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What did you do for New Years 2009?

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Well hello there everybody, Happy New Years!

My wife, our little black lab Midnight and I just hung out at home on this past New Year’s Eve and just watched some of the many celebrations from the warmth of our couch! I wonder what BIG Jon was doing that night?

We just sat back and watched one of the local New Year’s bashes that was on City TV. They were broadcasting from the fabulous Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, but as usual, it sucked! The line up, according to their website, was pathetic to us and not all that entertaining, just as in recent years of their covering this event. Why can’t they make their show Canada’s Premier New Years Eve event? How come great bands never play this show?

So later on we changed the channel to the Niagara Falls New Years Party, held at Queen Victoria Park and as usual, it was fabulous! It’s the kind of show that would be great for anyone of all ages to see. I guess 30,000 attendees can’t be too wrong? This is the type of quality event that City TV should be holding in Toronto.

The Niagara Falls opening act was none other then Roger Hodgson, former co-founder and singer for SuperTramp. His show that night was worth going to see, even if it was only him on the bill. He did his show in a unplugged format, along with this multi-talented musician who was the perfect fit for Roger. His set list was like going back to Supertramp’s hey day!

Then came this indie band called Justin Hines. The guys style had this real familiar and comforting feel to it, we really liked it. Even Midnight stopped what she was doing at times to listen to this guy!

After the big count down came Canada’s Kim Mitchell! He was the founder of Max Webster and his playing style is a pleasure to behold!

I realize this post is a little bit late, but I’m still recovering from such a great show and the holidays!

Happy New Year everyone!




Songs Of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour Live at Massey Hall

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David Byrne appeared in concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall on October 30, 2008 in his “Songs Of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour”. The concert was in honour of the duo’s first album in 27 years, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (in stores Nov. 25), and brought seven musicians (some who danced) and three dancers (some who played instruments) along with him.

My old high school friend Carl Wilson, a writer for the Globe and Mail did a review of the show!

He is a music critic for the Globe and Mail, Slate and other media outlets in Toronto. If you ever get the opportunity to meet Carl, maybe while taking in a show that he is writing about somewhere, ask him what he thought about a song we did together live called “Peanut Butter”!

His article was the only reference that led me to this show. I think his piece in the Globe and Mail described it rather nicely!

David Byrne (Talking Heads), is just fantastic to listen to, especially live! Life During War Time as well as Psycho Killer on Stop Making Sense, is David at his musical best. I LOVE playing Life During War Time on acoustic guitar for my brother, I mainly play what the keyboardist is doing, maybe that’s why so many guitar players are looking at me strangely when I play this with them.

Brian Eno (Roxy Music) simply needs no introduction. Everything he touches turns to musical gold! What else can you say about the guy! Same Old Scene, from Flesh and Blood is the one masterpiece that needs to played at 11 on your volume control! Thanks Ken, Allan and Tony and lets not forget Tim M., for bringing him to my attention, oh about 30 years ago!

I’ve never seen either one of these guys live, that’s my loss. So who out there has seen these troubadour’s live? Are they worth the price of admission?

Keep on Jammin’

Rebel Wheel at Nuance 2008

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Rebel Wheel at this years Nuance 2008 was like the icing on a perfectly made musical cake! Once again, real nice line up there Wilton!

This Ottawa band played with so much feel and expression that night. Their sound was great and their approach to music showed a level of writing that I have not seen in many years. If they keep this up, then this will not be the last that we see/hear from these guys! Watch out for them.

Their on stage presence is that of a bunch of fun loving friends that are just jammin’ in a hall, and you just happen to be there at that point in time! They first gave me the impression of a Bare Naked Lady that meets a Jazz fusion band. I think that the BNL’s are the most entertaining band to see live!After a short period of time, I soon realized that there was much more to them then meets the ears. It honestly looked like Rebel Wheel was having a blast!

The true leader of the band is David Campbell. I loved some of the Steve Howe influences that he used in Tempra, but more on that stuff later! His approach to the guitar is wild! It was enthusiastic and intriguing to watch him jam. Aaron Clark, the drummer of the band and the guy I bought a shot of that black ouzo for, was funny … but he certainly is the back bone of the sound.

