Author: Carey Rutherford
Keep the fire burning Part 1: The Blues Can Survives!
It’s -27°C, and there’s snow everywhere, and the windchill makes it -38°! What in the hell am I doing going to the bus stop at night, in such weather? The Blues Can has a small candle lit at its heart, which they’re trying to protect from the wind and weather: I want to help them Keep The Fire Burning. …
Andrea Koziol: ‘Let’s just make a record!’ Folk? Jazz? Improvise!!
As to where she’s been geographically, Andrea Koziol has performed from the east to the west coast of Canada, and up north and down in the prairies as well. Musically, though, the trail has been less clear.
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Gabrielle Papillon not just a Troubadour Singer/songwriting while Social distancing
When we originally contacted Gabrielle Papillon through her Pigeon row Records promoters, she was completely thrown by the phone call.
We had arranged to give her a day’s breather after arriving home in Canada from songwriting work in England, as it seemed likely she’d want some time to recover from the jet lag. Then the pandemic caught fire! …
A ‘Femme Wave’ brings art & music awareness in Festival form
When MUSICAlive! first hears about the 2019 Femm Wave Festival, it’s only a few days away! But it sounds too cool to miss, and fortunately both our photographer and the Board Member manning the front desk are willing to help us put it together for our fearless readers: we made it to Calgary’s Feminist Music & Arts Festival! …
Wicked Grin Believes the Blues Can Help Good People in Bad Times
When MUSICAlive! first learns about Murray Kinsley’s guitars for the blues-rock mix of Wicked Grin’s latest album, it’s pretty encouraging!
“I use a Fender Telecaster modified Thinline (and) I call it the ‘Frenken-Tele’ …
Steven Taetz Expands His, And Our, Jazz-Pop Horizons
Steven Taetz is wandering through the streets of Toronto while we talk, going from one place to another as songwriters are inclined to do anyway: moving from one inspirational situation to another to meet the needs of their musical craft. In Steven’s case, having done time in the electronic dance and country/roots genres, we ask him what he would call the music he’s bringing to …
Harpdog Brown: Real Name, Real Life, Real Blues
When Harpdog Brown answers his phone in Vancouver, a month before he arrives on tour here at Calgary’s Ironwood Stage and Grill, he declares, “You’re a minute early!” And then laughs when I offer to call back 60 seconds later. So begins the storied conversation with this 35 year veteran of Canada’s blues scene. …
Mariel Buckley is Driving in the Dark: Her Country Family Helps her Steer
Some accidents are not only happy, they are positively confounding. Witness MUSICAlive! popping down to a Stampede breakfast to Hear a Calgary country favourite of ours, Tim Buckley, play on the mall, and meeting the similarly talented Mariel Buckley (his sister), also singing and playing some sweet alt-country guitar. …
500 and Counting: The adventures of Damon and his ProArts Society
Well, now we know why Damon Johnston of the ProArts Society resonates so much with the work MUSICAlive! does: he’s been involved in many of the projects that have helped form the Calgary arts scene in the last 30 years. He’s part of our musical DNA, from Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Dancers’ Studio West, the seminal 10 Foot Henry’s nightclub (from which today’s …