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November 2018
Morgan Davis with Al Duffy
MORGAN DAVIS + AL DUFFY Wednesday | November 21, 2018 | 8:30pm $20 Advance / $25 Door For 45 years Morgan Davis has been on the road travelling across Canada, the United States and Europe. His performances draw from a rich tradition of country blues, as well as his own contemporary songs infused with wit and a large dose of humour. Originally from Detroit, Davis grew up listening to a prolific mix of rhythm and blues. The music of Jimmy Reed, Ike and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino was in the air. He later moved to California with his family, and then in 1968 left for Canada. While living in Rochdale College, Toronto’s mecca for the subculture of the late 1960’s, he immersed himself in the study of Delta Blues, especially the music of Robert Johnson. Toronto’s music scene in the early 1970’s was the perfect place for Davis to cut his teeth as a journeyman, having the opportunity to see and play with many legendary performers. Bukka White, Johnny Shines, Sunnyland Slim, Snooky Pryor, Hubert Sumlin, and John Hammond were encouraging supporters. Over the years he has had the privilege of opening for Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, John Hammond, Albert Collins, and Eric Bibb. A highlight of his career was backing the phenomenal Dr.John. Morgan has shared the stage with Colin Linden, who also produced his second album, shared the stage with James Cotton, Hubert Sumlin, Sunnyland Slim, Snooky Pryor, James Harmon, Gene Taylor, Dutch Mason, Gene Taylor and many other great blues artist over the years.
Find out more »The White Album Revisited
Come celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles' White Album! The evening will showcase 29 innovative interpretative arrangements of 29 songs featuring a core band of musicians with special guests. To commemorate the occasion, some of Vancouver's funkiest musicians including Bill Coon, John Korsrud, Allen Stiles, Ron Samworth, Sandy Fiddes and Cam Wilson will back up vocalists Kate Hammett-Vaughn, Andy Hillhouse, LJ Mountenay, Marin Patenaude, Steve Maddock, Duncan Bain, Moshe Denburg, Dave Gibbons and more to pay homage to the classic album in a gala benefit concert for PAL Vancouver. The album will be performed in its entirety and in its original order. All concert proceeds will be going to PAL Vancouver (The Performing Arts Lodge provides longstanding members of Vancouver’s performing arts professions with affordable housing within a vibrant and creative community setting.) The White Album Revisited promises to be a night to remember.
Find out more »Lori Cullen
Lori Cullen $25 Advance / $30 Door Thursday, November 22, 2018 | 8:30pm It’s her singing that always draws attention, and partly for the things that it doesn’t have. No vibrato, no trendy affectations, no unnecessary melodic ornamentation. Just a pure and uniquely beautiful voice. It started happening in the late 90’s at the Free Times Café – an important singer/songwriter incubator for Toronto’s resilient acoustic scene. With a natural flair for performing, she honed her skills by hosting the weekly open mic night and cultivated an early fan base of peers in the local music community. The first Lori Cullen CD came out at the start of a new century. Garden Path reflected a young sensibility informed by her heroes Joni Mitchell and Jane Siberry. Two years later she shifted gears to jazz standards for the well received So Much. Her third release Uneven Hill focused on original writing and dramatically broadened the scope of her sonic world. Calling For Rain in 2006 brought together all the previous elements to create a hybrid of jazz and pop which became her lasting artistic identity. Largely a collection of carefully curated covers, it was nominated for a Best Vocal Jazz Juno. One of her original tunes on the album won the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award from the Ontario Council Of Folk Festivals. The late Chris Dedrick, revered leader of 60’s chamber pop faves The Free Design, heard Lori on the radio and came to her next gig with an open invite to collaborate. His signature ornate brass and vocal arrangements adorn Buttercup Bugle. It’s release in 2007 was celebrated with a live show featuring a 12 piece band and broadcast nationally on CBC Radio. This album also initiated a licensing deal with a label in Japan. Around this time Polaris Prize winner and Arcade Fire member Owen Pallet asked Lori to contribute her distinctive vocals to the second Final Fantasy album. 2011’s That Certain Chartreuse presented an eclectic selection of covers by artists as diverse as Gordon Lightfoot and King Crimson, all creatively arranged by herself and her band of stellar Toronto musicians. The music prompted jazz vocal giant Kurt Elling to acknowledge in an interview that Cullen was one of his favourite new singers. Shortly after the album was released she put her career on hold and in 2013 Lori and composer/visual artist Kurt Swinghammer became proud parents.
