Features

Johnny Reid-The Return of Wheatfield Soul

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 09/24/2010 - 00:32

Story: Lenny Stoute

There’s nobody quite like Johnny Reid on the Canadian music scene right now. Ain’t no one else rocking the nation with a soulful country groove, equal parts Jim Reeves and Otis Redding, and driving all manner of country fans wild. For Reid, this volatile, some would say, unlikely mix has been a passport to the top, In a landscape where established artists are struggling with album sales, this country gent moves units like bullets in Baghdad.

His breakout album went gold, the two albums that followed went double platinum and his current collection, A Place Called Love is just about to turn the double platinum trick. At the recent CCMA show in Edmonton, he added to the weight of his award-burdened mantelpiece with wins for both the Fans’ Choice Award and Single of the Year.

Not too shabby for a guy who up until 2005, was toiling away as one of the song writing elves at DreamWorks. Reid, who emigrated to Canada in 1988 as a 15 year old from Lanark, Scotland, decided upon graduation to give the singer/songwriter thing a full shot, dropped down to Nashville and hooked up with DreamWorks, a perfect place to hone his song writing skills. When the chance came to cut an album for Open Road in ’05, Reid was primed to make the most of his opportunity, and promptly parked his ball, Born To Roll, outside the park and into gold status.

Kellylee Evans does Nina Simone On New Album Nina.

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 23:20

By Lenny Stoute

Photo at right:Kellylee in performance

Ottawa neojazz singer Kellylee Evans is still on cloud nine after her involvement in a dream project. The dream started last summer at a time when she was fantasizing about something different happening in her career. Having put out two albums independently, Evans was looking for a break from the DIY of it all. Top of her wish list, to work with a label so that in essence, all she would have to do is focus on singing satisfying material.

From her mouth to God’s ears it seems, as a week or so later, French boutique label Plus Loin contacted her with a proposition. Evans was on the label's radar thanks to her Monk competition success. That would be a second-place finish at the 2004 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, a major springboard for her career. Which immediately took a turn away from the traditional stuff to material that was closer to pop and even smooth jazz, areas Evans was most interested in exploring. Since the Monk competition, Evans has had high-profile gigs opening for Tony Bennett, George Benson and Chris Botti at various Canadian jazz festivals, where her big, expressive voice and magnetic presence have garnered new fans.

STICK TO SONGS THAT FIT YOU

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 17:43

Some people think that singing a very wide variety of songs helps to show off their vocal ability and talent. I have heard once too often a singer try to sing a song that was absolutely out of character for that artist and totally past their capabilities.

I say stick to songs that fit your voice and style. Don’t try to sing songs that are too high for your vocal range. If you are a ballad singer and have difficulty pulling off a fast song you will have to work on that but don’t compromise your show by singing a fast song that you are not capable of performing. By the same token if you do very well on the fast stuff and fall down on the slow ones don’t attempt a ballad that could possibly ruin your show because of a bad performance.

The Music Business YA GOTTA LUV IT

A Short History of Recording Studios in Toronto

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 12:52

By Bill Delingat

The modern recording studio owes a great deal to that phonograph invented by Thomas Edison in 1877 and its early recordings, made outside of a studio environment. Early recording studios often lacked isolation booths, baffles, and sometimes even speakers. Designed for live recording of an entire band or performance, they attempted to record a group of musicians and singers, rather than to record them separately.

With the introduction of multi-track recording, it became possible to record instruments and singers separately and at different times on different tracks on tape. From then on, the recording process shifted to isolation and soundproofing. In the 1960s, recordings were analog, made using ¼-inch or ½-inch eight-track magnetic tape. By the early 1970s, recordings progressed to using 1-inch or 2-inch 16- or 32-track equipment. Most contemporary recording studios now use digital recording equipment and the number of tracks is limited only by the capacity of the mixing console or computer.

Toronto, the heart beat of the Canadian banking and economy was a natural place for attracting international and national artists to record and relax in a metropolitan atmosphere using state of the art equipment without the street hassles and urban pressures of New York or L.A. Billboard reported glowingly in a 1972 story on Toronto’s emergence as Canada’s recording capital.

