Popular Jesse Cook returns to Algonquin

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Aug. 20, 2008.)

Tickets are limited for this Latin/flamenco sensation

The Huntsville Festival of the Arts is closing out its successful summer season with master acoustic guitarist Jesse Cook.

The Latin/flamenco guitarist has been wowing Huntsville audiences since his first visit in 2001 at the Delta Grandview Inn. There he had the crowd roaring for more, so the festival brought him back for two more performances in 2002 and 2003.

In 2006, in answer to public demand, Cook performed for two nights at the Algonquin Theatre to sold-out crowds. The same is expected when he makes a two-night return visit on Aug. 27 and 28 at 8 p.m.

LATIN SPICE: Festival favourite Jesse Cook ignites the stage with his infectious Latin/flamenco/world rhythms and, backed by a group of stellar musicians, is sure to deliver memorable performances on Aug. 27 and 28. [Photo by Jon Snelson, taken at a previous HFA show.]

Cook is a Toronto-based Nuevo Flamenco guitarist, born in 1964 in Paris to Canadian parents. He was raised in the region in southern France known as the Camargue, where he grew up with the sounds and influences of Gypsy music.

Guitarist Manitas de Plata, who lived in the Camargue, and Nicolas Reyes, lead singer of the flamenco group Gypsy Kings, who just happened to live next door, heavily inspired him.

After his parents separated, Cook and his sister accompanied his mother to her birth country, Canada. Recognizing the musical aptitudes of her son, lessons followed at Toronto’s Eli Kassner Guitar Academy (Kassner’s other famous pupil was classical guitarist Liona Boyd). There he continued his studies in classical and jazz guitar in North America’s music schools, then attempted to unlearn it all while immersing himself in the oral traditions of Gypsy music. This helped him widen his range of musical tastes.

Like other guitarists of his style of music, Cook incorporates jazz, Latin and world music into his playing. He is also well known for the energy of his live shows.

Cook has recorded six studio albums and traveled the world exploring musical traditions that he has blended into his style of rumba flamenco. In addition to headlining concerts and festivals, he has opened for such legends as B.B. King, Ray Charles and Diana Krall. He has performed with British soprano Charlotte Church on the Tonight Show and toured with legendary Irish band The Chieftains.

In 2001, Cook won a Juno Award in the Best Instrumental Album category for Free Fall. Most recently, he has been nominated for two 2008 Juno awards, for his 2007 release Frontiers (World Music Album of the Year) and for the One Night at the Metropolis DVD (Music DVD of the Year) which captures his performance during the 2006 Montreal Jazz Festival.

Tickets for Jesse Cook are $40 and $20 for youth under 18 and are available at the Algonquin Theatre box office on Main Street 789-4975 or through the festival website at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.

Led Zeppelin fans will be wowed by re-creation of their classic album

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Aug. 13, 2008.)

Festival also presents Compadres and their exciting fusion of sound.

One of history’s all-time favourite groups will be captured in music tonight, Aug. 13, at the Algonquin Theatre.

More precisely, one of Led Zeppelin’s monster albums will be on show, as Led Zeppelin II is recreated sound for sound and note for note.

The folks at Classic Albums Live, most recently at the Algonquin Theatre with their Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd evening in February, have made an excellent name for themselves with these re-creations. Not a tribute band per se, Classic Albums focuses more on the music. Every sound is critical, and is often enhanced in the studio as the music is being mixed.

CLASSIC CUT: Members of the Classic Albums Led Zeppelin II band got the audience stirred up during their concert at the Alqonquin Theatre Aug. 13. [Photo by Jon Snelson.]

In matching the studio sound, that may mean adding players past the original four. The first half of the evening is dedicated to the Led Zeppelin II album, with songs such as Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker, The Lemon Song, Ramble On and Moby Dick.

Released on the heels of their first album, which was an international success, the second album was even more widely acclaimed and arguably more influential.

The second half of the evening will be an all-out Zeppelin jam, with favourites from a wide range of their amazing discography. Needless to say the Algonquin Theatre will be a rocking place to be.

On Thursday, Aug. 14, the Huntsville Festival of the Arts welcomes two of Canada’s finest artists. Singer/songwriter James Keelaghan joins good friend Oscar Lopez in an evening of diverse styles that combine to create a fusion of sound that will be sure to entertain.

