Odds and sods from the Toronto blues community and beyond.
- Loose Blues News September 4, 2013
Fathead Gets King: Veteran guitarist Papa John King will be joining Fathead, replacing Teddy Leonard who was playing with the band for 18 of their 21 years. John has played with such notable artists as, Ian Hunter, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Page,M...
- Loose Blues News August 7, 2013
Paul Quarington's Legacy: The Quarrington Arts Society is now being run by Lakehead University in conjunction with the Leacock Museum. Michael Burke of Cordova Bay Records, the label that released albums by Paul Quarington's band, Pork Belly Futures,...
- Loose Blues News July 8, 2013
Musicians Take Note: If your band is ready for the big stage (“market-ready,” as they say), then there are a couple of career development opportunities you should consider: The International Blues Challenge will take place on Beale Street in Mem...
- Loose Blues News June 10, 2013
Taking the Blues uptown: TBS Music Advisory Committee member Lance Anderson wrote and recorded all tracks for a TV special on the Biography channel called ‘The Shaw Festival – Behind the Curtain’ It premiered on Roger’s specialty Biography Chan...
- Loose Blues News April 30, 2013
The Carolina Chocolate Drops will perform at Luminato in a free concert with Corey Harris on Monday, June 17 at 8p.m. in David Picaut Square (formerly Metro Square, next to Roy Thomson Hall). In addition to a busy touring schedule for the band, Chocola...
- Loose Blues News April 3, 2013
Supporting Blues for Youth: Music By The Bay Festival - Canada's Only Festival for Musicians Under 21 is presenting "An Evening with Steve Strongman & Friends at the Pickering Recreation Complex, 1867 Valley Farm Road on Friday April 12, Opening th...
- Loose Blues News March 14, 2013
In the Studio (and back to the beach): Toronto blueswoman Robin Banks has just returned to her Jamaican retreat following recording sessions at Lakewest Studio in Rhode Island which is owned and engineered by Duke Robillard's manager, Jack Gaithier. Th...
- Loose Blues News February 5, 2013
Aurora Winter Blues: The 2nd Annual Aurora Winter Blues Festival takes place on Saturday March 2, 2013 at the Aurora Theatre featuring Steve Strongman, The 24th Street Wailers and Little Bobby and the Jumpstarts. Tickets for the event, which benefits B...
- Loose Blues News December 27, 2012
Coming Soon: The five-time Juno-winning Vancouver blues/roots guitarist and producer Steve Dawson confirmed the news that he will be relocating to Toronto in the new year. Dawson helms label Black Hen Music and has produced the likes of Kelly Joe Phe...
- Loose Blues News December 3, 2012
Canada's Biggest Blues Fan Contest: Do you think you just might be the biggest blues fan in Canada? We want to see why you think so! Send us a photo of what you think best represents something great about the blues. It could be a picture of a prized re...
- Loose Blues News November 1, 2012
Christmas is Coming: Ken Whiteley is in the recording studio mixing his new CD, entitled The Light of Christmas, which will be released in November. This fabulous new recording contains over half original Ken Whiteley material and does not include a b...
- Loose Blues News October 16, 2012
Jordan John’s Signs: Multi-Instrumentalist Jordan John has signed a historic five album record deal with legendary Canadian composer/producer and chairman of Verve Records, David Foster. The 26 year old musician was first brought to Foster’s atte...
- Loose Blues News August 30, 2012
Guitar Winner: Congratulations to Fred Faenza, winner of the Great Guitar Giveaway. Fred will take home a beautiful Epiphone acoustic guitar from Long & McQuade. Thanks to all who participated in the draw. All proceeds go to help finance the TBS o...
- Loose Blues News July 30, 2012
Jordan John breaking out: Jordan John has a busy summer schedule whether it be a regular gig on Monday’s at Toronto’s Wilson 96 or opening for country legends Roy Clark and Charlie McCoy at the Burlington Country and Blues Festival ... playing solo...
- Loose Blues News June 28, 2012
15th Annual Blues Bash: The Markham Jazz Festival is organizing their 15th Annual Blues Bash Thursday August 16th at 8:00PM. The event takes place at the Flato Markham Theatre 171 Town Center Blvd. in Markham, Ontario. This year’s line-up is a who...
- Loose Blues News June 6, 2012
Digital Dollars wraps up: Starting back in January, the Digital Dollars Seminars brought together expert speakers from all over North America who shared strategies and tips on the handling of digital sales, distribution and marketing of music. They dis...
