Toronto Blues Society | » Maple Blues Archive

August 2022 – Jay Douglas

Published July 28, 2022 in John's Blues Picks

My two major intersections with Jay are touchstones of his career that tell you a lot of about his Jamaican roots. In the nineties I was able to connect Jay with one of his inspirations in a Harbourfront Centre Soul ’n Blues concert with Memphis soul master Rosco Gordon. This revealed how much American radio travelled into Jay’s youth in Jamaica. Sadly Rosco passed away only a couple years later. Our second occasion was a more obvious Jamaican collision given that guitar innovator Ernest Ranglin was at the heart of reggae, ska, mento and his own blend of jazz.

MORE

August 2022 – Top Blues

Published July 28, 2022 in Top Blues

This month’s recommended listening by Brad Wheeler, music writer for the Globe and Mail Twitter: @bwheelerglobe

MORE

August 2022 – Loose Blues News

Published July 28, 2022 in Loose Blues News

Festival Fever: If you didn’t get to a summer blues festival yet, the night is young. Coming up August 4, the world-class Kitchener finds its legs and even though it might not have the long list of American superstars that we have seen pre-pandemic, they’re bringing in a slew of top-notch blues greats from the States and beyond

MORE

August 2022 – Sandra Bouza

Published July 28, 2022 in Maple Blues Newsletter

Sandra Bouza plays Blues Mondays at Union Station August 15

MORE

25th Annual Maple Blues Awards

Published July 26, 2022 in Maple Blues Archive, Maple Blues Awards Archive

The 25th Annual Maple Blues Awards took place on Monday, June 20, 2022, at Koerner Hall in Toronto.

MORE

July 2022 – Steve Marriner

Published June 30, 2022 in Maple Blues Newsletter

Steve Marriner Swept The Maple Blues Awards taking home four

MORE

July 2022 – Hogtown Allstars

Published June 27, 2022 in John's Blues Picks

The Hogtown Allstars is not just a group of musicians all having a high level of performance in their field, in effect a musical All Star team. They are all well established artists in their own right, with a musical pedigree that some players could only dream of having. Each player in this band is an award winner that represents the finest in his chosen instrument.

MORE

July 2022 – Steve Strongman

Published June 27, 2022 in John's Blues Picks

Over the course of seven previous albums, Hamilton guitar slinger and singer/songwriter Steve Strongman has steadily climbed the Canadian blues ladder. He’s the winner of a Juno (in the 2013 Album of the Year category) and multiple Maple Blues awards, and his signing to Stony Plain/Linus Entertainment in 2020 is further fuelling his career ascent.

MORE