By Kerry Doole
Awards news
On Sat. night (Oct. 21), this year’s MusicNL awards were handed out during the org’s gala at Holy Heart Theatre in St. John’s. Leading the way with three awards was singer/songwriter Nico Paulo, who won for Pop Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year and jointly accepted the award for Artist of the Year with Jing Xia, who was also named Solo Artist of the Year. Jason Benoit also won two awards. Check the full list of winners here.
– A strong lineup of established stars and emerging artists has been announced for the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Event at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto on Nov. 1. That list includes Snow, Dream Warriors, TOBi, Stephan Moccio, Alan Frew, Marc Jordan, LORKE, Zoe Sky Jordan, Ezra Jordan, Luna Elle, and Cameron Philip. More info here.
– Last month, award-winning Toronto jazz singer-songwriter Ori Dagan was honoured with the Grand Prize at the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for Going That Counts, a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. The song remains in competition for the Lennon prize which a public vote in the spring of 2024 will determine.
Festivals news
– The VENUExVENUE festival in London, ON, will run Nov. 9-11, featuring 50+ regional artists. Info and tix here.
– Sad news for the Canadian roots music community and music fans in the London region is word that next summer’s Home County Music & Art Festival has been cancelled. The fest notes that "the Board made this incredibly difficult decision based on a number of factors, the most significant being: dramatically increased event costs; challenges in maintaining extensive volunteer resources; and reduced access to funding. Combined, these factors meant we faced unprecedented challenges to our operational and financial viability. This was not a decision made lightly. The Board of Directors will present a situation analysis and recommendations to our members at the Nov. 28 AGM."
Industry news
– Blue Jay Sessions announces its new annual initiative, composition: A Songwriters' Retreat. Looking to amplify its community-building beyond its bi-monthly event series, the org has created a multi-day retreat to help Canadian singer-songwriters hone their skills and build connections within the music industry. Made possible with the support of FACTOR and Rise Calgary, composition: a songwriters' retreat takes place from Nov. 23-25 in Calgary at Residence Inn by Marriott Beltline. Artists featured include Ralph, Don Amero, Brandi Sidoryk of Nice Horse, Mallory Johnson, Desiree Dorion, and more. More info and tix here.
– The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAO) presents CrossRoads at The Music Room in Haliburton on Nov. 18, featuring a songwriting circle performance with The Good Brothers, Marshall Dane, and Ryan Van Lee. Tix to catch this strong lineup here.
– Following a celebratory inaugural year for the Women In Music Canada Honours, which took place this past March, WIM Canada has opened nominee submissions for the 2024 Honours. The deadline to submit here is Dec. 11. Recipients will be announced at a reception dinner and showcase in Toronto on March 5. The WIM Canada Honours program was designed to celebrate and support women and gender-diverse Canadian innovators and creators who have outstanding success in their field in the eligibility year.
– Long a popular presence on the Hamilton live music scene, The Cat & Fiddle closed down for a couple of years during the Covid era but has thankfully re-opened its doors and is again presenting live music. Local luminaries booked for Nov. and Dec. include Alfie Smith, Greg Brisco, Soul Profits, Bryce Clifford and Brother Superior, The Trebletones, Mary Simon, and Dean and Tweeds. More info here. Welcome back.
– Creative BC's Record in BC program supports out-of-province artists who record in BC studios and use BC producers. The deadline to apply here is Oct. 31.
– Music PEI's Investment Programs are closing on Oct. 31 (at 5 p.m. AT) for the fall 2023 funding round. Grants are available for emerging, export-ready/exporting, and career-level artists. We also have funding for music industry professionals. More info here.
– Canadian conductor Tania Miller has won the appointment as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Brott Music Festival, the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and BrottOpera. She is currently conducting Vancouver Opera’s Magic Flute.
Artists news
– The Stephen Stanley Band has released Here Comes That Rain, the debut single off an upcoming album, Before the Collapse of the Hive, due out Nov. 10 on Wolfe Island Records. Since leaving indie rock faves Lowest Of The Low, Stanley has received deserved acclaim as an eloquent solo singer/songwriter. The SSB plays a record release show on Dec. 1 at the Redwood Theatre in Toronto (tix here). Check other live dates here.
– Feist announced The Multitudes Finale Tour earlier this week, which will feature the 11-time Juno Award winner performing in the round with 360-degree immersive sound. The production was conceived by Feist and developed with artist/filmmaker Colby Richardson, artist Heather Goodchild and Artistic Producer Mary Hickson. The tour begins on Feb. 6 at Winnipeg's Burton Cummings Theatre, followed by dates in Saskatoon, Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver, and Toronto (Massey Hall on March 3). Tix on sale from Oct. 27 at livenation.com
– Juno-nominated, NYC-based jazz drummer/bandleader Curtis Nowosad released an EP, If I Had, featuring his soulful arrangements of songs by Nick Drake, Pete Seeger, Jimmy Webb and Stevie Wonder in a guitar trio format. More info here.
– It has been a good couple of weeks for Toronto-based rootsy singer/songwriter Julian Taylor. He received three noms for the 2024 CFMAs. On Oct. 20, he released Anthology Vol. 1. This collection features 18 typically songs from across his 23-year career, as played by his previous vehicles, Staggered Crossing and The Julian Taylor Band, and Taylor himself. It includes a trio of typically eclectic and all-new songs exclusive to this release. Here is one of those.
– Performances by Juno-nominated Toronto/Hamilton jazz trio Myriad3 are rare, given how busy Chris Donnelly, Dan Fortin, and Ernesto Cervini are with other projects. On Oct. 28, they reconvene for a concert at Old Firehall Arts Centre in Ancaster, ON. Tix here. Highly recommended.
– Last week, alternative folk-rockers Shred Kelly released their 6th studio album, Blurry Vision, and on Nov. 8, they begin a European tour on Nov. 8 in Germany. Check dates here.
– Star Toronto bluegrass combo Andrew Collins Trio is releasing a new album, The Rule of Three, on Nov. 1 and has just put out a new single, Contranym. They play CD release shows at Aeolian Hall in London, ON, on Nov. 2, and Hugh’s Room Live in Toronto on Nov. 4. Multi-instrumentalist Collins co-founded award-winning combos Creaking Tree String Quartet and the Foggy Hogtown Boys.
– On Nov. 19, The Stage at St Andrews in Halifax presents Women In Song, a fine triple bill comprising Madison Violet, Erin Costelo, and Catherine MacLellan, for an evening of songs and stories in the round. It will be Madison Violet’s final show in Canada until 2025. Tixhere.
– On Oct. 29, the Aga Khan Museum presents a concert that appeals to Toronto world music fans. It explores the Lucknow-Shahjahanpur gharana of sarod music and features Arnab Chakrabarty, Ustad Irfan Muhammad Khan, and Shahbaz Hussain. Tix are available here.
