020411 The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, TN
On February 4th, 2011 m’lady and I were just starting to dig into our America-crossing musical treasure hunt…
Tag: music
012908 Bob Wiseman/Catherine MacLellan, Ottawa, ON
On January 29th, 2008 I walked down to Sparks Street – the hopelessly underachieving pedestrian mall in Ottawa’s most desirable downtown area – where the CBC had set up shop after moving out of their seemingly endless tenancy in the Chateau Laurier hotel. I had a free ticket for a taping of Fuse, a now-defunct Saturday afternoon radio show that generally focussed on Ottawa musical happenings, and I was excited…
012806 John Geggie, Cuong Vu, and Kevin Breit, Ottawa, ON
When I was in my first year of university one of my profs arranged a jazz trio to play for one of our classes. I only remember one member of the trio – John Geggie – but I remember his performance that afternoon in my mind’s eye as vividly as if it were yesterday…
012615 Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, New Orleans, LA
On January 26th, 2015 I went to see Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen at the Maple Leaf Bar. It was my first experience with both the band and the bar and I can report that both are exceptional and neither should be missed…
012515 Trombone Shorty, New Orleans, LA
Mr. Shorty (who is anything but short) is a demigod around New Orleans. I saw forty-foot tall billboards of him at the airport when I arrived. And why not? He blends pure, old-school New Orleans jazz with a cutting-edge updated rock sound that pushes his music beyond the bounds of authenticity into a new, true sound. It’s rockin’, it’s jazzy, it’s loud and brash and it sounds just like Trombone Shorty…
012415 Preservation Hall, New Orleans, LA
Preservation Hall in New Orleans must be the most understated famous venue in America…
011908 Tiempo Libre, Ottawa, ON
What could be a better antidote to the blistering cold of winter in Ottawa than an evening of Cuban music in the comfy warmth of the National Arts Centre? Well, probably many things if I’m being completely honest…
Thrush Hermit Redux; an Interview With Joel Plaskett
My 2010 interview with Joel Plaskett as the former Thrush Hermit frontman set out tour yet another solo album, this time a three-record set.
(reprinted courtesy of Soundproofmagazine, May 31, 2010)
031296 John Hammond, Ottawa, ON
On March 12th, 1996 I went to Barrymore’s to see John Hammond in concert. This certainly fell under the category of seeing one of those musicians I knew was a legend but who’s career I was pretty (or wholly) unfamiliar with…
Bob Loblaw – Monkey Do
Back in the mid-’90’s I was part of a really interesting Ottawa freakrock band called Bob Loblaw. In 1996 we rented some recording equipment, set it up in the living room, and spent an intense week creating our only album – Monkey Do – which we released on cassette. For the record, Arrested Development didn’t start airing until 2003.
Todd Man Out 