The Toronto Blues Society has initiated the MapleBlues Awards to take the place of and include the Blues With A Feeling Award that we’ve been presenting since our inception. The Awards will cover 18 categories and all Charter members will receive a ballot. The Awards will be presented at The Montreal Bistro at a Gala Celebration on February 2nd. The first category on the ballot is Recording of the Year.
Rory Block comes to Toronto to take part in the 11th annual TBS Women’s Blues Revue set for Saturday November 22 at the Trinity- St.Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor Street W. at Spadina Ave. Tickets are $16.00 ($12.00 for Toronto Blues Society members) are on sale now at all TicketMaster outlets (870-8000), the Toronto Women’s Bookstore, Page’s Books, Kops Kollectibles, Back Beat and Another Story Books. (Photo by Carla Gahr)
Jacintha Tuku (pictured) is one of 3 sultry vocalists fronting funk and new soul outfit, Blaxam. As past participants in the Women’s Blues Revue, Jacintha, her sister Shakura S’Aida and Shannon Maracle are no strangers to the TBS. Blaxam will back up soul stirrer Jay Douglas and long time blues and soul vocalist, Johnny Wright. Opening the du Maurier Urban Blues Groove are the funk jazz quartet JukeJoint.
Award winning blues superstar Luther Allison died Tuesday, August 12 in Madison, WI, from cancer. The critically acclaimed Allison, who recently won three W.C. Handy Awards (including his second consecutive Blues Entertainer Of The Year award), was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and metastatic brain tumors on July 10. He was 57.
The Toronto Blues Society’s Acoustic Blues: A Kinder, Gentler Blues Concert, brings the talent of James Anthony (pictured at right) to Toronto for an afternoon of acoustic performances, along with Gayle Ackroyd and Dennis Gomo. The event will be held at Harbourfront Centre (Water’s Edge Cafe) on Sept. 28th, beginning at 2 pm.
Johnny Copeland passed away on July 3, 1997, at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Johnny underwent heart surgery a week before his death in order to repair a leaky heart valve. He died from the results of complications from that surgery. His longtime friend and agent Steve Hecht shares his recollections in this tribute.
Alligator Recording artist Corey Harris appears as part of Heinekin Soul ‘n’ Blues on Sunday July 20 at 2pm on the Molson Place Stage. He’s decided to use his degree in anthropology to apply the blues tradition of his ancestors to the problems of today.
Curley Bridges returns to Toronto to play the Heineken Soul ‘n’ Blues Festival at Harbourfront Centre (Brigantine Room, July 19, 6:30-7:30pm). He’s been living and working in Barrie for years now but this appearance should remind Toronto audiences that Curley occupies a unique place in our music history.
Jimmy Witherspoon returns to Toronto as part of the 11th du Maurier Downtown Jazz Festival. He will be re-united with Junior Mance, who recorded with him back in 1969 on a CD that has just been issued on Stony Plain. Spoon plays the Royal Bank Pavillion at Yorkville & Bellair on June 28 at 8:30 pm. Photo by Duke Robillard.
Danny Marks will host the 11th Annual Toronto Blues Society Guitar Workshop Saturday afternoon, March 22 at the Silver Dollar. This popular event will feature Little Ed & Dave Weld from Chicago (appearing at the Dollar that night), Rick Fines, singer-songwriter/bluesman, TBS board member and Jackson Delta man; Mike McKenna, Slidewinder Slide Man; and Philip Sayce, who will represent the younger generation of player at the workshop. Danny is currently working on a CD called Guitarcheology and making regular appearances on CBC Radio doing the “Humline.”
©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.
