Happy belated 80th birthday Bob Dylan

 by Bill Woodley I turned 80 last December, and on learning that Bob Dylan turned 80 on 24 May, I was reminded of the only time I have seen him perform live. It was in 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival. But I missed the big news story, when he

Moonfruits Hoping to Draw in the Crowd for Next Release

 Images supplied by Moonfruits. He was nine when his parents asked him if he wanted to start playing the guitar. He took that guitar, practiced his scales and for the next 12 years led about a dozen different bands. He wore morph suits. He had an alias. She was a

Folk Music Ontario Conference Celebrates 30 Years

 All photos by Andre Gagne. When Murray Foster of Great Big Sea and other bands took the stage at the Folk Music of Ontario Conference Awards Brunch on Sunday, he admitted it was his first time at the conference. He didn’t know what to expect and now that it is

Fiery Folk: Union Duke Lights Up the Blacksheep Inn

 Matt Warry-Smith, a member of the Toronto band, Union Duke, has a tattoo on his leg of the words “Keep Music Evil” that’s visible below the cut off point of his Bermuda shorts. The audacity of the phrase, coined by Anton Newcombe, epitomizes the band’s fresh and furious take on

Remembering Gil Levine with the Power of Song

 Photos by Andre Gagne A child of Jewish immigrants born into depression-era Toronto, Gilbert Levine (February 3, 1924-Novembr 16, 2009) has been called one of the most influential labour leaders of his time.  As the first Research Director of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), he was a pioneer

Jazz at the Crossroads

 All photos courtesy of Andre Gagne “Here we are at the Crossroads,” begins Petr Cancura, glancing back at the band. His hand is raised, poised and ready. The band awaits the first sign post on this evening’s journey. Picture yourself nursing your third drink in a lounge on a Canadian

One Giant Step for the Tourist Company

 L to R: Swindells, Parry, Levey and Quezada. All photos by Brian Chan photography.  Vancouver’s own The Tourist Company formed in 2013 after camp friends Taylor Swindells (singer/songwriter/multi instrumentalist), Jillian Levey (vocalist) and Brenon Parry (drummer) began playing folk music together. After recording the trio’s first album, Brother Wake Up,

Bluesfest Beats: Tunes from Mantitoba Barns, Tropical Islands and Ontario Cottages

 Photo courtesy of Steve G The countdown to RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is on. As the weeks leading up to the festival go by, OLM will continue to highlight must-see performances by some of the acts that you may have not yet discovered—so Ottawa music lovers listen up! An exciting variety

Everything He Plays, Turns to Gold

 Photo Credit: Scarlet O'Neill For more than eight years, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Ben Kunder has been writing and producing music every Canadian can relate to. His long awaited debut solo album, Golden, will be released May 26, followed by a number of shows throughout Ontario and Quebec. One of the tour’s

Ontario’s Newest Folk Star

 Fiddler, singer, and step dancer April Verch is emerging into Ontario’s music spotlight! Recognized for her blissful voice, lively dancing and striking performances, her upcoming appearance at the National Arts Centre (NAC) is not one to miss! With impressive reviews coming from newspapers like the Huffington Post and Toronto Star, there

Travel With the Tourist Company

 The Tourist Company is living up to their name this spring. Cities across Canada are welcoming the Vancouver experimental folk band throughout February and March as they tour the country. Be sure to catch the Tourist Company when they stop at the Raw Sugar Café in Ottawa on March 12.

Craig Cardiff: Harnessing the Power of Music

 For Craig Cardiff, playing live music is all about the connection. Creating that electric moment when the audience connects with him, each other and the tune is worth the ups-and-downs of the musician lifestyle. Cardiff, the Arnprior based, Juno-nominated, Canadian folk musician, is stopping by the Black Sheep Inn on