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Jazz Songstress KATIE DITSCHUN Captures A Lonely Sense of Melancholy in Stunning “One Voice”

Eric Alper
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Jazz Songstress KATIE DITSCHUN Captures A Lonely Sense of Melancholy in Stunning “One Voice”

In the age of social media, we are theoretically more connected than we’ve ever been, but that connection can prove tenuous when there’s bullying, anger, or unkind words, and Canadian jazz songstress Katie Ditschun captures the sadness around having one’s voice drowned out in her new single, “One Voice.”

“I feel disillusioned and dismayed about the ways people communicate these days — especially by what gets attention and engagement on social media,” Ditschun shares. “My own efforts at reaching an audience online focus on encouraging people to be kind and seeing the good in life; on finding moments of joy and beauty…

“But positive messaging has trouble competing with all the indignation, accusation, and animosity that people apparently prefer to spread.”

The song is the title track for the Alexandria, Ontario-based artist’s newly released EP, One Voice. Accompanied by warm, full-bodied piano, nuanced drums, and heartbeat-like bass, Ditschun sings with a wholehearted melancholy of feeling small, or unheard, even as her voice glides, floats, shimmies, and soars.

One voice, one small voice, that’s all we got
One voice, one solo voice, but it’s not enough
To be heard over angry, angry words,
And hearts filled with fear, making it clear that
Your voice, a little voice, even when it cries,
Is one voice, just one voice trying to sing its song

The message, even though it’s filled with sadness, is also one of hope and optimism. “I truly believe that the only thing that will change the world for the better is love,” Ditschun says. “It is incredibly easy to react in anger or pass judgment on others, but the effort it takes to act out of love is ultimately always worth it. It is my hope that with my one voice I can spread that message further and louder with the songs on One Voice.”

Ditschun is joined on the four-song EP by Mark Ferguson on piano, Tim Bedner on guitar, Normand Glaude on bass, and Scott Latham on drums. “These jazz masters are extraordinary storytellers,” Ditschun reveals. “Each instrument gives life and adds color to the characters and events featured in these songs.”

One Voice includes a French version of “One Voice” titled “Une Voix.” The EP also includes a bilingual song called “Un Oiseau” that expresses a yearning to fly away and escape life’s challenges. That sentiment is balanced by “The Moonflower,” a song with a Latin groove, which confronts the fear many of us have of not measuring up.

Jack Black Celebrates Blue Bear School of Music’s 50th Anniversary With A Cover Of David Bowie’s ‘Suffragette City’

Eric Alper
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Jack Black Celebrates Blue Bear School of Music’s 50th Anniversary With A Cover Of David Bowie’s ‘Suffragette City’

The one and only Jack Black joins some of San Francisco’s Blue Bear School of Music’s students in a rousing cover of David Bowie’s Suffragette City to celebrate their 50th Anniversary.

Johnny Marr Performs A Monstrous Version The Smiths’ ‘How Soon Is Now’

Eric Alper
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Johnny Marr Performs A Monstrous Version The Smiths’ ‘How Soon Is Now’

Johnny Marr is never shy about performing The Smiths‘ iconic song “How Soon Is Now,” and rightfully so – he never disappoints, and here he is at The Crazy Face Factory, Marr’s studio in Manchester, England.

One Thousand Musicians Perform “My Hero” In Honour Of Taylor Hawkins

Eric Alper
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One Thousand Musicians Perform “My Hero” In Honour Of Taylor Hawkins

In 2015, 1000 Rockers performed simultaneously “Learn to Fly” by the Foo Fighters in Cesena – Italy. The video got more than 32 million views and the Foos actually held a concert in town. This time around, the massive group pays tribute to the late, great Taylor Hawkins.

Like LEGO? Like The Rolling Stones? The You’ll Love This LEGO The Rolling Stones

Eric Alper
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Like LEGO? Like The Rolling Stones? The You’ll Love This LEGO The Rolling Stones

To commemorate the band’s 60th anniversary, the new LEGO Art the Rolling Stones set invites adults to dive into their passion for the iconic music by building the famous tongue logo.