- Loose Blues News April 25, 2012
Bringing It Back To Grossman's is the title of a fund raiser taking place on Tuesday, May 29th to establish The Amy Louie, Grossman`s Music Scholarship. The event will feature performances by Donnie"Mr. Downchild"Walsh, Danny Marks, Jerome Godboo, La...
- Loose Blues News April 3, 2012
Benefit Concert for Jeff Healey Park: Friends of the late Jeff Healey will be performing a benefit to make Etobicoke’s Jeff Healey Park more accessible for disabled children. On Thursday April 12 at 9pm, Sound Academy (11 Polson St) will host artists...
- Loose Blues News March 8, 2012
Talking Music at Toronto Public Libraries: Holger Petersen, the founding owner of Stony Plain Records and longtime host of CBC’s Saturday Night Blues, Petersen is one of the country’s most trusted authorities on all things blues. In this foray into...
- Loose Blues News January 31, 2012
Blues at the Trane: This mostly-jazz venue (one of the few still standing) is launching a bi-weekly residency featuring the blues infused grooves of the Son Roberts Band with special guests. NuBlue Mondays will take place every second Monday and the in...
- Loose Blues News December 29, 2011
January 2012 - Vol. 28, No. 1 WBR on the Air: 25th Annual Women’s Blues Revue on CBC: Highlights from the 25th Annual Toronto Blues Society Women’s Blues Revue at Massey Hall are streaming right now on CBC Radio 2’s Concerts on Demand: http://...
- Loose Blues News December 26, 2011
December 2012 - Vol. 27, No. 11 MBA Voting open to Dec 10. Voting for the Maple Blues Awards is closing Saturday December 10 at midnight PST, so get your votes in today! Vote at www.mapleblues.ca. For more information on voting, visit http...
- Loose Blues News November 4, 2011
November 2011 - Vol. 27, No. 11 Sleepwalk Guitar Festival Update: Six Shooter Records presents the inaugural Sleepwalk Guitar Festival, an education and celebration of all things guitar. Curated by Luke Doucet, Sleepwalk Guitar Festival brings toget...
- Loose Blues News October 4, 2011
October 2011 - Vol. 27, No. 10 Maple Blues Awards Hosts Announced! The hosts for the 15th annual Toronto Blues Society Maple Blues Awards are Treasa Levasseur and Shakura S’Aida! For a third consecutive year, the award show takes place in Koerner ...
- Loose Blues News September 2, 2011
September 2011 - Vol. 27, No. 9 CKLN on the move: Although no longer on the fm dial, nor housed at Ryerson University, the blues lives on at CKLN.FM. “We’ve always been on the internet as well, so now we carry on that long history and following ...
- Loose Blues News August 5, 2011
August 2011 - Vol. 27, No. 8 Third Year for Underground Railroad Music Festival: The Underground Railroad Music Festival returns this year, taking place in Drayton at Centennial Park on August 13, Noon-7pm. Drayton is in the region of Ontario that w...
- Loose Blues News July 7, 2011
July 2011 - Vol. 27, No. 7 Elwood Goes to the Races: Dan Aykroyd will serve as Grand Marshal for the July 10 Honda Indy Toronto, which marks the 25th year of racing in the streets of Toronto. "I'm delighted to be a part of an event with so much his...
- Loose Blues News June 14, 2011
June 2011 - Vol. 27, No. 6 Julian Fauth update: The hardest working bluesman in this town is going to be out of work for the next while and friends and fans are coming to the rescue. On the eve of his Western Canadian tour, Julian took a very seriou...
- Loose Blues News April 29, 2011
May 2011 - Vol. 27, No. 5 Little Miss Higgins wins Independent Music Award: Little Miss Higgins, guitarist/singer Jolene Higgins and guitarist Foy Taylor, won in the Blues category for their album “Across The Plains.” Little Miss Higgins is cu...
- Loose Blues News April 7, 2011
April 2011 - Vol. 27, No. 4 Overheard at the JUNOs: Watch for a new Morgan Davis album due shortly on Electro-Fi Records. Looks like the new Monkey Junk album will be coming out on Stony Plain. Other upcoming releases on SP will be albums by Kevi...
- Loose Blues News March 21, 2011
March 2011 - Vol. 27, No. 3 Congratulations to Buddy Guy, Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on their Grammy awards and also to the winners of this year's International Blues Challenge: 1st Place: The Lionel Young Band (Colorado Blues...
