We’ve all been there.
DOWNCHILD 50th Anniversary CD “Live At The Toronto Jazz Festival” Released August 14, 2020
One year ago today to the day, The Legendary Downchild Blues Band shut down Bloor Street West in Toronto to kick off their 50th Anniversary Tour in Canada, with a blues party for the ages at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, to over 10,000 fans, who packed the street to catch a glimpse of the world renowned band.
To mark the occasion, the band invited along some very special guests to help celebrate including, long-time friend and Hollywood Star Dan Aykroyd, former Letterman bandleader, Paul Shaffer, blues/rock icon David Wilcox, Grammy nominee, Kenny Neal, Gene Taylor (Fabulous Thunderbirds), Peter Jeffrey and Finland`s Queen of slide guitar Erja Lyytinen.
Downchild had a full slate of tour dates throughout the country this spring for the second half of their 50th Anniversary Tour, that was supposed to culminate with a grand finale show on June 22, 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and the band had to postpone all their shows until this fall for the safety of fans and to follow the direction of Heath Canada.
While they cannot perform LIVE right now, the band felt the next best thing they could do was release a LIVE CD to lift fans spirits in this challenging time and give them a live music concert experience. Fortunately, producer, L. Stu Young recorded their historic show in Toronto last summer and was impressed with results when he listened back to the performance.
“Live At The Toronto Jazz Festival” is set for release on August 14, 2020 and will be exclusively available to purchase NOW through a special PRE-SALE on the band’s website here. The first 100 fans to buy the CD between June 22 – July 3 will receive a personally autographed copy and will get it in advance of the official release date. With the COVID-19 pandemic cause havoc for all touring Canadian musicians, Downchild will donate $5.00 for every CD sold to the Unison Benevolent Fund in support of their fellow musicians in these challenging times.
“We are honoured to be able to support a great cause like Unison, that truly takes care of our own, in supporting Canadian artists and Canadian music industry professionals in this difficult time. Like so many people across the country and around the world, the music community has been hit hard by the pandemic.” – Donnie “Mr. Downchild” Walsh
The Unison Benevolent Fund is a non-profit, registered charity that provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community. They are there to help professional music-makers in times of hardship, illness, or economic difficulties.
“Live At The Toronto Jazz Festival” Track Listing:
1) Can You Hear The Music
2) Understanding & Affection
3) It’s A Matter of Time (Featuring David Wilcox)
4) Madison Blues (Featuring David Wilcox)
5) One In A Million
6) I’m Gonna Tell Your Mother (Featuring Gene Taylor)
7) Mississippi Woman, Mississauga Man (Featuring Erja Lyytinen)
8) Shotgun Blues
9) Soul Man (Featuring Dan Aykroyd, Paul Shaffer & Kenny Neal)
10) I Got Everything I Need (Almost) (Featuring Dan Aykroyd, Paul Shaffer & Kenny Neal
11) Flip Flop and Fly (Featuring Dan Aykroyd, Paul Shaffer, David Wilcox, Kenny Neal & Erja Lyytinen)
12) TV Mama
2018 Juno Award winners, Downchild, include some of the most well-respected musicians in the country, who have performed together for over 25 years. Guitarist, harmonica player, leader and co-founder of the band, DONIE WALSH, lead singer and harmonica player CHUCK JACKSON, PAT CAREY on tenor sax, MIKE FITZPATRICK on drums, GARY KENDALL on bass, and former American super-group rocker MICHAEL FONFARA (of Rhinoceros/Lou Reed fame) on keyboards.
The Official Trailer for “Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine” Doc
Capturing the messy upheaval of the ’70s just as rock was re-inventing itself, the film explores CREEM Magazine’s humble beginnings in post-riot Detroit, follows its upward trajectory from underground paper to national powerhouse, then bears witness to its imminent demise following the tragic and untimely deaths of its visionary publisher, Barry Kramer, and its most famous alum and genius clown prince, Lester Bangs, a year later. Fifty years after publishing its first issue, “America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine” remains a seditious spirit in music and culture.
INXS ‘Live Baby Live’ – Restored, Remixed, Remastered To Be Released June 26, 2020
Live Baby Live, the seminal live show by INXS from 1991 is available for preorder now on 4K Ultra High Definition Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD. The release follows the restored film’s hugely successful debut theatrical run in late 2019, playing on over a thousand screens from Sydney to Stockholm and London to Los Angeles.
The home entertainment release features the film presented in widescreen for the first time, and in over 20 times greater resolution (on 4K UHD blu-ray) than the original DVD release. This masterclass in showmanship and musicianship has been meticulously restored over a twelve-month period from the original 35mm negative to 4K Ultra HD, and during the process a previously thought lost performance of the ‘X’ album track “Lately” was discovered and reinstated into the film, much to the fans delight.