The LEGO Group brings a rock ‘n’ roll image to life in brick form. The bright red lips and tongue known worldwide as the logo for the Rolling Stones will thrill adult fans looking to combine their passion for the band’s music and LEGO® bricks.

The logo, first seen on the Stones’ Sticky Fingers album 50 years ago, is a 1,998-piece tribute to their 60 years as one of the most legendary rock bands of all time. It is the first organically shaped set from LEGO Art and fans will be delighted to know that the LEGO designers included a hidden surprise.

While assembling the bold, colourful lips that measure over 22 in. (57 cm) high and 18.5 in. (47 cm) wide, fans can enjoy an accompanying soundtrack with almost an hour of tailor-made content, including an exclusive interview with John Pasche, the graphic designer who created the tongue logo for the Rolling Stones back in 1970.

“Who would have believed, 50 odd years ago… that design would be made into a LEGO piece. Wow!” says John, after seeing the LEGO Art set for the first time.

“Since the tongue logo is one of the most recognized logos, our biggest challenge was to figure out how we could get the LEGO Art design as close to the original as possible. Previous sets have been created with 1×1 round LEGO tiles as a mosaic, but this time, in the spirit of being more Rock ‘n’ Roll, we have used the full spectrum of LEGO bricks to capture the organic curves that John created. Hearing his reaction to our final design makes me so happy!” says Fiorella Groves, Design Manager at the LEGO Group.

The LEGO Art the Rolling Stones set will be available from June 1st from LEGO.com and all LEGO retailers.

SUPERCUT Every Window Cameo in Batman From 1966-1968

Eric Alper
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SUPERCUT Every Window Cameo in Batman From 1966-1968

The dynamic duo’s show of the 60s was fond of celebrity cameos. Here is a Supercut of every single one of them.

Pop-Soul Artist Natalie Nicole Gilbert Passionately Reimagines Adele’s “Easy on Me”

Eric Alper
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Pop-Soul Artist Natalie Nicole Gilbert Passionately Reimagines Adele’s “Easy on Me”

In a riveting reassessment of Adele’s record-breaking single, Natalie Nicole Gilbert transforms her rendition of “Easy on Me” into a desperate plea for vulnerability between two aching lovers in the heat of an argument.

The multi-award-winning pop-soul artist’s soaring vocals are countered by Chris Sloan in a harmonious amalgamation that is poignant, to say the least. With each building to the emotional swell that synthesizes into a moment of clarity for our protagonists, Gilbert’s prowess is put on a pedestal as she delivers a captivating performance once again.

“I really wanted it to feel more conversational,” Gilbert shares. “I saw room for it to take a turn like The Civil Wars’ ‘Poison & Wine’ – where this argument doesn’t have to end in finality, but could maybe open a door of vulnerability and understanding, whatever the eventual outcome.”

One of the most impactful elements of this riveting production is the seemingly simple choice to accompany Natalie Nicole Gilbert and Chris Sloan’s vocals with different instrumentations; Gilbert’s vocals are intertwined with swelling piano while Sloan’s vocals are fused into crescendoing guitar. As the two voices meet in the middle, they are met with compelling string swells and an interwoven piano/guitar duet.

“Production-wise, I chose to have the piano under my segments and the guitar under Chris’s portions, with the strings tying us both together and all the instruments in when we harmonize on the verses,” Gilbert shares. “The instruments are framing and executing the duet themselves.

“It was Robert Eibach’s idea to drop the beats out on the bridge to let that section stand on its own,” she continues. “Chris’s voice has such strength but is also so delicate in some phrases… I felt like the piano was too buttoned up for that sound on his solo lines; it needed to feel more ‘small venue’… More stripped back and unplugged.

“At the same time, we still wanted to pay homage to Adele’s original in a way her fans could enjoy — to feel like we built on the foundation she’d already put in place.”