Find out more »Heart of Saturday Night: Tom Waits Tribute
Heart of Saturday Night: Tom Waits Tribute $25 Advance / $30 Door Friday, November 23, 2018 | 8:30pm This November, Michael Wrycraft brings to Hugh’s Room Live another incredible tribute to an icon that has influenced generations of musicians, writers and artists alike. The Heart of Saturday Night celebrates the music of legendary singer-songwriter, Tom Waits, in all of his growling glory. The night will feature all-star cast composed of the city’s leading vocalists and musicians, including Cecile Doo-Kingué, Paul Reddick, Manitoba Hal, Zish, Tannis Slimmon + Lewis Melville, Sarah Jane Scouten, and two other special guests yet to be announced. If you want enjoy The Heart of the Saturday Night on a Friday in the west of Toronto, stop by Hugh’s Room Live November 23, 2018 and partake in the age-old tradition of dinner and a show as we raise our collective glass to Tom Waits, a man described by Elton John as the “Jackson Pollock of Song.”
Find out more »The Last Waltz – A Musical Celebration of The Band
Lance Anderson Presents The Last Waltz – A Musical Celebration of The Band The players TBA It has been 40+ years since this legendary concert by The Band. If you missed it in 1976 then this is as close as you’ll get to experiencing not only the music, but the vibe, man. An all-star Canadian cast of award-winning blues and roots musicians will perform ‘The Last Waltz – A Musical Celebration of THE BAND Live’, at Hugh’s Room Live. Under the direction of Juno award winning producer and musical director, Lance Anderson, the November appearances will be the eighth year for this crowd pleasing show which has sold out shows in Ottawa, Peterborough, Orillia, Collingwood, Port Hope, Stratford and at Hugh’s Room in Toronto. And headlined the CNE Bandshell, Southside Shuffle, Wasaga Beach Blues Festival and Kitchener Blues Festivals. The performance will recreate the atmosphere of The Band’s final concert, which was captured in Martin Scorcese’s award-winning concert film, The Last Waltz. On the American Thanksgiving of 1976 at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, The Band performed what they called their “Last Waltz,” and invited many of their friends to join in the celebration. These friends included Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, Van Morrison, Neil Young and others who performed with The Band on this special night. In this homage to The Last Waltz, Anderson’s special guests will perform the songs played and sung by these artists at the memorable 1976 concert. These shows have become an annual November tradition in Ontario. Anderson’s production of The Last Waltz has experienced rave reviews at the many festivals where it has appeared over the past few years and has consistently been referred to as the “best of the festival.” “It wasn’t just the musicianship, which was second to none; it was the energy – these musicians have brought forth a live music gem that is worthy of any stage I know of and probably more that I don’t,” said P. Rellinger of the Kawartha News after seeing Anderson’s show in Peterborough.
