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Volume 27 Issue 2 - November 2021

  • Text
  • November
  • Toronto
  • Symphony
  • Jazz
  • Musical
  • December
  • Choir
  • Orchestra
  • Album
  • Quartet
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  • Thewholenote.com
Live events on the up and up while creative live-and livestreamed hybrids continue to shine. October All-star Sondheim's Follies at Koerner Hall headlines the resurgence; Zoprana Sadiq brings MixTape to Crow's Theatre; Stewart Goodyear and Jan Lisiecki bring piano virtuosity back indoors; Toronto Mendelssohn Choir's J-S Vallee in action; TSO finds itself looking at 60 percent capacities ahead of schedule. All this and more as we we complete our COVID-13 -- a baker's dozen of issues since March 2020. Available here in flipthrough, and on stands commencing this weekend.

Events by Date | October

Events by Date | October 27 to December 17, 2021 Wednesday December 8 ● 12:30: ORGANIX Concerts. Imre Olah, Organ. All Saints Kingsway Anglican Church, 2850 Bloor St. W. 416-571-3680 or organixconcerts.ca. Freewill offering - suggested. ● 2:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. TSO Holiday Pops. Ryan Silverman, vocalist; Steven Reineke, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375 or 1-855-593- 7769. Starting at , Matinee starting at . Also Dec 7(8pm); Dec 8(8pm); Dec 9(8pm). Thursday December 9 ● 7:00: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Imagine Online Festival: Kingston Jazz. Room Tone, Chantal Thompson. 613-533-2424 or ibcpaboxoffice@queensu.ca. Free. ONLINE ● 8:00: Art of Time Ensemble. To All A Good Night 6. Duke Ellington: Nutcracker Suite for Big Band; and works by Stevie Wonder, John Prine, Stephen Colbert, and Elvis Costello. Jackie Richardson, Jessica Mitchell, Liam Russell, David Wall, and Tom Wilson. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. artoftimeensemble.com or 416-408-0208. Free. In-person seating is limited. LIVE & LIVESTREAM December 9 at 8 pm GRYPHON TRIO with DAVID HARDING ● 8:00: Music Toronto. Gryphon Trio with David Harding. Brahms: Piano Trio No.1 in B Op.8; Ryan: New Work (world premiere); Student compositions from the Earl Haig/Claude Watson program; Dvořák: Piano Quartet in E-flat Op.87. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-366-7723. .50-. ● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. TSO Holiday Pops. Ryan Silverman, vocalist; Steven Reineke, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375 or 1-855-593- 7769. Starting at , Matinee starting at . Also Dec 7(8pm); Dec 8(2pm). Friday December 10 ● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Music Mix & Canada on Stage Series: Ashley Macisaac with special guest Jully Black. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416- 408-0208 or rcmusic.com/performance. -. Proof of vaccination required. ● 8:00: Sinfonia Toronto. Beethoven @251: Happy Birthday! Coleridge-Taylor: Fantasiestücke; Chopin: Piano Concerto No.1; Beethoven: Symphony No.8. Dmitri Levkovich, piano; Nurhan Arman, conductor. Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. In person 416-366-7723; virtual 416-499-0403 or sinfoniatoronto.com. In-person: .97; .06(sr); .96(st); Livestream: . LIVE & ONLINE Saturday December 11 ● 7:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Imagine Online Festival: Minerva by Suzanne Pasternak. Isabel Digital Concert Hall, 613-533-2424 or ibcpaboxoffice@queensu.ca. Free. ONLINE ● 8:00: Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. In Concert. Richardson-Schulte: The Hockey Sweater; Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite; Violin Concerto. Martin MacDonald, guest conductor; Eva Lesage, violin. P.C. Ho Theatre, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E., Scarborough. 