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This ambitious project, ten years in the making, has suddenly appeared, with shows broadcast on PBS this past month. It is a new exploration of the fledgling recording industry’s series of field trips that documented the amazing breadth of working peoples’ music in the United States in the late 20’s.

CURL is Helen Davies, Susan Johnson & Dee Cooper. They are based on Vancouver Island and Davies is the lead vocalist and plays guitar, with Johnson on bass and Cooper on keyboards. They are joined on this recording by Andy Okell, drums and Jazz Fouladianpour, guitar.

Gary Cain is a Kitchener-based guitarist who, as it says in his press release, has done very little else in his life. But it has led to a guitar style recognized by none other than Lee Ritenour, Cain placing as fourth unsigned blues guitarist in his Six String Theory guitar competition last year, judged by Joe Bonamassa, Ry Cooder and Joe Satriani, among others.

Nick Earle & Joe Coffin were finalists in this year’s East Coast Music Awards with their new disc released in February. They are from St. John’s and while their last disc was as an acoustic duo, these young men (still in school) are now rocking out with a full band. And they’re doing that with some fine original songs.

Florida-born Selwyn Birchwood won it all at the IBCs in 2013 and was signed by Alligator soon afterwards. His first disc, Don’t Call No Ambulance, was very well received, winning several awards. This new album takes him several stages further, with a songwriting variety and musical inventiveness that’s obvious from the getgo.

Multi-award winning recording artist and renowned blues diva Angel Forrest takes the stage with her band at The Opera House on Saturday June 10th at 9pm with special guest roots/blues singer/songwriter Rob Lutes who
will be joined by longtime accompanist, acclaimed Quebec guitarist Rob MacDonald.

Each year, the Toronto Blues Society searches for new and undiscovered Canadian blues talent. This year, we received a great selection of applications. After hours of deliberation, this year’s six finalists have been selected! Admission is Free.

Dawn Tyler Watson plays the Orangeville Bluesfest and the 2017 Women’s Blues Revue

Guy Bélanger’s seventh disc touches on the various projects that this harmonica virtuoso has been involved in over the years. His long time membership in the Bob Walsh Band gets pride of place, the opening “My Dearest Friend” being dedicated to the late singer as indeed is the entire disc.

Guy Davis had long wanted to celebrate the great duo and working with the talented Italian harmonica ace, Fabrizzio Poggio gave him the chance. They call this disc ‘a love letter signed by both of us’.