Blainletter #50, March 2012 - Spring has Sprung

How fast did Spring happen this year, you ask? Well, I didn’t even get to take my new deluxe ice-scraper out of its wrapping. CD and cassette cases were what I used for the first part of winter and now that I’ve got a proper scraper, it’s over. Well, you won’t get any complaints from me.

This is Blainletter # 50 and it falls just about at the 50th anniversary of my starting to play guitar. I was one of those guys that joined the band before I could play. So I hard to learn fast and it's been that way ever since. If I don't figure it out right away, I never will

I'm playing a show with Zoe Chilco on April 14, 7-11pm at Kelly's Korner at McCowan and Kingston Road. Maybe she'll let mne sing a couple of tunes. This night is also the CD launch for Chris Rawlings at Lazy Daisy Cafe (Gerrard & Coxwell). Wish I could be at both

Friday, April 20 Alton Mill, Alton I'll be playing with Larry Kurtz, Douglas Watson and Dave Menard (we will rock the house…er, mill)

Saturday, April 21, 5pm – Gate 403, 403 Roncesvales – I'm guesting with Robert Davis and Malcolm Gould PWYC

Saturday May 5, 11AM-2PM Woodbine Racetrack, 555 Rexdale Boulevard (416) 675-7223
Brian and the Bluesgrass Boys celebrating the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby. Always a big day at he track. Funny how I've been playing at the track once or twice every year and I've never met a soul I know (except for musicians in one of the other bands).

Wednesday, May 9, 9-11pm Thymeless, 355 College St W The ambient-electro-dub sounds of BLAINblain (me on the MIDI-guitar and Bass plugged into a laptop and my son the DJ making beats and loops on the fly)

Click below to hear the 1973 recording of my cult classic "Don't Forget Your Mother" You'll find stories about the recording if you search the blog.

Sunday, May 13 1-4pm Reba’s Café, 3289 Dundas Street West, 1-4pm Brian’s Motherless Day Blues Concert PWYC

Thursday, May 31, 9pm Fionn McCool’s, Orangeville – Brian Blain opening night of the Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival

Shows I played last month:

The Winterfolk Festival was a real pleasure. They moved it all under one roof (the largest roof in town – ie, the largest hotel in town) and lots of great music was played. I did a Blues Campfire and then I was seconded to play bass with Jack de Keyzer and that was, dare I say, an honour…Jack is blues royalty in this town and I guess I was a little hesitant about covering it because I’m not much of a “jobber” who knows every song in the book, and when you’re playing bass, you can’t fake it like you can on guitar. I guess I expressed my lack of confidence one time too many because at the beginning of the show Jack was starting to wonder about me but all’s well that ends well and I think everybody had a good time.
Last month I found myself on stage (twice) at the Trane, a predominantly jazz venue that has launched a blues series every second Monday with the Son Roberts Band. Son is one very organized bluesman – I had the most elegant set list I’ve ever seen. I had a great time playing with the boys – I thought we raised the roof over there…and what a great meal I had. A couple of days later I came back and sat in at Noah Zacharin’s new LibertyWednesday Open Stage thang and he had a great lineup of talent.

Shows I saw and liked:

The Louisiana Snowblowers have re-appeared on the scene and I caught a set at a pub on the Danforth and I sure like what they’re putting down. The TBS Guitar Workshop was at Dominion on Queen this year – a great venue in a historic building (even though they have a rather under-powered and overworked PA). Danny Marks hosted and did a bang-up job as he always does. I was called upon to do a presentation to our long-standing office volunteer, Rick Battiston, and I guess maybe I did ramble on a bit but when it looked like I was starting to launch into an intro for guitarist Kevin Breit I got a bit of a look from Danny – I guess I was stepping on his job. Kevin was amazing to watch close up and he answered questions about his unique style and his legendary Fender amp which looks like it’s been through a couple of world wars. He related how he tried to modify a more current amp to the exact specs of his “baby” but no matter what he did, he couldn’t get it to sound the same. When asked if he had perfect pitch, Kevin said he had “relative pitch” – that is, he had “a brother with perfect pitch.”

Adventures in Streaming:

I felt bad about not getting to the Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis this year but I was (virtually) there because each day I tuned in to one of the live streaming channels and heard some great music. Saw my old pal Ray Bonneville playing and being interviewed on a streaming channel called ditty.tv. I guess they broadcast year-round from Memphis but during the Folk Alliance they featured a lot of the showcasing artists. Saw a great set by a stripped-down Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and watched a couple of rough-and-ready streaming sessions from some of the private showcase rooms. One featured a group called The Sweetness which I streamed last year when they played before me at a private showcase in the Memphis Marriott. At Music Week I ran into Chloe Charles who was a member of that group and tells me that they had just formed that week-end in Memphis. The Sweetness has a big tour itinerary and Chloe is also launching a solo career. Also playing that guerilla showcase in Memphis last year was a singer songwriter called Melanie Brule who showed up at a CMW party on Richard Flohil’s arm. (Update-Melanie's working for Flo!) If I recall correctly, the streaming was screwing up a bit for her set, but the technology has come a long way in a year and by next year’s Folk Alliance (in Toronto, btw) I bet everybody will be streaming from their hotel rooms.

I also did a couple of streaming sessions from the Toronto Jazz Festival office. If you’re an artist looking for information on touring in the US or grant-getting, this is pretty current information. Go to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-from-toronto-jazz. The Toronto Blues Society also sponsored some info sessions at Lula Lounge – lots on social media, etc. They’re at http://www.livestream.com/torontobluessociety.

Weather, Politics, Movie watching

Incredible to see folks walking around in shorts and t-shirts at the beginning of March. Nobody’s saying much about global warming, it seems, just digging the short winter and resigned to more. Maybe we won’t last long enough for the global warming effect. I’ve been on a movie-watching marathon now that I’m (semi)retired and I’ve hot this new HDTV. Lots of spy flics and doomsday movies and the last couple were set in 2012. I think it’s the Mayans that set the expiry date for our planet.

Meanwhile, my neighbourhood was ground zero for the big by-election and the NDP was not taking any chances. The phone was ringing off the hook and I even had our NDP candidate at my door, sans handlers, nothing but his backpack. We talked a bit about co-op housing. The phone was also ringing non-stop with robot pollsters. I must have done a dozen, and there were more that called at the wrong time. Now that it’s all automated, anyone can run a poll and tabulate the results…and probably make an accurate prediction.

Steve Jobs gets his final wish

Google and Motorola Mobility have been ordered by a Chicago judge to hand over Android development data to Apple as part of a patent lawsuit, reports Bloomberg.
This would be a banner day for Steve Jobs, who maintained that Android was "grand theft" of iOS and said, "I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong."

Lots more to talk about but I’ve got to send this out now because the next gig is less than 24 hours away (ooops…again!). I’ve got some great tips from Canadian Music Week sessions on using social media but I’ll have to post that later on my blog. Oh yeah, visit my newly revamped blog at www.brianblain.ca . I’m still populating it with more photos & music but it’s come a long way thanks to some help from Margaret Stowe who can make blogs jump through hoops. She has several informative blogs out there but you can start at http://www.margaretstowe.com/

Thanks for reading and for your ongoing support,
BrianB, aka Colorblind Blain, the Stringbuster

www.brianblain.ca
PS: If you're on Facebook and “like” what I’m doing, go to www.facebook.com/brianblain.musician and make it official.
If you would like to receive the Blainletter directly to your inbox, long before it ever gets posted here, send a note to brian@brianblain.ca

My Canadian Music Week

As usual I was probably the oldest person walking around with a CMW badge and I was actually heckled by a group of drunk young people on Queen Street shouting "Hey, man with beard!". Then, as I'm leaving one club, the doorman says "You sir, have a rockin' beard."  Twice in one night they're talking about my beard...what's with that?  I think the Rockin' Beard Award will have to go to Halifax troubadour Ben Caplan.  Every year there's a buzz artist who is everywhere abd this year it was Ben Caplan. I was going to try and catch his set at the East Coast Party - where I remember a couple of years back at the Rivoli, a big cauldron of delicious fish chowder, oysters in many varieties and lots of other delicious seafood.  Anyway, I guess everybody heard about it because the last couple of years it's been "Invite Only" and I guess I'm not on that list. I wanted to hear Ben and he had many plays during Music Week but the only time I heard him was when he was tinkling the ivories on the grand piano in the hotel mezzanine.

