Dala house concert in Mississauga 9 April 2010

Whether they were singing one of their many wonderful original tunes like "Levi Blues" or "Horses", or crooning masterfully arranged covers of Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country" or Neil Young's "Harvest Moon", Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine were a treat for the ears, the eyes and the soul.

After opening the Friday evening Mississauga house concert on April 9 with a great rendition of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance", Sheila and Amanda (known together as "Dala") shared with us the story of their very first festival appearance. It was in Bala, Ontario, where the Moon River empties into Lake Muskoka. High winds and torrential rains forced the festival indoors and left Dala performing in the tiny snack bar of the Bala hockey arena. The experience is immortalized in their delightful ballad "Don't Wait".

They closed the two hour show with a beautiful arrangement of Mercer and Mancini's "Moon River", which could arguably be Dala's theme song: "Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see..."

Starting and finishing with allusions to the Moon River is a perfect example of how artfully Dala constructs their concerts. And yet the engineering was completely transparent. Those of us in the audience were kept mesmerized with their intelligent, evocative and sometimes humorous lyrics, they're delicious harmonies and just the right mix of stories about their lives and the background behind their songs. A Dala house concert is an opportunity to spend a delightful evening "up close and personal" with two of Canada's finest young performing artists. Given the opportunity, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

If you would like to host a concert in YOUR living room featuring artists like Dala, visit the Living Room Concerts website to learn more.

Bill Candy house concert a sweet success

On Saturday evening, May 30, 2009, twenty-two enthusiastic music fans nestled into the cozy living room of a modest-sized home in Mississauga for a 2-hour live music concert by Canadian musician Bill Candy. For most of those in attendance it was their first house concert and they were treated to a delightful experience.

In addition to his extraordinary talent as a veteran songwriter, singer and virtuoso guitarist, Candy is also a masterful story-teller. He kept the audience enthralled and delighted with vignettes of his life and the history behind many of his songs. His repertoire was a perfect balance of poignant ballads and hilarious tunes that held everyone's attention to the end.

For house concert hosts Lianne and Brian, this was their first effort at holding a "concert in their living room". They were delighted to have the opportunity and are already planning for the next one.

If you would like to treat yourself and your friends to a concert in YOUR living room featuring top-notch artists like Bill Candy, visit http://living-room-concerts.ca/ to learn more.

Eclectic pianist Frank Horvat is wildly original

On the evening of May 7, 2009, Canadian composer and pianist-extrodinaire Frank Horvat generously opened his studio in Mimico-by-the-Lake (Toronto, Ontario) for a house concert to benefit Lakeshore Arts. The program consisted of original compositions played by Horvat as well as a set of songs written and performed by singer/songwriter/guitarist Kim Boyce.

The house concert began with Horvat sitting at the grand piano in his living room/studio and asking us in the audience to shout out the names of any three musical notes. Within a matter of seconds, Frank took the "E", "G", and "B-flat" that we handed him and turned those three notes into a wonderful, rollicking, improvised composition. And with that engaging and magnanimous gesture we were gifted with a peek into the mind of a musical genius at work.

Horvat's piano experiences in classical, blues, rock, jazz, and pop, blend with the influence of musical giants from Bach to Miles Davis to Frank Zappa to produce a vibrant, original sound that flows and lurches, often unexpectedly, from sweet and pensive to vulgar and chaotic. For the audience, it's a totally captivating carnival ride.

But beyond his wide-ranging experience and the composers that have impacted him, what really appeals to me in Horvat's compositions is their deep emotional intensity and honesty. To watch and listen to Horvat is to be privileged with an intimate glimpse into his soul.

Frank Horvat's debut CD, deceptively titled "I'll Be Good", is a real treat. You can listen to some of it here.

Music Monday on May 4, 2009

On Monday, May 4, 2009, if you go out into your front yard at the the designated hour for your time zone, you will hear something amazing!

The first Monday in May is "Music Monday" across Canada. First celebrated in 2005, this special day has been created to call attention to the importance of music in our lives and in our schools. At precisely the same time of the day, students and teachers take their music programs outside into the open air of their school grounds or into their communities, to perform a short concert.

There are outdoor concerts right across the country from the elementary level right through to secondary schools - some small celebrations, some large. Some will perform on their own; others will collaborate with local schools and organizations. Many community and professional organizations and ensembles are also involved, along with musicians and artists across the country. To see a list of events that have been planned for "Music Monday", click here.

The magic of the occasion is that at the same point during that day, that is, at 10;00 am Pacific time, 11:00 am Mountain time, 12:00 pm Central time, 1:00 pm Eastern time, 2:00 pm Atlantic time, and 2:30 in Newfoundland, schools right across the country are united by one piece of music.

