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?

The New Eye of Toronto

Eye Magazine has been re-branded as "The Grid". I have not been an avid Eye reader of late but I just went through the inaugural issue of The Grid  from cover to cover and though it has a little more "edge" I can't see how this is going to give the ubiquitous Now a run for their money.  How could the cover of their premiere issue look like such an afterthought. Two people (I think it's two of their contributors bit it's never made clear) and a very old cliche headline - "I'll have what they're having".  It refers to the lead story (and the theme of this issue) where do upscale chefs buy a cheap and fast meal (and a sidebar of their guilty pleasures...Double stacked Oreos, anyone?) They left out my most loved and most hated chefs in TO.  Didier the most loved, and Massimo my most hated (noit because of his cooking but because he cancelled my gig - and many others - with little/no notice at his Sopra Lounge). The Grid makes it sound like it might be a little more focused on event listings, particularly music - my pet project) but it was a pathetic presentation - An Upcoming Concerts section that was pretty thin and included duplications and the featured show taking place on the same day they hit the street. The the club listings included only 20 (count 'em, TWENTY) listings for the upcoming week. Argh! I will hold on to this issue for a little while because it did list some interesting cheap eats that come highly recommended and I took special note of the new Burger Priest which is just down the road from me and which I look forward to trying. I shall keep an eye on further issues because if they stay with the foodie theme, maybe they will publish a comprehensive list of late-dining/snacking places.  That's what I would like to see.

Quote of the Day

"My idea is that there is music in the air, music all around us; the world is full of it, and you simply take as much as you require." ~Edward Elgar 

Reminiscing about Toronto

Just watched "Yonge Street," the Bravo documentary on the Toronto music scene in the 60's <http://watch.bravo.ca/yonge-street/yonge-street-toronto-rock--roll-stories/yonge-street---toronto-rock--roll-stories-part-1/ > and right now we're in the middle of 40th Anniversary celebrations of JUNO Awards. I was in Ontario between '67 and '70 and visited many of those venerable music venues - even played at a couple of them. Heard lots of great music but my most vivid recollection was those go-go girls shaking their bootie while Ronnie Hawkins played. Some of the folks being interviewed in that doc looked familiar including guitar player Stan Endersby who has dropped by the Blues Campfire a couple of times and George Semkiw is someone I met at a Recording Workshop at the Eastman School of Music in the summer of '69 (the rest of the Canadian contingent was Andre Perry, Jack Richardson and my buddy Doug Elphick who was an assistant engineer at Hallmark Studios who used to sneak us in to do some moonlighting at night. I had no idea that Stan and George had played with some of those pioneering Toronto bands. My new friend Johnny Brower also figured prominently, talking about how he convinced John and Yoko to come and play at his Rock & Roll Revival in 69.

Wow, I just got "retweeted" - that's a first. Mind you I'm pretty new to Twitter and it's not much fun unless you have a smartphone. I just got a text that Jim Byrnes just won the Blues Juno.  Despite my long-standing loyalty for Harry Manx, I have huge admiration for Jim.  Looking forward to meeting him later tonight when I will be M.C. at the Blues JUNO fest celebrations at the Monarchs Pub at the Delta Chelsea, a room that is fast becoming THE blues venue in town. And I'm happy to say while I was there last night that Mike Smith booked me for Aug 18. Looking forward to it! Tomorrow night I get to watch the JUNOs from the hall, not on a TV screen in some cramped backtage media lounge.

Ooops, it's earth hour.  Now shutting down.

On Ghosts

Last Thursday (St Patrick's Day) I did a guest spot at Clinton's Tavern performing, you guessed it, "The Ghost of Clinton's Tavern," and in the course of the tune I even tried to invoke the ghost himself, who all the staff claim is quite real with manifestations such as ashtrays flying across the bar and feet appearing (and disappearing) under the mixing console. I was trying to be tuned in to any psychic energy but alas I felt nothing all night except a rocking groove provided by my impromptu back-up band, Lady and Gentlemen, a very promising young band who I'm sure you'll be hearing more of.  

Click to play The Ghost of Clinton's Tavern: http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3262876 The Ghost of Clinton's Tavern-live - Brian Blain

The next night I was at Hugh's Room for the launch of Digging Roots' new CD.  They were also a very promising young band when Lily Sazz and I encountered them on the stairwell of the Holiday Inn in Barrie, Ontario during the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Conference a long time ago. They were a couple of first-nations musicians who had heard there was some music event going on in the hotel and I don't think they even knew what a music conference was but we invited them to come jam in the hotel room and were immediately captivated by Raven's guitar prowess and Shoshona's intense vocals. 

Well since then, they've showcased at many a music conference resulting in festival appearances across the country. Now here they were playing Hugh's Room, Toronto's premiere roots music venue, and I'm sitting at a table quite close to the stage when I feel somebody right behind me. I take a quick look over my left shoulder and have fleeting image of an elderly native woman looking straight ahead and more than the visual or the energy I pick up on an overwhelming feeling of approval and satisfaction. I was a little stunned and related this to my friend Jacquie between songs but was soon drawn back into the music until halfway through the set when, once again, I felt my "personal space" being occupied but this time I saw nothing. 

I'm pretty sensitive to energy, I think that's what makes me a good reiki channel, but this was the first time I ever had a "visual". Some might write it off to my overactive imagination, but I found out later from Shoshona and other family members that it was the birthday of Raven's grandmother who had passed away and I guess they had all been thinking of her and the kicker was that she was a leader and a person of authority in her community and that was the overwhelming vibe that I was feeling at that moment - that this was a person of great authority standing there giving her approval. 

