October 1997

Handy Award-winning Rounder artist Rory Block will appear in the 11th Annual Toronto Blues Society Women’s Blues Revue on November 22nd at Trinity St. Paul’s (427 Bloor St. W). Other confirmed vocalists at press time include Molly Johnson (formerly with the Infidels and Alta Moda), Daisy DeBolt, best known for her long-time association in the successful Fraser & DeBolt duo of the seventies, and Alex Pangman, a young Toronto woman with a penchant for performing traditional 20s & 30s material. Once again under the musical direction of keyboardist Lily Sazz, band members include London’s Margaret Stowe on guitar, Ottawa’s Suzie Vinnick on bass, Maureen Brown on drums – horn section to be announced. See back page for ticket info, etc.

Ken & Chris Whiteley were in blues guitar heaven at this year’s Edmonton Folk Festival. Here they were captured with blues guitar legend Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown as they prepared for a blues guitar workshop Also pictured are Canadian guitar heros Colin Linden (l.), and Amos Garrett (r.).

Mojo Bio: Toronto editor, now author, Sandra Tooze will be celebrating the release of her new biography of blues great Muddy Waters at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Miss. on October 10. Muddy Waters: The Mojo Man is published by ECW Press and will be available at bookstores in Canada, USA and Great Britain. For those who would like a preview, an excerpt is reprinted in the UK mag, Blues & Rhythm (#122) with one to come in Real Blues . If you’re headed to the King Biscuit Blues Fest in Helena, the Delta Blues Museum is just across the Mississippi River. Members of the Morganfield family will be in attendance and music is being provided by Willie Foster and his band. We haven’t seen the book yet, but judging from Sandra’s previous work with the Toronto Blues Society Newsletter and the Toronto Blues News, we can expect a comprehensive and meticulously prepared biography, the first to be published on this blues giant.

Sudbury’s Sunny Fournier has just completed a new CD One More for the Blues to be officially released at the Silver Dollar on Friday October 3. Judging from a 3-song preview cassette, Sunny pulls out all the stops with a hard-hitting horn section and his B.B. King-inspired guitar solos (watch for more details in next month’s Please Release Me section). Jay Douglas is holding a CD release party at Club Paradise, 220 Attwell Ave. on November 14. One of Jay’s compositions, “Sexy Angel” can be heard in the movie Heaven Before I Die, currently playing in town

In the Studio: Toronto blues band Fathead is in the studio this month to record a new album for release in March. Their collaboration with Little Mack Simmons, Little Mack is Back, was recently charted at number 4 in the British publication, Blues & Rhythm Professor Piano (Scott Cushnie) is back from the farm (Puck’s Farm, that is) where he has just completed a follow-up to the Two Pianos, No Waiting CD which continues to get formidable airplay, especially on the CBC, made all the more noticeable because of the immediately recognizable keyboard virtuosity of Scott and Doug “Dr. Music” Riley, who is back on (key)board for Volume Two. The John Marshall Band have been doing the treck from Wasaga Beach to do some recording at SoundAround with producer/engineer Jerry Tupis.

Blues on the Radio: The Dexters new radio series has completed their initial batch of shows which have featured blues artists Rita Chiarelli, Molly Johnson, The Memphis Horns and rockers like Tom Wilson of Junkhouse, Jeff Martin of The Tea Party and the Orbit Room’s main man, Alex Lifeson of Rush. Grammy-winning bluesologist/raconteur/prof Rob Bowman tops off each program with an intimate live interview. Listen for the soon-to-be-syndicated Live from the Orbit Room – The Dexters Present…

Blues Foundation News: The first ever Bluestock national blues convention & showcase will be held on Beale St. in Memphis on Nov. 21-23. It will incorporate the 14th Annual International Blues Talent Competition. Blues bands that did not qualify for the Competition are invited to the showcase, application forms are at the TBS Office, and have to be in by Oct. 15.

Buffalo Shuffle: The Lafayette Tap Room is moving to a new larger home 3 blocks away! Watch this space next month for more details.

– Brian Blain, John Valenteyn

Musicians Take Note:

JUST FOLKS: Do you want to connect with the 24 Ontario folk festivals that happen every summer? The 11th Annual Conference of the OCFF (Ontario Council of Folk Festivals) is scheduled to take place, October 24-26 at the Holiday Inn Conference Centre in Barrie. Special room rates are available and registration ranges from $30 for a Friday day pass to $135 for a non-member full weekend rate. Workshops, seminars, roundtable discussions, showcasing, jam sessions, promotional display booths and a hospitality room will keep everyone fully stimulated. For more info call the OCFF office in Peterborough at 705-741-3686 or July Wilson at [email protected].

CHICAGO AIR PLAY: Guitarist and former Toronto resident Mark Ghent (brother of vocalist Rita di Ghent) is now stationed in Chicago, where in addition to performing on the Windy City’s blues circuit, he hosts a radio show on Rock 104 WYKE FM. He’s offered to play Canadian blues recordings on the “Blues Power Hour” heard Sunday nights 8-9pm. Send your material to Mark Ghent c/o Rock104 WYKE, 2541 Goshen Rd., Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808.

JUNO DEADLINE: Artists, producers, engineers and record companies are reminded to submit their recent recordings for consideration before November 21. Get your forms by calling 416-485-3135 or 888-440-JUNO. The 1998 JUNOs will be presented in Vancouver on March 22.

– Derek Andrews, Barbara Isherwood