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.
All shows: 8:30pm
All shows: 8:30pm (unless otherwise noted). June 7 10pm Toronto Ravel ; 8:30pm The Dustbowl Revival (adv)/(door). June 9 Valdy (adv)/(door). June 10 Smooth Sweet Sounds of the 70s (adv)/(door). June 11 Things are Swinging – The Songs of Peggy Lee (adv)/(door). June 12 Johnny A. (adv)/(door). June 15 Richard Shindell (adv)/(door). June 16 James Gordon and Sons – CD Release .50(adv)/(door). June 17 A Man called Wrycraft presents Into the Great Wide Open: The Music of Tom Petty (adv)/(door). June 18 Stephen Fearing (adv)/(door). June 19 The Small Glories – Cara Luft & JD Edwards .50(adv)/(door). June 22 Al Lerman – CD Release .50(adv)/(door). June 23 China Crisis .50(adv)/(door). June 24 A Trip Down the Yellow Brick Road with Elton Rohn (adv)/(door). July 2 Patricia Barber (adv)/(door). July 3 Harpeth Rising .50(adv)/(door). July 4 8pm JAZZ.FM91 presents Jazz in July – The Andrew Scott Trio: A Tribute to Henry Mancini . July 5 Lyy .50(adv)/(door). July 6 Grainne Duffy .50(adv)/(door). July 7 Ten Strings and a Goat Skin .50(adv)/(door). Jazz Bistro, The 251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299 jazzbistro.ca June 1 8pm Stu Macdonald (voice) Quartet with Stu Harrison (piano), Ross MacIntyre (bass), Mark Micklethwaite (drums) . June 3, 4 9pm Coldjack: John Fraser (voice), Marcus Davis (bass), Carl Harvey (guitar), Aaron Spink (drums), Bela Haymen (keys), Dianne Rivard (percussion), Kolette Easy (voice), Igor Babich (sax) (Fri)/(Sat). June 5 7pm Steven Taetz (voice): “Porter for Pride: Tribute to Cole Porter” with Ewen Farncombe (piano), Mike Meusel (bass), Andrew Miller (drums) . June 7, 8 8pm Denise Reis (voice, guitar) with the Heillig Manouevre: Alison Young (sax), Stacie McGregor (piano), Charlie Cooley (drums), Henry Heillig (bass) . June 9, 10, 11 9pm Bernie Senensky Quintet: “A Tribute to Moe Koffman” feat. Jake Koffman (sax), Bill McBirnie (flute) (Thurs, Fri)/(Sat). St. Philip’s Anglican Church ● D. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz) June 12 7pm Pat Murray . June 17, 18 9pm Kirk MacDonald (sax) Quintet with Mark Eisenman (piano), Dave Young (bass), Terry Clarke (drums) feat. Doug Lawrence (sax) . June 19 7pm Wendy Lands (voice) with Steve Hunter (piano), Marc Rogers (bass), Jim Gillard (drums) . June 21 8pm Dave Restivo Trio . June 23 8pm The Carlos Morgan Quartet . June 24, 25 8pm The Bill Charlap (piano) Trio with Peter Washington (bass), Kenny Washington (drums) . June 26 8pm Laila Biali (piano, voice) with Ben Wittman (drums), Ross MacIntyre (bass), Phil Dwyer (sax). June 28 8pm Robi Botos (piano) and Paul Novotny (bass) . June 29 8pm Robi Botos and Hilario Duran (pianos) . June 30 8pm Robi Botos (piano) Quartet with Paul Novotny (bass), Seamus Blake (sax), Mark McLean (drums) . July 1 8pm The Music of Born to Be Blue: David Braid (piano), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Steve Wallace (bass), Terry Clarke (drums) . July 2 8pm Alfredo Rodriguez . July 3 7pm Stephanie Martin . Jazz Room, The Located in the Huether Hotel, 59 King St. N., Waterloo. 