Toronto Blues Society | » Loose Blues News

Loose Blues News

Published August 5, 2011 in Loose Blues News, News

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 was a main terminus on the Underground Railroad. The festival is a celebration of the lives and contributions of the early Black settlers that came to Canada in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Performers include Harrison Kennedy, Curley Bridges, Kevin Breit, DouglasWatson, Chris & Jesse Whiteley, Miss Angel, Donovan Locke, Diana Braithwaite and guest speaker Pastor Tim Bailey joined by the Mississippi Gospel Singers.
This is the 3rd year for this unique event put together by. The festival is held in the same area that festival founder Diana Braithwaite’s ancestors settled when they first came to Canada through the Underground Railroad.
Don’t miss this outdoor summer festival presenting world class folk, blues, jazz, bluegrass, gospel music and a little history about the Underground Railroad and the early Black pioneers! Tickets are $30.00 for Adults and $10 for youths 14 – 17. Children 12 and under admitted free when accompanied by a parent. More at www.braithwaiteandwhiteley.com/music-festival.html

Concert for Peace: Michael and Louise Pickett present their fourth annual Concert for Peace in their own back yard at Crystal Beach, Sunday September 4. Confirmed performers are Michael Pickett, Dominic Mancuso, D.K. Ibomeka and Hard Ryde. Seating is limited and advance payment guarantees your space. A minimum donation of $35 via PayPal/Credit Card or by cheque payable to Michael Pickett, POB 346, Crystal Beach, ON L0S 1B0. Cheques must be received no later than August 19. A portion of the proceeds goes to Ecojustice.ca (formerly Sierra Legal Defence Fund), Canada’s largest and foremost non-profit environmental law organization. Guests are invited to contribute a small salad/dessert of their choice. More info at www.michaelpickett.com or 289.876.9202

The Rose Outdoor Friday Night Concert Series: The Rose Theatre in Brampton is hosting a free Friday night concert series that begins at 8pm each week. The line-up features Michael Pickett (July 29), Christina Martin (Aug 5), Kevin Breit Trio (Aug 19), Dean McTaggart & Friends w/Suzie Vinnick (Aug 26).

Julian Fauth Recovering: The blues community has rallied to the aid of our favourite piano man, Julian Fauth, winner of several awards – Juno and Maple Blues – who had a nasty fall and broke his right shoulder in four places. This means that as a full-time musician, Julian will not be able to perform for several months and has no means to support himself in addition to paying all the travel/hotel/ambulance expenses for the western tour that never happened. Several benefit concerts have already taken place with more to come. The most recent on Wednesday, July 20th at Hollywood on the Queensway has added to the fund and anyone wishing to pitch in can make a direct donation using PayPal in the amount of $20, $50 or $100 at www.electrofi.com by scrolling down to “Le’ts Give Julian Fauth a Hand” then click on “Find Out How”. You can also mail a cheque (payable to Julian Fauth in care of Electro-Fi Records, 185 Legion Rd. N. Suite 1410, Toronto, ON M8Y 0A1 Electro-Fi is contributing all profits on the sales of Julian’s 2 CD’s and the Blues Piano-Rama CD directly to Julian for the next six months.

Blues Views: We hope you’ve been making it out to some of the great blues festivals that have taken place so far but for those who missed some of their favourite artists you might get lucky and find a video clip on YouTube. Most artists (but not Robert Cray) have resigned themselves to rough-and-ready iPhone videos of their performances appearing online and one has only to search YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook or a number of other purveyors of instant video memorabilia. If you prefer your viewing to be “curated”, long time friend of TBS, Richard Flohil, this year’s recipient of the Blues Foundation’s “Keeping the Blues Alive” Award as Publicist of the Year, has been sending out daily video-links of classic blues & jazz performances, mostly accompanied by personal recollections and anecdotes. To get on his video buddy list, send a note to [email protected]

RIP Tanja Rice: Friend, lover, companion, and mother of Steve Payne’s youngest daughter lost her brave battle against cancer and passed away last week in Bristol, UK. Tanja was a great artist in her own right and swung through Toronto on two or three tours and loved to play those old gospel tunes as well as her original material. Steve writes “Tanja will be cremated in a Tanja -esque ceremony at her request at Canford Crematorium 9 am Fri morning 29 July .. and a party / wake to celebrate her life will be held at the Duke of York pub St Werburghs , 2 Jubilee Rd straight after at 11 am. She requested that no one should turn up dressed in black (unless of course that was their regular dress code ) and that the wake should be a celebration not a sad occasion”

Donate Join TBS Volunteer

©2024 Toronto Blues Society. Design by Janine Stoll Media.
TBS logo and WBR artwork by Barbara Klunder


The Toronto Blues Society acknowledges the annual support of the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council and the Department of Canadian Heritage, and project support from FACTOR< and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s Private Broadcasters, The Canada Council for the Arts, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.