Based in Los Angeles, Natalie Nicole Gilbert is an exalted multi-award-winning recording artist notorious for her impassioned vocals, fervent lyrics, and extensive knowledge of the music industry. Gilbert has released 13 solo albums, and 17 singles to add under her belt. Paving the way for home producing, she built her own home studio in 2005 and continues to produce and co-produce her own music.

In addition to her tenure in music, Gilbert has more than 10 years in broadcast radio as a radio host and voiceover talent and has done national commercials for McDonald’s, Cadillac, Quiznos, and other international brands.

Natalie Nicole Gilbert’s talents know no bounds. In addition to her award-winning pop-soul music, she performed as a session vocalist for the Dublin Studio Hub, and film and TV composer with Music + Pictures, whose credits include Smallville, Law and Order, The Office, and many others worldwide.

Natalie Nicole Gilbert recently won the LIT Talent Award for songwriting and was nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media Award.

Blues Rockers BLAZE PROJECT Crystallize the Conundrum of Passion With New Single, “Sweet Little Misery”

Eric Alper
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Blues Rockers BLAZE PROJECT Crystallize the Conundrum of Passion With New Single, “Sweet Little Misery”

Sometimes having a passion can be both a blessing and a curse. Canadian rockers Blaze Project capture this very conundrum with their blues-infused single, “Sweet Little Misery,” from their brand new album, Enjoy This Moment – both available now.

“Sweet Little Misery” is a thumping, bluesy, head-bopping rock ‘n’ roll song with a wailing guitar solo that brings to mind the energy of an arena. Its message is somewhat meta: “It’s about an artist and his great passion for music, as well as his vision of a performance on stage,” the Baie-Comeau, Québec-based band shares. “A musician who was born with this talent and passion, and despite all the paths taken, he will always end up finding the stage and music on his way.”

It fits nicely with the overarching theme of Enjoy This Moment, which is to grasp a positive mood with an open heart and open arms. Composed in the band’s home studio and practice space during the pandemic, the album was fueled by Blaze Project’s need to create even amid the unfortunate medical diagnoses, family deaths, and even a car accident that various band members experienced throughout the writing and recording process.

“The songs deal with the beauties of the world and nature, interpersonal relationships, passion, determination, the happiness of living and enjoying the good things in life,” the band says of the 10 songs, adding that though the members come from different musical tastes and disciplines they were able to achieve a cohesive sound, albeit one that spans traditional rock, blues, funk, and even indie rock at times.

“Each musician brings his color,” they say. “This is what gives it the Blaze Project touch.”

Though each song deals with a different message and narrative, the thread that runs throughout Enjoy This Moment is the desire to create positive, emotional, and catchy music.

Jarvis Church Reimagines Bill Withers Classics With A Modern Twist with Release of New Album

Eric Alper
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Jarvis Church Reimagines Bill Withers Classics With A Modern Twist with Release of New Album

Tuning into The Soul Station, Jarvis Church’s inimitable ear for inventive tributes to his favourite soul singers continues to soar, this time with Vol 3: A Tribute to Bill Withers and Beyond.

Paying fitting homage to the late legend, while remaining unique all on its own, the new release is the latest in Church’s ongoing series, The Soul Station.

“This time, however, there’s a twist,” Jarvis reveals of the new offering that features four inventive and contemporary reimaginings of Withers’ hits. “I decided to lose the retro sound, and interpret these classics with contemporary modern production.

“And, for each of the modern production styles of the four Bill Withers classics, I used contemporary hits as sonic references.

“See if you can identify them…”

The Soul Station Vol 3 includes “Just The Two Of Us,” “Lovely Day,” “Use Me,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.”

Deliberately missing? “Lean On Me,” Church affirms. “I did about five versions of it, but couldn’t get a modern take I was happy with. Club Nouveau’s version was one of my favourite songs when I was a kid; there was just no way to top that.”