I think this stuff happens to me because I'm able to just sit back and be "the observer" in these sort of situations and I don't try to analyze or explain anything, and I certainly have no desire to make any "contact." Nowadays I'm not shy about relating it to others, and in this case I was glad to be a sort of a messenger to these young artists who are quite adventurous and not bound by tradition that what they're doing is OK with at least one "ancestor".  

Upcoming gigs, Quebec tour, Memphis, Mississippi and more music back in T.O.

I'm at the Gladstone Hotel Melody Bar for another "Blues Campfire" on Tuesday night (8-11pm, March 15). You never know who will show up. There's always some great players but we could use a few more listeners. Dropped in to the Gladstone last night and was amazed to see the room absolutely packed for….karaoke! Please come on Tuesday and support live music. The Gladstone Hotel is a beautifully restored historic building at the corner of Queen West and Gladstone (1 block east of Dufferin)

The Ghost of Clinton's Tavern comes home: On St. Patrick's Day (Thurs) I'll be making a guests apperance with a young band comprised of a brother and sister who I've know for many years (and they're not that old). They've got a band called Lady and Gentlemen and since they're playing at Clinton's Tavern they had the idea that I should come over and play my tune "The Ghost of Clinton's Tavern" (or maybe it was their father's idea). I think I'm on at 10:15 and we're going to find out once and for all if that ghost is still hanging around. Clinton's is at Bloor West and Clinton.

Québec, je reviens! I'm releasing the new CD in Quebec with a tour that kicks off with a concert at Knowlton's Radio Village Hall on Saturday April 9 (8pm). The hall is located at the studios of CIDI-FM at 305B Knowlton Road in downtown Knowlton. Their number is 450-242-9873. Apparently they will be recording the show for future broadcast. If you're in the townships I hope you will try to come out. I hope some people still remember me down there. My pal Harry Manx played a concert in Sutton last week and when he asked if anybody knew Brian Blain exactly one person responded (maybe there were some who wouldn't admit…). There are certainly lots of folks who remember the Terrace Inn (The song I wrote about the club of the same name where I played with Oliver Klaus back in the 70s). We had a reunion concert in Waterloo a few months back and that song certainly got a great response (including one young man who proclaimed he had been consummated there). The tour continues with a few more dates and a big thank-you to Barb McCullough who helped arrange that (see below)

The last gig in Quebec will be quite special – historic, I would say. I'm doing a double bill with my oldest musical buddy, Allan Fraser, at the legendary Yellow Door coffee House, 3625 Aylmer St. in Montreal. Allan reminds me that we played together on that stage 40 years ago…it's all a blur to me. Congratulations to Allan who just had his tune "Dance Hall Girls" recorded by John Oates on his forthcoming album "Misissippi Mile" to be released in America on April 12th. Allan, of course, was half of the iconoclastic acid-folk duo Fraser & DeBolt back in the late 60s/early 70s and John Oates was half of the original "blue-eyed soul" group, Hall & Oates, the best-selling duo of all time, with 10 number one records and over 20 top 40 hits. Let's hope this one is another million seller!

The Quebec Tour Itinerary – Je Reviens!

Saturday, April 9 8pm – Knowlton, Qc (Radio Village Hall, 305B Knowlton Road – CIDI-FM Broadcast)
Wednesday, April 13 – Vancleek Hill, On (TBC)
Thursday, April 14, 5-8pm – Brownsberg, Qc (Taverne Gagnon, 263 Rue Principale)
Friday April 15th, 8-11pm - Wentworth, Qc (Wentworth Community Centre)
Saturday, April 16 – Montreal, Qc (Yellow Door Coffee House, 3625 Aylmer St. w/Allan Fraser)
Sunday, April 17 10am-noon – Picton, On. (Crystal Palace, 375 Main St – Blues Breakfast Fundraiser)

Visit www.canadianblues.ca and the first thing you'll see is my mug. I believe I'm the cover boy! Well, you can be sure you'll never see my mug on the cover of MapleBlues – not while I'm the editor, anyway. Accusations of nepotism, cronyism and conflict of interest will ensure that. We even had a great profile already written by the wonderful Ruth Schweitzer but that will have to run somewhere else. And you're not going to see this old blues guy in a showcase or a competition (more likely I would be called to be a judge!). My regular drummer at the Campfire is a CBC producer but do you think he could get us on the radio? No way, that would be a conflict of interest! I give up. OK, end of monthly whine.

New Folk Blues now available on iTunes as well as other online distribution. Or if you want a real CD, just go to brianblain.ca and click "buy"

Down in Mississippi: Driving from Memphis it seemed like every exit had a place name that resonated from some blues lyric I had sung or heard. Jackson is the capital of Mississippi but has been criminally ignored by the state officials (some thought there was a plot amongst the power elite to move the capital – so believes my host Sherman Lee who ran for Governor and may again). A few years back they did throw in a little money to make a tourist destination out of Farish Street, so they could have something like Beale St. in Memphis or Bourbon St. in New Orleans. Sherman Lee's son opened an after-hours juke joint on the street and called it Frank Jones' Corner after a slave who had lived there. They are allowed to serve liquor until 4am, because of the special tourist designation, so you can imagine the joint was jumping on a Saturday night when it was the only place in Jackson where you could get a drink after 1am. Security was tight, as you can see from this picture – yes, that's me sitting in on the Flying-V with the super-slinky strings.


