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JazzInToronto Festival Returns May 29 to 31 With GRAMMY and JUNO Winners

Eric Alper
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JazzInToronto Festival Returns May 29 to 31 With GRAMMY and JUNO Winners

JazzInToronto, the not-for-profit dedicated to promoting local artists, today announced the return of its Community Celebration, taking place May 29, 30 and 31, 2026 across landmark venues in the downtown core. Produced by acclaimed musicians Lina Welch and Ori Dagan and supported in part by a grant from the Toronto Arts Council, the festival spans three distinct neighbourhoods — St. Lawrence Market, Yorkville, and Yonge & Dundas — and features a curated lineup that moves from swing and bebop to funk, soul and beyond.

“We are really thrilled with the lineup this year,” said Ori Dagan, Artistic Director of JazzInToronto. “Besides booking exciting talent from rising stars to Grammy winners, we strive to be as diverse as possible, because that’s what makes Toronto unique. And of course, our hope is to connect audiences to their new favourite artists who just happen to live in their own backyard.”

The festival opens Friday, May 29 with free concerts on Market Street presented by St. Lawrence Market District. Rising star trumpeter Atcheleh Aryee leads her sextet at 12pm, followed at 5pm by “Canada’s Sweetheart of Swing” Alex Pangman alongside Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist Drew Jurecka and guitar virtuoso Nathan Hiltz. The evening continues at TD Music Hall with the debut performance of all-female party band GRACE at 8pm, with indie powerhouse Jennarie opening, and closes at Jazz Bistro with a late-night tap and jazz jam hosted by Indigenous (Nehiyaw) dancer Johnathan Morin at 11:30pm.

Saturday, May 30 brings one of the festival’s most anticipated events: a tribute to neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo, conceived and led by acclaimed pianist Michael Shand. The evening performance at TD Music Hall features an all-star seven-piece band and four vocalists. Earlier that day, Grammy winner Kae Murphy presents a tribute to trumpet legend Freddie Hubbard at The Pilot in Yorkville at 2pm. Piano enthusiasts are invited to an intimate recital series at Liss Gallery (112 Cumberland Street), with performances by award-winning artists Adrean Farrugia (May 30, 12pm) and Danae Olano (May 30, 4pm) — each limited to just 25 attendees, with an acoustic piano provided by Yamaha Canada.

The celebration continues Sunday, May 31 with Hilario Duran and Thompson Egbo-Egbo at Liss Gallery, a masterclass in solo guitar performance led by Nathan Hiltz at The Rex Hotel at 11:30am — free to students of On the Off Beat Music School — and a 2pm tribute to torch singer Julie London performed by JUNO-nominated rising star Ale Nunez at The Pilot. The festival concludes with a one-night-only reunion at the Allied Music Centre Theatre: five-time JUNO Award winner Jane Bunnett, Order of Canada member Reg Schwager, and living legend Neil Swainson — together on a Toronto stage for the first time in decades.

Tickets and full festival information are available at www.jazzintoronto.ca.

Canadian Screen Award Nominee ‘Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul’ Puts Jay Douglas and Reggae History Where They Belong

Eric Alper
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Canadian Screen Award Nominee ‘Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul’ Puts Jay Douglas and Reggae History Where They Belong

Play It Loud! — How Toronto Got Soul, the feature documentary documentary, directed by Graeme Mathieson, produced by Andrew Munger (Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band), and Executive Produced by Clement Virgo (Brother, The Wire) has been nominated for 2026 Canadian Screen Awards for Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series.

For much of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Caribbean, Jamaican and reggae music scene in Toronto was almost unrivaled in North America in terms of quality and performers. Jay Douglas, lead singer of The Cougars and one of the biggest and brightest talents of that time, is the subject of this fantastic TVO Original documentary from Toronto’s Ultramagnetic Productions. Play It Loud! – How Toronto Got Soul enjoyed its World premiere at Toronto’s The Royal Theatre in October 2024, drawing a lineup around the block, before opening the Hot Docs Doc Soup season in December. Play it Loud! has gone on to play theatrically and in festivals across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., winning laurels at the Yorkton Television Fest, New Orleans Black Film Festival, the U.K.’s Windrush Film Festival in Liverpool and the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival.