The song selected for the 2009 "Music Monday" celebration is "Sing, Sing" by Serena Ryder. You can listen to it here. Or go the the "Music Monday" website http://www.musicmonday.ca/ and view a video of Serena Ryder singing "Sing, Sing" at the Mod Club in Toronto.

The wonderful animated TV ad for this special day is here.

So open the front door of your home and stand on the street on the first Monday in May and you will hear music and the skies will be filled with melody.

Kevin Breit - the doctor of dissonance

Dissonance: "a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion." That's where Kevin Breit starts and it just gets better and better as his songs unfold.

Last night at Hugh's Room in Toronto as the leader of Folkalarm , Breit was astounding, giving each of his numerous 6- and 8-stringed electric instruments the workout of their life. When he plays, I always have the same reaction: "What he's doing with his fingers is just freakin' impossible!"

Backed up by the considerable talents of drummer Jorn Juul Andersen and Russell Boswell on bass, Breit kept the audience mesmerized for over 90 minutes without a break. He is a highly intelligent musician who has mastered his craft like few others, and is an absolute joy to watch and listen to.

Breit writes the music and lyrics for the songs he performs with Folkalarm. His music is an intriguing blend of genres - rock, jazz, country, etc. - impossible to label but wonderful to experience. Unfortunately, the sound mix at Hugh's Room was such that I could not clearly hear most of the lyrics.

Among his many on-going projects, Kevin Breit has a regular gig with his Juno-award-winning 4-piece band The Sisters Euclid. You can catch Breit and the Sisters every Monday night at the The Orbit Room, 580 College Street in Toronto. Get out to see them. You won't be disappointed.

Kevin Breit is available for house concerts. Contact Jim Darley through Living-Room-Concerts.ca.

Danny Michel: One-light, one-amp, one-man band

What does a musician who uses electronics as a key element in his act do about "Earth Hour"? Last night at his packed-house concert in Guelph, Ontario, Danny Michel explained: "When we booked this gig several months ago, we didn't realize at the time that the concert was actually going to happen at the same time as "Earth Hour". So tonight we have limited the lighting to a single spotlight, I'm only using one guitar amp instead of my usual two, and I didn't use any aerosol gel to make my hair look like this. Instead I used Coke."

Singer, songwriter and musician extraordinaire, Danny Michel never disappoints. Whether accompanied by his full rock band or sitting on a stool at Hugh's Room playing an acoustic six-string or performing solo like he did last night at the Dublin Street United Church with his trademark red Epiphone electric guitar and array of foot-pedal electronic toys, Danny commands the rapt attention of his audience. The lyrics he writes can sometimes be sober and cautionary, as in the title track from his seventh and newest CD, "Feather, Fur and Fin" and "If God's On Your Side". At other times his songs are whimsical and humorous as in "Whale of a Tale" inspired by a mostly one-sided conversation at a bar. And often, as in "I Will Love You for Miles", Danny's music is intimately romantic. But, whatever the mood of the song, I found myself listening intently so as to not miss a single delicious word that this fine Canadian poet had penned.

And, as if his compelling lyrics and unique, mesmerizing voice were not enough, you should see this guy play guitar! With artistic flare and technical precision, Danny uses his electronic loop-back machine to create the sound of a full band while he picks out exciting lead blues riffs and slide guitar solos. What a showman!

Dublin Street United Church has been host to many live concerts over the years and it is acoustically perfect for the likes of Danny Michel. He took full advantage of the venue and played the room like the masterful performer that he is earning a standing ovation from the appreciative audience. And all in the subdued glow of a single yellow spotlight.

Visit http://Living-Room-Concerts.ca to find out how you can host a concert in your living room.

Tannis Slimmon at Georgetown House Concert

Listening to Tannis Slimmon sing last night at a Georgetown, Ontario house concert, I felt like I was attending the one and only public performance of her life. She is so fully present and mindful of her audience that each of the 25 people in attendance felt she was singing only for them.

Accompanied by her multi-talented life partner, Lewis Melville on guitar, mandolin, banjo and backup vocals, Tannis gifted us with her own masterful guitar playing, a beautiful voice and a wonderful warm patchwork quilt of her songs ranging from the delightfully whimsical "Weathervane" to the haunting "Edmonton" (which brought many in the room to tears).

Growing up on a farm in Manitoba, Tannis actually attended school in a one-room schoolhouse and rode a horse to get there. Her deep rural roots come through not only in her humble, engaging personality but in the lyrics to many of her songs.

The Georgetown house concert was one of six that Tannis and Lewis are giving this week as part of their Southern Ontario tour sponsored by Homeroutes.ca. If you have a chance to go and hear Tannis sing, grab it. You'll be delighted.

For the latest on the Southern Ontario house concert scene, visit Living-Room-Concerts.ca.