Features

The Camel

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:24

By Lenny Stoute

My dad travelled a lot so I never did know for sure where the camel came from. He was totally unlike any toy I had ever owned or seen or even heard about. Because this camel had eyebrows. Yes. Eyebrows made of camel hair. In hindsight, this camel looked a lot like the comedian known as Borat.

And a tail also made of camel hair. He had weirdly jointed legs and kind of swayed back and forth as he rode on his wheeled base. His neck and head were hinged so they also bobbed when he moved. I tell ya kiddies this camel had the groovy moves and when he came rolling out from under the Christmas tree he had me in the palm of his hoof.

Over time the camel lost various body parts, which I always replaced as best I could. After the head came off for about the 20 hundredth time, it was replaced by a dizzying succession of heads including GI Joe, Godzilla, Barbie and a dragon-headed action figure from Indonesia. But guess what? Through all those years and identity changes, the tail remained stubbornly attached to the camel’s butt and for years remained, in my memory at least, as glossy and alien as Santa himself.

Warm jammies to all and to all a good life.

My favourite Christmas sing is Joy To The World. This world can never have too much joy.

My Memories of Christmas

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:22

By Don Graham

My memories of Christmas are filled with family, love and music. Growing up in Montreal, a white Christmas was pretty much a lock. Montreal winters were snowy, cold and long. As kids we didn’t notice because we all enjoyed outdoor activities, tobogganing, playing hockey and pleasure skating. Pleasure skating was actually a great and affordable Friday night date for young people. You could pick up your favourite girl, take her to the local rink or pond and skate away the evening, ending it with a hot chocolate and a kiss, if you were lucky.

"The Little Drummer Boy"

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:18

By Bill Delingat

The “rat a tat tat” stuck out in my mind and the story was so different from other Christmas carols. What got me was when he was summoned by the Magi to the nativity where, without a gift for the infant Jesus (as he was so poor) he played his drum for him with the Virgin Mary’s approval, remembering "I played my best for Him" and "He smiled at me". This got me hooked as a child as I related to the whole scene of the little boy trying to do his best with the limited things he had access to. In this case his drum.

"The Little Drummer Boy" (originally known as "Carol of the Drum") was written by the American classical music composer and teacher Katherine Kennecott Davis in 1941. It was first recorded in 1955 by the Von Trapp Family Singers (Sound of Music fame) and further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale. This version was re-released successfully for several years and the song has been recorded many times including Stevie Wonder - 1967, Jimi Hendrix - 1969 and the great duet of “Peace on Earth and Little Drummer Boy - 1977 by Bing Crosby with David Bowie.

Christmas Dreams Do Come True

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:11

Kathy Hahn (with Bob Hahn in mirror).jpg

By Kathy Hahn

All my life, all I ever wanted was a dog. Unfortunately my older sister was severely allergic to dogs. One day after school, I passed by the local groomers on my way home. They had a new litter of party-coloured toy poodles in the front window. I noticed the runt; the smallest dog I had ever seen. She was snow white, with black ears and a black mask around her eyes. I named her Bandit. She stole my heart. I stayed until the shop closed that night, and every night thereafter.

I told my parents about her. I explained poodles had fur very close to the texture and composition of humans and people with dog allergies couldn’t be allergic to a poodle. Maybe they could come down to the shop and meet her. They did, and once they even brought my sister along. The answer of course, was still no. While Bandit’s brothers and sisters were finding homes, my having a dog was still out of the question.

The day finally arrived when I was told, someone had bought her. Bandit was going to be given away as a ‘present’ to a ‘family who would love her very much.’ My only dog in the whole world, was sold – for money - to people I did not know. I would never see her again.

Christmas eve my parents took my brother, sister and I to the groomers for my last visit to say goodbye. Bandit did not know we would never see each other again. My parents took us out for dinner after. I could not eat. I cried myself to sleep that night, the longest night of my life on the worst Christmas eve in the world.

Hallelujah! It’s Sophie.

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 12:11

Story:Lenny Stoute

‘Tis the season to be hungover and ‘tis a reckless journalist who skeds an interview for 9.a.m. Especially with rising jazz vocalist Sophie Berkal-Sarbit who comes on as bright eyed and bushy tailed as well - one of Santa’s reindeer.

The occasion for all this is the release of the lady’s time-stopping version of “Hallelujah”. Yep, the Lenny Cohen standard that’s been around the block with just about everyone on the block, most recently given the anthemic treatment by Stephen Page at Jack Layton’s State funeral.
So why would a fresh young thing want to step out with this old dude?

“ It’s a song I’ve admired for a long time, everything about it. Oh yeah, lots of people were warning me off it, saying it’s overdone etc. So I listened to a lot of versions but I was still left feeling like I should do my own treatment.”

The built-in role of an interpretive vocalist is to bring something different to the piece. Given its many treatments, Sophie knew she had to have something unique in mind before stepping in front of the mic and answers without hesitation, “I did it from the viewpoint of a 21 year old. It’s basically a mix of some bleak imagery along with an instance on the beauty that is there too. This is not always easy to keep in mind, especially for my generation, given the way the world is. That's another reason I wanted to do it, It’s just such a beautiful songs and I wanted to put a beautiful thing out there”.

Tonya Kennedy – Making All The Right Moves

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 12:03

Story: Don Graham

The journey of any recording artist is filled with potholes, pitfalls, dead ends, unmarked exits and dangerous turns. The secret to any successful journey is making wise choices and looking at Tonya Kennedy’s steadily rising career, you can see she’s making all the right moves. A native of Newfoundland, now living just north of Toronto in Barrie, Ontario, Tonya Kennedy is poised to take her rightful place in the fabric of the Canadian Country music scene.