Gary Lauzon is the bass player of the band. He also had the best playing stance of anyone that played there that night … he was sitting down in a chair the whole show. Ah, Leon Redbone, I get it! Don’t get me wrong, the man was re-inventing how the direction of bass playing maybe going towards! His technique with his hammer on’s where something to behold. Very neat way to play the bass!

Now last but not least, there is Angie MacIvor. Who wouldn’t want a player like her in your band. Her sax, voice and keys were nice touches everywhere she put them into a tune. Not over powering at times, but intense when you really needed it! She added that Shuffle Demons feel to them, that night, LOVED IT!!!

So I have to give the Rebel Wheel band a 2 thumbs up! Now, go and check out their site for dates in your area and see for yourself … they are worth the drive.

Rebel Wheel, Keep on Jammin’

Wilton Said from Nuance 2008

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Wilton Said is a band that makes you think about what is being said and played. Showing fascinating musical and lyrical form, Wilton Said is unlike any other act that I have ever seen, honestly. He calls his form of music Art Rock, and that maybe the best way to envision the true essence of this great Toronto act.

He was the 3rd act of the night and wow, I just sat back and stopped writing down notes. He is really something to watch on stage. It’s not what you can see and hear, it is everything else that he is projecting to the audience. It’s really freaky … in a VERY GOOD way that is.

Here is a bit of his bio from the Nuance nights program

Wilton Said…

Toronto indie artist Wilton Said… likes to write lyrical topics which explore the places others may find uncomfortable. This can range from the homicidal school shootings in “No Other Way” off of 1999’s release “World up my Ass”, the ode to the oversexed pearl necklace stalker in “All for You” off of 2001’s release “Broken”, through to the public washroom romp in “What I’ve Seen” off of 2004’s ” The Butterfly Plague”. His last release titled “The View” (2006) takes a look at topics that we can all relate to but don’t necessarily want to. The struggle to find an identity so we may fit in as heard in “Pretty”. The lust for control and domination to soothe our own weaknesses in “A Family Affair”.

The struggles with addictions and deceit brought to light in “Merry go Round”. “The Empty Sky” with it’s theme of coming to terms with hopeless situations.

Musically, WILTON SAID…’s style can be referenced back to his experiences of classic art rock
artists such as Kate Bush, Queen, Peter Gabriel, Supertramp, and (older) Genesis.
Other inspired contributions range from A Perfect Circle with their release “13 Steps”, David Bowies release “Heathen” and Radiohead’s “O.K. Computer”.

All have added inspiration to the rich eclectic texture of his music and to his strong baritone vocals.
While Wilton’s past studio and live experiences has had an assortment of musicians backing him up, his
current and most stable line up consists of the textural stylings of Guitarist Chris Reid, the groove and grounded Bass playing of Frank Heisler, and the subtle yet intricate Drumming of Richard Rizzo.

WILTON SAID…, who holds a Degree in Musical Composition from York University, has been performing in the G.T.A. promoting his various CD’s through live shows and interviews. For more information
regarding future shows and events, please visit the website listed below.

http://www.wiltonsaid.com

So there you go! Now, go out and check out this intriguing Toronto artist.

Keep on Jammin’ Wilton Said

CounterPoint at the Nuance 2008 show

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CounterPoint is the kind of band that you DO NOT want to miss seeing live at least once in your life. These guys are just that good.

I read their bio’s from the evenings program and it was so nicely done that I have decided to show you all what was in it.

Member Biographies taken from the Nuance 2008 program:

Rick Kazmirchuk, Keyboards & Backing Vocals.

In February of 2008 he went out on my own to start the CounterPoint project as I wanted to write a more aggressive style of progressive rock. I needed to find players with a high level of musicianship to pull this off which I am happy to say has been accomplished with Jeff Morrison handling vocal duties, Chris Noto on bass and Joe Pawslowski on drums.

Joined my first band (Purple Haze) at 15 playing cover material and some original. Worked with numerous original bands over the years (Meshiana Wish, The Wish, Spinal Tramp, Media, NRG) still writing and performing original material and playing more cover material that was progressive-oriented along the lines of SAGA and Genesis and played in a SAGA clone band in the early 1980’s.