- Loose Blues News March 18, 2011
December 1997 [caption id="attachment_1417" align="alignright" width="294" caption="Alabama Red"][/caption]Electro-Fi recording artist Alabama Red will perform at The Silver Dollar Room Saturday, Dec. 13 with The Signifying Monkey. He's in town r...
- Loose Blues News February 11, 2011
Canadian Invasion | Jimmy's Jam | Women's Blues Revue Broadcast | Etta Ailing
- Loose Blues News January 27, 2011
More Blues on the Radio | Congratulations | Doctor of the Blues Honoured | RIP Robin Rogers | The Return of the Single? | Brian Blain | Gary Kendall
- Loose Blues News December 13, 2010
Congratulations to Harrison Kennedy | Holiday Blues Parties | Matt Andersen | Nominations for the 11th Annual Canadian Independent Music Awards - "The Indies" - are now open | Folk Alliance Honours Jac Holzman
- Loose Blues News November 5, 2010
Remembering Solomon Burke | Honouring Our Own | Blues on the East Side | The Healing Power of the Blues in Action | The Blues Bookshelf | Hamilton Rising Star Award
- Loose Blues News September 30, 2010
Mississippi River Salon | Doc MacLean Tours Coast To Coast | Paul Sanderson, Photographer | Willie P. Bennett Honoured | Whiteboy Slim wins honourable mention | Duck Season | Congratulations to James Doran | Hamilton Music Awards
- Loose Blues News September 1, 2010
TBS Melody Bar Blues Series | Love harps? Join Massive Harp Attack! | Musicians Take Notre | Rita behind bars | Grit Laskin receives OCFF’s 2010 Estelle Klein Award | Songwriting For Dummies | Call for Volunteers
- Loose Blues News November 1, 1997
November 1997 [caption id="attachment_1419" align="alignright" width="193" caption="Women's Blues Revue 1997"][/caption] The Toronto Blues Society presents the 11th Annual Toronto Blues Society Women's Blues Revue with vocalists Rory Bloc...
- Loose Blues News October 1, 1997
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 Joh...
- Loose Blues News September 1, 1997
October 1997 Miss Lavelle White, after some 30 years in the business, is coming to sing the blues at the Silver Dollar on September 4. She got her start in Houston in the `50's, recording for Duke Records and writing songs. She has since bee...
- Loose Blues News August 1, 1997
August 1997 Kenny Wayne [caption id="attachment_1430" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Kenny Wayne"][/caption]Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne can be seen at the Mont Tremblant Blues Festival August 1-3, the Silver Dollar Room August 9, at Hamil...
- Loose Blues News July 1, 1997
July 1997 Boston singer-songwriter Les Sampou will take the stage at the Heineken Soul 'n' Blues Festival at Harbourfront on Sun. July 20th (1pm & 3pm). Sampou's new album on Rounder Records' Flying Fish label explores her own life experienc...
- Loose Blues News June 1, 1997
June 1997 Robin Bank$, the winner of last year's talent search, will be guesting with Fathead as part of the TBS collaboration with du Maurier Downtown Jazz this year. The Friday afternoon (5:30pm)event is part of the opening of the Festival and w...
- Loose Blues News May 1, 1997
May 1997 B.B. King's now annual festival package is scheduled to hit the Molson Amphitheatre on September 3rd. The only other info on the package that we know at press time is that Jimmy Vaughan is part of it. TV BLUES: Bravo! Canada's progra...
- Loose Blues News April 1, 1997
April 1997 Sue Foley cruises back into to Toronto for a club date at the Silver Dollar on Saturday, April 5. This is her first appearance in town since she participated in the 1995 TBS Women's Blues Revue. Since then, her new album, Walk In The Su...
- Loose Blues News March 1, 1997
March 1997 The Silver Dollar Room presents legendary guitarist Duke Robillard on Sunday, March 9 for a special dinner and show package. Cost for both is $20, $12 for show only. Robillard has recorded with greats like Kim Wilson, Johnny Adams and J...
- Loose Blues News February 1, 1997
February 1997 JUNO: The five Juno nominees for the blues and gospel award this year are Fire by Tongues of Fire, Sixteen Shades of Blues, The Whiteley Brothers, If My Daddy Could See Me Now, Johnny V, Right To Sing The Blues, Long John Baldry an...