226-476-1565 kwjazzroom.com (full schedule) All shows: 8:30pm-11:30pm unless otherwise indicated. Attendees must be 19+. June 2 10pm Dodecaphunk (Kyle Brenders Septet) with opener Alison Au . June 3 8:30pm Ryan Cassidy Band with Special Guest Brownman . June 4 8:30pm Laila Biali . June 10 8:30pm Lydia Persaud . June 11 8:30pm Rich Brown (bass) and The Abeng: Luis Deniz (sax), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Stan Fomin (keys), Larnell Lewis (drums) . June 17 8:30pm Tana Kannangara Group . June 18 8:30 Mandy Lagan (voice) Quartet with Dave Restivo (piano), Ted Quinlan (guitar), Jim Vivian (bass), Nick Fraser (drums) . June 19 4pm Dave Young (bass)/ Doug Lawrence (sax) Quintet with Kirk Mac- Donald (sax), Mark Eisenman (piano), Terry Clarke (drums) . June 20 8pm Francois Jalbert and Jerome Beaulieu . June 21 8pm Genevieve Marentette Trio . June 22 8pm Mark Kelso’s (drums) Jazz Exiles with Rich Brown (bass), Luis Deniz (sax), Joey Sunday, June 12, 4:00 PM | Jazz Vespers Hilario Duran Trio with Roberto Occhipinti (bass) and Mark Kelso (drums). With special guest Jane Bunnett. St. Philip’s Sunday, June Anglican 26, 4:00 Church PM | Jazz Vespers | Etobicoke 25 St. Colleen Phillips Allen, Road Mike (near Murley Royal (saxophones), York + Dixon) 416-247-5181 • stphilips.net • free will offering Steve Wallace (bass), Terry Clarke (drums) and Adrean Farrugia (piano) Please note our change of venue – St Philip’s is renovating for accessibility! ST. PHILIP’S JAZZ VESPERS @ ALL SAINTS KINGSWAY ANGLICAN CHURCH 2850 Bloor St. West, at Prince Edward, steps from the Royal York subway, with Green P parking across the street. FOR ST PHILIPS: 416-247-5181 FOR ALL SAINTS KINGSWAY: 416-233-1125 Martel (guitar) feat. Robi Botos (piano) . June 23 8pm Jerzy Kaplanek Quartet . June 24 8:30pm Matt Baker . Joe Mama’s 317 King St. W. 416-340-6469 joemamas.ca Every Tue 6pm Jeff Eager. Every Wed 6pm Thomas Reynolds. Every Thurs 9pm Blackburn. Every Fri 10pm The Grind. Every Sat 10pm Shugga. KAMA 214 King St. W. 416-599-5262 kamaindia.com (full schedule) Every Wed 5:30pm Jazz with the Kama House Band. La Revolucion 2848 Dundas St. W 416-766-0746 Every Tue 9pm Duets with Peter Hill and featured guests (Shawn Nykwist on June 7, 28; Chris Gale on June 21; TBA on June 14). Every Fri 7pm Les Petits Nouveaux. Leaside Pub 190 Laird Dr. 416-487-8682 leasidepub.com June 25, July 2 4pm Climax Jazz Band. Local Gest, The 424 Parliament St. 416-961-9425 Lula Lounge 1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307 lula.ca (full schedule) June 2 10pm Los Poetas + Fito Blanko . June 3 8pm Gabriel Palatchi + Changarón Del Norte . June 4 10:30pm Ola Fresca (adv)/(door). June 5 8pm Elsten Torres + Amanda Martinez (adv)/(door). June 7 8pm Kafinal + Elaine Lil’Bit Shepherd (adv)/(door). June 8 7:30pm Wagner Petrilli + Aquiles Baez Trio + Eliana Cuevas + Jeremy Ledbetter (adv)/(door). June 9 7pm D’BI. & THE 333 ; 10pm Abakos . June 10 7:30pm Berriel + Mario Allende Group + Dailyn Martinez + Roberto Linares Brown + Roicel Riveron (adv)/(door). June 11 10:30pm Montreal Toronto Salsa Meetup (adv)/(door). June 29 7pm Monica Chapman (voice) with Dave Restivo (piano), Alex Coleman (bass), Nathan Hiltz (guitar), Chris Wallace (drums), Rebecca Hennessy (trumpet) (adv)/(door). Manhattans Pizza Bistro & Music Club 951 Gordon St., Guelph 519-767-2440 manhattans.ca (full schedule) All shows: PWYC. June 1, 15, 29 Jokela & Vogan (15, 29 with Charlie Cooley). June 2 Dan Austin Quartet. June 3 Ken Foster Trio. June 4 Cara Matthew Trio. June 5 Brad Halls. June 7 Adrean Farrugia & Rob McBride. June 8, 12, 22 John Zadro. June 9, 23 Joe Lucchetta & Friends. June 10 Jordan Snider Trio. June 11 Karyn Kirkwood Trio. June 12 John Zadro. June 14, 21, 28 Paul Taylor. June 16 Alex Pangman & Her Alleycats. June 17 Gary Beck & Sideways. June 18 Steve Koven Trio. June 19 Joni Nehrita. June 24 Lara Solnicki Trio. June 25 Andrea LaBlanc. June 26, 30 Stan Chang + Erick Bruck. Mezzetta Restaurant 681 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-658-5687 mezzettarestaurant.com (full schedule) All shows: 9pm, (unless otherwise