FAB FUSION: Singer/songwriter James Keelaghan (right) joins fellow musician Oscar Lopez, combining diverse musical styles to form a creative and entertaining evening of sound fusion.

Keelaghan is a Juno winner, a three-time Juno nominee and a two-time winner of the USA Songwriting Competition’s folk category. He has played with the Calgary Philharmonic, Edmonton Symphony and has established himself as an avid tourer, playing to critical acclaim across the country

Lopez is a two-time Juno winner and the recipient of the Haygood Hardy Jazz/
Instrumental Music Award. Originally from Chile, Lopez moved to Canada in 1979, where he established a solid career that includes three CDs released under the Narada label.

Together, the two are Compadres, an example of the world-music fusion that has taken off in recent years. Keelaghan and Lopez jokingly refer to their sound as Celtino, fusing the rollicking, sometimes melancholy influences behind Keelaghan’s folk material with the fiery guitar vibe of Lopez’s work.

In Lopez’s two previous appearances as part of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts line-up, he left no doubt that his talents with the Latin/flamenco guitar are exceptional and can raise the temperature of any room in which he plays. Lopez’s playing injects energy and edginess into Keelaghan’s smooth baritone, while Keelaghan’s skillful song-craft creates a superb structure for Lopez’s amazing guitar work.

On Friday night, enjoy a stunning spectacle of traditional Irish dance music and song with the Magic of Ireland.

A consistent sell-out on a recent tour through England and Europe, the show features 10 champion Irish dancers and five multi-instrumentalists, featured on the accordion, fiddle, guitar, Bahrain, pipes, whistles and flutes. At press time, tickets were selling fast but some should still be available.

Tickets for all shows can be purchased at the theatre box office on Main Street, by calling 789-4975, or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.

High-energy fiddler Anne Lindsay returns to the Algonquin Theatre on Thursday, Aug. 7

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Aug. 6, 2008.)

Triumph’s guitarist Rik Emmett pays tribute to the music of Eric Clapton the next night.

If you attended the Jim Cuddy or the John McDermott concerts this summer and were impressed by the quality and sound of the fiddle/violin artist in both bands, then take advantage of the opportunity to see Anne Lindsay once again, on Thursday, Aug. 7.

Lindsay has established herself as one of the most engaging and versatile instrumentalists in Canada, adapting her unique violin/fiddle style to the eclectic sounds and musical languages of this country’s rich cultural texture.

Currently composing, performing and recording with her own band, Lindsay has acted as side person, composer, arranger and background vocalist, for not just Cuddy and McDermott, but she has also played and recorded with Blue Rodeo, the Chieftains, Led Zeppelin, Roger Daltry, Dionne Warwick and Natalie McMaster, and she played a key role as folk fiddler in The Lord of the Rings stage show.

SOLO SCORCHER: Anne Lindsay has established herself as one of the most engaging and versatile instrumentalists in Canada. She brings her band to the Algonquin Theatre stage on Aug. 7.

Lindsay’s innovative music is drawn from a palette of heartfelt ballads, hot club jazz, South Indian karnatak, various root and folk styles and rocking fiddle-driven grooves. Her fluency is evident in her wide-ranging repertoire, encompassing jazz, rock, classical, country, old-time fiddle, Celtic, Cajun and Klezmer styles.

Master of a wealth of diverse styles and blessed with a rare talent for improvisation, Lindsay brings all of her skill into fine focus on the 14 powerful tracks of her new CD News from up the Street. Co-produced by the late Oliver Schroer, it features her wonderful band: Colleen Allen, saxophones, Al Cross, drums, Jason Fowler, guitar and David Woodhead, bass.

JUST FIDDLING AROUND: Anne Lindsay performed in the Algonquin Theatre on Aug. 7 to a very enthusiastic crowd. This photo was taken during that show by Jon Snelson, the HFA's official photographer.

What really sets it apart from the first CD is the addition of Lindsay’s heart-catching vocals, and her debut as a songwriter.

Lindsay’s playing is incomparably expressive, capturing the violin’s unique ability to sing like the human voice. With her innovative, yet down-to-earth compositions, and exquisite lyrics, Lindsay and her violin sing together in a universal language.

On Friday, Aug. 8, Rik Emmett, lead guitarist for Canadian super group Triumph, comes to the Algonquin Theatre with his tribute to the music of Eric Clapton.

