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JazzInToronto To Showcase Diverse Lineup with A Focus on Women Artists at April’s College Street Jazz Festival

Eric Alper
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JazzInToronto To Showcase Diverse Lineup with A Focus on Women Artists at April’s College Street Jazz Festival

With a lineup focusing on gender representation, LGBTQ+ representation, cultural diversity, and emerging artists, JazzInToronto’s College Street Jazz Festival will showcase some of the best and most exciting talent Toronto has to offer.

The three-day event runs April 21–23, and the lineup this year is comprised of 95% women artists, and includes a wonderful mixture of seasoned performers and emerging artists. Performers include Laila Biali (JUNO-winning musician and CBC Radio host) and Alison Young (JUNO nominee and 2-time Winner for Horn Player of Year at the Maple Blues Awards). Other artists include Carlie Howell & La-Nai Gabriel, Chloe Watkinson, Queen Pepper, DIJLAH, Trash Panda Brass, Racha Moukalled, Grapevine and Jennifer Lo trio.

“Our goal with the triple bill at Revival is to introduce audiences to new musical genres,” artistic director Ori Dagan notes. “Trash Panda Brass is Toronto’s only all-queer brass band specializing in classic tunes of the 1980’s and 90’s; the Middle-Eastern sextet DIJLAH is led by Iraq’s Tara Moneka and features some of the finest musicians on Toronto’s world music scene; and the crowd-pleasing Queen Pepper combines the classic sounds of Soul and R&B with groovy originals.”

“The live music scene in our city bursts with talent and diversity, making ours a unique meeting place unlike any other,” said Dagan. “We really wanted to celebrate that this year, and to be honest, even within the focus on women’s talent, it was extremely difficult to decide who to highlight.”

All concerts will take place in College Street venues, and the goal is to bring together musicians, venues, and fans in celebration of having survived the challenging times we’ve all faced over the course of the pandemic.

Performances will be held at the following six venues: Revival Bar, The Emmet Ray, Free Times Cafe, Bar Pompette, College St. United Church, and Sellers & Newel.

The festival’s opening-night party will take place at Free Times Cafe (320 College Street), which has presented more than 10,000 nights of live music since opening in 1980. Rising-star pianist Jennifer Lo will kick things off before the festival launches into a fun and lively jam session that will showcase a wide variety of the Toronto jazz community’s members.

The headlining program is as follows:

(And the complete, more jam-packed program of all performances is available here.)

April 22, 7:30pm: Carlie Howell & La-Nai Gabriel at The Emmet Ray:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/college-st-jazz-festival-carlie-howell-la-nai-gabriel-at-the-emmet-ray-tickets-577956863537

April 22, 9:30pm: Alison Young at The Emmet Ray:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/college-st-jazz-festival-alison-young-trio-at-the-emmet-ray-tickets-577997535187

 

April 22, 11:30pm: Chloe Watkinson at The Emmet Ray:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/college-st-jazz-festival-chloe-watkinson-at-the-emmet-ray-tickets-578001697637

April 23, 4pm: Meridian Credit Union presents Laila Biali at College Street United Church:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/college-st-jazz-festival-laila-biali-presented-by-meridian-credit-union-tickets-577683606217

April 23, 7pm: Grand Finale Triple Bill at Revival: Trash Panda Brass, DIJLAH, Queen Pepper:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/college-st-jazz-festival-queen-pepper-dijlah-sextet-and-trash-panda-brass-tickets-578010373587

 

 

Toronto Rocker Emily Mac Raises The Stakes With “Kills Me To Love You”

Eric Alper
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Toronto Rocker Emily Mac Raises The Stakes With “Kills Me To Love You”

Relationships are supposed to be a two-way street and when you feel like you are drowning in that partnership, then it’s time to get out and move on. Classic rock sensation Emily Mac exposes those truths on her newly released single, “Kills Me To Love You.”

“Kills Me To Love You” begins with a thunderous blast of drums bringing electric shock through the listener’s ears, combining Emily’s powerful, yet husky vocal prowess and rebellious energy. You can hear the conviction of sheer vulnerability in her vocals when the song opens as she shouts, “F–K your games. All I do is lose. Your love is fake. And your lips are loose. All you do is take. I gave it all to you. Now I’m done playing. The Devils muse.”

“Kills Me To Love You was written in the studio with my producer Dajaun Martineau. We were throwing ideas around and nothing was sticking,” Mac says. “Then the line ‘Kills Me To Love You’ popped out of my mouth and we were both like – Ooo yah! There’s something there!”

