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October 2010 www.torontobluessociety.com Published by the TORON T O BLUES SOCIE T Y since 1985 [email protected] Vol 26, No 10 Rita Chiarelli will be one of the featured vocalists at the 24th Annual Women's Blues Revue on November 27th at Massey Hall CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40011871 Rita Chiarelli John’s Blues Picks Blues in Niagara Event Listings & more Loose Blues News TORON T O BLUES SOCIE T Y 910 Queen St. W. Ste. B04 Toronto, Canada M6J 1G6 Tel (416) 538-3885 Toll-free 1-866-871-9457 Email: [email protected] Website: www.torontobluessociety.com MapleBlues is published monthly by the Toronto Blues Society ISSN 0827-0597 2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Derek Andrews (President), Jon Arnold (Executive), Gord Brown, Lucie Dufault, Sharon Evans, Sarah French, Shar Grace, Michael Malone (Treasurer), Ed Parsons (Executive), Norman Robinson, Paul Sanderson, Mike Smith (Executive), John Valenteyn (Executive), Musicians Advisory Council: Lance Anderson, Brian Blain, Gary Kendall, Al Lerman, Lily Sazz, Mark Stafford, Suzie Vinnick Executive Committee: Derek Andrews, Jon Arnold, Michael Malone, Ed Parsons, Mike Smith, John Valenteyn Volunteer Committee: Ed Parsons, Sharon Evans Membership Services Coordinator: Rick Battiston Office and Event Coordinator: The Toronto Blues Society will be presenting the best in local blues talent the first Thursday Jordan Safer of each month at The Melody Bar in The Gladstone Hotel. There will be no cover charge and each performance will begin at 8pm. Upcoming performances include: Grants Officer: Barbara Isherwood Jack de Keyzer solo (Oct 7, pictured), Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley (Nov Sponsorship Coordinator: Dougal Bichan 4), and Harrison Kennedy (Dec 2). http://www.gladstonehotel.com Webmistress: Lily Sazz More Upcoming TBS Events Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Derek Andrews Managing Editor: Brian Blain Women’s Blues Revue: The 24th annual Women's Blues Revue member discount details are available Contributing Editors: John Valenteyn, by contacting the office. Confirmed singers this year include Kellylee Evans, Alana Bridgewater, Little Lily Sazz, Gary Tate Miss Higgins, Robin Banks, Rita Chiarelli and Alejandra Ribera! Tickets are available by calling 416-872-4255 and visiting http://www.masseyhall.com Distribution: Ed Parsons, Rick Battiston Advertising: Dougal & Co. Blues Summit Five Tel 416-645-0295 – January 15-17 – Delta Chelsea Hotel email [email protected] Maple Blues Awards – January 17 – Koerner Hall Printing: UCC Press (416) 545-0277 The Toronto Blues Society gratefully acknowledges the Call for Artist Submissions to Blues Summit Five - To submit to The Blues Summit Five happening at financial support of the following agencies The Delta Chelsea Hotel Jan 15-17, please go to www.sonicbids.com/bluessummitfive Call for Artist Submissions to IBC - Please contact the office if you would like to invest time and money into a showcase at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Ministry of Culture The Toronto Blues Society is a member of The Toronto Blues Society is committed to the principles of the Personal Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in safeguarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information. CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40011871 Return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Cultural Careers Council Ontario and Human Toronto Blues Society, 910 Queen St. W. Ste. B04, Toronto, Canada M6J 1G6 Resources Development Canada Email: [email protected] 2 MapleBlues October 2010 the years and after several more trips to Angola. About four years ago, she finally got the OK Chiarelli's plan began to evolve into something from the warden. Rita more ambitious. The next step was to find a director. She had Three weeks ago, Chiarelli's new film,Music worked with Bruce McDonald 20 years ago on From the Big House, debuted simultaneously in the soundtracks of two of his early films, Roadkill Returns Los Angeles and New York at the 14th Annual and Highway 61. Docuweeks showcase of the International "So I called him up and, gratefully, he called Documentary Assn. Later this month it will me back," says Chiarelli from her home in Rita Chiarelli. who be screened at the Edmonton and Calgary Toronto. "I don't think I had spoken with him after was "officially" crowned International Film Festivals. It is currently being all those years. Goddess of the Blues by marketed for theatrical and television release. Shelagh Rogers on stage "I said 'Bruce listen, I got this idea and I think The 86-minute film, directed by award- at a previous Women's you're the guy for this. I want to do