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.