I did a couple of tunes and I'm kicking myself that I didn't pull out my Sonny Boy Williamson tune since that club was on the site of Trumpet Records studio where Sonny Boy and Elmore James cut their big hits. The other thing I'm kicking myself about is that I didn't accept Air Canada's offer of $800 to give up my seat on the (oversold) flight home

The place was so packed you couldn't get from the back of the club to the stage without going outside and around. And did I mention it was plenty warm – shorts and sandals and sexy halter-top weather. The dance floor was packed with men clutching their beers while dancing with women who were clutching their purses (and their beers)

Before getting to Frank Jones' Corner (named after a slave), Sherman Lee's band played a 7-11 show at a riugh-and-ready roadside joint misnamed the "Top Notch." As the band was setting up the waitress came over and I asked for a cranberry juice but got nothing but a blank look back. SL said "bring him a PBR" (yes that's a beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon). One cool thing was they put out food for the patrons – deviled eggs and meatballs. The star attraction was a real blues mama called Jackie Bell ("The Sweetheart of Mississippi") and she was outrageous, cruising the room with her hit-or-miss wireless microphone, pulling gentlemen up onto the dance floor for a little bump and grind. Then she was climbing on chairs, tables and finally strolling down the bar singing "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About" (in high heels - with precious little sense of balance). Yes, there I was, deep in Mississippi listening to a Canadian tune while talking about our mutual friend Rita Chiarelli (Hey Rita, Jackie said to say hi). Here she is with myself and Sherman Lee Dillon

There was an MC and a special guest, "The Rock". a one-armed, septuagenarian who sang (and danced) "The Twist." On the cash register was a small "Thank You For Not…" smoking sign but everybody was smoking - even the barmaid. And they like their cigarillos in Jackson. In fact, they make their reefers out of cigarello shells.
The entrance to the men's room was directly opposite the main entrance and the stall door was directly in front of the washroom door, which was kept ajar. Now this in itself is no big deal except there was no latch on the stall door (and it was not within reach when you were sitting). So a lot was left to good faith, especially considering that free food seems to have triggered some rushed trips to the stall. Along the opposite wall was a long ceramic urinal, then at the back was a really big ceramic urinal…wait a minute, it's a bathtub converted into a urinal (at least I think so).

The reason I got to Mississippi was that I was already in Memphis attending the Folk Alliance music conference. I was supposed to be there wearing my media-person hat but I did bring my guitar and got to play a little. This conference runs like clockwork (as opposed to music week where you could not really count on showcases starting at the announced time). At Folk Alliance the production was first class – they understand the concept that if you're going to have acoustic instruments, you need a sound system with a lot of headroom…and a sound person with a senses of restraint. For the most part it worked out fine. I was in sacred steel heaven for about three hours as I listened to the greatest proponents of that precious art form. There was a procession of great players including pioneer Ted Beard (who seemed a little lost in a showcase scene – he was barely warmed up when it was time to stop), established stars like the Campbell Brothers, some up and comers and even a couple of token white guys. The group I would traveled all that way to see, even if there was no one else, was The Steeldrivers and they did not disappoint. I was right up front and I leaned over to guitarist Mike Hendeson (who has some serious blues cred) and asked did anyone ever call what they're doing 'bluesgrass' - he just smiled. I also got to hear a bit of another slide legend, Pura Fe, and I sure would like to hear more. I think she might have a Canadian connection.

Canucks fared very well at Folk Alliance – John Showman's New Coubtry Rehab was the buzz act. Ron Sexsmith played to a crowd that didn't seem to know that he was a pretty big deal in Canada. In the private room showcases it was all-business. Not a lot of spontaneous jamming like I remember from my last time in Memphis. I saw one very well-known award-winning Canadian artist in a room showcase and I was the entire audience for a couple of tunes. If you hadn't lready arranged for people to come and see you, then chances are no one would come. I had my "15 minutes" (literally) and it was interesting to note that except for the people who were already there, the only audience who came to see me were the last people I invited (hmmm, they may have been the only people I invited). I invited the fellow that was going on after me to play along if he felt inclined (I'm always in campfire mode) and it turned out he was Jackson Browne's guitarist for the last 15 years. His name was Mark Goldenberg. I heard an amazing fiddle player with an unpronounceable name who I have yet to track down.

Out and About in Toronto: I came away from the Folk Alliance conference thinking the road to success (or at least, to getting noticed) is to be strumming that guitar as hard as you can and singing at the top of your range…and when I got home that was further reinforced when I went to see Paul James at the Gladstone and had a fabulous (watching and learning as I told him) but he broke a total of seven strings (2 in one song). Still it was great show and you just know that it would be the same show whether there was ten people or ten thousand. He said it was Bo Diddley who told him you had to do more than just sing and play – you had to entertain! On Saturday afternoon we went to The Rex where the inimitable Danny Marks threatened to break a string but never did despite playing continuous for three hours. And in those three hours, not a single blues tune…. Then there was an exquisite show from Harry Manx in Hamilton. No need to slam the guitar or raise his voice here. He just keeps getting better. That's what it takes to keep the momentum (once you've been noticed). Your music has to be outstanding and your performance has to be flawless. I remember a few years back when Harry's agent said to me "we don't start making money until you guys are getting ten-thousand a night." Well I told Harry this was "the ten-thousand dollar show" and what took it to the next level was the phenomenal organist who he brought back from Australia. His name is Clayton Doley and he plays like no organist I've ever heard (and I've heard them all – close up). He wasn't playing a B3 (though he indicated that was his preference) but he had one of those Nord keyboards and he was coaxing sounds out of it that made me ask if he had custome patches in there but no, it was just a stock unit. It's all in the way he played it and I bet if it was a B3 he would have been getting the same effect. He says he'd like to move to Toronto and I hope he does!

