JUST ANNOUNCED Last week, we announced the Jazz at Massey Hall series for our 2013-2014 season. We’re excited for what promises to be a really engaging season of music at storied Massey Hall, home of the “Greatest Jazz Concert Ever” and some other seriously impressive collaborations. This year’s season is decidedly one of collaboration and dynamic teamwork within the genre. The series kicks off with Wayne Shorter 80th Birthday Celebrationfeaturing the Wayne Shorter Quartet with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade as well as ACS, a trio made up of Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Esperanza Spalding (whom we were just wowed by at Massey Hall last month). ACS will perform works from Shorter’s mid-career days with Weather Report. The second of four concert events in the series is a return engagement by Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis performing a very special Big Band Holidays concert in December. February brings The Spring Quartet featuring the impressive talents of Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano, Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genovese. Finally, the series concludes with a performance by Brad Mehldau Trio in April. Details on all four concerts and CONTINUE READING >
JUST ANNOUNCED Last week in their budget, the Government of Ontario committed $8 million toward the revitalization of Massey Hall. As we noted in the March 26 edition of the Buzz, the Old Lady of Shuter Street is looking forward to this revitalization thanks to the pending transfer of land by MOD Developments (announced in 2012). You can read the Corporation’s statement on the Province joining the Government of Canada and the City of Toronto in supporting the preservation of Massey Hall’s legacy here.
WEB WATCH
Yesterday was Music Monday in Canada – a day that “celebrate[s] the galvanizing power of music in Canada and demonstrate[s] how that power is rooted in school music programs” championed by the Coalition for Music Education. This year was a particularly out-of-this-world edition as the official Music Monday song was co-written by Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies and Chis Hadfield of the International Space Station (the actual Space Station – even though it sounds like some hip new band). CBC Music has CONTINUE READING >
JUST ANNOUNCED This past week we announced the upcoming return of the Royal Canadian Military Institute to Roy Thomson Hall’s stage for the 24th Annual Massed Military Band Spectacular on October 27. This year’s theme is New Beginnings, Honoured Traditions and the concert promises an afternoon filled with your favourite marches and fanfares as well as contemporary tunes all performed by more than 120 pipers, drummers, brass, and woodwind players from 10 of Toronto’s Navy, Army and Air Force unit bands. As in the past, the doors to Roy Thomson Hall will open at 12:30pm for viewing of military displays in the lobby. Tickets are available for FriendsFirst members now and to the general public on May 11.
Last week we also announced that Cody Simpson will be performing at Massey Hall on July 8 as part of his upcoming North American headline tour. Simpson, who toured with one Mr. Justin Bieber on his Believe tour, is about to release his second album this summer following the release of his debut, Paradise. The evening will also feature performances from Ryan Beatty and Before You Exit. Tickets for this event are on sale now.
PERFORMANCES
Deepak Chopra (Tonight – Tuesday): Deepak Chopra returns to Roy Thomson Hall, this time with his talk The Future of Well-Being. The very accomplished Chopra (he has authored more than 70 books including 21 New York Times bestsellers) will share with the audience his suggestions for experiencing “higher consciousness, transformation and healing.” Chopra will also be signing copies of his latest book following the lecture.
Agincourt Madrigal Singers & Northlea Junior Choir (Thursday – FREE!): The fourth and final event in this season’s Free Choir & Organ Concert series, aptly titled Youthful Treasures, features two award-winning choirs from the Toronto District School Board. You can read all about the choirs performing at this noontime event here and review the program in advance, here.
Jill Barber (Friday): After performing two sold out shows at Glenn Gould Studio in the Fall of 2011, we’re ever so excited to see Jill Barber take the stage at the Winter Garden Theatre this Friday. Barber recently released the critically acclaimed Chansons (check out great reviews from CBC and The Montreal Gazette), a collection of French cover songs from the 40s, 50s and 60s which we’re looking forward to seeing live at the concert this Friday, as well as CONTINUE READING >
JUST ANNOUNCED
We’re so, so excited to announce to you that we’ll be presenting the one and only Fred Penner in two performances at the Enwave Theatre (located at Harbourfront Centre) on June 8. The shows, which will take place at 1pm and 4pm, will be fun for the whole family as well as those of us who grew up on “The Cat Came Back,” and other classics, and are now looking for another chance to joyously sing along, “if I had a hundred sandwiches, I’d eat them all at once!” Tickets for both shows are available for purchase now.