TERRY SUMSION: Surviving For Another Encore – “You Gotta Believe”

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 12:33

BY RB RENEGADE

(Editor’s Note- Every so often Cashbox Canada takes the time and space to salute an individual whose accomplishments in the music industry stand the test of time. One such is Terry Sumsion, a pioneering Canadian music figure. On this occasion Nashville radio personality and DJ RB Renegade salutes Terry Sumsion. Sandy Graham)

Terry Sumsion is a true Canadian music legend. Period. His music has stood the test of time as the size and response of his audiences proves time and again.

Terry Sumsion is also a survivor and an inspiration. He has faced and continues to win a battle with esophageal cancer, his music being his own inspiration – his desire to continue to connect with his fan base the foundation of his strength.

I have been a Terry Sumsion fan for many years. As a Canadian and a musician I followed Terry’s music and performed his songs on a regular basis. It was only in the past couple of years however that I had the privilege of connecting with Terry as he agreed to be a guest on my Internet radio show. Through that connection a friendship was born. It is a relationship that I cherish and it is with pride and humility that I am privileged to attempt to do justice to the life of Terry Sumsion in this article.

YOU ARE THE ONE YOU ARE WITH (A Moment in Time With Eric Clapton)

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 12:10

by Corky Laing

It was one of those blustery winter nights in Montreal in the mid 60s, when I received an urgent distress call from Felix Pappalardi in New York City. He was terribly anxious about Jack Bruce’s medical condition. Apparently after the Cream performance that evening at the Maurice Richard Arena, Jack had purposely swallowed an abundance of pain pills. He had just finished reading The Rolling Stone Magazine’s nasty review of Cream’s release of Disraeli Gears and sank into a depressed state. So while Jack was recovering in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Felix wanted me to, among other things, hang out with Eric Clapton who was alone at the Windsor Hotel. Eric was just sitting around and could use some company. It was during that fall, while Felix was producing our local band Energy, that he got a last minute call from Atlantic Records to produce Cream’s album within a 10-day window. Energy was put on hold while Felix produced Disraeli Gears.

So I gathered up a few female friends with the appropriate concert kit and headed over with the babes to babysit Eric that night. It was one of those nights I will never forget because Eric was yet to be a guitar god and our conversation ran the gamut from drugs to sex, including an in-depth conversation late into the night about rock bands and their music. Apart from being a perfect gentleman, at that time in his career he was very accessible, open and receptive. During his musical exchanges he was able to capture the essence of the best musicians and distill it into his own identity.

Paris Black Promises Rockier Days Ahead

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 09/10/2010 - 00:22

By Bill Delingat

Paris Black was well known in the 80’s as a teen heartthrob and poster boy. Black had instant success with his debut pop dance LP “Secret Seduction”, that went gold with singles like “Better get Ready”, “Lover” and “Buried Alive’. In 1989 Black released his self titled LP “Paris Black” on I.S.B.A. records and started national tours and graced the pages of teen mags across the country.

Along the way the affable Black met many friends on the road including the late Kenny MacLean who not only became a great friend but would also be influential in Black’s musical direction later in his career.

With stardom in sight and a blossoming modeling career, Black abruptly dropped out of the limelight and out of sight. Most fans felt he’d gone to the US for better things and so did we. Years later we find him still rocking the stages but as one of the world’s best tribute artists doing “Billy Idol” and in a more interesting profession of “Live Art Modeling” which is utilized in his live stage show.

Similar to Canadian rocker “Alanis Morissette” who metamorphosed from her debut Dance LP of 1991 simply called “Alanis” to a new alter ego of punk grunge Diva with the 1995 multi platinum release of “Jagged Little Pill”, Black is now on the hard rock edge, breaking out with his latest release, the single “Breathe “from new CD “I’m Not Jesus”. The album boasts an array of killer tunes sure to put Black back on the right track.

Who pays for your award?

Submitted by cashbox on Sat, 09/04/2010 - 23:56

How many times have you heard , “IF I REALLY WON AN AWARD I SHOULDN’T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT ?”