In 1986 I joined CERAFIM and was the major contributor and influence to the writing of the band’s
music in the styles of progressive and contemporary rock. CERAFIM went on to record 4 well received CD’s and is still musically active through Internet radio stations and is distributed internationally by a number of independent record labels.

In January of 2005 I ventured into a new musical partnership as keyboardist with the Canadian original progressive rock band THE LAST PLACID DAYS OF PLENTY.

Chris Noto, Bass guitar

Chris has been playing bass guitar since 1972 and has been surrounded by music as far back as he can remember as his father Sam Noto is one of the best jazz trumpet players in the world.

Chris brings a unique style of bass to the band, a cross between prog rock greats such as Chris Squire (YES) and Greg Lake (ELP) as well as a be bop jazz influence from his father. Chris grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and moved to Toronto in 1975 and has been here off and on ever since.

Chris opened for the band Mountain in Las Vegas when he was a mere 21 years old. He has played with keyboardist Rick Kazmirchuk in NRG, CERAFIM and a brief stint with the Last Placid Days of Plenty before teaming up with Rick as bassist for the CounterPoint project.

Joe Pawlowski, Drums & Percussion

I’ve been playing drums for almost 30 years. My main influences are Gene Krupa, John Bonham, Carl
Palmer, Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Neil Peart and Mike Portnoy. I have been in a variety of different bands, from Rock, Jazz and Progressive.

I plan to give you a blow by blow description of their show in upcoming posts in the future. Stay tuned for more … I promise it will be more then worth the wait!

CounterPoint, Keep on Jammin’

Lorne Hind at the Nuance 2008 show

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Lorne Hind from LorneHind360, was a natural opening act to kick start the Nuance show. He is also listed as the only instrumental band to play that night as well!

Lorne Hind

Lorne began his musical career in his hometown of Whitby, Ontario. As they say, good things grow in Ontario! Sorry that was a bad one, but there is absolutely nothing wrong in his playing style at all.

There at the impressionable age of 9, he was enrolled in the prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music. I started taking lessons from a teacher with these accreditation, but as you know some people are natural instructors and some … well not so much.

As a student of guitar, he was taught music theory, classical guitar and wanted to take what he fathered there and move on to learn about the electric guitar. This is where he found his first love.

He said that his knowledge of music theory was a little shaky in the beginning stages but, that didn’t stop him from forming a teenage garage band. Now let this be a life lesson here kidz, don’t think that you’re not good at playing any instrument at first try. If you keep up the love and the drive, you CAN and WILL achieve anything that you set your old brain box to do.

At the age of 16, his parents moved the family to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Now while residing in the USA, Lorne concentrated his efforts on teaching himself more about music theory and the structure of songwriting. This is something that I did, but the structure of songwriting is the only thing that has eluded me still to this date!

So while looking over his site, take note of when and where he is playing and go out and see him live. Like myself watching him for the first time, you’ll probably say, who the hell needs Jeff Beck when we have Lorne!

Keep on Jammin’

Nuance 2008 Music Festival

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This was a celebration of Art/Progressive music scene in Toronto. In it’s 3rd year, I find it was more than what was advertised in the Toronto media.

I once again proudly proclaim that this years 2008 Nuance Art Rock Festival was a massive success!

I just can’t say enough great praise for this event. If you live in the Toronto/GTA area and your a big lover of Progressive rock, then keep your eye out on all of my blogs for next years event. Having missed the last couple of years, I feel that I have lost an opportunity to see other bands of this great musical genre and help keep this torch alive for future generations to come!

So check out some of my links to see what it is that I am talking about!

Keep on Jammin’ Nuance

Illness puts Yes tour on hold or does it

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The super group YES, had to cancel their latest tour, due to asthma attacks that will sideline the bands lead vocalist Ian Anderson.

His physician told him that he just has to rest for six months after suffering an asthma attack. Respiratory problems are nothing to take lightly! I’ve seen what toll it can take on people personally … I work in a hospital … remember that SARs thing, I do?