That doorman who liked my beard was at Sneaky Dee's where I went to see an artist who was listed as a combination of blues and electronic, which is what I've been experimenting with.  I got there early because the band playing before them listed their genre as "experimental" and I wanted to see what they were all about.  Little did I know that they were (are) the biggest thing in Ireland and as one (Irish) patron pointed out to me, the whole front of the room was packed with Irish - and I soon realized that they knew all the words and were singing along.  I jokingly asked my new Irish friend if there had been a fight yet, and he said no they were waiting for the end of the set.  And sure enough when it was over they remained at the front shouting "one more" (probably not aware of the showcase protocol).  One very drunk guy almost knocked me over, but to their credit, they finally accepted that their heroes were not coming back. Anyway, The Rubberbandits, as they were called,  were 2 rappers who jumped up and down and a third guy - all in masks - who was maybe manipulating synths or other controllers. I think the masks was the experimental part

There was a time when no self-respecting musician would ever play with pre-recorded backing tracks, but nowadays nobody was making a big deal of it.  In fact Indie Awards headliner Rich Aucoin had recently abandoned his Ableton Live for pre-recorded tracks on an ipod. Of course, he's doing a lot in "real time" but just the thought of playing with backing tracks leaves me cold.

There was a phenomenal electronic musician from BC called Longwalk Shortdock who took it to another level - I don't think he was using Ableton but he was controlling stuff with the computer though apparently the visuals were prepared in advance (by a video artist called RIM) so once again I was hoping we would see visuals that were being triggered and filtered by the music. Maybe there was a bit of that going on, but whatever he was doing, it was spectacular:

The Blues fared pretty well at Canadian Music Week this year.  It's always been a "poor cousin" in this annual crush of pretty mainstream rock and pop.  The "official" blues showcase was not very well attended at the start and though I had to leave halfway through, I bet it was packed by the time Shakura hit the stage. A big congratulatory hug to Suzie Vinnick for tearing it up solo in this pretty large room which usually hosts metal music.  I told her she had the energy of a full-tilt rock band - just her voice and that little guitar (with a pretty big sound). Then tonight, Suzie wins the Indie Award for best blues act (and let's not forget that she is nominated for a JUNO award - to be presented next week in Ottawa)

I might have blown off the "Celebrity Interview" but I was showing a friend around the conference so we went together to watch the interview with Paul Rogers - a bona fide rock star (who has just moved to BC). I never thought of him as part of English blues history but it turns out that he was around for all of that stuff with Alexis Koerner and the fathers of British Blues.  He even related how his friend Robert Plant had told him about the offer to join Jimmy Page in Led Zeppelin and that the band had offered him "either thirty quid a week or a percentage."  Paul had suggested he take the percentage and that's what he did.  Paul was also asked to sing with many other famous groups...even the Doors, after Morrison had died.  Well if anybody could do it, he could.

Now as I'm meeting Paul Rogers, I confess that I didn't know much about him especially his blues roots. What I didn't tell him was that I sort of had him confused with Roger Hodgson of Supertramp (who also had some kind of Canadian connection).  Anyway, I realize I probably sounded stupid, but he was not one of those people who calls you on it when you say something stupid.  He was very nice, and he has a new fan in Brian Blain - especially after seeing his performance with multi-Indie winners the Sheepdogs.

Don't Forget Your Mother

Every year on Mother’s Day week-end, or close to it, I like to have a special show for folks who no longer have their mother, like myself or orphans who never knew their biological mother (also like myself). Some of you may be acquainted with my tune “Enfant Choisi” which is about my adoption by the dear lady you see pictured with me in a 70s promo shot.

It’s also the only show of the year where you’ll hear me sing my “cult classic,” “Don’t Forget Your Mother”. After I was "discovered" by Andre Perry in the early 70s, we recorded three sides and two were released on Good Noise Records, but “Don’t Forget Your Mother” was never released (for a variety of reasons).

But it was a bit of an underground favourite in Montreal in the early 70s. Everybody remembered that tune and just a few years back I ran into one of the guys who played on the session, Tom “Bones” Malone, who was in Toronto filming a Blues Brothers movie. I was just starting to ask him if he remembered that session and he began singing the chorus. Wow! After all those years. The drummer for the session was Jim Gordon, a first-call studio drummer in Los Angeles who had just finished touring and recording with Derek and The Dominoes. He wrote (and played) the piano part in “Layla”. He was later institutionalized for killing his mother in a schitzophrenic episode but that’s another (hopefully unrelated) story.

This year the show is Mother's Day and it's at one in the afternoon and a very nice little cafe so it might be a chance to bring your mother, if you're lucky enough to have one who's still living. Tell her it's not that loud, repetitive rock blues but more like story-telling folk blues. I will be joined ne a few musical friends but I don't know who can make it because their mother might want to do something else.

Blainletter #49 February 16, 2012

In This Issue

• Upcoming Shows
• Awards Season
• CBC 4???
• What else have I been doing?
• Quote of the Day


Hello friends – this is the first Blainletter of 2012 – hmmm, mid-February - I guess it’s a bit of a late entry. And then it was meant as a Valentine’s Day greeting but missed that deadline too… So now I sit here writing a little last-minute self-promotion for my appearances at the Winterfolk festival rather than attending the Winterfolk launch party. Well the upside of staying home is listening to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings on CBC’s Canada Live as I write this (more on CBC later). I still remember their show at the jazz festival…talk about the “real deal.” Old school.


Upcoming Shows (Toronto):


Saturday, February 18 – Delta Chelsea, Monarchs Pub, 33 Gerrard St W. 1-3pm Brian's Blues Campfire/Song Circle/Jam. All Musicians welcome. Part of Winterfolk X

Saturday, February 18 – Delta Chelsea, Deck 27 (27th floor) 33 Gerrard St W. 8pm Blues Songwriting Workshop with Gary Kendall and …you (if you’re interested in being part of a blues songwriting session) This session immediately follows a Blues Guitar workshop that should be of interest to many $10 cover for both. Part of Winterfolk X

Sunday, February 19 – Delta Chelsea, Monarchs Pub, 33 Gerrard St W. 2pm it’s jamming with guitar meister Jack de Keyzer. I’ll be playing bass. Part of Winterfolk X

(The Winterfolk fun starts tomorrow night (Fri) with an all-star blues band led by Jack in Monarchs Pub. Lots of great music under one roof all week-end. Full schedule at http://www.abetterworld.ca)

Monday, February 27 8pm – The Trane, 964 Bathurst Street – guesting with the Son Roberts Band. $5 cover

Sunday, March 11 – Reba’s Café, 3289 Dundas Street West, 1-4pm PWYC

Saturday, April 21 – Gate 403, 403 Roncesvales – guesting with Robert Davis PWYC


Awards Season

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Grammy Awards on my new HDTV, especially the guitar extravaganza at the end with McCartney, even though I didn’t get to attend in person. That’ll be the day. I don’t expect to get to the JUNO Awards either this year but I was invited to the media launch and that was a fine occasion with trays of delicacies being passed around. Most of the blues nominees were friends of mine and I was delighted to see them honoured. A few glaring omissions, mind you, like Harry Manx who was just passing through town last week and the larger-than-life Matt Andersen who I had the pleasure of jamming with at my Blues Campfire last month.

The Maple Blues Awards were held last month in the newest and fanciest concert hall in Toronto, Koerner Hall. A far cry from the first MBA soiree which was held at the beloved Montreal Bistro fifteen years ago. Some great music this year and a few emotional moments but the highlight of the show for me was "Funky Louise", alter-ego of host Shakura S'Aida. She had me in stitches - search for Funky Louise on YouTube and you'll see this hilarious promo for the awards also featuring co-host Treasa Levasseur.

There were many great performances but my favourite musical moment was Bill Johnson and what a great guitar sound he had. I had to ask, what was that amp? ...and he told me it's a hand-made amp made in his hometown, Victoria. They're called Toneliner. And they have the tone alright, though the fingers of Bill Johnson had a lot to do with it. I met Bill five or six years ago when he came to the Blues Summit and backed up Layla Zoe at the Blues Campfire. I can't remember if he sang himself at that time but I do remember that he got me a gig in Victoria and I am eternally grateful to him for that. I've been playing his album a lot and so have a lot of other people, apparently, because it was nominated for Blues Album of the Year even though he's hardly ever played in this part of the country. I'd love to see him do a whole evening.

After the awards a few of us made our way to the hotel and had an impromptu jam session in Rick Taylor's room where I had the pleasure of sitting across from Joe Murphy and hearing him for the first time (he did a tune at the Awards but he is best appreciated up close and personal). I never heard of Joe Murphy until last month though he has been a fixture on the East Coast blues scene for decades and I can now attest that he is definitely the proverbial "real deal". Great meeting you, Joe, and great to say hello to many other visiting artists who I only run into once or twice a year. It was a delight to look across the lobby and see the chrerub-face of Tim Vaughn smiling at me. Tim had introduced himself to me at a Blues Summit five or six years ago - he was just a teenager then, surely the youngest delegate ever at the Blues Summit, and now here he was attending as a nominee in the "new artist" category. Good on you, Tim.


CBC Radio 4???

