November 2011 www.torontobluessociety.com Published by the TORON T O BLUES SOCIE T Y since 1985 [email protected] Vol 27, No 11 Suzie Vinnick will be a featured performer at this year's TBS Women's Blues Revue, November 26 at Massey Hall CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40011871 Women's Blues Revue Loose Blues News Donna Grantis Event Listings John’s Blues Picks & more Tribute to Fraser Finlayson "A Musical Celebration of His Life" With Morgan Davis . Fathead . Carlos del Junco Ray Harrison . The Mr.Hot Pants Band Limited Edition, Vinyl Single of Fraser Finlayson’s Current Recording Available Tuesday November 15th DoorsD at 6 - Show at 8:30 ROOM 22612 Dundas St. W., Toronto www.hughsroom.com Reservations and ticket info: 4416-531-6604 or [email protected] $14 advance - $16 door InIn Support of The Finlayson Library at TThe Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art 2 MapleBlues November 2011 www.torontobluessociety.com TORON T O BLUES SOCIE T Y Upcoming TBS Events 910 Queen St. W. Ste. B04 Toronto, Canada M6J 1G6 Michael Jerome Brown celebrates the release of his new Borealis Tel. (416) 538-3885 CD on Thursday, Nov 3rd at the Gladstone Hotel's Melody Toll-free 1-866-871-9457 Bar as part of the Toronto Blues Society First Thursday Email: [email protected] series. The Toronto Blues Society presents the best Website: www.torontobluessociety.com in blues talent the first Thursday of each month at MapleBlues is published monthly by the Toronto The Melody Bar in The Gladstone Hotel. There Blues Society ISSN 0827-0597 is no cover charge and a tasty local food menu is offered in the newly renovated Melody Bar. 2011 BOARD OF DIRECTORS TBS First Thursdays continue with Doc Derek Andrews (President), Jon Arnold (Executive), MacLean (Dec 1) Please note performances Gord Brown, Lucie Dufault (Secretary), Sharon now begin at 9pm. Evans, Sarah French, Sharon 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 Mark Your Calendars for the Toronto Executive Committee:Derek Andrews, Blues Society Christmas Party! This Jon Arnold, Michael Malone, Ed Parsons, Mike year’s Toronto Blues Society Christmas Smith, John Valenteyn, Lucie Dufault Party will take place at The Delta Chelsea Membership Committee: Mike Malone, Lucie Hotel Monarchs Pub on Sat Dec 10, and Default, Gord Brown, Sarah French, Mike will feature a performance by Maple Blues Smith, Debbie Brown, Ed Parsons, Norm Award winner Robin Banks Robinson, Rick Battision, Sharon Grace Volunteer Committee: Ed Parsons, Sharon Evans, Lucie Dufault The 15th annual Toronto Blues Society Maple Blues Awards will be hosted Membership Coordinators: Rick Battiston, by Treasa Levasseur and Shakura S’Aida at Koerner Hall on Monday, Myrrhine Faller January 16, 2012. The gala event celebrates Canadian blues featuring Office and Event Coordinator: Jordan Safer the finest musicians and special guests from across Canada, all Grants Officer: Barbara Isherwood backed by The Maple Blues Band. Sponsorship Coordinator: Dougal Bichan Webmistress: Janine Stoll Tickets are on sale now! If you are a Charter Member in good standing, please call the TBS office to obtain the special Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Derek Andrews discount code. If you are not a member, purchase tickets at http:// performance.rcmusic.ca/event/toronto-blues-society-maple-blues- Managing Editor: Brian Blain awards Contributing Editors: John Valenteyn Mailing and Distribution: Ed Parsons, Rick Battiston, Lucie Dufault, Donald Loney Advertising: Dougal & Co. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Voting members of the Toronto Blues Society are eligible to run for the 2010 Toronto For rates & specs call 416-645-0295 Blues Society Board of Directors. In order to run, you must be a member in good Email: [email protected] or visit standing, and you must be nominated in writing by three voting members of the www.torontobluesociety.com/newsletters/rate-card society. Deadline to receive nominations is 5 pm, November 18, 2011. Printing: UCC Press (416) 545-0277 The slate of candidates will be announced in the December issue of Maples Blues. The Toronto Blues Society gratefully acknowledges the Elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting of the Toronto Blues Society to be held at the on financial support of the following agencies 27th Floor of the Delta Chelsea Hotel on Saturday, December 10 at 7PM. For further information contact the TBS office, 416-538-3885 The Toronto Blues Society is a member of Ministry of Culture 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] www.torontobluessociety.com MapleBlues November 2011 3 On The Side with... With both projects, she also