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My friend Arlene said my Blainletters were too "dense". Maybe "thick" is the word she used.
She was suggesting breaking it up with clip art but this is the story of my editorial life..."more white space...more paragraphs...less words". Trying to put together promotional material for the new CD has been particularly challenging. Apparently people's attention spans are lower than ever but I know there's people out there who read "the whole thang".
Anyway this one will be short, as were the last couple because....well there's usually nothing to announce. But for this occasion, let me pass along some Seasons Greetings- a subdued send-off for a brutal season and we can only hope for some better seasons down the road. Winter never fails to turn into spring.
And, guess what, I'm going to do a live stream on New Year's Day (5pm on my Facebook Page). I will play some of the tunes from the new CD and I have a special guest, author/storyteller John Gardiner who will be reading some excerpts while I noodle on the guitar. I even got the synth going after a bit of a hiatus. Trying to put a little soul into electronic music has been a bit of a pipe dream and sometimes I just put it aside for a while - just waiting for the day when the computer can follow me and not vice versa. I've upgraded the computer and made a considerable investment in software so here we go again...
So sad about all the music friends who have passed away - just this holiday week-end, Amoy Levy and Gary 17. I met Amoy when I was hired to do the liner notes for a Gospel CD called "Saved!" She had an amazing voice and a beautiful spirit - The Fabulous Levy Sisters indeed!
Gary 17 was a fellow desktop publisher and when I arrived in TO he had this little broadsheet that listed every jam in town - and there were many. That's when we had over 40 active blues clubs in town. After that he covered live music that no-one else did. And if you subscribed to his mag, he'd put your listing in bold type!
Now it's a new world. No jams, no gigs, no going out of the house! This live streaming can be fun but it's nerve wracking when you're over your head with the technology - and most of us are. Still, isn't it amazing how "Uncle Joe" who can hardly figure out the TV Remote is now zooming with family and friends.
But just when the platform gets more stable we start trying to do more. Now the cutting (bleeding)-edge is the challenge of musicians playing together in real time with no latency. I hope I live to see the day when we can jam across the internet as easily as we zoom today.
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Boxes of CDs arrved last week and will be in the mail next week. If you ordered your CD on Bandcamp, they are very organized and I will have your mailing address. I'm still missing some postal addresses so if you got a message asking for your postal address, send it to me if you want to receive a physical CD.
And then I've got a bunch of addresses scribbled on the back of envelopes and I hope I didn't lose track of anybody. If you pre-ordered directly from me and haven't sent tme your postal address, it might be a good idea to send me your mailing address just in case.
And if you didn't watch the album launch…you might get a kick out of it: https://youtu.be/pPrzSbCcBXY
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How to keep Live Music Alive
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Musicians, venues, businesses and even our beloved Blues Societies are facing undue hardship throughout this pandemic.
How Can You Help?
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Purchase your regional musician’s music
Artists do not earn a lot from streaming – so now is the time to invest in their music. Buy physical CDs or vinyl releases from homegrown acts (you can order online for home delivery) or purchase songs and albums digitally. This is also a good time to see if your favourite artist or band sells merchandise online.
Share their music
Instead of using social media to complain about politics or toilet paper hoarders, use your platforms to promote our artists to your followers and others around the world. Talk 'em up to the world and be sure to include links to their websites and videos. It is more important than ever to tell the rest of the world about the incredible talent here at home.
Donate to musicians
Support them in these difficult times. Many are offering virtual concerts via social media for you to enjoy at home. Consider using their digital TIP JAR, their PAYPAL link or their email they offer for an e-transfer to offer them assistance.
Support your Venues
Support them too in these difficult times. If they offer a take-out menu please consider using that as a means of support. Also consider buying Gift Certificates to help them out.
Support Music Education
MusiCounts works hard to enact our mission to make music education accessible and sustainable for in-need schools and communities across the country.
Over the past two decades, MusiCounts has allocated more than $14,000,000 of musical instruments and equipment to schools and community organizations across the country, however, they’re so much more than that. They’re building innovative, online tools and learning resources so educators can adapt to their new teaching environment. They’re honouring incredible educators and youth through their awards and scholarships. They’re collaborating with some of the brightest minds in music education to conduct research that will make positive impacts for years to come. You can donate here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/musicounts-canadas-music-education-charity/
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“Music is probably the only real magic I have encountered in my life. There is not some trick involved with it. It is pure and it is real. It moves, it heals, it communicates and does all these incredible things”.
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- Tom Petty (via the Grand River Blues Society)
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Thanks for reading this far and my best wishes for a far Happier New Year. Feel free to forward this to any friend you think might enjoy my occasional ramblings (and maybe my music, too). These bits and more are always available on my blog, www.torontobluesdiary.com.
See you out there, eventually...
BrianB, aka Butch, Nappy, Shaker, Two-Lane Blain, Colorblind Brian, Stringbuster, Buddha of the Blues
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