The new CBC service has been launched and features music and profiles on thousands of Canadian artists so of course the first thing I did was to check if I was there. Alas, there were three Blain(e)s but not a Brian. I never had much traction with the CBC – the only play I ever got was from Jurgen Goth who had a show on Radio Two long before I ever got in the habit of tuning in Radio 2. Now there’s another one, which I guess is sort of a spin-off of radio 3. It looks like a good initiative – worth checking out. www.cbcmusic.ca

What else have I been doing

Speaking of radio, I’ve just had my first taste of the Galaxie Music thang now that I got “the fibe.” Imagine living with 7 or 8 years with no TV, then a year or two with a hand-me-down TV and a coat hanger for an antennae and now a 40” screen and 1000+ channels, most of which I am not remotely interested in watching. Well now I’m set for my (semi)retirement.

In addition to watching more TV, my retirement project includes trying to improve my eating habits (tonite it was kale, sweet potato and salmon and it was pretty good – they say kale is great for you. I even bought the organic variety). And now my music time is dedicated to working on my Ableton Live “hyper-instrument” in the hope of future collaborations with electronic musicians. I’m searching for a producer/programmer who can make beats and knows Max (the MIDI programming language). I just created a ten-minute video blog (vlog?) to show what I’m doing. If you’re curious, go to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/thestringbuster

I’ll be doing a bit of a electronica mash-up of one of the tunes on my new album, The Ghost of Clinton’s Tavern and we’ve also updated my reggae tune with some real percussion from Wayne Stoute (via Terry Gillespie). I still want to do a bluegrass treatment of my tune about Alice Brock and there’s more so the “living” album project is still alive - thanks to the donors who have kept it going – you know who you are (and your name is on the CD))

So I haven’t turned away from my beloved blues & roots (though I haven’t written a tune in quite a while) but after plugging away for 20 years in this town I’m thinking that what I do has a pretty limited appeal. I should have got the message when I did a gig at the Free Times a couple of years back and realized that I knew every single person in the audience. But, as Bob Lefsetz said in his latest post, it’s not about making average music for average people anymore. Here’s another good quote from Lefsetz, via Seth Godin:

“Your only hope is to create work so great we'll hear about it from someone else.”

If you don’t know who Seth Godin is, here’s a revealing interview”:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2012/02/the-weird-interview.html

Here’s to a productive rest of the winter (we got off easy so far!)

Thanks for reading and for your ongoing support,
BrianB, aka Colorblind Blain, the Stringbuster

The Maple Blues Awards

Monday night was the annual gathering of Canadian blues musicians, promoters  and uber-fans. It's held in the newest and fanciest concert hall in Toronto, Koerner Hall.  Pretty ritzy.  I had intended to buy a new suit for the occasion, well, mostly for the Folk Awards event that I hosted last month but in the end it was black jeans for both. A lot of good lookin' bluesers in the hall. The highlight of the show was "Funky Louise", alter-ego of host Shakura S'Aida.  She had me in stitches - search for Funky Louise on YouTube and you'll see this hilarious promo for the awards also featuring co-host Treasa Levasseur. 

There were many great performances but my favourite musical moment was Bill Johnson and what a great guitar sound he had.  I had to ask, what was that amp? ...and he told me it's a hand-made amp made in his hometown, Victoria.  They're called Toneliner.  And they have the tone alright, though the fingers of Bill Johnson had a lot to do with it. I met Bill five or six years ago when he came to the Blues Summit and backed up Layla Zoe at the Blues Campfire.  I can't remember if he sang himself at that time but I do remember that he got me a gig in Victoria and I am eternally grateful to him for that. I've been playing his album a lot and so have a lot of other people, apparently, because it was nominated for Blues Album of the Year even though he's hardly ever played in this part of the country. I'd love to see him do a whole evening.

Speaking of sound I've got to say when you're in a hall like that, you're supposed to be able to close your eyes and it should sound like you're in a big living room listening to a very big, very expensive stereo. I'm always a bit taken aback when I'm in a premier concert hall and it still sounds like you're just in a big hall.  I don't want to hear the room, I don't want to hear the speakers working - I just want to hear the music.  Come to any show at the jazz festival and you'll see what I'm talking about - and that's in a bloody tent!

Ooops, am I getting negative? Well I feel I'm entitled to my opinion, especially considering I actually bought a ticket for the first time in 15 years.  Yes, this old media mooch actually laid down a few bucks because the Blues Society seems to have taken a page from the Folk Awards and the JUNOs where EVERYBODY buys their ticket. Though I'm sure a few VVIPs slipped through...

After the awards a few of us made our way to the hotel and had an impromptu jam session in Rick Taylor's room where I had the pleasure of sitting across from Joe Murphy and hearing him for the first time (he did a tune at the Awards but he is best appreciated up close and personal). I never heard of Joe Murphy until last month though he has been a fixture on the East Coast blues scene for decades and I can now attest that he is definitely the proverbial "real deal".  Great meeting you, Joe, and great to say hello to many other visiting artists who I only run into once or twice a year. It was a delight to look across the lobby and see the chrerub-face of Tim Vaughn smiling at me.  Tim had introduced himself to me at a Blues Summit five or six years ago - he was just a teenager then, surely the youngest delegate ever at the Blues Summit, and now here he was attending as a nominee in the "new artist" category.  Good on you, Tim.

The Delta Blues Campfire

The Delta Blues Campfire on Sunday afternoon was the perfect way to get in a blues mood for tonight's Maple Blues Awards. Pictured above (photo by Stilleto Rose) is the rhythm section, yours truly on bass and Malcolm Gould on drums along with Nanaimo's David Gogo, nominee for Guitar Player of the Year and Electric Act of the Year.  Later were joined by Steve Marriner of Monkey Junk (7 nominations) and the larger-than-life Matt Andersen (who has three nominations, I think). Andrew Burton is a local guitarist whom I've never me and he played some sweet sounds even though he had a less-than-deal setup plugged directly into the board.  

Speaking of the board, we had the formidable Rob Boyd mixing the sound and keeping everything humming along (OK, maybe that's a bad choice of words). Who knew that Rob was a bass player in a previous incarnation. He sat in for a couple of tunes and he rocked! Ken and Peggy from Belleville Loyalist Blues Brotherhood joined in (blues version of a Crystal Gayle song? Only at the Campfire). Host of Monarch's regular open mic Brian Gladstone was the first player to show up with guitar in hand and he kicked off the session with some fine fingerpicking. And a big thank you to Mojo Willie (aka Bill Rymer) who played a few tunes while I took a bit of a break - there's no breaks at a campfire. I'm thinking I forgot somebody...anyway it was great to have these luminaries joining in at the campfire and a real thrill for the local players, including myself, to play with them.  I was thinking I should have got some autographs on my guitar after these great players played it.  Jamming around the campfire is not exactly a career development strategy but these guys are all about the music. They just want to play.

I was especially thrilled to meet and play with the legendary Joe Mavety.  He is of course mostly remembered for his collaboration with Marianne Faithful but nowadays he's living in Port Credit and playing around the west end.  I always had a little bee in my bonnet about this guy because back in the early 90s, the first band I played with in Toronto was Blue Willow and when it was time to make a record Joe Mavety was the "ringer" that they brought in.  That always stuck in my craw a little bit. I figured I could play those solos as well as he did :-(  Now that I recall those sessions, I remember producer Michael Fonfara bringing in Carlos de Junco and maybe somebody else so he would have two or three solos to choose from and a couple of my solos got bumped. That was brutal. Oh well, "Welcome to Toronto!"    

Come to the Delta Blues Campfire

Sunday, January 15 3pm

Monarch's Pub - Delta Chelsea Hotel

33 Gerrard St W.

A nice warm-up to the Maple Blues Awards gala on Monday Night

The First Delta Blues Campfire was held in January 2007 as part of the Blues Summit. Pictured above (l to r.) Ken Whiteley, Mark "Bird" Stafford, Mr. Rick, Rick Fines, Danny Marks and host Brian Blain.

The Maple Blues Awards week-end always attracts a large number of blues artists from all over the country and The Blues Campfire is their chance to meet and jam with local players and other blues artists from outside Ontario. The Campfire has provide many artists with the first opportunity to jam with someone who's work they've admired with some of these connections have led to collaborations on recordings and tours.

The Blues Campfire is hosted by well-known blues editor/writer/guitar picker/bass player Brian Blain and has been a highlight of previous Blues Summits, OCFF and Folk Alliance conferences as well as festivals like Winterfolk and Harvest Jazz and Blues.

This year's campfire welcomes Maple Blues Awards nominees, presenters and guests to meet and jam in a casual setting.

This event is open to the public free of charge.

The Stringbuster's Rant of the Month

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a lot of response

minor collision at the foot of my street = towtrucks coming from every direction, police cars blocking all the streets, streetcars stopped in their tracks, not because of the accident but because of the congestion caused by an ambulance, more police cars and 3 fire trucks with at least a dozen firemen all standing around watching.  When a gawker tried to take a photo of the firemen one of them came at him shouting "what are you doing?"  Maybe he was thinking the same thing as me, how much $$$ does this add up to on the city payroll - and it's a Sunday...somebody must be getting overtime.  Now, part of me feels good that if I ever have a fender bender at the foot of my street, I will have a quick response, but I'm just sayin'...

