Loose Blues News
November 1997
The Toronto Blues Society presents the 11th Annual Toronto Blues Society Women’s Blues Revue with vocalists Rory Block, Daisy BeBolt, Molly Johnson, Cheryl Lescom, Alex Pangman, Petergail Williams, and a stellar band featuring musical director/keyboard player Lily Sazz, bassist Suzie Vinnick, drummer Maureen Brown, Lina Allemano on trumpet, and Jane Bunnett and Pat Wheeler on saxophones. See the Rory Block story in this issue for more details on the Women’s Blues Revue, and visit the webpage at www.io.org/~tbs/WBR/97wbr.htm.
Winnipeg Bluescene: Some of you may have noticed a new magazine at the clubs. Bluesscene Quarterly is a Winnipeg publication that is “intended as a vehicle to promote, inform and unite the local blues scenes across Canada, to focus on artists and events within each province and to give our under-recognized blues acts national exposure.” The TBS has undertaken to supply some of the clubs here with copies and they have agreed to distribute our newsletter across the west.
Blues Juno(and all the others) out west: The Juno Awards will be held on March 22 next at GM Place in Vancouver. CARAS made the announcement at a press conference by President Lee Silversides. He said, “CARAS is happy to be taking the JUNO Awards on the road after three years of playing to huge fan-based crowds at Hamilton’s Copps Coliseum. Canadian music has never enjoyed a higher profile at home or abroad.” Juno Award applications are available at the CARAS Office or at the Toronto Blues Society office and have to be filed by November 21.
Bank On It: The Robin Bank$ Blues Band‘s new release Permanent Record, will be officially released in Toronto on Tuesday, November 4th at the Silver Dollar. The party will continue throughout the evening, following a media reception at 6:00pm. The band won their Puck’s Farm studio time through the Toronto Blues Society’s New Blues Talent Search last year leading to a deal with Puck’s in-house label, Acequis Records. They are making Permanent Record available at a special price to TBS Members who call 1-800-621-9177.
Marvalous CIUT: TBS board member and funky soul deejay Marva Jackson is wearing another hat these days, as interim Station Manager at CIUT FM (home of Eddy’s Place). Marva will be there till at least February, and maybe longer.
Blues In Comfort: With the recent success of Mo Rez Blues, Silver Dollar booker Gary Kendall will be promoting more blues shows in the (larger) downstairs room known as The Comfort Zone. This may be the only blues bar in town where you can get a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice ($1.50 extra with shot).
Midland Has The Blues: The Midland Boatworks Restaurant & Bar hopes to be blues central in the Georgian Bay area, with their new Saturday night blues policy. They’re located on the town dock in Midland, tel: 705-526-2125 for lineup details.
A New Generation: Congratulations to first time grandparents Gary and Shirley Kendall, and to mom and pop Sarah Jayne Kendall and Barry Coventry, on the birth of Kadin Roy Kendall, who arrived on October 1st at 11:52pm, weighing in at 9lbs, 13 1/2 oz.
Recording: Alex Pangman, one of our Women’s Blues Revue participants this Nov. 22nd has been busily making demos with her friends, among them Jeff Healey and Tyler Yarema. For now, you’ll have to catch this young newcomer at the WBR in person to hear her special approach to early 20s and 30s tunes. Folk/rock enthusiasts may remember Ray Materick after his string of 6 albums and most remembered hit “Linda, Put The Coffee On”. His latest material has caught the attention of the powers that be at Puck’s Farm recording studio, and the future appears to hold a release for Materick from one of the labels emerging from the Schomberg facility, er barn.
Moving: Torontonians are about to gain the talents of bass player/singer/songwriter Suzie Vinnick without having her travel from Ottawa. Vinnick will be relocating to the Toronto area in the coming months, following her appearance in this year’s TBS Women’s Blues Revue (Nov. 22nd).
News From The Hammer: Hamilton’s Tim Gibbons, formerly with The Trouble Boys to mention only one project, has returned from L.A. after enjoying success with a song called “Lonely One” that was included in the Oscar-winning Sling Blade movie’s soundtrack, and has started a project that’s been appearing around Hamilton lately called The Little Red Blues Band. Watch for a recording by this new group.
Big Day At Ole Miss: Sun Records Man Sam Philips was made the first Honorary Professor Of Southern Studies on October 17 Phillips visited the Center for the Study of Southern Culture with his two sons, Knox and Jerry, Sally Wilborn (his assistant since 1955), and his very charming wife Barbara. He gave a VERY impassioned speech about the importance of music as a great equalizer of racial, social and economic differences, the need to keep music in the curriculum of all schools, at all ages, and many other things. At 74 this guy is very sharp and looking great. Also of interest, his wife, Barbara, was one of the original broadcasters on the “World’s First All-Girl Radio Station,” WHER.
-Lily Sazz, Scott McGraw, John Valenteyn
Musicians Take Note:
Music Directory Canada: The 7th Edition of this comprehensive guide to the Canadian music industry is now available for $34.95. This year’s edition includes new sections on music on the internet, government agencies and recording services, plus e-mail and web addresses for listings when available. For more information or to order call 1-800-265-8481, fax (905) 641-1648, e-mail order@nor.com.
South by Southwest: North America’s largest annual roots-friendly music conference takes place March 18-22 in Austin, Texas. To get a registration form, contact them at SXSW Registration, P.O. Box 4999, Austin, Texas 78765, tel. (512) 467-7979, fax (512) 451-0751, e-mail sxsw@sxsw.com, web site www.swsw.com.
For the last five years, Michel Dubois has been hosting Rue D’Auteuil on CKRL-FM in Quebec City, every Friday night, from 8 to 10. The second hour is 100% blues. If you should be in that area, give it a listen to hear great blues and find out about local live blues in the clubs, etc.
– Lily Sazz, Barbara Isherwood