It’s this unbridled passion for soul music and modern production that fuse together to make Church’s The Soul Station Vol 3: A Tribute To Bill Withers and Beyond so special. Listening to the retro addition of high-pitched saxophone wailing, coupled with modern house synths and drum kits, invites new and old listeners alike to experience the song from a unique angle.

“The album also features five original songs that take my love of soul and house music ‘Beyond,’” he adds, with a nod to the title. “It is the ‘Beyond’ part that was an invitation for me to make the kind of music that really excites me, especially since, like so many people around the world, I found solace in my craft during the isolation of the pandemic. The genesis of The Soul Station series was my love for performing live… What better way than combining my 20-year catalog of original songs with my favourite soul singer classics?”

Based in Los Angeles, with his roots in Toronto, Jarvis Church is the lead singer for the R&B-pop group The Philosopher Kings; it was during the group’s 10-year hiatus that he started his solo career with the release of his debut album, Shake It Off.

From there, Jarvis Church has actively been paying homage to the artists who inspired him as a young soul singer. Following the release of his past Soul Station Volumes, including The Soul Station Vol. 1: The Songs of Sam Cooke, A Tribute, and The Soul Station Vol 2: The Songs of Curtis Mayfield: A Tribute, Church moves forward with his newest album release.

Alt-Rapper SHADES LAWRENCE Fights Colonization With Powerful New Anthem, “No Return”

Eric Alper
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Alt-Rapper SHADES LAWRENCE Fights Colonization With Powerful New Anthem, “No Return”

When it comes to pride, there are few more empowered and emboldened by their homeland than Shades Lawrence, and these badges of humility and coat of pride are worn boisterously in the Quebec-based artist’s new single, “No Return.”

Shades Lawrence is a queer, Montreal-born hip-hop artist of mixed British, Jamaican, Irish, and Scottish descent. As she’s progressed through the journey of finding her sound, Shades Lawrence has performed over 40+ shows as a spoken word poet and hip-hop artist and shared the stage with a variety of artists — including Princess Nokia, Big Freedia, Cakes da Killa, and more.

Since stepping onto the scene, Shades Lawrence has released three full-length albums — Trust Takes Time (2022), 4th Quarter (2021), and East West Road (2020 — in addition to three EPs — Formidable Time EP (2017), Mind Right EP (2019), and Second Life EP (2019); the latter of which was also featured on Bandcamp’s homepage in their New & Notable section.

Looking through her own history, as well as that of those around her, Shades Lawrence stepped forward into her new project. A journey inspired by the story of refugees and immigrants who have found their way to Canada, in one way or another, Shades Lawrence’s lyricism drives this uplifting single while keeping environmental justice at the forefront.

“This song is inspired by my story — coming from a background where three of my four grandparents were immigrants to Canada,” she shares.

“No Return” is Lawrence’s hopeful take on the Afrofuturistic movement; to push the culture forward, she instills a feeling of healing and recovery to stand in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of Canada as they face ongoing colonization — although the global colonization is not lost on Lawrence.

“This shared, or similar, way of perceiving the history of Afro-descended peoples, and people of color, is something that we as a global community must move through if we are going to confront the very real presence of ongoing colonization, racism, anti-Black racism, colorism, fascism, and war, as well as every other form of modern-day oppression.”

It’s easy to sit and talk about how the well-produced beat drives the overall production through its collection of swells and thick kick builds; it would be even easier to talk about the well-tuned and effectively used 808’s that act as the foundation for a lot of the piano harmonies and vocal African choir ad-libs you hear in the background…

What it isn’t easy to talk about, however, is the global issue of racism and colonization that threatens populations who have spent generations building culture and tradition; it isn’t easy to talk about the systemic racism that is built into entire governments to suppress a silent majority out of fear of being perceived negatively by potential voters.

Yet here, Shades Lawrence is — doing exactly that.

“Take heart — for the people who are refugees, immigrants, and are part of historically under-represented, and colonized peoples — there is courage and hope still; not only in numbers but in a hopeful afrofuture that will endure indefinitely.”

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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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