PERFORMANCES THIS WEEK
Norah Jones (Tuesday): Norah Jones comes to Massey Hall tonight in support of her new album The Fall. A quick visit to Ms. Jones’ website reminds us just how cool this gal is: she has decorated a t-shirt and tote bag for an auction benefiting Haiti relief. The project is pretty smashing and also includes submissions from the likes of Drew Barrymore, Kimya Dawson, and the cast of Parks and Recreation. Joining Norah Jones as special guest is the talented Steven Page, who just performed with Art of Time Ensemble over at Koerner Hall.
FREE CONCERT ALERT! Elora Festival Singers (Thursday): I’ve said it before (last week in fact, here on The Buzz) and I’ll say it again, Free Noon Hour concerts at Roy Thomson Hall are a great opportunity to take a break from the grind. Thursday brings us one of Canada’s finest professional chamber choirs, so come to the Hall and see for yourself. CONTINUE READING >
Bobby McFerrin,Buzz,Catherine MacLellan,Diana Ross,Elora Festival Singers,jimmy Cliff,Norah Jones,Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame,Steven Page
Chantal Kreviazuk
PERFORMANCES
Chantal Kreviazuk (Tuesday): We mentioned Winnipeg-born Chantal last week because she has been selected to write, perform, and record one of the songs for CBC’s Great Canadian Song Quest, but today we mention the songstress because she returns to Massey Hall for a performance as part of her Plain Jane tour. Chantal has a heart that is anything but plain: she and her husband, Raine Maida, have done extensive work for War Child Canada, including participating in this fall’s Busking for Change event. More recently, Chantal recorded a song with other Canadians for compilation album War Child 10 called “People Have the Power.”
Il Divo (Friday): Il Divo takes the stage at Roy Thomson Hall, just after releasing their latest last Tuesday: a CD/DVD set entitled An Evening With Il Divo: Live in Barcelona. This performance in Toronto could well give Barcelonaa run for its money. Who needs romantic Spain anyway, when the sweet sounds of these gentlemen singing live are right here at home? CONTINUE READING >
Catherine MacLellan,Chantal Kreviazuk,East Coast Music Awards,Grammy Awards,Il Divo,Jenn Grant,Mariinsky Orchestra,Nathan Gunn,Suzie McNeil,Valery Gergiev,Yuja Wang
Were you listening to CBC Radio 2 yesterday afternoon?
No?
Why ever not?
The Great Canadian Song Quest debuted at 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon show Drive, introducing a new set of Canada-themed songs into our collective musical landscape. The concept is this: Radio 2 listeners were invited to select, through a nomination and voting process, some of their favourite places throughout Canada, and some singer-songwriters to create timeless classics about those places. One locale – sometimes as specific as the Black Sheep Inn (Wakefield, Quebec) and sometimes as broad and large as Algonquin Park (Ontario) – was selected from each of the provinces and territories, and matched with one of the nominated artists, who was asked to write, record, and perform a soon to be epic tune about it. CONTINUE READING >
Catherine MacLellan,Chantal Kreviazuk,Dana Sipos,David Myles,Great Canadian Song Quest,Hawksley Workman,Hey Rosetta!,Jay Sparrow,Joel Plaskett,Kim Barlow,Lucie Idlout,MarthaWainwright,Oh Susanna,The Deep Dark Woods
Jenn Grant
Musical news you can use…
JUST ANNOUNCED
We’re thrilled to let you know that The Wilderness of Manitoba will be the very special guest of one Jenn Grant this Thursday evening at Glenn Gould Studio. The Wilderness of Manitoba has been compared to Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver – which, if you ask me, is quite a compliment. The folks out there in the blogosphere are pretty excited about this group too: just take a look at It’s Not the Band I Hate It’s Their Fans, who put the group on their list of Top Ten Hottest Canadian Bands 2009, and North by East West. Between the recent mad props for The Wilderness of Manitoba and Jenn Grant’s Music Nova Scotia loot (she recently won Fem
ale Artist Recording for her latest, Echoes), this show is going to be a guaranteed good time. CONTINUE READING >
Catherine MacLellan,Jenn Grant,Steely Dan,The Wilderness Of Manitoba,Women's Blues Revue
Catherine MacLellan will be contemplating Canadian greatness for the CBC's Great Canadian Song Quest
November brings with it rains and winds that will no doubt chill us to the bone as we refuse to don our winter coats for just a few more weeks. Conversely, at the halls November brings some artists that will warm your heart and soul.
Swell Season, appearing tonight at Massey Hall, is like a hot cup of cocoa – a delicious treat you might take in while sitting around the fireplace. The duo’s latest album, Strict Joy, came out just last week and already critics are singing its praises: SPIN magazine gave it four stars and called it “a glorious bummer.” (If you’re not yet acquainted with the mythology surrounding this band, here’s your crash course.) And if you can’t make it out to the show this evening, we have a consolation prize – you can stream the album in its entirety right here. CONTINUE READING >
Catherine MacLellan,CBC,Great Canadian Song Quest,Rob Thomas,Swell Season
The Bad Plus
This week we are all about Glenn Gould Studio. After presenting a number of concerts there last season, we’re thrilled to have increased our offerings for the 09 | 10 Season in this great space. Bringing shows to places like Glenn Gould Studio (and the beautiful new Koerner Hall) means that we get to see emerging acts while they’re still young and small, and then watch them grow up and into the big rooms of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. Glenn Gould Studio is a pretty fantastic place — if you haven’t yet been, we’ve found some great reasons for you to give it a whirl.
Skydiggers just released a twenty-year retrospective album, The Truth About Us, and it’s pretty stellar. After years of gaining valuable expertise playing the club scene, they’ll be performing in the intimate environment of the Gould this fall.
In the winter we’re bringing back fan-favourite The Bad Plus in February, for two shows on one night. The Bad Plus last played Glenn Gould Studio in June 2008, but Ethan Iverson (the band’s pianist), made an appearance last season, performing for two nights with Charlie Haden at the Gould.
CONTINUE READING >
Brooklyn Rider,Catherine MacLellan,Ethan Iverson,Glenn Gould Studio,Harry Manx,Skydiggers,The Bad Plus