416-879-5566 or cathedralbluffs.com or cbsoboxoffice@gmail.com. -; - (sr/st); Free(under 12). ● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Jazz From Around the World Series: Alfredo Rodríguez & Pedrito Martinez Group. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408- 0208 or rcmusic.com/performance. - 5. Proof of vaccination required. Sunday December 12 ● Against the Grain Theatre/Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah/Complex. Performed in Arabic, Dene, English, French, Inuktitut, and Southern Tutchone. Handel: Messiah. Jonathon Adams, Looee Arreak, Spencer Britten, Rihab Chaieb, Deantha Edmunds, singers; Le Choeur Louisbourg; Halifax Camerata Singers; Toronto Mendelssohn Choir; University of Prince Edward Island Chamber Chorus; and other performers; Johannes Debus; conductor; Joel Ivany and Reneltta Arluk, co-directors. Register at bit.ly/messiahcomplex2021. Available until Jan 9, 2022. ONLINE ● 3:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Invesco Piano Concerts & Canada on Stage Series: Jan Lisiecki. All Chopin program: Études and Nocturnes. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or rcmusic.com/performance. -5. Proof of vaccination required. Tuesday December 14 ● 7:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Preludes for Piano. Preludes by Chopin and Burge. Philip Chiu, piano. 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-533-2424 or ibcpaboxoffice@queensu.ca. -; free(online). Proof of vaccination required. LIVE & ONLINE Wednesday December 15 ● 12:30: ORGANIX Concerts. Hanné Becker, Organ. Our Lady Of Sorrows Catholic Church, 3055 Bloor St. W. 416-571-3680 or organixconcerts.ca. Freewill offering - suggested. ● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah. Anna-Sophie Neher, soprano; Rihab Chaieb, mezzo; Spencer Britten, tenor; Stephen Hegedus, bass-baritone; Toronto Mendelssohn Choir; Simon Rivard, RBC Resident Conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375 or 1-855-593- 7769. Starting at . Also Dec 17, 18-3pm & 8 pm, 19-3pm. Thursday December 16 ● 7:00: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Imagine Online Festival: Classical and Beyond. Grieg: Hall of the Mountain King, Ballade in g Op.24; Bach: French Overture; Works by Bach, Mattheis and Biber. Sheng Cai, Leonid Nediak, piano; Paelnai Duo; Chloe Kim, violin; Bryn Lutek, percussion. Isabel Digital Concert Hall. 613-533-2424 or ibcpaboxoffice@queensu.ca. Free. ● 7:30: Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts. TD Jazz Series: Pavlo: Home For The Holidays. Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722 or 289-868-9177. ; (st/ youth with id). ● 8:00: Tafelmusik. A Tafelmusik Christmas. Bach: Sanctus in D; Bach: “Christum wir sollen loben schon” from Cantata 21; Bach: Kyrie, Gloria & Cum sancto from Lutheran Mass in G; Stradella: Sinfonia from Cantata per il Santissimo Natale; Charpentier: Agnus Dei from Messe de minuit; works by Berlioz, Poulenc, Pasquini, Handel; and Christmas Carols. Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, Ivars Taurins, conductor. info@tafelmusik.org or 1-833-964- 633. ONLINE Friday December 17 ● 12:00 noon: Music at Met. Friday Noon at Met Concert Series. Featuring guest singers and music for the holiday season. Dr. Patricia Wright, organ. Metropolitan United Church (Toronto), 56 Queen St. E. metunited.ca/live. Free. LIVE & STREAMED ● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. Yuletide Spectacular. Evan Mitchell, conductor. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. -0 per stream. Available Dec 17-8pm to Dec 19-11:59pm. Purchase 1 stream per household. ONLINE ● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah. Anna-Sophie Neher, soprano; Rihab Chaieb, mezzo; Spencer Britten, tenor; Stephen Hegedus, bass-baritone; Toronto Mendelssohn Choir; Simon Rivard, RBC Resident Conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375 or 1-855-593-7769. Starting at . Also Dec 15, 18(3pm & 8 pm), 19(3pm). Still Available Online ● Arts@Home. A vibrant hub connecting Torontonians to arts and culture. Designed to strengthen personal and societal resilience through the arts. artsathome.ca. ● Canadian Opera Company. In Concert: Russell Braun and Tamara Wilson with the COC Orchestra. Verdi: Overture to La forza del destino; Wagner: Dich, teure Halle from Tannhäuser; Verdi: Tutto è deserto... Il balen del tuo sorriso from Il trovatore; Bizet: Entr’acte to Act III of Carmen; Offenbach: Scintille, diamant from Les Contes d’Hoffmann; and other works. Russell Braun, baritone; Tamara Wilson, soprano; Canadian Opera Company Orchestra; Johannes Debus, conductor. coc.ca/watch. Free with COC digital membership. Available until March 31, 2022. ONLINE ● Capella Regalis Men & Boys Choir. Choral Concerts. A number of concerts are available at youtube.com/capellaregalis ● Confluence Concerts. Bach Cello Suites: Part 2. Bach: Cello Suites No.4 in E-flat BWV1010 & No.6 in D BWV1012. Keiran Campbell, cello; Elinor Frey, violincello piccolo. confluenceconcerts.ca. YouTube premiere Oct 29. A limited number of tickets available for in-person attendance. ONLINE ● Humbercrest United Church. If Music Be the Food of Love. 416-767-6122 or humbercrest.ca. Free. Available on the Humbercrest website following the concert. ● Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. Parade on Bourbon Street. Michael Kaeshammer, piano; Lucas Waldin, conductor. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. -0 per stream. Available until Oct 17(11:59pm). Purchase 1 stream per household. ONLINE ● Recollectiv: A unique musical online meeting group made up of people affected by memory challenges caused by illness (such as dementia) or brain injury (stroke, PTSD, etc.) and their care partners. Volunteers of all ages also form part of the band, providing a positive intergenerational experience for all. Participation is free with pre-registration. Email info@recollectiv.ca for meeting times, information and registration. Blogs, Podcasts, Streaming ● Kevin Barrett. Live from Lockdown. Kevin Barrett does a live-streamed set of solo guitar tunes, coming directly from his Lockdown studio. Tune in to Kevin’s Facebook page on Friday at 4pm at facebook.com/kevin. barrett.165470 ● Royal Conservatory of Music. Music of My Life. Available at royalconservatory.live/ music-of-my-life. Free. ONLINE ● Royal Conservatory of Music. Academic Performances. Available at royalconservatory.live/academic-performances. Free. ONLINE 28 | November 2021 thewholenote.com

