Baka Beyond Tour Alberta

Midnight at the Oasis

Stewart McDougall

Lunch At Allen’s

Lunch At Allen’s is Ian Thomas, Marc Jordan, Cindy Church & Murray McLauchlan

Lunch At Allen’s is no songwriter’s circle. Rather, Lunch At Allen’s is an extraordinary musical revue by renowned Canadian artists, Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas. They perform together as a band in a show that is an intimate and humorous.

Lunch At Allen’s all began as a regular get together at Allen’s in Toronto with the Canadian music icon Murray McLauchlan and his friends Ian Thomas and Marc Jordan. After adding the voice of Cindy Church, then “Lunch At Allen’s” turned into an outstanding band that performs some of the most enjoyed songs from each of these songwriters’ impressive and extensive catalogues.

Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas’ songs have been recorded by everyone from Rod Stewart to Bette Midler and Santana. Murray McLauchlan’s hits have covered Canadian airwaves from coast to coast. Cindy’s voice and songs are well known on the folk festival circuit through her solo work and with Ian Tyson’s band and also with the Great Western Orchestra. Cindy is also a member of Quartette with Sylvia Tyson.

Lunch At Allen’s seems as though they’ve been playing for years with an energy and freshness like they’ve just met. Each singer is accompanied by each other on a variety of instruments, vocal harmonies, laughs and more than a few tall tales in between. It’s irreverence at its best with friends who make exceptional music together during a magical Lunch At Allen’s.

Meeting Bob Brozman

Bob Brozman & Alan Budd

Bob Brozman in Alberta

Travelling the World of Music

The guitar nearly bypassed Papua New Guinea. When it finally arrived, it was seized upon by islanders who adapted it accordingly. They took to strumming it ukulele-style, inventing unique basslines, playing in unison or solo, adding a bit of slide here, a single note accent there. The tunings were light and airy, five-key and open, an island sound vaguely reminiscent of early Hawaiian music but setting its own precedents. Over in the remote, hard done by province of East New Britain, the Tolai people formed stringbands and sang high, happy harmonies.

Into this fraught paradise stepped ethnomusicologist and guitar superstar Bob Brozman, an enabler in the way that a man with the energy and organisational skills can do. Here Brozman assumed a co-producing role, supporting an array of stringbands with instrumental backing, equipment (including much needed guitar strings) and recording advice. And so, we have the Gilnata Stringband, with ten vocalists, fewer instruments and a bluesy sound; the Fiji-leanings of the Eagle Voice Band; the north coast’s Lions 2000 Stringband and Drop Sun Band, their guitars outnumbering their singers.

Much of this music is recorded here for the first time. Each member of every stringband gets an equal share of royalties. This is the music of Bob Brozman.

Matato’a

Matato’a is from Rapa Nui on Easter Island, Chile. Matato’a means “the watchful eye of the warrior” and they are the most famous musical & dance group from Rapa Nui. And Rapa Nui is the most isolated island in the world, lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Rapa Nui is famous for its giant & enigmatic stones known as the Moai. Matato’a is a family group formed in 1996 with the initiative of Kevamatato’a Atan. The principal motivation for Matato’a is to promote the ancestral traditions, dances, costumes, body paintings of their home on Rapa Nui. Matato’a uses the perfect fusion of modern & traditional instruments including stones, horse jaws & bombo. These instruments give a variety of different music & song styles that include Polynesian, Reggae, Latino & Rock. Matato’a also mixes their style with their modern & tradition costumes on stage. Matoto’a impress, attract & lead dances during each of their shows. You can find out more about Matato’a by visiting their personal website. Matato’a will tour in Hawaii and Europe in the fall of 2006.

Northern Cree Nominated for Grammy

The Northern Cree Drummers

With 27 albums to their credit, the Northern Cree are heroes in northern Communities of Alberta & Saskatchewan. The 15 members of the Northern Cree, all drummers and singers from Cree communities. Their recent album Long Winter Nights is up for best native American music album. They have received nominations for Rockin’ the Rez in 2002 and for Still Rezin’ in 2003. Northern Cree sing in Cree and English and have 27 albums to their credit. They have been together 22 years and are heroes in the home communities.

 

Big Water

Big Water is the latest release from Penny Davies & Roger Ilott

Three years in the making, BIG WATER is a new album from Penny Davies & Roger Ilott. BIG WATER is certain to enchant fans with 14 thoughtful & musical tracks. BIG WATERS starts with one of Roger’s compositions, Turn The World Around– a persuasive plea for change – & ends with the Pete Seeger classic Turn! Turn! Turn!’ The songs range from the poignant story of an orchardist forced to bulldoze his trees (Pushing It Down), to the nostalgic memoir of Rusty Dusty Days, a reference to the band in which Roger & bass player on BIG WATER, Jed Hudson, almost made the big time. Jed’s return, along with Roger & Penny’s son Jordy on drums, Dobro, slide guitar & back-up vocals, marks a creative change from previous albums.

Cindy Church in Edmonton

Cindy Church is originally from Bible Hill, Nova Scotia. She spent 20 years in Western Canada before heading east to Toronto where she makes her home. Cindy is firmly grounded in country & cowboy music. But her heart is is equally grounded in gospel, blues and jazz with warmth and tone that demands attention. Cindy is so also easily able to mix genres with ease in anything she does. Cindy is a regular performer in Alberta. SHe performas regularly at the Full Moon Folk Club in Edmonton. In 1984, she teamed up with guitarist Nathan Tinkham and the two were soon part of Ian Tyson’s band the Chinook Arch Riders. Cindy has sung background on three of Ian Tyson’s albums and he has sung a duet with her on her most recent album. In 1987, Cindy and Nathan teamed up with David Wilkie and became the Great Western Orchestra. This was a trio that achieved national attention and acclaim with their 1988 self-titled album, Great Western Orchestra. Over the past years, Cindy has made appearances on Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe program on CBC radio. Cindy now follows her her solo career as well as playing with Quartette. Her third and self-titled album, Cindy Church, was released on the Stony Plain label. Cindy also tours with Lunch At Allen’s.