Day One of Canadian Music Week and I decide to leave my car at home and take the TTC. Usually when I try this I have interminable waits but this time it was quite fast. but as if hanging at CMW for a day didn't make me feel old enough, a woman offered me a seat on the streetcar back. The good news is I just realized I can ride the TTC at the senior rate – two bucks instead of three. Nobody's asked me for ID yet.

Long time Blainletter readers will remember how I used to rate CD launches and press conferences by the quality of the munchies (I had a rating system of one to four shrimp). I had been looking forward to the Nova Scotia Music reception at CMW because I remembered fabulous fish chowder and oysters on the half-shell and other maritime treats, but when I got there this year they wouldn't let me in because I had not RSVP'd. Never mind. But as I was leaving I got invited to join a group for dinner, a group that included maritime star Kim Stockwood and her manager Sheri Jones along with an up-and-comer called Molly Thomason and later another important manager. By the time I finished dinner they had arranged my entry into the inner sanctum and I could see the big cauldron of chowder but I was so full of Pad Thai that there was no way! So that's close but "no shrimp" for Music Nova Scotia. The Australian contingent had a BBQ at the (Legendary) Horseshoe Tavern but when I asked for mustard they said "No mustard, we were told to keep it traditional." So I'll have to deduct one shrimp for that. At the French Embassy's cocktail reception, I got to the buffet a little late and there was exactly one shrimp left on the platter. So they get a "one shrimp" rating for that (and yes, I ate the last shrimp!).

It's not like the old days where people walked around with trays of exotic munchies and they would have to explain what it was you were about to put in your mouth. Actually, the Luminato launch had some waiter walking around with little bite-sized bacon-and-egg breakfast sandwiches – that was pretty good, especially if you're going to do your launch at 10:30 in the morning. They had the group Delhi to Dublin (or vice versa) playing a few tunes and that was great. It was all happening in the lobby of Roy Thomson Hall. Reminded me a bit of the old (golden) days cigarette sponsorship. They knew how to spend money.

Some "tweets" from Canadian Music Week:
French radio guy says a song that mixed French and English lyrics would never be accepted in France. Au contraire au Quebec!
Social media Tip of the Day: Take a pic of your audience, post it on your facebook and ask the fans to tag themselves.
The Indie Musician's Toast: May your fan become your patron and may your patron become your promoter.

After seeing a couple of very generic bands in high-profile clubs I did hear some amazingly original music (Barr Brothers from Montreal on the roots side and Brandt Brauer Frick from Berlin on the electronica side). Tiken Jah Fakoly from Cape Verdi played at Revival as a "surprise guest" and after an interminable sound check they stepped to the back room for moment, then hit the stage – as a waft of that sweet smell wafted halfway into the room. They provided the ultimate afro-reggae experience. What a drummer! On the Friday night I stayed home and did some jamming with one of my son's DJ buddies and we had a blast. I intend to explore this blues-tinged electronica further. It appeals to my lazy nature. I don't have to sing or remember words. I don't have to speak between songs, because there are no songs. We just start making music and don't stop until it's over.

Thanks again: I had planned to publicly thank the donors that made this CD possible but none of them came, so I'll do it here. This CD would not have come about if it were not for the generous financial contributions of Peter Sidgwick and the Goal Getters, Derek Stephen McPhail, "anonymous", Gerry Ride, Sharon Evans, Ric Levenston and Linda Singer. The project still needs funding so if you would like to be a "paytron" of my art, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will describe the various plans. And if you just want to support in a small way, go to www.brianblain.ca and buy a CD

For a limited time I have set permissions for a Free Download of "The Old Whaler's Confession," "Another Song About Alice" and "Ghost of Clinton's Tavern" at www.brianblain.ca (select the track in the player and then click on "download"). This is a bit of a marketing experiment to see how many of you are using downloads and to see if we can't give it away...

New CD In Store Now

Maybe it's in more than one store, but I know for sure it's in the blues section at HMV on Yonge Street, Toronto. I also found it at Amazon.ca. Not on iTunes yet but that's supposed to happen any day. I've been hearing it on the radio, CBC has it in their "system" now so it may make its way onto some CBC radio shows. Speaking of CBC, I found myself walking alongside Jian Gomeshi on Frnt Street as we left the JUNO Award Nominee announcement thang and handedr him a copy of the new CD. He graciously took it and asked the same thing everybody asks when I hand them a CD, "Is that you in the picture?" Yes, it's me forty years ago, sitting in the rocker at Fraser & DeBolt's farm aka Swallow Hollow.  Then he said,  "Brian Blain. That's a good name. I wish I had that name." Today I was on the phone trying to fill some dates for my Quebec tour in April. Left a couple of messages and I'm exhausted. I'm no good at this. I'd rather be playing guitar.