The gritty and fierce rock star from Toronto, Ontario conveys the pain and struggle of being in love with someone who is no good for her, as she expresses this message in the chorus:

“Your blood runs black.
You can take all your darkness back.
It kills me to love you.
It kills me to love you.”

“The lyrics are honest and raw and points out the conflicting emotions that come with trying to let go of someone you know you shouldn’t be with,” Mac explains. “I wasn’t just thinking about romantic relationships gone wrong. I’ve had those in my life, but I’ve also had friendships that were toxic where I had to break up a friendship which can sometimes be harder than ending a romantic relationship.”

Co-written and produced by gold certified producer Dajaun Martineau, Emily had a solid supporting cast in the production for her new hit single which is evident when the song erupts into a climatic electric guitar solo from Ben Healey, bringing the listener back to the glory days of ‘80s hard rock; that compliments her empowering delivery and allows for the vocals to shine and take centre stage.

“I love classic rock and wanted to have an epic guitar solo in this song like they used to back in the old days,” Mac says. “My guitarist Ben Healey channeled all of his emotions and frustrations into his guitar playing, giving a performance full of angst and fire which fit in perfectly with the edgy mood of “Kills Me To Love You.”

This marks Emily’s first release since her debut single, “Whiskey Like Me”, that has amassed over 27,000 streams from listeners throughout 94 countries. Over the course of her career, she has performed at numerous festivals, such as: Canadian Music Week, Indie Week, TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Beaches International Jazz Festival and internationally with performances at New York City’s The Bitter End and The Rockwood Music Hall.

The Tragically Hip To Publish Alphabet Book For Young Readers

Eric Alper
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The Tragically Hip To Publish Alphabet Book For Young Readers

The Tragically Hip, the legendary, bestselling Canadian band, will release a picture book, THE TRAGICALLY HIP ABC, this October. The Tragically Hip ABC is a love letter to The Hip: an ABC picture book for young music fans that features illustrations from four renowned Canadian illustrators. The book will be available at retailers across North America starting October 24, 2023.

Decades of the band’s hit singles, iconography, and touchstones can be appreciated in a brand-new way: an ABC picture book! From “A is for Ahead by a Century” to “N is for New Orleans is Sinking,” all the way to “Z is for Frozen in My Tracks,” this illustrated ode to the band can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Featuring art from acclaimed Canadian illustrators Clayton Hanmer, Julia Breckenreid, Bridget George, and Monika Melnychuk, this book will be the perfect gift for fans of The Hip both old and new.

“The promotion of childhood literacy and development are causes close to our collective hearts,” says The Tragically Hip’s guitarist Rob Baker. “This book is a sweet surprise full of gorgeous illustrations. If it can excite some kids about reading, art, nature, or music, then we are delighted and proud.”

“I am so excited to see this idea come to fruition with these four incredible illustrators,” enthuses Drew Macklin, who worked with the band to develop the book’s text. “The joy of reading books to my children along with the love for their music and variety of song titles – what better way to introduce and share one of Canada’s most well-loved bands with future generations?”

“As lifelong fans of The Tragically Hip, we were so excited for the opportunity to celebrate their incredible body of work with this picture book. It was thrilling to work alongside the band and these four talented Canadian illustrators in order to visually bring The Hip’s song titles to life,” say editors Peter Phillips and Samantha Swenson. Tundra Book Group publisher Tara Walker adds, “We hope fellow fans of The Tragically Hip will love this book as much as we do, and we hope it brings young new fans into the fold.”

“Having grown up in rural Ontario, where fifty mission caps and rusty breezes were the norm, The Hip was the soundtrack of my youth. Whenever I hear their music, so many memories come flooding back,” recalls illustrator Clayton Hanmer. “It’s been an honour and a privilege to be part of this project, helping to introduce their work to a new generation.”

Illustrator Julia Breckenreid agrees. “I jumped at the chance to collaborate on a picture book using The Tragically Hip’s song titles. I loved Gord Downie, and the group’s songs are inextricably woven into so many chapters of my life.” She adds, “It also gave me the opportunity to work with my cousin, Monika Melnychuk. How could I say no?”

“The Hip are one of my favourite bands, so I was elated to be asked to contribute illustrations to the book,” says illustrator Bridget George. “It was such a fun process and I can’t wait to add the book to the bedtime rotation for my little one at home. The Hip are so loved across generations and the art inside the book is all so fun, it’s going to be really neat to see families connecting over the book!”


Illustrator Monika Melnychuk agrees: “I never would have imagined, while following The Hip from concert to concert, singing along with Gord at every opportunity, that I would get to work on a children’s book with the band! What a dream project!”