To accompany the astonishing visual upgrade, the audio is now presented in Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio (Blu-ray only), DTS 5.1 Surround and Dolby 5.1 Surround – all created by Giles Martin, the band’s Executive Music Director, and Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios.
https://youtu.be/Q2qtE14H-PI
Canadian R&B Artist Emanuel Releases Debut EP, Session 1: Disillusion, Today
In a moment of global disillusionment as social unrest, race equality protests, and the crisis of a pandemic are weighing on the human spirit, Canadian R&B artist Emanuel’s debut EP makes its poignant arrival, fulfilling the true purpose of the artist: to reflect the emotions and times they are living through. On releasing Session 1: Disillusion today, Emanuel shares, “Debuting to the world on Juneteenth, a symbolic day in the celebration of freedom and emancipation for all enslaved Blacks in America, immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of love, hope and healing as the world shifts right before our very eyes.”
With each self-penned song on Session 1: Disillusion, Emanuel’s vocals, rich with emotion, unveil his process of coping with a disillusioned portrait of life through alternative therapeutic outlets such as self-reflection, sex, drugs, and relationships.
He says, “Alt Therapy. It represents so many things.It is healing. Healing for those things in the past that would have us in bondage, in depression, in sadness. Those voices that told us we weren’t important.It’s gratification for the yearning in our hearts to do something great for the people of this world. These songs are stories-stories from me, about us. I believe God has been the leading benefactor. He gave me virtues and a voice. He gave me melodies that catch the ear and the soul.A ll of this, so that I could give a message of truth and love-filled with peace, to the world. This album is happening during this renaissance of beautiful black art in the world.I want to make my mark in this renaissance…with beautiful music…forged in countless hours of dedication and defiance to the bullshit going on.I would rather sip my favourite wine daily, then try all the world’s wines. My music is like wine that renews herself daily and is true to herf lavour always”
Following his international debut earlier this Spring with the release of his first single “Need You” and its globally collaborative video curated by Idris Elba OBE, – who also holds the role of Executive Producer – Emanuel introduces the first installment of ALT THERAPY with today’s release of Session 1: Disillusion, out now via Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Mixed by Gary Noble (Amy Winehouse, Nas, Fugees) and featuring original artwork by renowned contemporary visual artist FunnyTummy, Session 1: Disillusion explores the vulnerability that comes with self-work and uninhibited artistic expression.
The emotional reaction to Emanuel’s undeniable talent has been immediate from both the music industry and his rapidly growing fanbase. With the release of his debut single, Emanuel was named Apple Music’s New Artist of the Week, one of Amazon Music’s Artists to Watch, a Soundcloud Featured Artist, a Spotify “On The Radar” Artist, and landed Spotify’s premiere billboard in Toronto’s Yonge & Dundas Square. In two months, “Need You” has already accumulated millions of streams.
Session 1: Disillusion is the first collection of music Emanuel will share this year, culminating with the release of his debut album ALT THERAPY.
Emanuel – Session 1: Disillusion Tracklist:
“Need You”
“Thought It’d Be Easy”
“Addiction”
“Need You (Remix)”
Notes of a native son: The world according to James Baldwin
James Baldwin was an American novelist and social critic whose essays in “Notes of a Native Son” explored race, sex and class distinctions.
In the 1960s, the FBI amassed almost 2,000 documents in an investigation into one of America’s most celebrated minds. The subject of this inquiry was a writer named James Baldwin, one of the best-selling black authors in the world at the time. What made him loom so large in the imaginations of both the public and the authorities? Christina Greer explores the life and works of James Baldwin.
The Cast Of “Almost Famous” Are Reuniting For Origins Podcast
On Origins: Almost Famous Turns Twenty, Miller talks with writer/director Cameron Crowe and the stellar cast to share the never-before-told journey behind the making of the iconic film in celebration of its 20th anniversary. This bingeable five-part series from Cadence13 launches on July 8, 2020 and features new, in-depth interviews with Crowe, stars Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Billy Crudup, Zooey Deschanel, Jimmy Fallon, Patrick Fugit, Jason Lee, artists Peter Frampton and Nancy Wilson, and the real Penny Lane.
Origins is written and hosted by Miller, and executive produced by Chris Corcoran, Chief Content Officer, Cadence13, and Miller. Previous chapters of Origins have focused on Curb Your Enthusiasm, ESPN, Nick Saban and Alabama’s Crimson Tide, Saturday Night Live, and Sex and the City.
“Africa” by Toto on Musical Tesla Coils
Franzoli Electronics sparks Toto’s “Africa” back to life again in this electrifying video. They explain for those who did not understand what is going on, (like…um…me!) here’s a brief explanation: The main loud music really comes from the tesla coil sparks. They are literally playing the music due to the programmed phase, pulse width and firing frequency! So, there are no speakers, no audio / video special effects. It looks even better in person and sounds almost the same, just without the beat / percussion backing track.
James Brown Sings ‘Say It Loud, I’m Black And I’m Proud’ In 1968
We’ve been treated bad, talked about as sure as you’re born
But just as sure as it take two eyes to make a pair, huh!
Brother we can’t quit until we get our share
Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud
Madness – 2 Of Them – Performs With A String Quartet For “London Lock Up”
Two mad men and a string quartet, recorded in Madness’ London lock up a couple of days ago.