Quote of the Day

From Hubert Sumnlin (pushing 80 yrs young) playing San Diego tonight: "I'm enjoying it better than ever, man," Sumlin said. "I'm so glad that people recognize and believe in me. I'm doing God's work, man. I'm doing the peoples' work. I'm doing the world's work. I've got everything I need, and I ain't got a quarter. And I mean that."  Source: Hubert Sumlin's Still Howlin' | NBC San Diego 

BLUESMAN BRIAN BLAIN RELEASES A WHALE OF A SINGLE TO LAUNCH NEW CD - THREE-MONTH CD CELEBRATION BEGINS @ GLADSTONE HOTEL JAN 18

TORONTO -– WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12TH, 2011 -– Singer, songwriter, storyteller and bluesman Brian Blain kicks of his three-month “CD Celebration and Tour” with the release of the free online single "THE OLD WHALER'S CONFESSION" on Tuesday, January 18th, 8 pm, at the Gladstone Hotel Melody Bar. Guitar-picker Blain and renowned jazz bassist George Koller will perform selections from the upcoming album NEW FOLK BLUES, followed by a campfire jam with many musical friends.
"The Old Whaler's Confession"”is inspired by a whale-watching expedition Blain took at the tip of Cape Cod. "There's a huge feeding ground, Stellwagen Bank, just off of Provincetown,"” he says. "The boat barely got out of the port and we were surrounded by whales."” Blain had once heard bassist George Koller making some amazing sound effects with the bow, that imitated whale calls, and so originally had him in mind for the whaling song (though he ended up playing on the complete album). Whale cries, as reproduced by Koller, introduce the song, which is about "how (in the 1600s) you could walk across their backs right to Boston" before the whaling trade took its toll on these magnificent creatures.
But the whaling song is only the beginning. Over the next three months Blain will issue three more free downloads (including one in French); put out a nine-song album, New Folk Blues, both in CD format and an extended live version streaming online at www.myspace.com/brianblain; tour throughout Ontario and Quebec and collaborate with his professional DJ son Joel on a mash-up” of one of the songs, complete with beats and loops.
New Folk Blues was recorded live at Reba’s Café in Toronto’s west-end Junction district, with only Blain and Koller performing. While the CD is slim and trim, sans long introductions, Blain decided to offer an online version that includes his intros plus the full length "seascape" by Koller, full of whale, seagull and surf sounds. Blain plans to add overdubs to some of the tunes as well, so what started out as a "live" CD has become, in a way, a "living" CD.
The album also features “"Another Song About Alice",” which references the 1960s cult folk music legend Alice Brock of “"Alice’s Restaurant"” (Brock, a great supporter of Blain’s work, lives in Provincetown, where Blain frequently visits); “"Ghost of Clinton's Tavern",” about the well- known Toronto “haunt”; a tribute to guitar hero Lenny Breau and “"The Day Coke Saved The Blues",” describing how a TV commercial song placement saved the Northern Blues record label that Blain had been affiliated with.
The Toronto-based Blain, originally a native son of Sherbrooke, QC, has been on the Canadian music scene for nearly 50 years. In 1963, he first recorded with a folk group whose payment for the session was "a trip to Montreal and a steak dinner." These days he’s best known as the host of the monthly campfire”jam sessions held at the Gladstone Hotel, where he encourages both novice and veteran musicians to join together in the joyful communion of music. For Blain, playing music is almost like breathing. "Some people study the masters and practice diligently," he says, "and some, like me, who never had a guitar lesson in their life, just have music rolling in their heads 24/7."

UPCOMING DATES:
Jan 18 @ 8pm – Toronto, ON (Gladstone Hotel w/ special guest George Koller)
Jan 22 @ 8pm – Toronto, ON (Highway 61 BBQ, Brian Blain & Friends)
Jan 28 @ 6-9pm – London, ON (Black Shire Pub)
April 9 @ 8pm – Knowlton, Quebec (Radio Village Hall,)
April 17 @10am – Prince Edward County, ON (Blues Breakfast Fund-Raiser and wrap-up of CD Celebration Tour)
****************************************************************************

For more information, photos, mp3s, interviews, please contact:
Beverly Kreller
SPEAK Music www.speak-music.com
bev@speak-music.com 416.922.3620

How True It Is

From Bob Lefsetz today: talking about LA venues when they had tables
"...before it was necessary to stand to hear rock and roll"

Robert Randolph at Mod Club

Robert Randolph always struck me as a guy they had things pretty well planned, coming from the church and all. But his show at Toronto’s Mod Club could not have been less planned. Word on the street was that some band members didn’t make it across the border, but all Randolph said from the stage was that they had a drummer who wasn’t really a drummer and that they had just called him at six o’clock to come help them out. After a couple more numbers, he was relieved by Robert’s long time bassist who signaled one of the guitar players to take over the bass while he played drums. It was a little shaky for the first tune but at least he knew the arrangements. When they started exchanging instruments I thought at first that they were playing musical chairs and everybody would swap instruments for a song. It was til the encore when the drummer took the stage to rip off a steel solo. It was Derrak Campbell. Then another Campbell brother took Robert’s steel for another great solo. This pushed Robert to greater heights and he soared – he could have used that push at the beginning of the show, it seemed a little ...lazy. And you can’t be lazy when you’re playing slide because the intonation becomes less than perfect and then you lose that “suspension of disbelief” when you’re hearing licks that sound like a guitar but could not possibly be played on a guitar. Now I realize he was quite distracted with all the stuff going on around him. I think there was an entourage from the all-star “Experience Hendrix show that Randolph is part of tomorrow night”.  Living Color was there and bassist Doug Wimbish did a couple of amazing solo’s they did in the finale. I just realized it was a very transformed Hendrix song...maybe what they would be playing in the big extravaganza. I’ll find out from my spies tomorrow. And I saw on very familiar smiling black face just behind the curtains...kinda looked like Eddie Murphy...naw. Lest we forget, which we usually do, the pening band was doing some very interesting shit. They were playing in a different mode than we’re used to hearing, then they gave us something familiar, the Beatles’ She’s So Heavy, just show that they cam play more conventional tones and it mostly worked. They’re from New York and this was their first time in Canada. They’re called Tauk.