Memories of Hubert

Hubert Sumlin passed away this morning. 

I've been reading Holger Petersen's new book and I'm going to flip ahead in the hopes that one of those interviews is with Hubert. 

Back in 2007 I was the special guest at a blues matinee in Brantford and after the first set I was caught up in conversation with some of the locals and finally noticed that Bruce Hall was trying to get my attention and when he did he brought me over to a table at the back and introduced me to Hubert Sumlin. Whoa, my jaw hit the floor!  Bruce had just picked him up at the airport - Hubert was in town to play a big Howlin' Wolf tribute concert the next night. He had asked Bruce if there was any music happening and Bruce brought him over to the blues matinee.  Well after a few pleasantries I said "I"ve got a Stratocaster up there on stage if you would like to sit in for a couple of tunes."  He politely declined but as we were on stage about to start the second set, a young woman ran up to the stage yelling "Hubert says he'll play - he's going to play for me!" He shuffled up to the stage and I handed him my Strat and invited him to sit on the stool I had up there but he said he'd rather stand so then I asked what tune he'd like to do but he said "You just play your tunes and I'll play along."  Then I'm trying to remember a Howlin Wolf tune but I don't know a single one (I do now...a single one). We played "Live the Life" or something like that but Hubert was playing so low you could hardly hear him and his solo was a little tentative. 

I tried to turn him up a bit but he was still not very loud and now after reading a story about him in Keith Richards' biography where everybody was trying to get Hubert to turn up but he liked to be low. Richards remarked that after listening to the tracks that Hubert's part fit perfectly and what he was playing cut through and made sense. Maybe not so much in our little jam. 

I went to the big concert the next night and later when I mentioned it to Rod Phillips (who was playing organ with us at the matinee) Rod said "well I hope he played netter than he did with us."  Yikes! Rod could be a little tough on other musicians, even living legends. Anyway, at the matinee Hubert left the stage after a couple of tunes but he for the whole set and then stayed for the third set as well. He was diggin it. And before he left, he shook my hand and said, and I remember his words exactly, "I got ears. I listen. You got something, Brian. Something good. I'm going to remember you."  I said "I'm putting that on my website, Hubert" and I did. 

I found out later the tru significance of that comments because Hubert did indeed have a remarkable memory - he was one of those people who remember everybody's birthday and send a card or call. At the concert the next night he had me sit with him and then I had the honour of carrying his guitar and putting it back in its case for him (it tight squeeze, as I recall). Anybody who knew him will tell you, regardless of his position in the pantheon of blues guitar giants, what they remember most is that he was a beautiful human being.

MJB at the Gladstone

a week of large casts

Monday night was the tribute/celebration for Daisy DeBolt and she wouyld have approved of the "cast of thousands" that gathered on the stage at Hugh's Room to sing some of her tunes. When we were planning, there wasn't really anybody that was going to try to cover Daisy's vocals on anything so we were focusing on instrumental medleys and I was going to do a song I wrote about Lenny Breau, her mentor. But then I guess it was her old friend Naomi who was the one to say "We've got to do some of those songs" ...Up on Eagle Hill..."seeing all that love in your eyes" Then the genie was out of the bottle and then we went all the way and parachuted in a powerhouse focalist in the person of Heather Katz. Heather had never sung a Daisy DeBolt song but here she nailed it, and the whole gang was up on stage. I don't think we broke Daisy's record for large ensembles (24) but there were a lot of people on stage and the whole crowd was joining in on "All This Paradise".  This was happening at midnight, an hour beyond when most shows end at Hugh's Room.  The management there were great.  Sound was first class (thank you Anne and Dave). It was most moving to see Allan Fraser, Daisy's partner from Fraser & DeBolt doing a tune with Daisy's son, Jake.  There's a facebook page with comments at www.facebook.com/daisydeboltcelebrtation. <https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125983774174205>There's also a lovely tribute video by world-renown videographer Tim Wilson at http://gallery.me.com/personamedia/101159

Last night it was the new musical "Fela" with a huge cast of singer-dancers. all black, and a killer afrobeat band that was nearly all-white. Whatsmore, the rhythm guitarist who drove that afro-groove was not only white, but left-handed. He and the other guitarist had distilled that Nigerian sound down to the two essential guitar parts and then a bass that played over top of it. Lots of percussion and a fabulous horn-section which sometimes included some great tenor sax from Sahr Ngaujah who plays a very credible Fela Kuti. Amazing state-of-the-art sound and visuals occasionally interrupted by some less elegant theatrical devices and even a Big Bird lookalike that I thought was a little high-school but which my companion found to be her part the show. If you love African Music, you will be captivated by this band. Who are these guys? They may not be African but they are official!.  The run ends Nov 6

Blainletter #46 Oct 22, 2011

In This Issue

• Brian Blain Upcoming shows

• Daisy DeBolt Celebration

• Out and About

I write this Blainletter with a heavy heart. Just when I arrived back in Toronto from Donna Louthood's memorial service (she was Allan Fraser's wife of 30+ years) only to wake up next morning to the news that Daisy DeBolt, Allan's partner in Fraser & DeBolt, had just passed away. Both were gone before the doctors could even complete their "tests."

A friend noted that this time of year is a very busy time for funerals. Then it was Bert Jansch and Steve Jobs. Well, to quote Daisy, we should "Live Each Day With Soul"


Upcoming Appearances:

TONIGHT I head out to Orangeville where I'm playing with Larry Kurtz, Fionn MacCools! Saturday October 22nd at 9:30 PM Larry & The Lawbreakers will be ripping it up playing some lowdown blues. Larry Kurtz - Harmonica & Vocals, Brian Blain - Guitar & Vocals, Douglas Watson - Bass & Vocals, Dave Menard - Drums & Vocals

Tuesday, November 1, Blues in the Schools presentation at Regent Park School (I love these sessions)

Saturday, November 5, 7-9pm, at Long & McQuade's upstairs performance space, 925 Bloor St W, This show is part of the International Squeaky Wheel Tour®. SWT is an acclaimed concert series that raises awareness for those who go missing every year. Also appearing are Jannel and Elijah Rap, Kiki Misumi, Andreena, Leah Pinsent and, I think, Arthur Renwick. Admission is free – come find out more about this great initiative. http://www.411gina.org/squeakywheeltour.htm

Sunday, November 6, 2-5pm, Reba's Café, 3289 Dundas Street West (416) 626-7372 Brian Blain & Clayton Doley (this is the place we recorded New Folk Blues)

Saturday, November 12, 6:30-9:30 at Ray's Bistro in Alton. I'll be playing with harmonica man Nelson Sleno


Daisy DeBolt Celebration

Monday, October 24, 8pm
Hugh's Room
2261 Dundas Street West Toronto
(416) 531-6604 for reservations
www.hughsroom.com

Admission: $20 recommended donation or pay-what-you-can. Further donations gratefully accepted. All proceeds go to the Daisy DeBolt musical legacy fund

Many of Daisy DeBolt's musical friends and colleagues will gather to remember Daisy and honour her significant contribution to the Canadian music scene since the 60s.

Co-hosted by myself and George Koller with performances from Daisy's son, Jake DeBolt, Allan Fraser (her partner from Fraser & Debolt), David Woodhead, Richard Bales, Michelle Josef, Teddy Fury, Brent Titcomb, Tony Quarrington, Margaret Stowe, Evelyn Datl, Tina Kiik, Grier Coppins, John Switzer, Michal Hasek, Jaro Czerewinec, Matt Zimbel, Sultans of String with Chris Mckhool, Bill Bourne, George Koller/Julie Michels, Magoo, Mark Sepic, Grindl Kuchirka, Heather Katz, Naomi Tyrrell, Steve Fruitman and Lloyd Greenspoon.

George wrote "With each album it seemed as if a new circle of musicians were added to her extended family of friends and admirers and she was never happier than when she was with as many friends as possible...On this evening.. friends meet friends... and we all celebrate Daisy DeBolt"

Here's some links to a couple of obituaries that have just been posted:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/10/05/daisy-debolt-obit.html?cmp=rss

http://www.spinner.ca/2011/10/05/fraser-and-debolt-daisy-dead/

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=154083485

If you didn't get a chance to hear CBC's documentary on Fraser and DeBolt, it's archived here:

http://rachelsanders.com/2010/05/01/an-overnight-sensation-the-story-of-fraser-and-debolt/




Out and About

Celebrated my birthday at Hollywood on the Queensway with Lily's band, Groove Corporation and I danced the night away. They got me up to play a couple of tunes, too.
Enjoyed a couple of CD launches last month – first was a combined CD launch for Monkey Junk and a book launch for Holger Peterson. I guess I had a few drinks. The last thing I remember is shouting "give me a spin" to Holger as he was walking down College Street. I don't think that's going to work…
Next was Bill King's CD launch at the Orbit Room. Now that was an old-school CD launch with drinks and and some fine BBQ. I guess it helps that this project was financed by the deepest pockets in the music business, Gary Slaight. A 4-shrimper (as I used to rate these events back in the golden era).