In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz) MAINLY CLUBS, MOSTLY JAZZ Burdock 1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033 burdockto.com Cameron House 408 Queen St. W. 416-703-0811 thecameron.com Castro’s Lounge 2116 Queen St. E. 416-699-8272 castroslounge.com Oct 29 5:30pm Little Magic Sam. Oct 30 3pm Danie Friesen Opera Revue. Oct 31 3pm Jillian Bunting. Nov 5 5:30pm Fraser and Daley. Nov 6 3pm Lily Frost and Thelonious Hank, 6pm Thelonious Hank. Nov 11 6pm Mike Danley and Mike McKenna. Nov 19 5:30pm Fraser and Daley. Nov 20 6pm Thelonious Hank. Dec 3 5:30pm Fraser and Daley. Dec 4 3pm Lily Frost and Thelonious Hank, 6pm Thelonious Hank. C’est What 67 Front St. E. 416-867-9499 cestwhat.com Emmet Ray, The 924 College St. 416-792-4497 theemmetray.com All shows at 8:00 PM, unless otherwise noted. Oct 25 Maddie Zeidenberg Quintet. Oct 26 Andy Sharp Series feat. David Backshell. Oct 27 Matilda Armstrong w/ Josh Sparks. Oct 28 Phil Tessis Series. Oct 29 Jenna Marie Pinard. Oct 31 Harry Bartlett Halloween Special: Music from Twin Peaks. Grossman’s Tavern 379 Spadina Ave. 416-977-7000 grossmanstavern.com Oct 27 8:30pm Action Sound Band w/ Leo Valvassori and Eric Schenkman. Oct 30 3pm The Happy Pals. Oct 31 3pm New Orleans Connection All Star Band. Hirut Cafe and Restaurant 2050 Danforth Ave. 416-551-7560 hirut.ca Home Smith Bar – See Old Mill, The Hugh’s Room 2261 Dundas St. W 416-533-5483 hughsroom.com Oct 27 8pm Dione Taylor Live. Nov 6 8pm Paul James Bob Dylan Tribute. Jazz Bistro, The 251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299 jazzbistro.ca Oct 26 8pm Ilana Waldston. Oct 27 6pm John Russon’s Club 350 Jam Session, 9pm Virginia MacDonald Band. Oct 28 9pm James Brown Album Release. Oct 29 5:3pm Aleef Mehdi Ensembles. Oct 29 9pm Eliana Cuevas Group. Oct 30 9pm Ted Quinlan Quartet. Jazz Room, The Located in the Huether Hotel, 59 King St. N., Waterloo. 226-476-1565 kwjazzroom.com All shows at 8:00 PM unless otherwise noted. Oct 29 Tenor Tribute with Jakob Durst Quartet. Oct 30 Shirantha Beddage. Nov 5 Wapama. Nov 6 Barry Elmes Quintet. Nov 12 The Phoenix Jazz Band. Nov 13 Rich Brown and the Abeng. Nov 19 Button Factory Band. Nov 20 Joel Haynes Quartet. Nov 27 Elena Kapeleris. Dec 4 Rebecca Hennessy’s Makeshift Island. Dec 10 Mary-Catherine Pazzano. Dec 11 Pat LaBarbera Quartet. Dec 17 Tom Nagy’s Christmas Experience. Dec 18 Jason White Christmas Special. Lula Lounge 1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307 lula.ca Oct 28 8pm Champeta Party with Soukustek. Oct 29 8pm Cuban Fridays w/ Jorge Betancourt Y To’Esta Rico. Oct 30 8pm Salsa Hallowe’en w/ Sean Bellaviti and Adis Rodriguez. Nov 11 8pm Dominique Fils-Aimé. Nov 20 8pm Salsa Saturday w/ Lengaïa Salsa Brava. Dec 10 8pm Salseros with Attitude. Manhattans Pizza Bistro & Music Club 951 Gordon St., Guelph 519-767-2440 manhattans.ca Oct 28 6:30pm Kat Steeves. Oct 29 7pm Parker Wilson Duo. Oct 30 7pm Charlie Cooley and Stan Chang. Mezzetta Restaurant 681 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-658-5687 mezzettarestaurant.com Monarch Tavern 12 Clinton St. 416-531-5833 themonarchtavern.com Nice Bistro, The 117 Brock St. N., Whitby. 905-668-8839 nicebistro.com Old Mill, The 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-236-2641 oldmilltoronto.com The Home Smith Bar: Pilot Tavern, The 22 Cumberland Ave. 416-923-5716 thepilot.ca Poetry Jazz Café 224 Augusta Ave. 416-599-5299 poetryjazzcafe.com Reposado Bar & Lounge 136 Ossington Ave. 416-532-6474 reposadobar.com Reservoir Lounge, The 52 Wellington St. E. 416-955-0887 reservoirlounge.com Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar, The 194 Queen St. W. 416-598-2475 therex.ca Oct 24 5:30pm Madeleine Ertel, 8:30pm Joel Haynes Group. Oct 25 5:30pm U of T Student Jazz Ensembles, 8:30pm Joel Haynes Group. Oct 26 5:30pm Laura Hubert Band, 