Blainletter #33 – September 28, 2010

In This Issue:

• Blues Campfire moves to Gladstone Hotel, Tues Oct 19

• Tuesday, October 5  7pm  Brian Blain with George Koller, bass (Live Recording) at Rebas Café & Gallery 3289 Dundas St. W.

• December 11 – Oliver Klaus reunion concert, Waterloo, Quebec

• Out and About

• Last Night I had the Strangest Dream


What have we here, two Blainletters in the same month? Well I thought I should get the word out that the Tuesday Campfire at Highway 61 is over in case anyone was planning to head out tonight. It's been a great run, 62 Campfires over the last 15 months…and I only missed one!

Last Tuesday was the "finale" and maybe the timing was right because I don't think I can eat another rib for a long time…no matter how "melt-in-the-mouth they are.  For my "last supper" on Tuesday I had the Macaroni & Cheese…and it was delicious (with crunchy caramelized onions on top).

I want to extend a sincere thank-you to Kerry, Ken and Matt who have a real musician-friendly attitude  and have been a great addition to the live blues scene in Toronto. They're running a business and they were very patient at times when there were more musicians than audience…and towards the end half the restaurant was taken up by our Campfire circle with all these  musicians enjoying their complimentary beers.

I also wanted to thank all my Campfire Buddies, though I can't remember you all. I was collecting names and email addresses at the beginning and had all these notes stashed in an envelope and now damned if I can find it.

Anyway many thanks to the "early adopters" Son Roberts & John, Joanne Crabtree and Jeff, Kevin Kenalty, Casey Van Gorkom, Jay the Mystery Man and Tony Burns. And to the "regulars" Malcolm Gould and Robert Davis, the new guys Bela Ray, Ed Roth, Stan Endersly, Ken Boynham (we were starting to sound like a band!)…and the youngsters Dean Arnold (& Dad Jon Arnold), River and Charlie "Sir Charles" and a few others whose names I forget.

I especially appreciate the folks who came in from out of town, Charlie A'Court from Nova Scotia, Russ Kelley from Ottawa, Douglas Watson and Jazz Williams from Kitchener, Lucia Jenkins from Florida, Rick Taylor from London, Sherman Lee Dillon from Mississippi, Max Cann from the UK, Garry Strand from Tennessee. And to the pros who took some time out to sit in: Gary Kendall, Drew Austin, Big Dave Maclean, Doc McLean, Dan Maclean, Michelle Josef, Mojo Willie, Jake Chisholm, Mark Sepik, Martin Aucoin, Scott Cushnie – The Prof…and all those lovely ladies who provided some much needed female energy in a BBQ joint, Roberta Hunt, Robin Banks, Julie Hill, Rita di Ghent, Ruth Jenkins, Paula Shear, Mary Simpson, Negrezia and Tree  and everybody else who came out to join in our shenanigans Ric Levenston, Garth Dynes, Hurricane Mike Thompson, John Shortill, Johnny White Dog, Max Brand, Norm Robinson, Olav Svela, Steve Raiken, Anthony Martel, Brian Gladstone, Cole Slatt, Ed Pavey, Wyatt, Chris, Phil, Paul, Ken and Alice the banjo gal.

I'm sure I've left out many, but we all have some great memories. The best for me was seeing the face of some of those youngsters jamming with the "big boys". I remember leaning over to River and saying "you realize that bass player plays with Downchild." I should not forget all the wonderful, supportive audience members who came out. Thanks and we'll see you again down the old Blues highway.

I hope we can continue to build up our Campfire Community as we take it "downtown."  The Gladstone is a very different scene and I'm prepared to let things develop and adapt to the new environment but I hope we can hold onto the Blues Campfire principles, where there's no such thing as too many guitar players and where it's fine to indulge in a long solo (as long as it's going somewhere).

Unfortunately, we can't resume a weekly jam so to start it will be the third Tuesday of the month. We'll see what happens in the new year  It starts Tuesday, October 19th so come on down and help us get off to a great start.

 

Live Recording at Reba's Café Tues October 5

The great benefit for me from the regular gig was making sure I got my guitar out of the case at lleast once a week, even in the quiet spells, and more importantly, running over my new tunes with a different group of players every time. I think they've settled quite nicely and it's time to lay them down. After my gig at Reba's Café a couple of weeks ago, I came away thinking that was a great sounding little room – and it is little, maybe room for 25-30 folks in the performance space. But then they have a close circuit TV to the front room so people who want to chat can sit in front. My friend Steve wanted to capture some video and we had a try at Southside Shuffle but that didn't work so I thought this is where we can make a nice video. Then I thought, what the hell, let's try to record some tunes. I've been putting this off long enough. Haven't firmed up all the arrangements but it will be me and bass player George Koller, who I have been trying to corral into my musical universe for many years. After that, we may do some overdubs….or maybe not. Wish me luck, or better yet come to the session and be part of the recording. And if you can't come but would really like to support my recording, I remind you that we have a recording fund and I welcome any contributions (thanks to those who have kicked it off). If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can deposit directly into account 00646842698006400101 at Alterna Savings and Credit Union, Danforth Avenue, Toronto. Gold Sponsors ($250+) are entitled to a free house concert for you and your friends.