While I was in Montreal for Donna Louthood's memorial, we got the guitars out a few times (it's theraputic) and since getting back I've done a little jamming with Daisy's son, Jake. In Montreal we played a game of "What's the oldest original song you remember?" As it turned out, my friend Sue Lothrop had the lyrics of some of my earliest tunes so I was able play some of my oldest, long-forgotten songs – even the first song I ever wrote (about my father…"you went off to war in nineteen thirty-nine, came back a hero after serving your time…"

After a couple of false-starts, I was finally on Danny Marks' Bluz.FM radio show. It was pre-recorded and I only heard a little bit of the broadcast on my walkman because while it was airing, I was in the second row of Mavis Staples at the Southside Shuffle and what an uplifting performance that was! I tried to listen to a bit of the radio but who would you rather listen to - Mavis Staples or Brian Blain? That's a no-brainer. A lot of people must have heard it, though, because I had many comments.

I was asked to MC the Toronto Blues Society's showcase at the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals conference in Niagara Falls and that was fun. Suzie Vinnick kicked it off with an acoustic set then the Richard Henderson with his Hawaiian guitar. Then TBS talent search winners 24th St Wailers and Bradley Boy rocked the house – maybe just a little too much rock for the folkies. We were up against the star-studded East Coast Music showcase downstairs (so packed I couldn't get in). I got to play a tune in the middle (they call that a "tweener") but as MC I probably wasn't exactly a seasoned pro. Two of the acts ended up introducing themselves, Henderson because your (barely)managing MC (moi) was schmoozing in the hall and then Tracy K just launched into her set without me. The blues jam that followed was fun but there was not much of an audience, even though there were a few high-profile participants like Michael Jerome Browne, who is amazing (he's having a CD release at the Gladstone on Dec 3). Once again, a great opportunity for some blues players who never met to jam together but not that important in the grand scheme of career development.

Next day we did a mini Blues Campfire Blaincast direct from the hotel room. I was delighted that the Rev Max Woolaver joined us. I originally met him through Marg Stowe and Michelle Josef. He really has something all his own (and isn't that what we all seek). David Nigel Lloyd played his unique guitar-like instrument called the "octar" and a young lap-slide player called Dekota knocked me out. Bill Bourne, another instantly recognizable artist, dropped in for a couple of tunes but regrettably, there were a few technical issues with the streaming (ie, interference from a live baseball game ?!?). Anyway, there's a little taste of the stream archived at www.brianblain.ca (lesson of the day: lighting is everything). It is pretty amazing that for eighty bucks (my share of the room cost) and nothing more than a laptop (and a light) I was able to broadcast to the world. Try it yourself…ustream.com.
The OCFF conference was, as usual, a giant group-hug for the folk community. 600 earnest young folksingers and a few old geezers like me playing for each other and the occasional festival booker. I didn't do much "bizness" but I had a great time catching up with old friends. Unfortunately, the room was closed when I went to deposit my CD into the boxes that the festival directors take home but I shan't worry about it. They all got a pre-release copy in their box last year and nary a one replied, even to acknowledge receipt. You've got to be pretty aggressive to get attention these days – not my style. I remember one industry leader saying that the only artists that he's interested in are the ones who are "larger than life"…I think Matt Andersen's got that wrapped up. My highlight of the week-end was Manitoba Hal – he put on a great set and I was captivated, even though he's made his name doing the uke-blues thang, he's great on the guitar and I look forward to seeing him play for a whole evening. And he might just qualify in the "larger than life" department.

I left early on Sat, but thoroughly enjoyed myself - probably because I went with no agenda and no expectations.

Keep an eye on my website for more Blaincasts and other ramblings. If you're on Facebook and “like” my music, go to www.facebook.com/brianblain.musician and make it official.


Thanks for reading,
BrianB, aka Colorbline Brine, the Stringbuster
www.brianblain.ca

Another Side

Why does the universe conspire to prevent me from hearing african music. It's happened for at least half-a-dozen world famous African and I always missed them because I was out of town or once I had a gig. Tonight takes the cake. I make arangements to see Sidi Toure but I'm not sure of the start time and I get there too late. 

Which got me thinking...How come a guy who's always late be so far ahead of his  time. In the publishing world, at least. When I was still working with hot type at the Sherbrooke Daily Record, I was envisioning a more photographic process. When we were pasting up pages with Letraset, I was lusting after a $100.000 Cumpu-something. Then I embraced desktop publishing and dreamt of owning my own Laserprinter - right alongside my little Mac SE (with no internal hard drive), instead of driving to Montreal every time I needed something printed. My first desktop publishing on the Mac was a 1 page flyer for the local health food store and it had to be printed in two halves because printing the whole thing at once required more RAM than we had (1 Meg, I guess). Then you move ahead a few years and I'm producing newsletters for the Blues Society and The Jazz Festival, organizations that were barely started with computers and then diving into the online world. Then as I was exporting stories from the newsletters to convert for the website, I was wishing that it was the other way around. Use the web to assemble and edit in a collaborative process and when everybody's happy you click "Print" and out comes a newsletter! That would be beautiful but nobody's invented it yet. This is the mission of Blainco PubIishing Solutions and I'm looking for some tools that do that.  "Content Management Systems" (CMS) have opened the door and they are getting better. But now they've all been made obsolete because from now on, everything to do with publishing will have to be designed with the mobile/hand-held device in mind.  OK, back to the guitar, Brian.

Another quote for the Day

"Each of us has the potential of being given a gift by the divine, which results in the body and soul becoming unified ... a great many people will experience the blessings of the divine ... Through it, the human being will first be made healthy, and then peace of mind and joy in life will be increased." Dr Mikao Usui

Quote of the Day

"My number one commitment is to promote inner peace based on warm heartedness"  Dalai Lama

This is the funniest press release in ages

(forwarded by Richard Flohil - I guess this what they call "going Viral")

THE JITTERS, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17, C'EST WHAT (67 Front Street East, at Church) ***EARLY SHOW*** 8 pm start

Aww, come on. THE JITTERS again?

These one-time 80s radio kings HAD a reunion already, didn't they? Isn't once (or twice) enough?? Surely they did well on their "If We're Going to Sell-Out, Let's At Least Make Some Money THIS Time!" Tour.

But Jitters lead singer Blair Packham says no, appearances to the contrary, The Jitters "did not make out like bandits on our last reunion shows. In fact, we barely covered production costs," he said, with an embarrassed grin.

But what about all of the glitz, the glamour, the conspicuous consumption that former band members were seen engaging in these last few months?

"You must be referring to Matthew Greenberg's coat made out of precious ancient gold coins," said Packham, continuing, "Matt doesn't wear that anymore. Too heavy in the summer." Well, that and drummer David Quinton-Steinberg's name-lengthening. Surely THAT was an expensive, yet unnecessary process? Trying to hide my incredulity, I reminded the still-ruggedly-handsome lead vocalist that Quinton-Steinberg was formerly known as either "Quinton" OR "Steinberg" but never both at once! The legal bills to make that official must have been extravagant. "David always had an identity problem, and he confessed as much to us one night on our plane as we were jetting to St. Tropez," Packham told me. "It was always 'Punk?' 'Lawyer?' 'Punk Lawyer?' He wanted to straighten it out and become the fully-rounded individual he knew he was inside. But you didn't mention Danny Levy," he said, slyly looking over his glass of Dom Perignon. That's true, I allowed, not having heard much about the Jitters lead guitarist in recent years. I seem to remember something about Danny being a dog aficionado, I murmured, unsure. "Yes, that's true, but the rumours about him investing in the breeding of a super-dog with opposable thumbs so that Danny wouldn't have to tune his own guitars are COMPLETELY false!" said Blair, with more bravado than was credible.
>
> Look, I said. All I've heard is that THE JITTERS are appearing once again at C'EST WHAT (67 Front Street East, downstairs, at Church Street) on SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17 at 8 pm. And I heard you guys are only doing it for the money. Packham looked me unabashedly in the eye and said "So what if it's true? Do the math! Every person in the place will have paid ten bucks to get in and by the time C'est What is filled to its capacity of 80 people, we will be rich, rich, RICH!!" He cackled, theatrically (though it didn't spoil his still-youthful appearance). I pointed out, gently, that even if everyone DID pay full price (Bloody unlikely, I added, given guest lists and families and so forth...), the band would end up, after expenses, with about six hundred bucks to split four ways. "Um, right, well..." said a deflated Packham--though he maintained his excellent and youthful posture despite this quick reality check. "well, of course, we're also doing it for the music, man. The MUSIC, do you hear me??!"

Quote of the Day

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do."