Originally making a splash in the pop music market, Kennedy found her true calling in 2005. That was the year she was entered in a competition at KX96 Country Music Radio in Durham, Ontario and was awarded the title of KX96 Super Star Search winner. The grand prize was a chance to record and release a song to Canadian radio. This was the kick-start the dedicated young performer needed and things started falling into place.

In 2010 Tonya made her first video with a country version of rocker Bryan Adams song When You’re Gone. Current single Fallin’ For You is doing very well at Canadian radio and as Kennedy explained; “ This song is probably the lightest of my current material.”
The new CD will be a little more cutting edge, showing her versatility. Kennedy was just recently approved by FACTOR to complete her next CD, a ten song effort, which the City of Barrie is also helping fund.

Gary Slaight to receive prestigious CARAS Award

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 11:50

Story:Sandy Graham

Music industry icon Gary Slaight is making broadcast news again but this time it is about him. The Arts philanthropist, burgeoning music industry mogul and former Standard Broadcasting owner and CEO is to be honoured for his contributions to the Canadian music industry at the 2012 Juno Awards.
Slaight is the 2012 recipient of the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, given by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. “He’s not only distinguished himself as a music innovator, he has made it his mandate to proactively support our nation’s talented artists” said CARAS president Melanie Berry. The award will be given at the 2012 Juno Awards in Ottawa on March 31. Slaight’s father, Allan, received the same distinguished award in 2005 in Winnipeg.

Slaight is a longtime staunch supporter of Canadian music. Not only did he create the National Songwriting Contest, but as well the Canadian Radio Music Awards. Slaight was named Broadcast Executive of the Year in 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998. In 2004, he received the Outstanding Community Service by an Individual Broadcaster award at the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.

Gary was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame in March 2005. and received the Canadian Association of Broadcasters 2007 Gold Ribbon Award for Broadcast Excellence, as well as the Humanitarian Spirit Award at the 2010 Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards.

Music Industry Icons make up The Board of the Unison Benevolent Fund

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 12/02/2011 - 13:30

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Story:Sandy Graham

The music industry in Canada stretches across many sectors and offers many different types of employment. That, though, it is a relatively small and close-knit community. Often we have seen our friends and colleagues fall on tough times due in part to the many changes the industry has gone through over the past 10 years. We've also experienced the pain of losing friends and peers to illness or accidents and seen up close the heartache and unanticipated financial hardship that these tragedies create for families.

Because so many of us are self-employed, we don't have access to pension plans, unemployment insurance, employee assistance programs, sick leave and medical benefits; when tragedy strikes, many are unprepared to deal with the devastating financial and emotional burdens left in its wake.

Our Board of Directors represents a wide variety of sectors in the music industry; labels, publishers, the live sector, music industry associations, and of course, artists. Unison is the brainchild of Jodie Ferneyhough and Catharine Saxberg, both of whom had been touched by the loss and illness of several friends. Catharine had seen that similar relief programs existed in other sectors, and decided it was time to unite the music industry: to create a process by which we can help each other.

Garland Jeffreys - The Return of the King of In Between

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 12/02/2011 - 12:54

Story: Michael Williams

According to Bernard Perusse (The Montreal Gazette) it was the 2nd coming of a legend whose time has come. The first surprise came in 1978 as Garland Jeffreys played the Montreal Forum and “Ghost Writer” became a CHOM-FM and Montreal classic album. Next the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2002 and again in 2004 with 50,000 people in the streets. Now in 2011 in support of a new CD,”The King of In Between”, he burned down Rubin Fogel’s Club Soda!
But It took Garland Jeffreys to remind us what in we all know is true:
“Hail Hail Rock n Roll” (Garland Jeffreys)
Pockets of hate, rockets of love
It’s never too late, the change in the color of
The color of her, the color of him
It really doesn’t matter what skin you’re in
Big yellow taxicab passed me by
Stopped on the next corner to pick up a white guy The color of you, the color of me
You can’t judge a man by looking at the marquee
Hail hail rock ‘n’ roll comes from r ‘n’ b and soul
Don’t leave me standing in the cold
I used to fake ‘I never grow old’ Hail hail rock ‘n’ roll, don’t leave me standing on the bleak
Don’t leave me stranded on the street
I see the light, I feel the heat

Michael Williams recently had the opportunity to speak with Garland Jeffreys:  

Out on the Prairie with Little Miss Higgins

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 11/25/2011 - 13:13

Story: Lenny Stoute

Say you turned down a hidden street in a strangely familiar city you’ve never been in before, following raucous Twenties blues tinged with the sad strain of Appalachia. You follow the music swirling with the smoke into a club looks like home base for time travellers. Burning through the haze onstage a sultry woman with knowing eyes and a slash of scarlet for a moth and a voice for the ages, from the ages. So you surrender to the slippery sound worming itself inside your brain and time slips and the faces around you in vintage dresses and fedoras give no clue as to what time it is, even when time it is.

Such is the sonic world of Little Miss Higgins and you’d best be aware it’ll suck in and flush you out a believer. It’s been like that since the age of four, when Jolene Higgins’ daddy brought home a piano and encouraged his wee daughter to bang away at it. “It was a mini grand piano. He brought it home and told me it was mine. I carved my name in the side and started taking piano lessons.”

As with most of the breed, in her teens Higgins switched to guitar and started playing rock’n’roll. Until she caught the blues infection off a local radio station and fell under the spell of great blues ladies like Memphis Minnie and Billie Holiday,

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