 

Out and About:

This year at the Polaris Prize soiree at least I knew a couple of the short-listed bands. Broken Social Scene, Tegan & Sara. And I had educated myself on a couple of artists who were there last year but whom I'd never heard of, Cariboo, Owen Pallett. But once again the winner was right out of left field. Karkwa, from Quebec. You could tell they were totally shocked…they acted like it was their first time out of Quebec…maybe it was their first time in Toronto. Last week. Jim Corcoran dedicated his whole radio show to their album and I could see why the judges went for it. In terms of the performances on stage, for most of those bands, I still don't get it. But it was the albums that were acknowledged by the Polaris jury, not live performances. All ten nominees performed – quite a feat to gather ten very busy bands in one place. I understood better when the fell;ow next to me explained that he was with the "Radio Starmaker" fund and that everybody was being paid very well to be there. In fact, most of the bands had augmented their lineup with extra musicians, a string quartet here, six female horn players there (shades of the Blainettes!).  Anyway, it made a lot more musical sense to me this year than last – when the winner was that crazy Fucked Up group with the fat lead singer who took off most of his clothes . What does he do for an encore?

My favourite show of the month was Terry Gillespie at Hugh's Room. His partner Kathy reminded me that it was one of my campfires that introduced Terry to the local blues scene, where he met many players and ended up collaborating with some of them. His show was riveting and he's got a sound and an approach like no-one you've ever heard. It's unfortunate that some of the music industry honchos left right after the first half of this double bill, a very talented young lady called Lynn Hanson with a crack band, missed out on a truly original artist. I guess a fresh young songstress will always get more buzz than a grizzled old blues guy.

 

Last night I had the strangest dream

Let's see if I can remember. The setting was an outdoor music festival. April Wine had not showed up and one of the organizers was asking me to go onstage and pretend to be April Wine. I was at some concession table saying to someone that I didn't think that was right. Then a group of giant musclemen made their way to the table and two of them were conjoined twins – joined at the neck with some pretzel-like muscles. Then I noticed the woman at the table was Maureen Brown and she was trying to give me some advice suggesting that my performance earlier was not really suited for a young audience. Something like that. Then I woke up. I'm amazed I remember this much, I never remember my dreams. I welcome any dream analysis.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading. If you've enjoyed this Blainletter and you're not a subscriber, go to

 

http://brianblain.fanbridge.com to sign up and get one every month or so.

 

If you’re on Facebook and you "like" what I'm doing, please click over to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Blain/70605028420 and make it official.

 

If you’re *really* interested in what I'm doing musically, visit www.reverbnation.com/brianblain where I post some works in process and demos

 

If you want to read a big long bio of Brian Blain go to http://www.northernblues.com/bio_blain.html

 

I've been keeping a blog (though it wasn't always called that) since I arrived in Toronto in 1990. That’s at http://www.brianblain.ca.

 

If you want to follow me on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/brianblain


If you want to buy my music, got to www.itunes.com, www.amazon.com or just about any online music store

If you want to book me for a show, see my EPK which describes the different configurations available http://sites.google.com/site/brianblain/epk

If you're promoting your own band and mostly want me to hear your music, please become a MySpace pal at http://www.myspace.com/brianblain

If you want to connect with me in my other life as (desktop)publishing mogul and (barely)managing editor, join me on Linkedin:   http://ca.linkedin.com/in/blainco

If you....hey, this is getting ridiculous, isn't it?

Thanks for your support, 

BrianB, aka Colorblind Brian, the Stringbuster

Where's the Next Mayor of Toronto?

So I decide to check out the Mayoral Debate because the theme this time is the Arts (and who will support it) but they sure don’t make it easy. First they advance the time by one hour at the last minute and then they do it in a space way too small to accommodate the “stakeholders”, a room at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I get there in time, line up with everybody outside and make my way in. They won’t let me in with my bottle of premium juice  - my first taste of Arthur’s juice, apparently the only one that has any fiber left in it. So I chug that down and follow the crowd right across to the back of the gallery only to be told that I need a ticket. I make my way back to the front of the building to the ticket distribution table only to be told there are no more tickets. Then a friend who’s working there says they’re running a live feed at the Ontario College of Art & Design right around the corner. Well, in for a dime, in for a dollar – four dollars, actually, because I’ve already paid for parking.

I make my way into the OCAD and there in the lobby is a whole group of (mostly) students sitting in front of a large flat-screen TV and the debate has apparently begun but it’s hard to tell because it’s stopping and starting like watching YouTube on a slow connection. People are starting to bale, but I hang in there and they finally get it stabilized. John Tory was supposed to be the moderator but I guess he couldn’t make it because he was replaced by an elderly gentleman with a great radio voice but quite laughable as a moderator. It was like listening to a radio DJ who keeps apologizing for their incompetence. I stay till the bitter end but I don’t feel any more enlightened about who would make the best mayor. The man most agree would make the worst mayor for the arts community, Rob Ford, is the most forthright of the bunch saying “No...if you want money for the arts get it from the private sector”. The only thing everybody agrees on is to re-institute the Mayor’s Arts Ball – a big-ticket event for wealthy patrons of the arts that was probably eliminated as part of the previous administration’s cutbacks.

I make my way out to the street to watch a mime who looked a bit like the statue of Liberty and some break dancers over to one side and then there was a ballet dancer doing her thang. A demented street person shouting at the top of of his lungs followed Rob Ford as he made his way to his car (to get to another debate in North York). Could we just ask Miller to hang in a little longer until a real leader surfaces?