Find out more »The Last Waltz – A Musical Celebration of The Band
Lance Anderson Presents The Last Waltz – A Musical Celebration of The Band The players TBA It has been 40+ years since this legendary concert by The Band. If you missed it in 1976 then this is as close as you’ll get to experiencing not only the music, but the vibe, man. An all-star Canadian cast of award-winning blues and roots musicians will perform ‘The Last Waltz – A Musical Celebration of THE BAND Live’, at Hugh’s Room Live. Under the direction of Juno award winning producer and musical director, Lance Anderson, the November appearances will be the eighth year for this crowd pleasing show which has sold out shows in Ottawa, Peterborough, Orillia, Collingwood, Port Hope, Stratford and at Hugh’s Room in Toronto. And headlined the CNE Bandshell, Southside Shuffle, Wasaga Beach Blues Festival and Kitchener Blues Festivals. The performance will recreate the atmosphere of The Band’s final concert, which was captured in Martin Scorcese’s award-winning concert film, The Last Waltz. On the American Thanksgiving of 1976 at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, The Band performed what they called their “Last Waltz,” and invited many of their friends to join in the celebration. These friends included Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, Van Morrison, Neil Young and others who performed with The Band on this special night. In this homage to The Last Waltz, Anderson’s special guests will perform the songs played and sung by these artists at the memorable 1976 concert. These shows have become an annual November tradition in Ontario. Anderson’s production of The Last Waltz has experienced rave reviews at the many festivals where it has appeared over the past few years and has consistently been referred to as the “best of the festival.” “It wasn’t just the musicianship, which was second to none; it was the energy – these musicians have brought forth a live music gem that is worthy of any stage I know of and probably more that I don’t,” said P. Rellinger of the Kawartha News after seeing Anderson’s show in Peterborough.
Find out more »Oh Susanna + Friends
Oh Susanna + Oh So Many Friends Advance $25 / Door $35 Thursday, November 29, 2018 | 8:30pm Oh Susanna and Friends will be celebrating Decemberly, the latest release by celebrated singer-songwriter, Oh Susanna. It’s a recording of original and classic holiday songs written alongside fellow songwriter, Michael Johnston, who also plays piano on the recording. On November 29, we invite the whole city to get into the spirit of the season with a night of familiar and future classics performed by Oh Susanna and a most impressive roster of her many notable friends in the business. FRIENDS Kate Boothman, Gentleman Reg, Michael Johnston, The Layrite Boys, The Young Novelists, Whitehorse and Tom Wilson of Lee Harvey Osmond OH SUSANNA This Canadian songstress has a voice that can pierce a heart of stone. Her superbly crafted songs often tell stories of troubled souls who rebel against their circumstances to attain a quiet dignity. These are tales of longing and love, of small town joys and pains, of our simple feelings and strong passions. These are tales that look into our beautifully flawed human hearts. Performing since 1996, Oh Susanna has released eight critically acclaimed albums. She is the recipient of a Genie Award for Best Original Song and a Canadian Folk Music Award for English Songwriter of the Year. She has also been nominated for two Juno Awards each for Best Roots and Traditional Album of the Year, as well as two Canadian Folk Music Awards for Best Solo Performer and for Best Contemporary Singer of the Year. This year she released A Girl in Teen City, an album of songs set in 1980s Vancouver starring a teenage punk girl named Suzie. The album has been met with high critical acclaim and has earned three Canadian Folk Music Award nominations: English Songwriter of the Year, Contemporary Singer of the Year and Producer of the Year. Today, Oh Susanna lives in Toronto with her husband and son, and her music can be found LIVE this holiday season at Hugh’s Room Live. * advertised pricing excludes fees + taxes
Find out more »Fred Eaglesmith
42 years on the road. 22 studio albums. 5 different band configurations. 15 band members. 11 buses. Countless stories. 1 man. Fred Eaglesmith can talk to you about almost anything. Chances are, he’s had that car, tractor, job, relationship, idea, and hat. But throughout his life and experiences there is always one thing that has remained the same: his undeniable gift for writing a song. Aspiring songwriters and performers of all ages call and write Fred with questions on how to have a career like his. And what can he say? Start writing songs when you’re 10 years old. Grow up with poverty, agriculture, religion, and eight siblings. Run away from home. Hop freight trains. Start a business. Loose a business. Struggle to get any gig. Drive to Nashville with no money and pockets full of songs. Get a record deal. Lose a record deal. Win a Juno Award. Break down on the side of the road everyday for days on end. Become a cult hero and amass a following of self-proclaimed “Fred Heads.” Tour relentlessly. Become everyone’s favorite. Becomes nobody’s favorite. Follow your gut. Smarten up. Don’t care what anybody thinks. Be fair. Be loyal no matter what. Keep going. Soften up. Give people a break. Expect nothing. Give everything. Keep going. Allow yourself to be happy. Find out who you are and deal with that. Don’t stay in fancy hotels. Write good songs. After all these years touring the United States, Canada, and Europe, having his songs covered by some of the biggest names in music, and appearing on “The Late Show with David Letterman” – the enigmatic, countrified, Rock n’ Roll troubadour, Fred Eaglesmith, is carrying on with musical wife Tif Ginn. Eaglesmith is a veteran of the music industry and at the same time is about as far away from actually participating in today’s music industry as one could be. Never operating within anyone’s boundaries, he continues to set the standard for independent artists everywhere. Tif Ginn is a gutsy, amazing singer and a transcendent songwriter who has spent most of her life touring and playing music. Her impressive, sultry vocals and glorious harmonies with Fred, along with her multiple instrument additions to the show will have you in awe. This girl has it all, including Fred.