8:30pm Chris Gale Hosts the Classic Rex Jazz Jam. Oct 27 5:30pm Nathan Hiltz Quartet, 8:30pm Allison Au Quartet. Oct 28 5:30pm Matt Woroshyl, 8:30pm Allison Au Quartet. Oct 29 5:30pm Jeff Halischuk Group, 8:30pm Allison Au Quartet. Oct 30 5:30pm Neon Continued from page 21 Mark Kelso, in trio format, on the first two nights; and Farrugia, drummer Larnell Lewis and saxophonist Luis Deniz in quartet format on the second two evenings. From November 10 to 13, saxophonist Mike Murley appears with his quartet, featuring guitarist Reg Schwager, bassist Jim Vivian and drummer Ethan Ardelli, with special guest trumpeter Kevin Turcotte on November 12 and saxophonist Tara Davidson on November 13. From November 17 to 20, Andrew Downing’s Otterville project takes the stage, with Downing on cello, Tara Davidson on saxophone, Michael Davidson on vibraphone, Paul Mathew on bass, and Nick Fraser on drums. Finally, the Carn / Davidson 9 plays from November 24 to 27, with trombonist Will Carn and saxophonist Tara Davidson joined by saxophonists Kelly Jefferson and Shirantha Beddage, trumpeters Jason Logue and Kevin Turcotte, trombonist Christian Overton, bassist Andrew Downing and drummer Ernesto Cervini. The Rex (2): In addition to the Juno Series, whose time slots are primarily occupied by older, more established musicians, The Rex has returned to the convention of booking once-a-week monthly series, which are mostly filled by younger, early-to-mid-career artists. One of the most exciting of these is saxophonist/vocalist Emily Steinwall, who has created a niche for herself in Canada’s jazz and creative music scene as a powerful saxophonist, compelling vocalist and masterful performer. In March 2021, Steinwall released the album Welcome to the Garden, a beautiful, evocative collection of original music. In November – on Tuesdays at 5:30pm – she switches gears, returning to her jazz roots with pianist Ewen Farncombe, bassist Roberto Occhipinti, drummer Mark Kelso and a few special guests: guitarist Jocelyn Gould, on November 2 and 16; clarinetist Virginia MacDonald, on November 23 ; and drummer Eric West, on November 9. As Steinwall puts it, the group is “going to be playing a lot of standard repertoire that everyone involved has been playing on for many years, so it will mostly be an arena for us to explore, have fun and take some risks.” The Rex will provide “a place to push ourselves, in that moment of spontaneous creative impulse, all while grooving and having tons of fun.” Dominique Fils-Aimé Lula Lounge: On Thursday, November 11, the Montreal-based singer Dominique Fils-Aimé will play at Lula Lounge. Fils-Aimé – whose album Stay Tuned! won the 2020 Vocal Jazz Album of the Year – has a compelling, nuanced vocal presence, and has been steadily gaining a following both in Canada and internationally. Her most recent album, Three Little Words, made the short list for the Polaris Prize (always a marker of serious crossover potential) and has been mentioned in major journals such as The New Yorker, drawing equally from soul, R&B and jazz influences. The show at Lula Lounge follows an October European tour, with stops in France, Norway and Sweden. For fans and for the uninitiated curious, the show should be a good opportunity to experience her work. Lula Lounge will offer assigned seating, making use of its large space to ensure that guests are distanced and that all COVID-19 protocols are followed – a good live show for those who are not yet quite ready for the shoulder-to-shoulder experience of a smaller venue! Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in Toronto. He can be reached at www.colinstory.com, on Instagram and on Twitter. LA PTITE PHOTOGRAPHE thewholenote.com November 2021 | 29

Volumes 21-25 (2015-2020)

Volumes 16-20 (2010-2015)

Volumes 11-15 (2004-2010)

Volumes 6 - 10 (2000 - 2006)

Volumes 1-5 (1994-2000)