Hi Records & Fat Possum Records Celebrate The 50th Anniversary Of Al Green’s R&B Classic ‘Call Me’ With Limited Edition Vinyl Pressings

Eric Alper
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Hi Records & Fat Possum Records Celebrate The 50th Anniversary Of Al Green’s R&B Classic ‘Call Me’ With Limited Edition Vinyl Pressings

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Al Green’s Call Me, and to celebrate, Hi Records/Fat Possum will reissue the 1973 R&B classic on vinyl on May 26. With lacquers from the original master tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound, Call Me will be available on standard black vinyl as well as limited edition pressings on both Tigers Eye colored vinyl for independent record stores, and Red and Green colored vinyl via Fat Possum’s website. All versions are available to be pre-ordered, HERE.

Al Green’s Call Me was originally released in 1973 and debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts and remained on the charts for 11 weeks. The album features timeless Gold certified classics such as “Here I Am (Come & Take Me),” which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts; “Call Me (Come Back Home),” which went to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts; and “You Ought To Be With Me,” which hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.

With a highly successful recording and touring career that spans over five decades, Al Green has made an undeniable and lasting impact on music and musicians around the world from R&B, Soul, and Pop to Blues and Gospel. Considered one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, with Pitchfork proclaiming Al Green as “The Greatest Living Soul Singer,” The Reverend Al Green is a national treasure and once again hits the road to spread his message of love.

Side A
Call Me (Come Back Home)
Have You Been Making Out O.K.
Stand Up
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
Your Love Is Like The Morning Sun

Side B
Here I Am (Come And Take Me)
Funny How Time Slips Away
You Ought To Be With Me
Jesus Is Waiting

‘The Muppets Mayhem’ Trailer Is Here With A Billion Cool Cameos

Eric Alper
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‘The Muppets Mayhem’ Trailer Is Here With A Billion Cool Cameos

Get in the groove with The Muppets Mayhem and the trailer with about a billion cameos, streaming May 10 on Disney Plus.

George Carlin Gets Animated For His “Words That Hide the Truth” Speech

Eric Alper
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George Carlin Gets Animated For His “Words That Hide the Truth” Speech

The first of George Carlin’s 14 stand-up comedy specials for HBO was filmed in 1977, broadcast as George Carlin at USC. From the late 1980s onwards, his routines focused on sociocultural criticism of American society. He often commented on American political issues and satirized American culture. He was a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show during the three-decade Johnny Carson era and hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975. His final comedy special, It’s Bad for Ya, was filmed less than four months before his death from cardiac failure. In 2008, he was posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Foo Fighters Confirm Six More Headline Shows

Eric Alper
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Foo Fighters Confirm Six More Headline Shows

Hot on the heels of Foo Fighters’ recent announcement of their first three headline shows of 2023, the band has now confirmed six more new dates:

August 4 — Spokane, WA — Spokane Arena
August 8 — Salt Lake City, UT — USANA Amphitheatre
August 10 — Stateline, NV — Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s
September 19 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
October 3 — Phoenix, AZ — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater
October 5 — El Paso, TX — Don Haskins Center

Support on the Spokane, Salt Lake City, Stateline and Virginia Beach dates will be The Breeders.

Tickets for all six shows will be on sale to the public beginning Friday, April 14 at 10am local time.

FOO FIGHTERS Tour 2023

May 24 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion (SOLD OUT) ***
May 26 — Boston, MA — Boston Calling Music Festival
May 28 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple Arts & Music Festival
May 30 — Washington DC — The Atlantis
June 2 — Nürburgring, DE — Rock Am Ring
June 4 — Nürnberg, DE — Rock Im Park
June 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP (SOLD OUT)
June 16 – Pelham, AL — Oak Mountain Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)
June 18 — Manchester, TN — Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
July 8 — Quebec City, QC — Festival D’ete De Quebec
July 12 — Ottawa, ON — Ottawa Bluesfest
July 15 — Milwaukee, WI — Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival
July 29 — Naeba, JP — Fuji Rock
August 4 — Spokane, WA — Spokane Arena **
August 8 — Salt Lake City, UT — USANA Amphitheatre **
August 10 — Stateline, NV — Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s **
August 11-13 — San Francisco, CA — Outside Lands Festival
September 3 — Aspen, CO — Jazz Aspen Snowmass
September 9 — Sao Paulo, BR — The Town
September 17 — Asbury Park, NJ — See.Hear.Now
September 19 — Virginia Beach, CA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach **
September 21 — Louisville, KY — Louder Than Life
October 1 – Dana Point, CA – Ohana Festival
October 3 — Phoenix, AZ — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater
October 5 — El Paso, TX — Don Haskins Center
** The Breeders support
*** Taipei Houston supports

Sza Expands Highly Successful ‘the S.O.S. Tour’ Into Europe And Extends North America Run

Eric Alper
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Sza Expands Highly Successful ‘the S.O.S. Tour’ Into Europe And Extends North America Run

Following her incredibly successful 17-city sold out run, Grammy-award-winning music trendsetter and icon SZA will continue her touring trek with ten new dates in Europe and twenty-one additional dates across North America due to incredible fan demand.