Play It Loud! – How Toronto Got Soul traces Douglas’ life from his childhood in Jamaica to immigrating to Canada in his teenage years and residing in Toronto with a host of other Jamaica-born artists such as Jackie Mittoo, Leroy Sibbles and Wayne McGhie among others. With Toronto becoming a hotbed of Jamaican music, Douglas established himself as the lead singer of The Cougars, a fabulous group who performed a collage of genres (reggae/Caribbean/soul/ska/funk) wherever and whenever they could.

Featuring appearances by Sly Dunbar, vocalist Jackie Richardson, Cadence Weapon (Rollie Pemberton),  Lillian Allen, Adrian Miller, former MuchMusic host Michael Williams and many others, and the music of Bob Marley, Bo Diddley, James Brown, The Cougars and Wayne McGhie, Play It Loud was financed by TVO, Canada Media Fund, Telefilm, Ontario Creates, Rogers Documentary Fund, Knowledge Network BC and the Hot Docs–Slaight Family Fund.

Canada’s High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica is sponsoring the film’s Jamaican premiere on April 15, Canadian Film Day.

Ultramagnetic is in development on multiple projects including The Correspondent: Getting the Story is Half the Battle which examines the contemporary threat facing journalism through the life and career of legendary British/Canadian foreign correspondent Michael Maclear. The Correspondent is being developed with Ontario Creates and NHK Japan, with Takahiro Hamano, ex NHK exec as co-producer. Other projects include the series Sound Check: Tales From the Musical Underground. Equal parts Netflix’s Song Exploder and Parts Unknown, co-creator, Polaris Prize winning rapper Rollie Pemberton (Cadence Weapon) in the Anthony takes us on an immersive, intimate journey into the world of Canadian independent music. Also on the slate are Decrypted: Cybercrime, in development with true crime veteran Barbara Shearer, the “Untitled Science Project”, a top secret follow up to 2018’s successful Toxic Beauty, and Michael’s Wars, a scripted feature film.

Swedish Soul-Rocker Jesper Lindell Pays Homage to Dan Penn With “If Love Was Money” From ‘3614 Jackson Highway’

Eric Alper
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Swedish Soul-Rocker Jesper Lindell Pays Homage to Dan Penn With “If Love Was Money” From ‘3614 Jackson Highway’

Jesper Lindell made a pilgrimage, and ‘3614 Jackson Highway’ is what came back with him. The Swedish singer-songwriter releases his cover of Dan Penn’s “If Love Was Money,” the latest preview of his forthcoming album recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama, out now via Yep Roc Records. The album arrives as a tasteful, deeply felt collection of songs originally recorded at Muscle Shoals, capturing the creative rush of a band finally inside the room where the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, and so many others made history.

The journey to get there was anything but smooth. Flight delays cut the band’s two full days in the studio down to a day and a half, but the pent-up energy, joy of playing, jet lag, and sheer wonder of being inside Muscle Shoals Sound Studio produced something that exceeded expectations entirely. Penn’s “If Love Was Money,” the closing track from his 1972 solo album, was a discovery Lindell made on the three-day drive down from Boston. “I could have recorded almost every song on that record,” he says, “but the last track felt 100% like something me and my band could really sink into.”

Lindell grew up in Ludvika, Sweden, developing a reverence for classic American songwriting and the warm analog textures of the sixties and seventies. His breakout EP, recorded with members of First Aid Kit, revealed a strikingly emotive voice with a natural instinct for blending retro soul with contemporary Americana. Albums including ‘Twilights’ and ‘Before the Sun’ cemented his reputation as a craftsman capable of turning personal stories into widescreen, roots-steeped soundscapes echoing Van Morrison and The Band while remaining entirely his own.

