascus in Alison Mackay's fertile imagination. And "C" is for KRONOS in Wende Bartley's koverage of the third annual 21C Festival. All this and as usual much much more. Enjoy.
From 30 camp profiles to spark thoughts of being your summer musical best, to testing LUDWIG as you while away the rest of so-called winter; from Scottish Opera and the Danish Midtvest, to a first Toronto recital appearance by violin superstar Maxim Vengerov; from musings on New Creations and new creation, to the boy who made a habit of crying Beowulf; it's a month of merry meetings and rousing recordings reviewed, all here to discover in The WholeNote.
2016 is off to a flying start! We chronicle the Artful Times of Andrew Burashko, the violistic versatility of Teng Li, the ageless ebullience of jazz pianist Gene DiNovi and the ninetieth birthday of trumpeter Johnny Cowell. Jaeger remembers Boulez; Waxman recalls Bley's influence, and Olds finds Bowie haunting Editor's Corner. Oh, and did we mention there's all that music? Hello (and goodbye) to the February blues, and here's to swinging through the musical vines of the Year of the Monkey.
What's a vinyl renaissance? What happens when Handel's Messiah runs afoul of the rumba rhythm setting on a (gasp!) Hammond organ? What work does Marc-Andre Hamelin say he would be content to have on every recital program he plays? What are Steve Wallace's favourite fifty Christmas recordings? Why is violinist Daniel Hope celebrating Yehudi Menuhin's 100th birthday at Koerner Hall January 28? Answers to all these questions (and a whole lot more) in the Dec/Jan issue of The WholeNote.
"Come" seems to be the verb that knits this month's issue together. Sondra Radvanovsky comes to Koerner, William Norris comes to Tafel as their new GM, opera comes to Canadian Stage; and (a long time coming!) Jane Bunnett's musicianship and mentorship are honoured with the Premier's award for excellence; plus David Jaeger's ongoing series on the golden years of CBC Radio Two, Andrew Timar on hybridity, a bumper crop of record reviews and much much more. Come on in!
Vol 21 No 2 is now available for your viewing pleasure, and it's a bumper crop, right at the harvest moon. First ever Canadian opera on the Four Seasons Centre main stage gets double coverage with Wende Bartley interviewing Pyramus and Thisbe composer Barbara Monk Feldman and Chris Hoile connecting with director Christopher Alden; Paul Ennis digs into the musical mind of pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, and pianist Eve Egoyan is "On the Record" in conversation with publisher David Perlman ahead of the Oct release concert for her tenth recording. And at the heart of it all the 16th edition of our annual BLUE PAGES directory of presenters profile the season now well and truly under way.
Paul Ennis's annual TIFF TIPS (27 festival films of potential particular musical interest); Wu Man, Yo-Yo Ma and Jeffrey Beecher on the Silk Road; David Jaeger on CBC Radio Music in the days it was committed to commissioning; the LISTENING ROOM continues to grow on line; DISCoveries is back, bigger than ever; and Mary Lou Fallis says Trinity-St. Paul's is Just the Spot (especially this coming Sept 25!).