T.O. Music Pix Newsletter #104: Mar. 27/10 Click here for information on
subscribing and an index of past newsletters
In this issue:
1. Event reminders and alerts for the next
month
2. Charlie Gillett: music from his funeral
3. Video from some recent Toronto shows
1. Event reminders/alerts.
Some very big shows coming up over the next month:
a)
Cuban Tonight kicks off a month with some notable Cuban music:
Tonight, the Lula Lounge hosts Changuito, one
of Cuba's greatest percussionists. He's joined by the Rumberos
All Star Orchestra.
Apr. 10, David Calzado y su Charanga
Habanera, a hugely popular band in Cuba should fill the Sound
Academy.
Apr. 17: Jane Bunnett and the Cuban Piano
Masters
3 generations of Cuban piano, featuring Hilario Duran, Elio
Villafranca and Guillermo Rubalcaba at Koerner Hall
Apr. 23/24: Eliades Ochoa at the Royal
Theatre
It's been a number of years since we've had the opportunity to
see the great Cuban guitarist, best known now for his work with
the Buena Vista Social Club
For more information on the above shows
including video, visit
http://cubaintoronto.com/ -- a great source for Cuban music
in town. Of course, keep an eye on the
Lula's schedule for
plenty of Cuban music, including Sunday Rumba Jams
b) Other
The month is also remarkable for the number of big-name artists
coming to town, including:
Mar. 27: John Hammond in the second of 2
nights at Hugh's Room, plus Madagascar Slim plays the Silver
Dollar
Apr. 1: Judy Collins at Hugh's
Apr. 5: Dr. Draw at Hugh's
Apr. 6: Baaba Maal at Koerner Hall. Last I
checked, there were still some tickets left for the Senegalese
superstar
Apr. 9: Buddy Guy at Massey Hall
Apr. 9-10: Jesse Winchester at Hugh's
Apr. 13: King Sunny Adé at the Phoenix.
I'm hoping he brings more guitar to this show than he did at his
last Harbourfront performance. Just didn't sound "Juju". (And he
picked up the guitar only briefly once)
Apr. 30: The Henrys aren't seen too often
these days. At Hugh's
May 4: The Carolina Chocolate Drops. Good
catch by Hugh's Room to bring them to town
2.
Charlie Gillett
The last two newsletters have carried news of the
death, and tributes to the great British broadcaster. My Charlie Gillett page
has been updated with some new broadcast and video links.
Here are the songs played at his funeral, held
yesterday (on YouTube)
Leadbelly,
Midnight
Special
A few years ago, Charlie posted on his
forum: "If you really want to annoy me when I'm gone, play Joan Baez
at the farewell... But if you want to make me happy, have
somebody sing Midnight Special, the first song I learned to play
(but never well enough to dare to do it in public)"
Johnnie
Allan,
The
Promised Land
Charlie recounted the first time he heard
this Cajun version of Chuck Berry's hit while he was in
Louisiana looking for music for his brand-new Oval Records:
"We're playing pool in a bar and the juke box is just playing
whatever it's playing, and suddenly this version of Promised
Land comes on which nearly makes me push my cue through the
baize."
Mbilia
Bel,
Eswi Yo Wapi
One of the frequent contributors to
Charlie's forum, Howard Male co-hosted a tribute linked on the
"Far Side" link above closed that show with this song."As I
thought it was such a perfect and joyous piece of music to go
out on."
Finally,
a video
clip of his friend Mariza singing "Smile" for her friend.
3. Videos
I've posted a few videos from
some recent concerts. They're not high definition, and sometimes
suffer from too-close-to-a-speaker distortion. Among the shows:
Habib Koité, various perfomers at the Feb. 25 Haiti benefit and
Feb. 27 tribute to Tarig Abubakar, Huun Huur Tu, Tinariwen,
Mahmoud Ahmed, Oliver & Sam Mtukudzi, plus various You Tube
highlights (Check "favourites"):