- Bob Dylan

Quote of the Day

"The entertainment business is a carnival barker, enticing you to pay first before you see the man behind the curtain, who's too often a disappointment. Now it's try before you buy. People take the music out for a test spin, and unless it's really damn good, they pass." - Bob Lefsetz

Blainletter #44 and Blaincast #2

In This Issue

• Upcoming gigs

• The Inaugural Blaincast

• A Little Internet History

• More Facebook angst

• Out and About

• Tweets from the Streets

• Nice Review in Penguin Eggs





Upcoming Gigs:



TOMORROW – Monday August 8, 3pm Blaincast #2 direct from oceanside at Provincetown, Mass. w/special guest American folk music pioneer Alice Brock (of Alice’s Restaurant) streaming live at www.brianblain.ca



Sunday, August 14, 1-4 pm Reba’s Café, Dundas St West Toronto Brian Blain (solo)



Thursday, August 18, 9-1pm Monarchs Pub, Delta Chelsea Hotel, Gerrard & Yonge, Toronto (w/Brent Titcomb, Clayton Doley and the beautiful Blainettes, Carrie & Colleen)



Thursday, Sept 1, noon, City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square Brian Blain (solo) tweener for Roxanne Potvin



We're Blaincasting!



Welcome to the Blainletter/Blaincast. We are moving into the 21st Century. This week’s Lefsetzletter (yes, that’s where I got the idea) starts out “ Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines, the streaming era has begun…” If you don’t know who Bob Lefsetz is, google him and if you’re in the music business he will strike a chord.



Back on the “bleeding edge”



Remember, I’m the guy who started making websites back before they had pictures. I remember back in Quebec on my Apple IIe, I had to have a post office address and a bank account across the border in Richford, Vt. just to be connected to the (then) only game in town, Compuserve. There was no internet in Canada. Then when I got to Toronto and we launched the website for the jazz festival (95 or 96) there were no commercial Internet providers, just a few community-based garage operations like io.org, where we started. All was well until Bell pulled the plug on IO when they failed to pay their phone bill ($10,000+). A few well-placed phone calls from the jazz festival office got us back online within 24 hours and IO became ICAN. which was soon gobbled up by interlog or inter-something, which was soon gobbled up by…some bigger fish. Anyway, that was then and this is now…the age of streaming. If you shuddered at the thought of everybody who played an instrument putting out their own CD, then picture everyone who owns a computer having their own weekly webcast! Talk about reality TV ☺



So I’m doing my part and if you’ve got an hour to kill, you can watch the inaugural “Backyard Blaincast” at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16380367… in which I spend the first 15 minutes searching the house for a missing guitar and then introducing you to a wonderful musician who has just made his way to our town, organist extraordinaire Clayton Doley. Don’t take my word for it – everyone who’s heard him has given him a gig or a session already. I had already done a couple of gigs with Clayton before I googled him and and saw all the amazing stuff he was doing in Australia. I first heard him with Harry Manx and they are a match made in musical heaven. The Gladstone Campfire Jam is on hiatus until the fall so I hope you can join me for these “virtual” get-togethers.



Facebook angst



Regular readers will recall my ongoing inner struggle with facebook – over 400 pending requests to be my friend from people I’ve not met personally…what to do??? Nor do I friend people who have been suggested as friends unless I know them personally. Most fellow musicians think I’m nuts and tell me to open up the floodgates and friend anybody who asks but I kind of like the idea that when some newsy bit ends up on my wall, it’s always from someone I know. I know it’s a great marketing tool, and as an ex (m)adman you’d think I’d be a little more savvy, but I’ve created a Facebook Page for BrianBlain.musician and I’m focusing my musical activities there. (may I take this moment to request any readers who are on Facebook and who actually “like” my music to go to www.facebook.com/brianblain.musician and make it official. End of commercial.) Well, I’ve taken a small step forward and confirmed all the requests from people I know (even though I’ve never met them and I don’t know how they know me). That seems reasonable. I’d love to redirect the rest of those requests to my “Page” but I know some folks are going to ignore that - I’m still smarting a bit from the time I sent a friend request to Jaymz Bee and got a personal message back saying (in essence) that professional acquaintances such as myself should go to his “Page.” I don’t remember if I did and I wonder if he still keeps such a tight rein on his Profile page…



Out and About



Beaches Jazz was another great success, though the Saturday night Streetfest got a little damp – especially for bands who were set up in front of establishments that were less than co-operative – it would have been a bit more neighbourly if some had been willing to roll out their awning to provide a little cover for the band. Three nights on the street, going through the load-in from hell and hoping to sell enough CDs to make it all worthwhile (and it rarely is, these days). Not to mention the battle of the PA systems where size counts more than talent.

Great to see David Rotundo back in action after an extended break – I don’t think that guy took a holiday in the last ten years. Reddick was in full flight with most of the original Sidemen and Fathead and Johnny Max were out there doing their thing and they did not disappoint. At the beautiful Kew Gardens stage, I chatted with Duke Robilard as he was preparing to play and I think it’s the first time I wasn’t captivated by another guitar player’s gear. I didn’t even take note of his pedal set-up – interesting because the week before I just bought a guitar pedal for the first time in 10 years or so (fyi, it’s a Boss Dyna, a pedal that adds crunch when you play hard but sounds clean when you play quiet - nice idea but not the greatest execution). It was a consolation prize to myself for not spending two grand on a new resonator guitar.



Caribana (or whatever they call it now) week-end came and went pretty quickly. I skipped the parade (and ducked a bullet, as they say) but I made it to the tail end of Phil Vassell’s Irie Festival being held in Queen’s Park and what a great set-up they had. On the Saturday night, instead of the Caribbean vibe, I found myself at the Dakota Tavern listening to Joanne Mackell singing Patsy Cline songs and other country classics. My old buddy Victor Bateman was playing bass. I did get a little taste of Caribana just driving across town seeing all the American Escalades and Navigators along Gerard Street, including one that was pulled over with cops poking in all the doors.

Enjoyed seeing Chris Smither playing a whole night at Hugh’s Room. This was the best sound I’ve heard in that room and he had a good house. I had only seen him do a song or two in various showcase/award presentations. He’s built up a lot of fans in Toronto and he deserves it.



Tweets from the Streets



So here I am sitting on the screened-in porch of a beautiful Cape Cod home (near Wellfleet, where I think Eric Clapton lives…or used to) and it’s a good thing it’s screened in because there are a lot more mosquitoes here than in T.O. I sent a tweet this morning that went something like this: “I’ve created a new Tai Chi move and I’m going to call it “swat strange biting creature off forearm.” The day before I sent a tweet about how much lobster I’ve been eating and garnered many comments but after tonight I think I have to say I’ve had enough lobster…never thought I would say that! I can hardly wait to get a smartphone – I will be tweeting to my heart’s content. I understand you can even stream from an iPhone. Oh, look out!



Nice Review in Penguin Eggs



I don’t think it’s online but I’m going to transcribe it on my website. Thanks to Eric Thom for the kind words. Interesting that I was with Harry Manx when he had the distinct pleasure of seeing his mug on the cover of Penguin Eggs a few years back and as he looked through it he said “hey, you’re in here too” pointing out a small review for “Overqualified For The Blues” and wouldn’t you know, this issue has a feature on Harry and Kevin’s new release. “New Folk Blues” has not had the benefit of the NorthernBlues publicity machine so I’m not getting the kind of coverage I got for the last album. I did send out a few promos, and if you are a reviewer or radio host, drop me a line and I will be happy to send you a play copy. We are continuing the “Living Album” project with some sweetening sessions and those tracks will be made available in due time. The extended versions of some tunes, just as they were recorded with my rambling intros are available on my website.

Speaking of “rambling”, I just missed meeting Ramblin’ Jack Elliot at Alice Brock’s place on the day I arrived. I hope to see him at Hugh’s Room in September and I believe the charming Tracy K will be opening for him. Alice said he had a million stories but then so does she, so tune in the Blaincast tomorrow (Mon, 5pm Wastern Time) or come back to view the archived podcast at www.brianblain.ca



Thanks for reading,

BrianB, aka Colorblind Brine, the Stringbuster

Brian's Backyard Blaincast

Ain't technology a wonderful thang! Last month we did a little test of uStream from my backyard with Mojo Willie. It went pretty smooth except for the end where I thought I had turned off the microphone but I hadn't. Still working on a better audio sound - there's extra noise from the laptop's built-in mic.

You can view an archived version of the last Backyard Campfire with my guest Clayton Doley. Clay does a couple of his own tunes and I spend the first half of the program trying to find where I had misplaced my resonator guitar. It's a pretty casual attempt but I'm encouraged to continue doing regular "blaincasts" from my backyard and other locations.

Since I find myself in Cape Cod right now, I'm going to try to do a report from here. I don't have any musical guests lined up yet, but my friend Alice Brock has agreed to do a little interview. I wish I'd been here a day earlier because Ramblin' Jack Elliot had just dropped by - it's his 80th birthday. That would have been a very long interview...

Once I get an iPhone, I think I'll be able to use it to blast out a "blaincast" from wherever I happen to be!