music with winning filmmaker Bruce McDonald (Hard Blues Revue has launched maximum security inmates at Angola prison.' Core Logo, Roadkill, Highway 61), documents a her most adventurous concert in the prison chapel featuring Rita Chiarelli "He loved it. He was really gracious and gave musical project to fronting four different bands made up solely of me a letter of intent. His name added to the project date. Hamilton Angola inmates. The audience was made up of didn't hurt. From there I got producers who found Spectator Music about 800 others. Murderers, drug dealers and money." Editor Graham rapists. Chiarelli and McDonald took a film crew to Rockingham allowed It's also filled with interviews and rehearsal Angola in March. The goal was to rehearse for us to re-publish his article. first published in the a week with four of the prison bands, and then Hamilton Spectator. sessions giving a rare glimpse of daily life at the maximum security institution. stage the concert. Legend has it that back in the 1930s the great "When you're working like that you don't blues singer Lead Belly convinced the warden of During her visits to Angola -- there were many over the last 10 years -- she discovered a vibrant know what's going to happen," Chiarelli says. "It's the notorious Angola prison farm to set him free hard to script. One of the inmates I wanted to have in exchange for a song. He was serving time for music scene within the prison walls. Bands played rock, gospel, country and blues. in the movie, an old guy who had been there since attempted murder. The song was Goodnight Irene 1963, he died the weekend before we got there. and Lead Belly sang it very well. The warden let She learned that Angola even had its That was really too bad. He played saxophone him go after four years. own inmate-run radio station -- KLSP, the and we had done some jamming together. But That iconic story was on Rita Chiarelli's mind "Incarceration Station". As a matter of fact, it's the shit happens, frankly. You're in a penitentiary, it's while she was driving through Louisiana along only U.S. penitentiary with an FCC broadcasting not a casting call." license. historic Highway 61. A road sign suddenly came The two-hour concert came off well. Chiarelli into view. It read: "Louisiana State Penitentiary. Why not put on a concert with the inmates had written some songs specifically for the show. Angola". The arrow pointed southwest. 20 playing behind her? Nobody had done that before. One, "Rest My Bones", is on her new CD. miles. It would be something worth putting on film. Over The concert finale is all the different musicians It was about 10 years ago. Chiarelli -- a the years, Chiarelli worked on gaining the trust of performing "Midnight Special". both the administration and the inmates. Hamilton native known to fans as "the Goddess For Chiarelli, the music wasn't necessarily the of Canadian blues" -- was on a working vacation. "You think these guys are going to jump highlight of her time at Angola. getting in touch with the birthplace of her music. at the opportunity, but you had to convince visiting the spot where Bessie Smith died and them," Chiarelli says about the inmates. "They "The story is much more," she says. "It is about standing at the crossroads of Robert Johnson. weren't jumping up and down. They were hip to "So I see this 'Angola' sign and I think. Geez. exploitation. It was a matter of winning them over, cont’d on page 7 why don't I just call them up. " Chiarelli says. saying 'I'm a musician too. This is what music is *)--97%"" to me and my life." She turned into the nearest convenience store *%..97()4%,%9 and asked the woman at the counter if she could During this period, Chiarelli kept the idea to 342!7"3 find the phone number. herself. Whenever anyone asked she said she was 2/.(9.%3 working on a "secret project". *!9-%34/.% "The woman didn't even have to look it up ,!52!3-)4( which was kind of funny." she laughs. "Her "It was really difficult to talk about because it 4/-0!84/. boyfriend was in jail there so she knew it by took so long to get done," she explains, "and you -)#(%,,%72)'(4 heart ..." don't want to talk about something that potentially *5$9#/,,).3 might not happen. That would be embarrassing. So Chiarelli got the warden on the phone. )!.493/. I worked on it and just bit my tongue." explained that she was a Canadian blues singer interested in the institution's history and asked if Chiarelli had her music career to worry about 2//- she could drop by for a visit. as well. The Cathedral High School graduate had been through a lot of bands, including a stints 4/-253( Chiarelli spent the rest of the day touring the %2)#!.$%23%. with Ronnie Hawkins and a nine-piece R&B prison. Bordered on three sides by the Mississippi "%4492)#(!2$3/.