noted). June 1 8pm Dino Toledo (guitar), Makeda Benitez (flamenco dance) No cover. Monarch Tavern 12 Clinton St. 416-531-5833 themonarchtavern.com (full schedule) June 13 7:30pm Martin Loomer & His Orange Devils Orchestra . Morgans on the Danforth 1282 Danforth Ave. 416-461-3020 morgansonthedanforth.com (full schedule) All shows: 2pm-5pm. No cover. June 26 2pm Lisa Particelli’s Girls Night Out Jazz Jam. N'awlins 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/ Joe Bowden (drums) and featured vocalists. Every Fri, Sat 8:30pm 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) June 22 Larry Bond Duo .99 (dinner included). 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: 7:30pm-10:30pm June 2 Angela Turone (piano, voice) Quartet with Chris Platt (guitar), Connor Walsh (bass), Robin Claxton (drums). June 3 Canadian Jazz Quartet & Friends: Frank Wright (vibes), Reg Schwager (guitar), Pat Collins (bass), Don Vickery (drums) feat. Phil Dwyer (sax). June 4 Nathalie Kraemer (voice) Trio with Adrean Farrugia (piano), Ross MacIntyre (bass). June 7 Gene DiNovi (piano, voice): “In Concert and Conversation”. June 9 Arlene Smith (voice) Quartet with Mark Eisenman (piano), Steve Wallace (bass), Mike Murley (sax). June 10 Pat Collins (bass) Trio with Tom Szczesniak (accordion), Reg Schwager (guitar). June 11 Michael Dunston (voice) Trio with Gord Sheard (piano), Roberto Occhipinti (bass). June 16 Christopher Simmons (piano) Trio with Artie Roth (bass), Kevin Dempsey (drums). June 17 Carol McCartney (voice) Quartet with Brian Dickinson (piano), Kieran Overs (bass), Chris Robinson (sax). June 18 Pat LaBarbera (sax) Trio with Brian Dickinson (piano), Kieran Overs (bass). June 23 Barry Elmes (drums) Quartet with Mike Murley (sax), Reg Schwager (guitar), Steve Wallace (bass). June 24 Russ Little (trombone) Quartet with Tom Szczesniak (piano), Scott Alexander (bass), Brian Barlow (drums) feat. Alex Pangman (voice). June 25 Russ Little (trombone) Quartet with Tom Szczesniak (piano), Scott Alexander (bass), Brian Barlow (drums) feat. Broadsway: Julie Michels, Diane Leah, Heather Bambrick (voices). July 1 Russ Little (trombone) Quartet with Tom Szczesniak (piano), Scott Alexander (bass), Brian Barlow (drums) feat. Melissa Stylianou (voice). July 2 Russ Little (trombone) Quartet with Tom Szczesniak (piano), Scott 64 | June 1, 2016 - September 7, 2016 thewholenote.com
Alexander (bass), Brian Barlow (drums) feat. John Alcorn (voice). Only Café, The 972 Danforth Ave. 416-463-7843 theonlycafe.com (full schedule) All shows: 8pm unless otherwise indicated. June 8, 22 Lzrszn. Paintbox Bistro 555 Dundas St. E. 647-748-0555 paintboxbistro.ca (Full schedule) Pilot Tavern, The 22 Cumberland Ave. 416-923-5716 thepilot.ca All shows: 3:30pm. No cover. June 4 Sugar Daddies. June 11 Ted Quinlan (guitar)/Phil Dwyer (sax) Quartet with Neil Swainson (bass), Ethan Ardelli (drums). June 18 Adrean Farrugia (piano) Quartet with Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Jon Maharaj (bass), Ernesto Cervini (drums). June 25 Pat Labarbera Quartet. July 2 Mike Murley Quartet. 