Find out more »December 2018
Carlos del Junco (CD Release)
Carlos del Junco will be hitting the Hugh’s Room Live stage on December 1st celebrating his latest CD release Hang On, featuring the (both) wonderful Eric St. Laurent and Henry Heillig on guitar and bass respectively. Hang On features some back up vocals from Jimmy Bowskill on a few tunes, and Kevin Breit playing mandolin on “Alberta Hunter”, and 12 string national guitar on “No Fool Horse”. “…we’ve been talking about doing one together for some time so here it is!” It’s probably a good thing Carlos del Junco wasn’t there when the harmonica appeared in North America in the 1860s. Neil Young and Bob Dylan can probably roll with it when he says they are very mediocre harmonica players. Aspiring harmonica players Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid might have overreacted and pulled out their pistols… To say he plays the harmonica is like saying “Jimi Hendrix plays guitar”. He blows the blues harp through a prism — suddenly it seems he’s holding every color in the musical rainbow right there in his hands. Simultaneously sophisticated and raw, his playing blurs the boundaries between blues and jazz (hence the name for his band “The Blues Mongrels”). The emphasis is on blues, but Carlos and his band are not afraid to merrily traipse off in other directions delivering a seamless fusion of New Orleans second line grooves, swing, Latin, hip-hop or ska melodies, to swampy roots rock. Born in Havana, Cuba, del Junco (loosely translated “of the reeds”) immigrated with his family at the age of one. He bent his first note on a harmonica when he was fourteen, making his debut with his high school math teacher at a student talent night. In his early 20’s del Junco was immersed in a visual arts career; he graduated with honours from a four year programme, majoring in sculpture (click here to see photos) at the Ontario College of Art. Sculpture has definitely had an influence on his outlook on music: “Music is just a different way of creating textures and shapes.” Playing a ten hole diatonic harmonica, Carlos has developed the unique ability to play chromatically by using a recently developed “overblow” technique taught to him by jazz virtuoso Howard Levy. Overall, this approach to the diatonic harmonica, although much more difficult to achieve, is in many ways more expressive and communicative than the mechanized tone produced by the chromatic harmonica . Carlos is one of the few pioneers of this overblow method, bringing musical credibility to what has still been considered by many in the music industry – a fringe folk instrument. The sophisticated sound produced by del Junco is at once sensitive, soulful, and sexy while never forgetting the rawness inherent in blues music. 2016 Maple Leaf Blues Nomination for Best Harmonica Player and Best Acoustic Duo (with Jimmy Bowskill for Blues Etc…) 2010 JUNO NOMINATION for STEADY MOVIN’ cd (JUNO is Canada’s equivalent of a Grammy) Harmonica Player of the Year – EIGHT times Canadian Maple Blues Awards 2005 “Best Blues” Award – NOW Magazine, Toronto, ON 1998 JUNO NOMINATION for BIG BOY cd 1996 Blues Musician of the Year Award – Jazz Report Magazine 1993 Hohner World Harmonica Championship, Trossingen, Germany – Two Gold Medals in both diatonic blues and diatonic jazz
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