Maple Blues Archive

February 2023 – Top Blues

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

January 2023 – Chris Antonik

Chris Antonik started his career as a much in demand side player which grew into his own recording and touring projects, the latest of which is Morningstar (His fourth studio album). A riotous and often genre spanning collection of co-writes, Morningstar stretches the boundaries of the blues, exploring the limits of Chris’ style and creating a compelling sonic landscape.

January 2023 – Steve Hill

After a quarter of a century in the recording industry, there’s very little that Steve Hill hasn’t already done. He started out working the club circuit in his native Montreal, building his brand in a succession of bands, before launching an impressive series of recordings and tours as a one man band that saw him constantly expand his repertoire by adding more and more to the music without expanding the band beyond himself.

January 2023 – Michael Kaeshammer

Over the course of a prolific recording career now spanning 26 years and 13 albums, Vancouver Island-based Michael Kaeshammer has blossomed into a truly multi-faceted artist. The Juno Award winner is a talented singer/songwriter, a virtuoso piano player, a bandleader, and an engaging performer who is now in-demand for theatre concerts across the country.

January 2023 – Blue Moon Marquee

Blue Moon Marquee will perform at The Maple Blues Awards Gala January 30 at Harbourfront Centre

January 2023 – Loose Blues News

Goin’ to Memphis: On Sunday January 15 at 8pm at the Function Bar, 2291 Yonge Street, the TBS presents the IBC “Road To Memphis” Fundraiser Concert with Heather Luckhart, Garnetta & Dagroovmasters and special guest Kenny ‘Blues Boss” Wayne. Tickets are $15 ($10 – TBS Members).

January 2023 – Top Blues

This month’s recommended listening by Brant Zwicker, host/executive producer of At the Crossroads syndicated blues radio

December 2022 – Jake Chisholm

Jake Chisholm  Hands Held High Electro-Fi

I’m not sure which is the bigger surprise – the fact that this Jake Chisholm is the same front man from Jake & The Blue Midnights or that this release is one of the latest from deeply-respected blues label, Electro-Fi Records. Impresario Andrew Galloway’s label has long specialized in traditional, post-war blues but – as the t-shirt reads: “with a foot in the future.” Hence, Galloway’s own vast musical interests are coming to the surface as he adds newfound success stories like Harrison Kennedy and Blackburn to his esteemed catalogue. In other words, Chisholm’s progressive release is a good fit. Likewise, Chisholm has undergone a personal renaissance, moving from horn-fueled swing crooner to bona fide soul-rocker on a mission.

December 2022 – Loose Blues News

REVIVAL 69: The Concert That Rocked the World, showcases never-seen footage and behind-the-scenes stories about a life-altering 1969 one-day music festival at Varsity Stadium where John Lennon performed for the first time without the Beatles, doing an impromptu concert with the Plastic Ono Band, featuring Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Alan White and Klaus Voormann.

December 2022 – Top Blues

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