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) Every Wed Spy vs. Sly vs. Spy. Every Thurs, Fri 10pm Reposadists Quartet: Tim Hamel (trumpet), Jon Meyer (bass), Jeff Halischuck (drums), Roberto Rosenman (guitar). Reservoir Lounge, The 52 Wellington St. E. 416-955-0887 reservoirlounge.com (full schedule). All shows: 9:45 Every Tue, Sat Tyler Yarema and his Rhythm. Every Wed The Digs. Every Thu Stacey Kaniuk. Every Fri 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. June 1 2pm Yiddish Journey; 6:30pm Jim Gelcer Group; 9:30pm Terry Promane & Dave Young Octet. June 2 6:30pm Laura Hubert Group; 9:45pm NYC’S Jeremy Pelt w/ Johnny Griffith Quartet. June 3 4pm Hogtown Syncopators; 6:30pm The Jive Bombers; 9:45pm NYC’S Jeremy Pelt w/ Johnny Griffith Quartet. June 4 12pm The Sinners Choir; 3:30pm Matt Lagan Big Band Ensemble; 7:30pm Eric St. Laurent Group; 9:45pm Ted Warren Commission. June 5 12pm Humber College Community Music School Recitals; 7pm “Austin John” CD Release; 9:30pm Ilios Steryannis Quartet. June 6 6:30pm Ken McDonald Quartet; 9:30pm Brampton’s Jazz Mechanics Big Band. June 7 6:30pm Peter Hill Quintet; 9:30pm Classic Rex Jazz Jam hosted by Chris Gale. June 8 6:30pm Jim Gelcer Group; 9:30pm NYC’s Ava Granite Six. June 9 6:30pm Laura Hubert Group; 9:30pm Nathan Hiltz Trio. June 10 4pm Hogtown Syncopators; 6:30pm The Jive Bombers; 9:45pm Jeff King’s Catalyst. June 11 12pm The Sinners Choir; 3:30pm Paul Reddick; 7pm Ryley Murray; 9:45pm NYC’s Rob Garcia. June 12 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band; 3:30pm Red Hot Ramble; 7pm James Brown Guitar Trio; 9:30pm Zimzum. June 13 6:30pm Ken McDonald Quartet; 9:30pm China’s Lawrence Ku feat. David Braid. June 14 6:30pm Peter Hill Quintet; 9:30pm Classic Rex Jazz Jam hosted by Chris Gale. June 15 6:30pm Jim Gelcer Group; 9:30pm Montréal’s Jazzamboka. June 16 6:30pm Laura Hubert Group; 9:30pm Brad Cheeseman Group. June 17 4pm Hogtown Syncopators; 6:30pm The Jive Bombers; 9:45pm Steve Amirault Trio. June 18 12pm The Sinners Choir; 3:30pm Jerome Godboo; 7pm Ryley Murray; 9:45pm Justin Bacchus. June 19 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band; 3:30pm Dr. Nick & The Rollercoasters; 7pm James Brown Guitar Trio; 9:30pm Hannah Barstow. June 20 6:30pm Ken McDonald Quartet; 9:30pm Kandinsky Effect (France/ Brooklyn). June 21 6:30pm Peter Hill Quintet; 9:30pm Kandinsky Effect (France/Brooklyn). June 22 6:30pm Jim Gelcer Group. June 23 5pm Bugaloo Squad; 8pm Pat LaBarbera; 10pm NYC’s Tim Ries w/ Hungary’s East Gypsy Band. June 24 3pm Hogtown Syncopators; 5pm The Jive Bombers; 8pm Tara Davidson Group; 10pm Dave Young. June 25 12pm The Sinners Choir; 3:30pm Swing Shift Big Band; 8pm Alex Pangman & her Alleycats; 10pm Mike Murley. June 26 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band; 3:30pm Freeway Dixieland Band; 7pm NYC’s Tim Christensen Spin Cycle; 9:30pm Metalwood. June 27 8:30pm John MacLeod’s Rex Hotel Orchestra. June 28 1:30pm Big Band Slam; 5pm Peripheral Vision; 8pm Mark Kelso’s Jazz Exiles; 11pm LA’s Knower. June 29 5pm Allison Young; 8pm Allison Au Quartet; 11pm LA’s Knower. June 30 5pm Fog Brass Band; 8pm Mike Downes Quartet; 10pm Nashville/NYC’s Progger w/ Special Guest Melissa McMillan. July 1 12pm Berklee Students; 5pm Justin Bacchus; 8pm Rich Brown’s rinsethealgorithm; 10pm Nashville/NYC’s Progger w/ Special Guest Melissa McMillan. July 2 12pm The Sinners Choir; 3:30pm Laura Hubert; 8pm Rich Brown’s The Abeng; 10pm Tara Kannangara Group. July 3 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band; 3:30pm Freeway Dixieland Band; 8pm Radiohead Jazz Project - T.J.O. Toronto Jazz Orchestra. Salty Dog Bar & Grill, The 1980 Queen St. E. 416-849-5064 (full schedule) thesaltydog.ca 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. June 11 4pm The Lesters. Seven44 (Formerly Chick n’ Deli/The People’s Chicken) 744 Mount Pleasant Rd. 416-489-7931 seven44.com (full schedule) All shows: 7:30pm June 6 Advocats Big Band. June 13 Metro Big Band. June 20 George Lake Swing Band. June 27 Mega City Swing Band. Tranzac 292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137 tranzac.org 3-4 shows daily, various styles. Mostly PWYC. Every Mon 10pm Open Mic Mondays. Every Fri 5pm The Friends of Hugh Oliver (folk). This month’s shows include: June 7 7:30pm Ali Berkok. June 8 10pm Ken Aldcroft. June 14 10pm Michael Davidson. June 19 7:30pm Diane Roblin. June 24 10pm The Ryan Driver Sextet. Galas and Fundraisers ●●June 05 3:00-5:30: Toronto Early Music Players Organization. Annual Fundraising Tea and Silent Auction. Live music, free food and beverages; CDs, books and sheet music for sale. Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. 416-927-8699. Admission by tax-deductible donation. June 11, 2016 Noon-5pm 1 Laird Drive ●●June 11 12:00 noon-5:00: Opera Atelier. Costume Sale: Burgers, Burgundy and Baroque. Fundraising event offering members of the public the rare opportunity to buy their very own Opera Atelier costumes; includes wine and food. All Canadian Self-Storage, 1 Laird Drive. Tickets purchased at the door or through Eventbrite.com (suggested donation). ●●June 12 2:00-5:00: Dundas Valley Orchestra. Strawberry Social Fundraiser. Includes music, food, silent auction. St. Paul’s United Church, 29 Park Street W. Dundas. www.dundasvalleyorchestra Entry by donation. ●●June 12 3:00-5:00: Upper Canada Choristers. Strawberry Social. Nibble on E. The ETCeteras taste-tempting finger foods and strawberry shortcake; enjoy some bubbly and listen to delectable musical selections performed by the choir under its director, Laurie Evan Fraser. Parish Hall, Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. (door) or reserved by calling 416-256-0510. Cash bar. ●●June 18 5:00: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. 4th Annual Black & White Gala. Superb music by the Niagara Symphony Orchestra; sumptuous cuisine and wine; auction. Ridley College, 2 Ridley Rd. St. Catharines. 905-687-4993 x221. 5 (individual); ,560 (table of 8). Festivals, Fairs, Festivities ●●June 26 10:00am-4:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. 3rd Annual Wide Open House. Fun for the entire family: drop-in music lessons, Smart Start TM class for babies and toddlers; summer camp activity room; courtyard party. Free Koerner Hall concerts and activities throughout the day! 273 Bloor St. W. For more information: rcmusic.ca/woh Lectures, Salons, Symposia ●●June 09 7:00: Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Our Musical Brain. Join the Gryphon Trio and CIFAR fellows Robert Zatorre and Laurel Trainor for an evening of performances and scientific insights revealing music’s connection to consciousness. Hosted by CBC’s Julie Nesrallah. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208; www.cifar.ca/ events/our-musical-brain ; (st). ●●June 09 7:30: Darchei Noam Synagogue. Jews’ Muse: Leonard Bernstein. A mix of lecture, music and discussion with lecturer Rick Phillips as he explores the music of Bernstein - the influences that shaped his music, the impact he left on his times, and his lasting legacy. 864 Sheppard Ave. W. 416-638-4783; http://www.darcheinoam.ca/event/Jewish- Composers . ●●June 13 12:00 noon-1:00: The Study at St. Barnabas Church. Lecture by composer and music theorist Dr. Konrad Harley on the music of Sergei Prokofiev. 361 Danforth Ave. 416-463-1344. Free. Summer Choir Camp Aug. 29 - Sept. 2, 9am-5pm for Girls and Boys, ages 6-16 “Singing, Music Theory, Games, Sports, and Excursions“ Nominal Registration Fee • For details and registration, please visit www.gracechurchonthehill.ca/our-music thewholenote.com June 1, 2016 - September 7, 2016 | 65
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.
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!).