Who better than this guitar master to interpret the music of Clapton, whose virtuosity on the guitar sets him in the upper echelon of all time great artists.

From classic rock to smooth jazz, Emmett has shown he can handle all musical styles. Named to the Canadian Rock Hall of Fame in 1993, receiving a Juno as best guitarist at the 1981 ceremonies and being recognized as Best Smooth Jazz Guitarist at the 2005 Smooth Jazz Awards, are just three examples of his talent.

However, this concert will be focused on the music and sound of Eric Clapton. From his days with the legendary rock groups Cream, Derek and the Dominoes and Blind Faith through to the present, Clapton has created monster hits such as Layla, Tears in Heaven, Crossroads, Cocaine, Lay Down Sally and After Midnight.

“For me, doing the Clapton repertoire is like digging right down to the roots of why any person picks up the guitar to play,” Emmett said. “It’s a show about heart and soul, and about how the blues informs one great song after another.”

Both shows start at 8 p.m., tickets for which are available at the Algonquin Theatre box office, by calling 789-4975, or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.

MLC's marathon story relay is continueing

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Aug. 6, 2008.)

By Tracy Nita Pender

The 2008 edition of the Muskoka Novel Marathon, a yearly event hosted by the Muskoka Literacy Council, was a rousing success — both in the number of pages written and the amount of money donated.

“For the writers to have gathered close to $5,000 in pledges is amazing,” said Susan Lowe, president of the Muskoka Literacy Council (MLC). “It is one of the highest amounts ever raised since the inception of the Muskoka Novel Marathon seven years ago.”

The fundraising dollars are greatly appreciated at the MLC.

“Our present government funding allows us to support only 40 students at any one time; however, our current student base has risen to over 65 per month as a result of the diverse programs we now offer,” explains Lowe. “Fundraising allows us to support and welcome those adults into our programs as they come in, rather than having to ask them to wait for an opening at some unknown date in the future. Fundraising goes directly toward student programs in the form of print and tech resources as well as improved technology for our ever-expanding computer programs and workshops.”

Held from Friday, July 11 to Monday, July 14, the event saw 26 writers immerse themselves in their craft, with 18 of them submitting a final product for judging.

“We’re shooting right now for a wrap-up party for the novel marathon near the end of September, and that’s when the winners will be notified,” said Lowe.

The Muskoka Novel Marathon also took to the Internet, offering a way for the public at large to get in on the writing action with an online Story Relay. And there’s still a chance to donate to this great element and help push the dollar figure over the $5,000 mark.

Thought up by Paula Boon, a member of the MLC’s Muskoka Novel Marathon committee, the relay let people log in and add a line, a sentence or more to three separate stories during the same time that the authors were writing away on site. The online stories, started by Mel Malton, Roy MacGregor and Robert Munsch, saw about a dozen people log in and participate.

“This is the maiden run of the Muskoka Literacy Council Story Relay and we hope to make it an annual event. For seven years, only a limited number of writers have had the opportunity to support adult literacy initiatives at the Muskoka Literacy Council through their participation in the Muskoka Novel Marathon and through the pledges they have raised. This initiative allows the larger community to contribute in a fun, creative, and literary way through their writing and through their pledges, and, better still, you don’t need to be an accomplished writer to participate,” says Lowe.

Unfortunately, the site experienced a minor glitch on the Sunday.

“We experienced technical difficulties which rendered the Muskoka Literacy Council Story Relay inaccessible from Sunday on,” said Lowe. “To make up for the lost hours, and to enable sponsors to include their contributions to the stories, the Story Relay site will be re-opened from 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8.”

After that time, the writers who started the stories will read over the entire work and will close the relay with a line.

To take part in the Muskoka Novel Marathon Story Relay, log onto www.huntsvilleforester.com and click on Story Relay under the "Features" list on the left side of the screen. Follow the prompts thereafter to add your contribution.

Lowe is looking forward to seeing what people add to the stories this week and encourages the entire community to check out the site.

“A successful first go will ensure that the event will continue to grow in the future,” she explained. “Mel Malton, Roy MacGregor and Robert Munsch are all looking forward to where the community will take their original ideas.”

[NOTE: The Muskoka Novel Marathon began as an event under the Huntsville Festival of the Arts banner, and it is still held during the July festival season. Susan Lowe is also currently a member of the festival's board.]