Music on at the moment – The new Ronnie Earl album – dreamy.

Food on at the moment – Ontario strawberries and yogurt (even though I’ve got some fabulous Baskin & Robbins ice cream in the freezer – I’m a little congested and big recording session coming up so I don’t want to add any mucus to my lungs). Almost broke a nail opening the strawberry container. Nobody makes it easy.

On Public Transit

Today I thought I’d take the streetcar downtown and I figured on a busy Friday afternoon I would not have to wait too long. It seems every time I decide to take public transit I end up spending an inordinate amount of time waiting. Maybe it’s just me. Am I too impatient? Maybe this is the flip side of what my friends jokingly call my “car-Karma”. I have never wanted for wheels even though I’m hardly in the income bracket to rationalize having a car in downtown Toronto. Most of my cars have been hand-me-downs or outright gifts. When I’ve had to shell out $$$, it’s never been more than a thousand bucks (except for my first car, an MGB which cost me $1800 in 1966). I believe in car-karma and that’s why I’m always happy to give someone a lift, even if it’s not on my way. What goes around comes around in this case.

Anyway, this time I decide not to take the car downtown because I’m going to a press screening of a new movie about folksinger Ron Hynes then I want to see my buddy Victor Bateman who will be playing just up the street at the Rex. So I walk down to the corner where I will have two options to head downtown, whichever comes first. But neither comes for about 20 minutes. Finally there’s a bus that gets me down to Queen Street where I wait another 20 minutes and now I look at the time and I’ve got ten minutes to get to the movie! Never mind. I’m still close enough to home that I can walk back, which I decide to do, but first I stop in to a coffee shop and have a nice latte. As I’m sitting there I watch 3 streetcars in a row go buy. Now I’m back home bloging.

The Blues Campfires at Highway 61 BBQ have been providing some real musical highs lately. Considering we’re doing this on what is traditionally the quietest day of the week, during the quietest month of the year, it’s been gangbusters – I’m even getting complaints from some of my regulars that there’s no place to sit. And regretfully, there’s been a few times when some guys didn’t get to play, although anyone’s welcome to pull up a chair and join the circle. Last week as I ended the night with my ballad about Lenny Breau, one woman commented how she had been Lenny’s roommate many moons ago, and now she was here listening to her 13 year-old guitar-playing son playing along on the tune. Several other folks in the house had Lenny connections and stories were shared as we packed up. It’s been a bit of an old boys’ club lately and you’ll find a couple of guitar players reminiscing about playing with David Clayton Thomas back in the 60s. I don’t pay much attention to who’s in the house but I think I’ve been checked out by some players with serious credentials. They mostly sit at the bar and don’t join in – but probably wish they had. Some come back. The thing about this gig is that someone might be really knocked out by the quality of music that’s going down one night and next time I’m playing bass backing up an 11 year-old budding blues guitarist who’s just getting his feet wet. So it’s not a great showcase for Brian Blain, but I’m lovin’ it. Come on up and check it out. Every Tuesday, 7-10pm, 1620 Bayview (at Manor Rd)

  

Hello new facebook friends

Greetings. I've confirmed our facebook friendship but I’ve placed you on my "Friends to Meet" list. Please disregard if we've already met, but if we haven't, I look forward to meeting you in person, maybe at one of my gigs. Please come up and say hello.

If you're here because you like my music, then please go to my facebook band page <and click "like"

If you're here because you want me to hear your music, please become a MySpace pal at www.myspace.com/brianblain

If you would like to receive my (mostly)monthly Blainletter, go to http://brianblain.fanbridge.com and sign up.

I've been keeping a blog (though it wasn't always called that) since I arrived in Toronto in 1990. That’s at www.brianblain.ca.

If you want to read a big long bio of Brian Blain go to http://www.northernblues.com/bio_blain.html

If you want to follow me on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/brianblain

If you want to buy my music, got to www.itunes.com, www.amazon.com or just about any online music store

If you’re *really* interested in what I'm doing musically, visit www.reverbnation.com/brianblain where I post some works in process and demos

If you want to book me for a show, see my EPK which describes the different configurations available http://sites.google.com/site/brianblain/epk

If you....hey, this is getting ridiculous, isn't it, friend?  

Will you shudup about facebook

Regular readers of my blog have probably heard enough about my trepidation about confirming any new “friend” unless I’ve met them. Or is it “know” them? And whether I “like” them...but that’s whole other story. There have been a couple of occasions when I didn’t confirm a friend request even though I’ve met the person...but they had to be pretty crazy to have me avoiding them because I’m actually drawn to the eccentric types.  Anyway, I just had a breakthough and confirmed a friendship with someone who I have admired and met once but who has ignored me every other time I’ve run into him. I was feeling a little dissed, but he’s probably forgotten me and that’s fine. He must know me because he requested to be my friend. I was curious to see how many friends he had and the only way was to “confirm” him. Oh boy! I know, I know, I should just friend anybody who asks – it’s all part of marketing my brand and getting “profile”...but I’m holding off as long as I can, and I may yet be proven right. Meanwhile, I’m going to give a little and confirm the requests if I know who they are...even if I haven’t met them. It all started with Daniela Nardi. She is a highly respected artist, I know her husband, but I never had the pleasure of meeting her so when I got a friend request I just put it on hold. Then I was really challenged when I got a request from Romi Mayes. I have been knocked out by her music on the radio, but I haven’t actually met her. So I’m a big fan. But am I a friend? Oh, to hell with it! From now on, if I know who you are, we can be friends...and I hope we meet sometime.