Around the Jazz Festival

Hearing some amazing music, starting with Aretha. Now that I've heard my two musical icons, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, and basked in their presence I can die happy. And both of these performances were part of the Toronto Jazz Festival. The first week-end has been amazing. Being blown away by a band I had dismissed (The Average White Band), being a little disappointed by lame performances by two other "idols," Steve Cropper and Mose Allison, being transported by the latin groove of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra - yes it is positively infectuous and discovering an amazing young sax player, Alison Young, who was playing with Tyler Yarema. 

But the highlight, of course, was my gig :-)  I played the Distillery with Brent Titcomb on percussion and a fabulous young organist called Clayton Doley who just moved here from Australia. I first heard Clayton with Harry Manx and was totally knocked out by the sounds he was getting. 

At Metro (David Pecaut) Square, the new home of the jazz festival, someone approaches me to say how much they enjoyed my show at the Distillery. I had checked out the venue the day before when they had more "legit" jazz and it was not commanding anyone's attention but I have to say I had a total listening crowd.  Two people actually interrupted the performance to buy a CD! 

I run into friend of a friend who loaded up some music in her iTunes library and when I took a look I found my first album, "Who Paid You to Give me the Blues" - he had created mp3s and scanned the cover. And he even remembered one of the tunes - "Girlfriend Blues."  Ironically, a couple of nights before, I heard Victor Bateman doing that very tune at the Rex Hotel "Players' Party," the unofficial kick-off to the jazz Festival, which he traditionally hosts. Ironic because I'd never attempt to step into a jazz jam session. I remember last year I was invited to sit in with organist Vanessa Rodriquez, one of my faves, and she and the boys tried to "dumb it down" for the old blues guy by playing Chicken Shack and Georgia - neither of which is a straight-ahead 12-bar blues. I think this year I'll just stick to the gigs.  Amazing to see jazz guitar great Reg Schwager playing my tune.

The Queen captures Toronto's Soul

Young Jordan John, opening for Aretha, was not about to leave that tent until she had sung her very last note. Jordan and dad, Prakash John, with Al Cross on drums and a special appearance by Toronto's gift to the B3 organ, Michael Fonfara, were very well received by the huge crowd that spilled out into a solid mass right across King Street - a crowd who had come for one reason, and one reason only, and that was spelled A-R-E-T-H-A. 

Richard Underhill and members of Tyler Yarema and his Rhythm, scheduled to play after Aretha on the outdoor stage, were equally absorbed by Aretha's killer orchestra (with many local players in the horn section and with TMA President Brian Barlow as one of three percussionists) and a voice that is not even slightly diminished from the days when she dominated the charts. Underhill left the tent at the appointed time only to make his way back into the tent when he realized that Aretha was nowhere near finished. She took her fans on a two-hour musical journey through some hits and faves, a very deep gospel experience complete with joyous handclapping and a lot of tunes that made you think she was quite aware that she was playing a "jazz" festival. A little jazz "Aretha-style." She must also have been aware that she was playing for a lot of life-long fans who might never have had a chance to see her live except in a free concert like this. Even after Tyler had packed it in,  she was still talking to the fans who had followed her out to the dressing room trailers on Wellington St.

One devotee watching Aretha on the big screen on King street noted that, not once, but twice, he had bought some expensive tickets to see Aretha in Toronto only to have the show cancelled. Others remembered Aretha shows that might not have had the energy that we've come to expect, but if anyone else in that audience harbored any ancient disappointment, it was wiped out forever. This was a night to remember, maybe even for Aretha.

Blainletter #42 June 21, 2011

In This Issue:

• Upcoming Gigs and Cancellations
• New Folk Blues gets nice review
• No campfire tonight
• Toronto Jazz Festival
• How hi-tech are we, really?
• Out and About at NXNE. Luminato, MMVAs
• Tweets from the Streets

Sun. June 26, noon to 3pm, Toronto Jazz Festival, Boiler Room Stage in the Distillery (with Brent Titcomb)

Sat. July 2, 3-6pm, Toronto Jazz Festival, Distillery Mainstage (with Brent Titcomb)

Tues July 19 8-11pm Blues Campfire at Gladstone Hotel All Musicians Welcome

Thurs, Aug 18 9:30pm Monarch's Pub, Delta Chelsea Hotel 33 Gerrard St Toronto

No campfire tonight: If you were thinking of heading down to the Gladstone for the Blues Campfire, we've been bumped by a CD Release Party – tho I read that there will be some fiddle jamming after their set. The next blues campfire will be Tuesday July 19th. Come jam or listen.

Toronto Jazz Festival: It's happening this week – kicking off with a free concert by Aretha Franklin on Friday – that will be something to behold. Some friends and fans will recall that the jazz festival is one of my publishing clients but, no, I don't think I can arrange an introduction to Aretha. Meanwhile, sorry to say the Blainettes horn section will not be playing with me on July 2nd (as advertised in some of the promotional material) though I'm hoping Carrie Chesnutt will drop in for a few tunes. I am thrilled to have Brent Titcomb on percussion – his own home-made kit – and harmonica. We played together at the Orangeville Blues & Jazz festival earlier this month and had so much fun that we're doing it again at the Distillery this Sunday (noon) and next Saturday (3pm)

A nice review of New Folk Blues – Thanks to Gary Kendall for bringing this to my attention (I guess Google Alerts do sometimes miss stuff). This is from The Blues Report "The Best Source For Blues News and Info, On The Internet..." Who is this guy, how does he know all this stuff about me? He ends his review saying " 'New Folk Blues' is one of those rare treasures that just makes you feel good inside to listen to and for exceptionally well done Folk Blues, I highly recommend this Album." Click here to read the whole thang.

How hi-tech are we, really? I'm here trying to stream the MuchMusic Video Awards just to see how it looks on TV since I was at the site a couple of hours ago. I was coming from a Luminato event and musing how Luminato was on a larger scale than the jazz festival. If only on the basis of their budget. Then I walk up the street and encounter the Much Music Video Awards conflabulation – all the streets around the block of the City-TV parking lot – where we used to fit a stage and an audience at jazz festival in the 90s (aka the duMaurier days). Now the MMVA set takes up the entire parking lot.

(the streaming is very sketchy but I just saw o minute of Lady Gaga's encore it it looked quite spectacular – it would have been something to witness close up but I've just lost my "fire" for those thangs. Now screen has frozen on a slide saying "thank you for watching". I'll make that "thank you for 3 or 4 momentary connections where I saw a bit of the show."

Out and About at NXNE. Luminato, MMVAs

These music events always have a lot of parties, maybe not as much as the old days, but I know there are industry people that come to Toronto but don't bother with any of the official programme and spend the whole week-end in meetings and private parties. I was late for both of the parties I was invited to – one was a showcase and screening of the documentary Yonge Street Rock & Roll Stories. It was hosted by rock pioneer John Brower who figures prominently in the film. Got to meet the legendary Cathy Young and there were a few other legends in the house…like the drummer who played on Moondance – and he still dresses like a 70's rock star!

I didn't get invited to any Luminato parties – and I'm sure there were some very posh ones – and even though they gave me a media pass, the only events I was invited to were the free ones. And even then there was no accommodation for us media mooches. Not even a designated seating area or a complimentary muffin – thougf programmer Derek Andrews did guide me to the backstage hospitality area for a coffee and a cookie. Ran into a couple of fellow media types who complained that they weren't able to pick up their pass because of the narrow window…you had to pick it up at the Chapters/Indigo store on Wednesday between 10:30 and 11:30am. With Luminato, if you snooze, you lose, but you've got to give them credit – the production was first class. Great sound – fabulous video on the big screens.

I happened upon one NXNE party strictly by happenstance. I was waiting for a streetcar at Queen and Shaw and hear music coming from the courtyard at the Canadian Contemporary Art gallery. I walked over to the security people and flashed my NXNE media pass and they let me in to the "secret showcase" by the band Stars (if you haven't heard of Stars, you've probably heard of their parent group, Broken Social Scene) . There were about 200 hard-core Stars fans in attendance and dig this, all of them had been advised of this secret location after scanning a QR code on some Stars promotional material.

If you've never heard of a QR code, neither had I until a couple of months ago when I had to create a contest for one of the jazz festival sponsors. The QR is that little square at the bottom of many ads and posters – when you point your smart phone at it it takes you to a web page (or a contest, or a "secret showcase.")

Speaking of smartphones, one panelist at the NXNE Interactive conference described a scenario that is not that far in the future. You're walking down the street and you get a notification on your smartphone that the band you recently downloaded from iTunes is playing at a club just around the corner. Awesome!