Produced by Live Nation, the European leg of the tour kicks off June 1 in Amsterdam at Ziggo Dome, making stops in Paris, Berlin, London, and more before wrapping up in Dublin at 3Arena on June 21. The S.O.S. Tour will then circle back to North America, kicking off on September 20 in Miami at Kaseya Center, and making stops in Brooklyn, Houston, Los Angeles and more before wrapping up in Phoenix at Footprint Center on October 29. See full routing below.

Tickets will be available starting with Live Nation presale on Thursday, April 13 at 10am local time.

THE S.O.S. EUROPE TOUR DATES:
Thu Jun 1 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome*
Mon Jun 5 – Paris, France – Accor Arena*
Wed Jun 7 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion*
Fri Jun 9 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena*
Sun Jun 11 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena
Tue Jun 13 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena*
Thu Jun 15 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro*
Sat Jun 17 – London, UK – The O2*
Sun Jun 18 – London, UK – The O2*
Wed Jun 21 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena*
*With Support from RAYE

THE S.O.S. NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
Wed Sep 20 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
Fri Sep 22 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Sun Sep 24 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Tue Sep 26 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center^
Thu Sep 28 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
Sat Sep 30 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Sun Oct 01 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Wed Oct 04 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Fri Oct 06 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Sat Oct 07 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Tue Oct 10 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Wed Oct 11 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Sat Oct 14 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Sun Oct 15 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
Wed Oct 18 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Thu Oct 19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
Sun Oct 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Mon Oct 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Thu Oct 26 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Sat Oct 28 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
Sun Oct 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
^Rescheduled Date from Leg 1 without Omar Apollo

The 2023 tour follows SZA’s hugely successful sophomore album, SOS, which was released in December and earned the superstar the record for the largest streaming week for an R&B album in the United States. The album also claimed ten non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart – the most among albums by women in seven years.

During the first run of the S.O.S. Tour earlier this year, SZA gave unforgettable performances night after night. The platinum recording artist performed classics like “Love Galore” and “The Weekend” in addition to newer mega-hits such as “Kill Bill,” and “Shirt.” Fans also got to experience special performances from a number of surprise guests including Phoebe Bridgers, Cardi B, Summer Walker, Lizzo and more.

The S.O.S. Tour marked SZA’s first-ever arena tour and earned the superstar endless praise, with Rolling Stone noting that “SZA lives up to all the anticipation” on opening night. The New York Times called her Madison Square Garden headlining debut “vigorous, confident, theatrical and intimate — the sort of show that manages the rare trick of feeling both vibrantly communicative and also protectively insular,” while Billboard proclaimed that the performance “delivered a message that she’s truly made a next-level step in her career.”

Born in St. Louis and raised in Maplewood, NJ, genre-defying, and GRAMMY Award winning recording artist SZA released her major label debut album Ctrl (TDE/RCA) in 2017. Revered for its raw and honest lyrics, it landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart, No. 2 on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, according to Nielsen Music. The now RIAA-certified 3xPlatinum album received five Grammy nominations in 2018 and more than half the songs on Ctrl are currently certified multi-Platinum and Gold. Ctrl remains on the Billboard 200 chart since its release in 2017 and holds the record for the longest run for any Black female artist’s debut album. In 2022 alone it sold over 600,000 units and is the 10th best-selling female album this year in the country and 50th best-selling album in 2022 overall.

To close out the trying year of 2020, SZA gifted fans on Christmas Day with the hopeful track “Good Days.” Grammy-nominated for Best R&B Song, the single quickly became SZA’s greatest gaining solo single release, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and marking her first time in the chart’s top ten as the main artist. December 2021, SZA scored her second lead artist top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with the official release of “I Hate U,” which debuted at #7. The song also entered at #1 on both Spotify and Apple Music US charts and broke the record for the most streamed R&B song by a female artist on Apple Music in its first week. Fan favorite “Shirt” has garnered over 60 million streams globally since its release in October.

