Tag Archives: festival

Jazz Fest in TO! Preview

Hey all, coming soon to a club, bar, stage near you, or where you’ll want to be in a couple weeks is the start of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, running non-stop from June 20th thru June 29th plus a few venues until July 1st, yeah! Canada Day Jazz! Gotta love it.

Every year I’ve been there has been a great selection of jazz, blues, avant, swing, funky, experi, tech, hip-hop, plus a bit of  rock n roll as well, at the numerous Jazz Festival venues around the city, <I think it should be called JaSS, just to encompass all the genre’s>, and this year is no exception!

The festival starts off with Willie Nelson & Family at Massey Hall on Thursday, June 20th. The following day is when things really kick into gear. There is a free Mainstage show at Nathan Philips Square on Friday the 21st, Motown Mania I’ll call it! with Martha Reeves & The Vandellas @ 8pm, then the headliner Smokey Robinson @ 9:30pm. Get there early to get in the tent/seated area, but they will also have speakers and big screens for all to see.

If that’s not your thing, perhaps the Swinging Blackjacks at Grossman’s, or Groove Corporation @ Monarch’s or, or….. the list is incredible! I’m looking at the festival guide now and it’s one of those nights where you wish you could be several places at once, and that’s only the first day!

One of my personal favorites, and many others it would seem, is returning, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue! That’s on June 26th on the Main Stage. Another show I am looking forward to catching is James Cotton. Should be amazing! He brings his band to the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern on Sun June 23rd, could be a late Sunday night, but worth every minute! <coffee will have to take care of Monday>

There are over 60 venues around the city, playing host to 100’s of Canadian and International performers. For all the details, bio’s, schedules, locations and everything Jazz festival related, go to www.torontojazz.com

Here are a few pix from previous Toronto Jazz Festivals to tide you over, enjoy the festival! <click any image to go to their respective gallery>

Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Alan Evans-Soulive

Dubmatix

Janelle Monae

Janelle MonaeBettye Lavette

Soul Rebels

Saidah Baba Talibah

Trombone Shorty

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Tower of Power

Aretha Franklin

 

 

 

Winterfolk XI gets underway Tonight!

Hey All, the annual Blues & Roots festival Winterfolk, gets going today, Friday the 15th, and runs thru till Sunday. The 11th edition of the festival, held at the Delta Chelsea hotel on Gerrard @ Yonge features a ton of performers to see and hear. On Friday night, there will be solo acoustic shows by Al Lerman, Jory Nash, plus the Winterfolk All Star Blues Band with Jack De Keyyzer , Al Lerman and members of Downchild.Jack De Keyzer

Al Lerman

On Saturday, there will be song circles, story telling, and a very long list of performers throughout the day and into the night. Of note, The Wanted, Cris Cuddy Acoustic Unit and also, Grainne will be doing a Live CD recording backed up by Winterfolk alumni Tony Quarrington, organizer Brian Gladstone and others.

The Wanted Richard Henderson

Chris Cuddy Acoustic Unit

Grainne

Continuing on Sunday, more Singer/Songwriter circles and discussion about the music, Jack De Keyzer returns with Danny Marks, Tony Springer, Wendall Ferguson and others for a Guitar Jamboree. The Moonshine cafe showcases their best, plus a special tribute to Phil Ochs, the Songs of Phil Ochs. The ‘Honouring Our Own’ people showcase the talent of Brent Titcomb later in the evening and also my good friend Irene Torres, brings her seductive voice to the main stage as Irene Torres & the Sugar Devils.

Tony Springer

Irene Torres

This is open to all, friends, family, kids and it is mostly free. There are a couple ticketed performances. Everything is under one roof on 4 different stages, the main stage in the Monarch’s Pub, the open Market Garden stage, the Community Club Easy Listening Room stage on the second floor and the intimate up close and personal stage on the 27th floor. I’ll be doing sound in this room on the Friday and Sunday nights and taking pix the rest of the time. Hope to see y’all there!

For all the details, times and a full list of performers, check the main web site at www.winterfolk.com