held the role of Donna and friend, Tarah Zaczyk, goldsmith Musical Director. and jewellery designer of Crush Lane, have Donna “The role of Musical Director is to help an developed a rock’n roll line - AJA Collection artist achieve their musical vision. Choosing - featuring feather earrings, bracelets with ball Grantis musicians that are a great fit stylistically for a ends of her guitar strings and leather cuffs and specific project, helping with song writing and necklaces incorporating brass castings of her guitar picks. The next run of jewellery will PHOTO: ESRA TASDEMIR ESRA PHOTO: arrangements, writing charts, leading rehearsals, helping choose material that would best fit include design elements inspired by her new certain concerts and being a contact person who album, “Suites”. (crushlane.com/aja) can represent the band to other people. These are On Saturday, November 26th at the prestigious some of the responsibilities I've had in various Massey Hall in Toronto, Donna Grantis, along projects in the role of Musical Director.” with her guitars Elektra and Starla, will be In December, 2011, power trio, The Donna gracing the stage with the Women’s Blues Revue Grantis Electric Band with Steve Zsirai on bass Band and six renowned female vocalists. and Roger Travassos on drums, will release their “Being a part of the WBR has been an first album entitled, “Suites”. (donnagrantis. amazing experience. It’s an honour to work with com) such a stellar lineup of artists. Being a part of the “I love jazz but I’m a rocker at heart. This revue has impacted my growth as a musician album is a combination of both worlds. The and has allowed me to connect with an amazing song arrangements have a jazz sensibility with community of blues fans who are very supportive a rock’n roll attitude while still being rooted in of Toronto’s live music scene. To share the stage electric blues. It’s made up of two suites named with such fabulous and talented women is truly after my guitars, Elektra and Starla.” awesome. We all love the blues and we all come together on one historic stage for one night a year Donna’s band has a passion for “psychedelic to rock out and make something magical. It’s a improvisation”. A term she explains as, celebration of blues music, old and new. I hope “creating music in the moment, reacting to other music fans pack the house for this year’s concert musicians, exploring musical themes for an and join us in celebrating the great achievement extended time, utilizing effects pedals to create of supporting blues, and women in blues, for spontaneous sounds that can never be duplicated twenty-five years.” while taking the listener on a musically engaging journey.” The Women’s Blues Revue band is Donna Donna Grantis, will be returning for her Grantis - Musical Director/Guitar, Lily Sazz - second year as Guitarist and Musical Director This musical journey can also be worn. Keys, Brandi Disterheft - Upright Bass, Lindsay for the Toronto Blues Society’s, 25th Women’s “My grandfather was a jeweller. I’ve always Beaver - Drums, Colleen Allen - Sax, Carrie Blues Revue. had a special appreciation for jewellery and its Chesnutt - Sax, Rebecca Hennessy - Trumpet. Born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, design. I saved my old guitar strings for two Featured vocalists are Ada Lee, Emma-Lee, Kat Donna states she has been “hooked” on guitar years in hopes of somehow incorporating the Danser, Shakura S’Aida, Treasa Levasseur and from the age of fourteen. material into pieces of jewellery.” Suzie Vinnick. “I first picked up my brother’s acoustic guitar - Sharon Grace during the school summer holidays and thought I’d learn a few chords. He taught me my first chord. I then bought the tab for 'Stairway to Heaven' by Led Zeppelin and made a deal with TBS Member Tickets for WBR and MBA my dad that if I learned how to play the entire song, he would buy me an electric guitar. I was Toronto Blues Society Women’s Blues Revue always drawn to the electric and wanted to play The 25th annual Toronto Blues Society Women’s Blues Revue will take place at the solos like Jimmy Page, Slash and Angus Young. historic Massey Hall on Saturday November 26. This year the band will feature vocalists I got the guitar, a used, red Series A, and the rest Ada Lee, Emma-Lee, Kat Danser, Shakura S'Aida, Treasa Levasseur and Suzie Vinnick is history.” backed up by the Women's Blues Revue Band led by Donna Grantis (guitar) with Lily Sazz A graduate of the Jazz Performance Program (keyboards), Brandi Disterheft (bass), Lindsay Beaver (drums, pictured), Colleen Allen at McGill University in Montreal, her musical (sax), Carrie Chesnutt (sax) and Rebecca Hennessy (trumpet).