On December 9, 2022, SZA released her long-awaited sophomore album SOS. Instantly and universally met with acclaim, SOS debuted and claimed ten non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200, the longest run for an album by a woman in seven years. Standout track “Kill Bill” is RIAA-certified 3x Platinum and earned the #1 spot on the Billboard Global 200 chart and several Apple Music and Spotify charts globally. Currently RIAA-certified 2x Platinum, SOS includes features by Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers and Ol’ Dirty Bastard; with production by Ctrl hitmaking collaborators ThankGod4Cody and Carter Lang, alongside Jeff Bhasker, Rob Bisel, Benny Blanco, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Emile Haynie, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Jay Versace, and more.

To this day, SZA continues to set the standard on creativity and songwriting, while shattering records with over 10 billion streams worldwide across all platforms. SZA has won various awards since the release of Ctrl including a 2022 GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Kiss Me More” with Doja Cat, Billboard Music Awards’ Top R&B Female Artist, BET Awards’ Best New Artist, BET Soul Train Awards’ Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and Best New Artist, MTV Video Music Awards’ Best Visual Effects for the “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar, and NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding New Artist. In 2019, she won NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding Duo or Group for “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar and Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation for the Black Panther Soundtrack. SZA also received Billboard’s 2019 Women in Music Rule Breaker award. More recently, SZA was crowned the 2023 Woman of the Year at the Billboard’s Women in Music Awards and won iHeart Radio Music Awards for R&B Artist of the Year and R&B Song of the Year for “I Hate U.”

Paul Simon Returns With Highly Anticipated Musical Work, ‘Seven Psalms’

Eric Alper
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Paul Simon Returns With Highly Anticipated Musical Work, ‘Seven Psalms’

Paul Simon, who has consistently crafted some of the most influential and enduring work in the history of music, has announced the release of his highly anticipated musical work, Seven Psalms. Intended to be listened to as one continuous piece, the 33-minute, seven-movement composition transcends the concept of the “album” and will be released in its entirety on vinyl, CD and across digital platforms on May 19.

Recorded entirely on acoustic instruments, and predominantly performed by Paul, Seven Psalms showcases Simon’s craft at its finest and most captivating, simply with his voice and guitar.
A stunning, intricately layered work, it’s a record which establishes an engaging and meditative, almost hymnal soundscape, with Paul’s lyrics providing the gravitational center for constellations of sound woven from guitar strings and other acoustic instrumentation – including choral elements from the highly-regarded British vocal ensemble VOCES8, and a beautiful vocal appearance by Edie Brickell.

Watch below for a glimpse into Paul’s inspiration and process in finding Seven Psalms.

True to the origin of psalms as hymns meant to be sung rather than spoken, Seven Psalms reaches back to the very genesis of folk music: King David’s Psalms. The result is a quietly moving musical experience which uncovers a wealth of subtle details with every repeated listen. A step apart from anything Paul Simon has released before, Seven Psalms defies categorization.
The record’s tone is complemented by its artwork, which features a close-up extract of “Two Owls” by the celebrated landscape artist Thomas Moran.

Produced by Paul Simon and Kyle Crusham, Seven Psalms is a single suite of music comprised of the following seven interlinked movements:

1. The Lord
2. Love Is Like A Braid
3. My Professional Opinion
4. Your Forgiveness
5. Trail of Volcanoes
6. The Sacred Harp
7. Wait

My Next Read: “My Effin’ Life” by Geddy Lee

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “My Effin’ Life” by Geddy Lee

My Effin’ Life by Geedy Lee is the long-awaited memoir, out November 14, 2023, generously illustrated with never-before-seen photos, from the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Rush bassist, and bestselling author of Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass.

Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll’s most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success story of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush. Here for the first time is his account of life inside and outside the band.

Long before Rush accumulated more consecutive gold and platinum records than any rock band after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, before the seven Grammy nominations or the countless electrifying live performances across the globe, Geddy Lee was Gershon Eliezer Weinrib, after his grandfather murdered in the Holocaust.

As he recounts the transformation, Lee looks back on his family, in particular his loving parents and their horrific experiences as teenagers during World War II.

He talks candidly about his childhood and the pursuit of music that led him to drop out of high school.

He tracks the history of Rush which, after early struggles, exploded into one of the most beloved bands of all time.

He shares intimate stories of his lifelong friendships with bandmates Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart—deeply mourning Peart’s recent passing—and reveals his obsessions in music and beyond.

This rich brew of honesty, humor, and loss makes for a uniquely poignant memoir.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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