If you really won an award who do you think pays for it? Do you really think the CMA or the ACM or the FLAME WORTHY AWARDS are in the trophy manufacturing business?? Or is it more reasonable to think that the factory that made the awards wants to get paid when they deliver the product!!! Don’t get me wrong you are gonna have one heck of a big task on your hands to find footage of Brooks & Dunn or George Strait or any other mainstream country artist writing out a check for their award , but who paid for it ?

Perhaps today if anything my critics may accuse me of over simplifying this segment but I choose to call it painting a visual so you finally get the way it is… not how you think it is.

You can by a whole box of 500 swizzle sticks (those little plastic straws for stirring your coffee for less than $5.00 at a restaurant supply distributor but you may be charged 25 cents a piece by your label. You think that is outrageous to be charged at all? Think again. Your Record label can and does charge you for anything they want to.

An ad in Billboard magazine promoting your new single usually runs $ 2000-$3000 per issue. Does Billboard magazine like you so much they will run this for you for free?

My dear friends you pay for your award. It comes out of your royalties. And I would dare say if you wanted to investigate how much it cost you are going to realize that what you were charged verses what it cost is dramatically different.

Can’t Hold Back The Hawk-Ronnie Hawkins rocks again

Submitted by cashbox on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 19:11

I got a brand new chimney made on top, 
Made out of human skulls. 
Now come on darling let's take a little walk, tell me, 
Who do you love, who do you love?
Bo Diddley

At the dawning of rock'n'roll in Toronto, seems the answer was always Ronnie Hawkins, a burly Arkansas roadhouse rocker who burst on the scene like a megaton cherry bomb and left a crater that occasionally still burns white hot. He’s been awarded, lauded, Hall Of Famed and credited with a game changing legacy which still resonates on the Canadian music scene.

With a career that’s been going for better than 50 years, it’s understandable we don’t get to see The Hawk soar that often.

Those of us in the GTA and anybody within driving range are in luck big time, as The Hawk takes wing Friday Sept.10 at Port Credit’s Blues & Jazz Festival.

Ronnie Hawkins has never been one to preach only to the converted so I know he’d understand when this story took a turn. It was meant to be a celebration of this most major dude, let folks know why they should make the trip to Port Credit to catch this rare Hawk sighting. But I kept bumping up against people born way on the wrong side of The Hawk’s glory days, facing off against blank stares. So what would The Hawk do? Why he’d take two steps back, then come forward with a major barrage of music and rock’n’roll moves that'd leave no doubt as to who they should love.

Michael Pickett’s Taking The Blues To The Country-The story of Amazing Coffee, the hip little coffee house that says, Yes I can.

Submitted by cashbox on Thu, 09/02/2010 - 18:15

Madoc, ON. There was a time in this fair land/So the old musicians say/Where every fifty miles or so/There was a really cool place to play. (With apologies to Gordon Lightfoot) Nestled on Highway 62, on the edge of the picturesque village of Madoc, Ontario lies the Amazing Coffee shop. Inside, owner Tony Long and his hip and dedicated staff offer 23 varieties of coffee from the most exotic highlands of the planet, places like Madagascar and Fiji in vivid flavours and strengths. As the only certified Specialty Coffee outlet for miles around, business is good. The light lunch card is long on healthful and tasty wraps, sandwiches and salads, all locally sourced and prepared to the highest of standards. A casual look around however reveals this is a kickass coffee shop and then some, First tip-off is the stack of roots and folk music CDs from Canadian artists offered for sale. On the wall to the right of the counter is a calendar of live events, hosted within the brightly painted walls of the Amazing Coffee. Who knew? And when the last name on the list is multi-Maple Blues Award winner Michael Pickett, well, now we have to find out just how amazing this place is and how it got that way. Pickett, who played his first gig at Amazing Coffee last Spring, says it’s all about the vision of one man, venue owner Tony Long. “It’s truly a little gem and when I look at it, you realise it only came about because one man. Tony wanted to have a live music venue so he started one. So refreshing these days when all you hear are the negatives about opening a live venue.