North By East West

This is the weekly thing where I tell you what's coming up on Canada Live, or rather I pass it along. Every weeknight Canada Live on CBC Radio 2 brings you live concerts recorded all over Canada. Someone at Radio 2 passes the list on to me, and I pass it on to you.

Canada Live this week will feature the Wooden Sky, recorded live at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield Quebec, Chris Kirby recorded at the Bella Vista Club in St. John's, Newfoundland and more:

Monday, February 15, 2010
concert 1: Amanda Martinez
recorded at Koerner Hall in Toronto
Singer Amanda Martinez has been a vital part of Toronto's bursting Latin music scene for a number of years. But now, the release of her lovely second CD, "Amor" means her star is rising rapidly both in in the rest of Canada and in the US, with several recent performances in New York City. This concert, at Toronto's beautiful new Koerner Hall, was part of Amanda's CD release tour. In addition to Amanda's fantastic band, it features appearances by guest accordionist Tom Szczesniak and a string quartet added especially for this performance. There are no strings on "Amor" - other than violinist Osvaldo Rodriguez - but the string quartet figures prominently in this set, adding a new sweetness and drive to several album tunes.
concert 2: Small World Project
recorded in Steward Hall at The Pointe-Claire Cultural Centre, Quebec
There's no doubt about it -- it's a small world - especially with the Small World Project, a trio of big personalities playing small-scale instruments: charango, ukulele, cajonito, kanjira, udu, carillon and other diminutive devices. Drawing its inspiration from the four corners of the globe, Small World Project vibrates with Brazilian samba beats, Chilean folklore, flamenco Andalou, Hawaiian Island melodies, and the musical strains of Morocco, Senegal, India - with some good old American bluegrass in the mix. Joining SWP for this musical feast from Stewart Hall, Pointe-Claire, Quebec is Solorazaf, a guitar genius from Madagascar. You won't hear this kind of crossover anywhere else!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010
concert 1: The Wooden Sky
recorded at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Quebec
The Wooden Sky have really thundered with critical attention for their latest album, If I Don't Come Home, You'll Know I'm Gone. This concert is primarily tunes from it with a couple of picks from their debut full-length, When Lost At Sea (2007). Although they're now based in Toronto, lead singer/writer Gavin Gardiner hails from Morden, Manitoba, and the other members from Cobourg & Scorborough, Ontario. At the time of this concert they just finished over two months of almost continuous touring, and their live show was tightly honed and practiced. The Black Sheep crowd reacted to the jubilance of some songs with dancing and the heartbreak of some others with quiet respect. This was an outstanding night of music in front of a packed house.
concert 2: David Gogo
recorded at the Duncan Garage Showroom in Duncan, BC
David Gogo plays for a packed house at the intimate, rollicking and freely abstinent Duncan Garage Showroom in the Beautiful Cowichan Valley. It's solo Gogo, creating acoustic magic with his old National and Gibson guitars. Hear songs in the flavour of the blues recorded at Vancouver Island's greatest little music venue.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
concert 1: Le Vent du Nord
recorded at the Place de Arts, Cheticamp NS, during the 2009 Celtic Colours International Festival
Le Vent du Nord has become one of the most recognizable and esteemed bands of the Quebec traditional music world. Each year the Celtic Colours International Festival draws performers from countries around the world, including artists from Canada that share a common Celtic heritage. This performance from Le Vent du Nord in the Acadian village of Cheticamp was the perfect opportunity to connect the group's interpretations of their Celtic and Breton based music with their Acadian cousins who share a common heritage.
concert 2: Cam Penner
recorded at the Epcor Centre's Engineered Air Theatre in Calgary part of the TransCanada Alberta Music Series
Singer-songwriter Cam Penner was born in a small Mennonite town in Southern Manitoba and now he makes his home in Calgary. In between he's traveled the world, run a soup kitchen in Chicago and worked at a homeless shelter in Calgary. All these experiences make rich fodder for his direct and honest songs.

Thursday, February 18, 2010
concert 1: The Rankins
recorded at The Halifax Metro Center, Halifax, NS
It was in 1989 that five siblings from the village of Mabou on Cape Breton Island released their first recording and became known to the world as the Rankin Family. Over the next ten years they released six more recordings and were honoured with 15 East Coast Music Awards, 6 Juno Awards, 4 SOCAN Awards and 3 Canadian Country Music Awards. In February 2009 The Rankin Family wrapped up a 20 concert re-union tour of Canada at the Metro Center in Halifax, NS celebrating the release of their new CD "These Are The Moments". They were at their very best at the end of a tour in front of a hometown crowd of over 5,000. One of the best nights ever to record a group that has been one of Cape Breton's most popular exports for over 20 years.

Friday, February 19, 2010
concert 1: Chris Kirby
recorded at the Bella Vista Club in St. John's, NF
With the release of his sophomore CD "Vampire Hotel" Chris Kirby has emerged as one hot artist to watch in Eastern Canada. The 26-year-old Newfoundlander mixes R&B, soul and blues and delivers it rock solid and saucy. On stage Kirby tears it up each night with his groove busting bandmates Craig Follett (bass) and Mark Marshall (drums). For this concert Chris Kirby and The Marquee are joined by the "Horns of Justice".
concert 2 : Elisapie Isaac
recorded at the Segal Centre in Montreal
Elisapie Isaac was born of an Inuk mother and a Newfoundland father. She was adopted at birth by an Inuit family and was raised in the isolated community of Salluit, Nunavik - the Great North. She is now based in Montreal and creating a stir! Her previous band Taima won a Juno in 2005 for Best Aboriginal recording - she now has gone solo and has recently released a CD called "There Will be Stars." For Elisapie, the north is not at the top of the world, it's at the center of her world. "My grandfather used to say that to avoid getting lost", Isaac says, "you always have to look where you've come from. " "There Will be Stars" is a record that looks to where this artist has come from… here and now. This Routes_Montreal concert was her first as a solo artist!

CBC Radio 1 broadcast, Fridays at 2:05 PM
Friday, February 19, 2010 on CBC Radio 1
concert: The Rankins
recorded at The Halifax Metro Center, Halifax, NS
It was in 1989 that five siblings from the village of Mabou on Cape Breton Island released their first recording and became known to the world as the Rankin Family. Over the next ten years they released six more recordings and would be honoured with 15 East Coast Music Awards, 6 Juno Awards, 4 SOCAN Awards and 3 Canadian Country Music Awards. On February 28th, 2009 The Rankin Family wrapped up a 20 concert re-union tour of Canada at the Metro Center in Halifax, NS celebrating the release of their new CD "These Are The Moments". They were at their very best at the end of a tour in front of a hometown crowd of over 5,000. One of the best nights ever to record a group that has been one of Cape Breton's most popular exports for over 20 years.

Canada Live podcast, released on Fridays
Friday, February 19, on the Canada Live podcast
The Wooden Sky
recorded at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Quebec
The Wooden Sky have really thundered with critical attention for their latest album, If I Don't Come Home, You'll Know I'm Gone. This concert is primarily tunes from it with a couple of picks from their debut full-length, When Lost At Sea (2007). Although they're now based in Toronto, lead singer/writer Gavin Gardiner hails from Morden, Manitoba, and the other members from Cobourg & Scorborough, Ontario. At the time of this concert they just finished over two months of almost continuous touring, and their live show was tightly honed and practiced. The Black Sheep crowd reacted to the jubilance of some songs with dancing and the heartbreak of some others with quiet respect. This was an outstanding night of music in front of a packed house.

Labels: Canada Live, CBC Radio 2, Chris Kirby, the Wooden Sky