With 650 bands showcasing last week, all of them hoping to be heard by the right person, it occurred to me that it really is a crapshoot and if I'm any example, I made some great discoveries because they were playing right after or right before the band I went to see. Case in point is a duo from Brooklyn called Tiny Victories who were playing after Kaya Fraser who played a sweet and soulful set on Saturday. I was sitting with her dad, my oldest musical buddy Allan Fraser, and I used to joke that when I listened to recording of the two of us I sometimes could not tell who was playing what. And now watching his daughter's touch on the guitar I started thinking she has inherited that trait – though she plays way more chords than me ☺. Caught Jadea Kelly at Dakota and then got to hear Harlan Pepper with Tom Wilson (Jr.). A very creative young band – a standout in a sea of generic indie rock bands. Proud dad watching from the sidelines – and making sure I got a copy of their CD when he saw my media badge. His band, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, is dropping a new CD next month with a stunning all-star lineup of guest artists.

Tweets from the streets

Invited to 2 private showcases and late for both. Punk so ubiquitous @nxne that I expect by next year there will be a genre called punk-pop.

So much music – I'm getting jaded. Listening to one group who are undeniably brilliant but after a couple of songs it's time to move along…next!

At a panel discussion on performance rights, the Socan representative shudders as rapper Saukrates tells the crowd not to worry about licensing samples – "don't call them, wait for them to call you."

In the lounge area of the NXNE Interactive conference the complimentary laptop workstations sit empty while everyone checks their email on their smartphone or tablet. You know this is not your usual business conference when half the slides in the Powerpoint presentation include the f-word.

In a tele-conference demonstrating a Social media "dashboard," Adobe Connect doesn't want to.

One minute I'm standing at the back of a crowd of 8500 at the k.d. lang free outdoors concert (she was singing "Halleluiah" and you could hear a pin drop ) and then a few minutes later I'm in a tiny club where half the crowd is shouting at the top of their lungs.

Sound guy does not spend much time at the board. Rushes over to put out fires. He's going to set one if he keeps using that blowtorch of a lighter instead of a Maglite.

On a mission to find some bands at the NXNE festival who are using Ableton (the music software I am working with), but every time I ask someone they're looking me over like I just asked them to recommend a good hash dealer. Am I too old to be playing with Ableton??

Tribute to Ron Sexsmith at Massey Hall went well except for Measha Brueggergosman who bowed out because of allergies and a lot of anxiety because Ron had to catch a flight to London England at 11:30 so the concert started a little early and ended around 9:30, at which point he bounded off the stage and straight into a waiting car. I'm starting to warm up to Ron Sexsmith. I almost get run down by Greg Keelor in his Land Rover as I'm leaving the hall.

Kept running into ole Doc MacLean playing on the street and in the subway during my musical marathon. He'll be doing another cross-canada tour with Big Dave McLean in August. What a work ethic. He plays out in blazing sun for 4 or 5 hours – maybe more – then moves underground into a subway station to cool off and play for another couple of hours. He's got a heluva tan.

Out and About

Just in from my second round of Luminato. Tonight it was Yemen Blues, a huge ensemble from Israel with all the world music components like unusual drums and percssion, an oud-like instrument but surrounded by conventional western instruments, many played by young white women, probably not from Yemen. There was cello and violin on one side and flute, trumpet and trombone on the other. It was quite idylic, laying on my blanket staring up at a clear blue sky framed by skyscrapers. A small private plane did a couple of low passes and you felt like you could reach up and grab it like a mosquito.  Opening was Chris McKhool's Sultans of string.  This was their larger ensemble and it was tight. Nice hat, Chris. Much more sultan-like although now I'm thinking he could go all the way and get a turban.

At Metro (now Pecaud) Square I wen't directly to  the jerk chicken stand  only to find them closed.  They come highly recommended and I look forward to checking out their menu durring the jazz festival - but I hope they extend their hours! I was starved so Brook Blackburn guides me over to Joe Mama's - a venue I had yet to visit. What a great place - Alana Bridgewater was singing, Crory, Brooke's brother, was playing drums. Next time I would not order the calimari in a a rib-joint but I like the place, And they have a resident B-3 organ, a rare thang these days. I believe I'll try to get them to notice the formidable B3 maeatro, Clayton Doley, who's moving here next month from Australia. He's been performing with Harry Manx over the years - sometimes on American tours but mostly Europe and Australia - where he's a big star in his own right. He is to the organ what harry is to the slide guitar...that is he takes it to an entirely different place!

The video switching for the big screens was a slick as a network TV show - looks like there were several remote control cameras mounted on the side and back of the stage.  The production all around would be had to beat - the sound was crystal clear in a venue where I've heard it totally muffled at other less well funded events.

Earlier today it was the beaches Jazz Festival media launch at the Balmy Beach Club - I love going to this free lunch even though I feel like there's no love lost from some of the oraganizers.  Bill King, the artistic director is a buddy and as I stood by him at the "free lunch" lineup I mention that I missed the Pulled Pork - a favourite of mine - but BVill ponts out that it's a new caterer. So new, in fact, that they don't know who he is, and when He asks for a burger they're giving him a hard time like he shouldn't get any seconds because there are still people who haven't had their burger. Well, most people had left and it was pretty well over - I said, "Give the guy a burger - her runs the joint!"  As always it will be a great lineup, though not the blues content we've come to expect on the main stage. 

Friday Night I bopped down to the square to get a feel for the venue since it will be the new home of the Toronto Jazz Festival. I was paying special attention to where they were getting their power and phone lines. At Nathan Philips we literally had to get a guy with a forklift to move one of those big concrete slabs so our Bell Telephone guy could set up the temporary configuration for the Jazz Festival.  First I dropped in to Fay Olson's Friday "happy hour" art Quotes and lisrtened to the smooth sounds of the Canadian Jazz Quartet.

Still don't have a band lined up for my jazz festival appearance (sat - Main Stage at the distillery at 3pm on July 2).  Something will fall in place - it always does. One great example of that was booking Brent Titcomb to come play percussion and harmonica with me at the Orangeville Festival. We ran into each other the week before at a gathering to Bless the Water (and apologize for treating it so badly)

Before Orangeville I attended a showcase of two of the hottest young guitarists on the blues scene, Garrett Mason and Keith Hallett. It was to promote Keith's new CD, but Garrett produced it - and I guess plays on it. He was sure an integral part of the band in this 40 minute showcase for music industry taste-makers...ha, like myself, eh?  Some mighty fine guitar was played.

Memorable gigs in May

That's me jamming with Brent and Liam Titcomb along with a bunch of others. It wasn't a "gig" per se, it was the conclusion of an amazing afternoon in the country where I took part in a native-style pipe ceremony where we asked the water for forgiveness. It's not something I had thought about much, but when you think about it, mankind owes an apology to the water when you consider what we've been doing to it and how essential it is to our daily lives. Brent conducted the ceremony (I've been to many pipe circles with him) but this is the first time we ever got to jam a bit and I was having so much fun that I asked him to join me at my gig at the Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival this week-end. We'll be playing from 3-6pm on Sunday, June 5 at the Grand River Chophouse. which is in Grand View, just outside of Orangeville.



Earlier this month I played at Woodbine Racetrack on the occasion of the Kentucky Derby. I've played it before and they always make a big deal of the Kentucky Derby, even though we're a long way from Louisville. My agent John McHugh wanted my "Bluesgrass" boys so I called in a couple of the bright lights on the local scene, Chris Quinn on banjo and John Showman on fiddle. They both play in the Foggy Hogtown Boys and Showman is part of Creaking Tree String Quartet and a very popular new ensemble called New Country Rehab. Bluesgrass is like Bluegrass slowed down with a backbeat. This photo is courtesy of Alana Boyd who was hanging out with the bluegrass group who were playing at the other end of the track.

Woodbine runs about ten races then everyone gathers around the big screens to bet on the Derby. The place was packed, not a seat to be had in any of the restaurants - we were finally able to squeeze in to the Sushi Bar. I placed a bet and lost but my friend Jacquie bet on all ten races and won twice! She bought lunch.


Earlier in the month I went up to do a duo gig in Orangeville with Larry Kurtz, who took some time away from planning the Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival, and we were joined by an up-and-coming harp player called Nelson. I think he's a student of Larry's. I love playing with Larry. He never ceases to amaze - he organizes that great festival, runs a fine woodworking business, created a comic strip, paints portraits of blues greats...and is one of the nicest guys you're going to meet on the blues scene. Kudos to Kurtz.


Also had a nice blues campfire that featured the wonderful Tracy K from Thunder Bay and her "Blues Duo" partner Jamie Steinhoff, a fine player. Bela Ray showed up after a long absence and kicked ass on my little Roland Cube amp. Local bassist Rachel Melas joined in at the end and we rocked the house. The Campfire has been bumped for June due to a CD launch but if you end up there I believe the CD launch will devolve into a bit of a jam anyway. The Blues Campfire resumes Tuesday, July 19


Played a small outdoor festival at Vankleek Hill and had a great time. On the way home, and feeling a little haggard, I was dragged over to the Rainbow in Ottawa by my friend Susan - it's a "legendary" venue that I had never been to, but I was glad to see it and ended up jamming a couple of tunes. Why is it that when you finally get to visit a "legendary" venue, that it's alway smaller than you expected?