We also just announced a very special performance by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo at Massey Hall. The singer of “Love is a Battlefield” and “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” and longtime collaborator, guitarist (and husband) will hit the stage on Friday, August 9, at 8pm. Tickets are on sale now. CONTINUE READING >
Today we send congratulations to RUSH on their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You can listen to Geddy Lee himself talk about his own and the band’s special relationship with Massey Hall in this City Sonic short film. CBC has got a great review of the ascension of Rush including video of an interview with a fan, photos, and Rush “by the numbers.” Even CNN’s resident nerd (she produces Geek Out! for CNN and has been a fan of the band since 1990), Ann Hoevel, is talking about what this means to RUSH fans everywhere, especially in the context of the band’s history.
If you’re not in LA for the fete, we recommend you listen to your copy of All the World’s a Stage (recorded live at Massey Hall in 1976) to honour the occasion.
PERFORMANCES Emma-Lee & Peter Katz (Wednesday): We’re thrilled to see both of these singer-songwriters take the Rivoli stage this Wednesday as part of our Canadian Songbook at the Rivoliseries. Both artists will play individual sets with full bands (Peter Katz at 9pm, and Emma-Lee at 10pm) and then the pair will close out the night playing some tunes together. For a flavour of what you’re in for, check out the embedded video from Emma-Lee above and this video from Peter Katz. Mr. Katz has proclaimed that he thinks it’s “going to be one of [his] favourite shows of the year” has promised some “new tunes and surprises” via Twitter. We’re ready to experience something really special this Wednesday at the Rivoli – we hope you’ll join in the fun!
Aretha Franklin (Friday): The one and only Queen of Soul returns to perform at Roy Thomson Hall this Friday. In March, Ms. Franklin celebrated her 71st birthday and in her tenure as music royalty, she has won 17 Grammy Awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Grammy Living Legend Award and was the 2005 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom honor (the highest honour in the United States). Needless to say, this icon deserves your R-E-S-P-E-C-T. We can’t wait to show ours when her voice takes control of Roy Thomson Hall.
Engelbert Humperdinck (Friday): Over at Massey Hall on Friday, we feature another living legend – Mr. Engelbert Humperdinck. Made famous for songs like “Please Release Me” and “Spanish Eyes,” his undeniable ability to keep audiences enthralled will be showcased for the first time in ten years in Toronto .
PERFORMANCES
The Tenors (Thursday and Friday): The Tenors return to Roy Thomson Hall for two highly anticipated performances this week. You can watch them perform “Free the Children” as they did recently for We Day Seattlehere. The video for the title track for their latest album, Lead With Your Heart, is also available for your viewing pleasure here.
Esperanza Spalding (Friday): Three-time Grammy Award winner, Ms. Esperanza Spalding makes her Massey Hall debut this Friday with her Radio Music Society concert. You can read all about the project and the album (a companion album to her other recording Chamber Music Society) on her website here as well as videos (including the official trailer for the album) here and above.
National Geographic Live: Tim Laman & Ed Scholes (Monday and next Tuesday): Next week marks the final iteration in the 2012-2013 National Geographic Live series at Roy Thomson Hall and we’re very excited to see Laman, photographer, and Scholes, ornithologist take the stage for their presentation Birds of Paradise – Extreme, Bizarre, Extraordinary. To prepare you for their CONTINUE READING >
JUST ANNOUNCED Last week, the Government of Canada announced its 2013 Economic Action Plan and the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall is thrilled by the commitment of $8 million to begin the revitalization of our cherished Massey Hall, thanks to the offer of land by MOD Developments, which was announced in 2012. Details of the recent announcement, including a statement from the Corporation’s President & CEO, Charles S. Cutts, are here and you can listen to Charlie Cutts speak with Matt Galloway on Metro Morning from last Friday, here.
JUST ANNOUNCED
We’re excited to report that last week we announced that we’ll be presenting Belle Starr’s album release concert at The Drake Underground. You’ll recall that we recently saw this seriously talented trio as part of our Canadian Songbook at the Rivoli series. Check out this very special event on Tuesday, April 16. Tickets are available for purchase now.
PERFORMANCES
Heart (Thursday): Heart returns to Massey Hall for what we think will be another epic performance. This iteration is part of a Canadian tour supporting their new studio album Fanatic – to be released on October 2.
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell with Richard Thompson Electric Trio (Friday): The legendary songstress appears at Massey Hall this Friday in collaboration with Rodney Crowell. In preparation for the concert, you can see the pair perform “Chase the Feeling” here! (via Brad Wheeler’s “5 songs you need to hear”).
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Saturday): Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds perform at Massey Hall this Saturday as part of their North American tour in support of their fifteenth studio album, Push the Sky Away. For a taster of what you’re in for, check out NOW Magazine’s photos from their performance at SXSW.
Soundboard is the official community of musicians, music fans, and friends of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Canada. It’s your behind-the-scenes source for related music news, recommendations, and rewards.