Anyway, because of his health issue, Ian Anderson is “deeply disappointed” but realizes one’s health must take priority!

“You can’t ever really replace Jon Anderson, because he’s been such a force in the music business,” Squire said. “We look upon his replacement as more of an understudy.”

So how does one replace this little iconic powerhouse of a vocalist … you simple go and search on Youtube like everyone else does. Da, Da, enter Benoit David.

His band is called CLOSE TO THE EDGE as well as the symphonic rock band Mystery, is from Montreal Canada!

Chris Squire, the bands bass player and only other founding member of YES, and YES is back on tour again! Chris found this guy on Youtube with his YES tribute band playing Close to the Edge and just like that, YES is back on the road!

Chris admits that it’s impossible to replace the diminutive singer, but they can have an under study.

So decide for yourself, worthy or not worthy?

I sure as hell wouldn’t want to fill those shoes … no matter what his size is.

Keep on Jammin’

Seven Ages of Rock

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The BBC has produced one more gem of the documentary! This informative Rock and Roll documentary titled the Seven Ages of Rock was great to watch right from start to finish.

It was my wife’s birthday this past weekend and while at home eating her favorite Greek take-out food, we came across this amazing show that i just happened to tape earlier on in the week. The segment we took in was the We are the Champions section. It talked about, and with, some of the Arena Rock bands and how they achieved mastering this part of our R & R experience. The BBC brought us through it’s evolution of this period and how it shaped us morally and politically and it didn’t disappoint.

We both love all the bands of that era and the way they explored the sequence of it. Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Police, U2, Dire Straights, Kiss and to a lesser extent Springsteen. I realize I’ll take some heat for my comment about Springsteen from some of my readers, but that is for another future post.

This one hour doc was even making our puppy Midnight sit up and take notice (we’ll take any help to settle her down where we can get it!) It had all of the standard nostalgic rock doc footage, but it also brought us behind the scenes of the bands inner workings of their business dealings. The best and most insightful in this regard was from The Police’s Stewart Copeland.

The hats off best musical guitar lesson was from Mark Knopfler. He just casually picks up his trusty axe and shows us how he plays Money for Nothing from the 1985 album Brothers in Arms. That was just plain and simply amazing!

I’ve tried for years to figure out this song in many different ways, but I was never quite satisfied with my own end results. So when he picked up his Les Paul, and started showing us exactly how he plays this tune practically note for note, I almost died! So did my wife because we have a PVR (or TVo to my US readers) that allows me to go back and forth to pick apart any section of the video that is recorded with ease.

Having and using this piece of technology, is what helps in driving my wife up the wall and down the other side. The other is when I re-play the song for ever, because I am so annul in reproducing ANY song on guitar. If you have the ability to tape this part of the program and you honestly want to play this tune properly, them tape it! You WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

OR, just check this out!

The only bands that where noticeable absent in the segment was Pink Floyd and The Who. Thank God they were in the first two programs. Otherwise, we both give this one 2 thumbs up! And, if the situation presented itself, I’d get the DVD for my collection … and I can be quite tight with my money!

Keep on Jammin’

Journey Concert in Toronto

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This super group of the from late 1978 to the present, played in Toronto last night at the Molson Amphitheater. This also happens to be the band’s new lead singer’s, Arnel Pineda’s, birthday. I bet he put on a fabulous show this night!

I have been a fan of Journey for some time now. I remember figuring out how to play Don’t Stop Believing on the piano when I was attending St. John’s High School in Brantford and I played it all the time. The vocalist Steve Perry range was unforgettable and some of the guitar work was just so in your face.

I only regret that I did not get the opportunity to have played any of their songs with Pylis. Now that was tragic indeed. Anyway your want it, would have been the best fit in mind!

The former lead singer Jeff Scott Soto is replaced by Arnel Pineda. Arnel is from Quezon City in the Philippines. While looking for a replacement for Jeff, Guitarist Neal Schon, located Arnel on youtube singing many tunes with his band The Zoo. He got a hold of him through youtube and the rest is history.

This show also had Heart and Cheap Trick on the billing. This would of been one hell of a show to see, I wish that we could have been there for this one!

Keep on Jammin’

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