German Instrumental Rock Pioneers Long Distance Calling Launch ‘The Phantom Void’ Era With “A Secret Place”

Eric Alper
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German Instrumental Rock Pioneers Long Distance Calling Launch ‘The Phantom Void’ Era With “A Secret Place”

Long Distance Calling turn 20 this year, and they’re marking the occasion with their boldest statement yet. The German instrumental rock pioneers release “A Secret Place,” the first single and video from their upcoming studio album ‘The Phantom Void,’ out now. Described as “the shortest, hardest and strongest album of their career,” the seven-track record arrives April 10 and finds the group at a creative peak, more focused and direct than ever while losing none of the cinematic depth that has defined their sound across two decades.

The single serves as the entry point into an ambitious audiovisual concept. The accompanying video is the first chapter in a connected series that will unfold over the coming months, exploring recurring nightmares, endless loops, and the feeling of an unseen, inescapable threat. Sound and image are inseparably intertwined throughout the project, expanding ‘The Phantom Void’ beyond music into a fully immersive experience. It’s exactly the kind of ambition that separates Long Distance Calling from the broader instrumental rock landscape.

Remaining fully instrumental, the album tells a dark, cinematic, and emotionally charged story driven by tension, atmosphere, and narrative depth. Massive soundscapes meet intricate details, propulsive grooves, and a songwriting approach more concentrated than anything the group has produced before. Coinciding with their 20th anniversary, ‘The Phantom Void’ captures Long Distance Calling at the precise moment when two decades of craft converge into something genuinely formidable.

Jon Anderson Expands ‘True’ for Record Store Day With Exclusive Deluxe Edition and Spring Tour

Eric Alper
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Jon Anderson Expands ‘True’ for Record Store Day With Exclusive Deluxe Edition and Spring Tour

Jon Anderson keeps finding new ways to give fans something worth holding onto. The former Yes frontman and The Band Geeks announce a Record Store Day Deluxe Edition of their critically acclaimed debut album ‘True,’ available exclusively on April 18. The special pressing includes a previously unreleased piano and string quartet version of “Build Me An Ocean” alongside exclusive alternate artwork designed by Stan Decker, offering a new and collectible perspective on one of the most celebrated prog rock releases in recent memory.

The RSD announcement arrives alongside a 10-date U.S. spring tour kicking off April 17 at Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut, with the run wrapping May 7 at Royal Oak Theatre in Michigan. As with previous tours, Anderson and The Band Geeks will perform well-known Yes classics, deep cuts, and selections from ‘True,’ delivering the kind of setlist that satisfies devoted prog fans and newcomers alike. These are intimate theater settings for an artist whose legacy commands arena-sized reverence.

Anderson has been one of the most active and creatively engaged figures in progressive rock since the debut of ‘True,’ and the Record Store Day Deluxe Edition cements that momentum with a release designed for the kind of fan who still believes in the ritual of vinyl.

Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks 2026 Spring Tour:

April 17 – Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT

April 19 – Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT

April 21 – Patchogue Theatre, Patchogue, NY

April 23 – Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ

April 26 – Kodak Center Theater, Rochester, NY

April 28 – Hershey Theater, Hershey, PA

April 30 – Lansdowne Theater, Lansdowne, PA

May 2 – Lansdowne Theater, Lansdowne, PA

May 5 – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY

May 7 – Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak, MI

Bastille and The Wombats Team Up for a One-Off Joint Headline Show at Crystal Palace Bowl

Eric Alper
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Bastille and The Wombats Team Up for a One-Off Joint Headline Show at Crystal Palace Bowl

Two of British indie pop’s most beloved acts are sharing a stage for one night only. Bastille and The Wombats announce a joint headline show at the iconic Crystal Palace Bowl in South London on August 13, with additional support still to be announced. Tickets are on sale now.

The pairing makes complete sense. Bastille’s cinematic songwriting and distinctive sound have connected with audiences across the globe like few other British acts of their generation, and their return to live performance has been nothing short of triumphant. Following a two-year hiatus from the stage, the indie pop hitmakers came back in autumn 2025 with their From All Sides UK arena tour, a fifteen-year celebration spanning nine cities and covering rarities, fan favourites, and defining moments across their full catalog.

The Wombats bring their own remarkable story to the Crystal Palace Bowl stage. Since emerging from the late-2000s indie rock scene with debut ‘A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation,’ the Liverpool indie rockers have maintained upward momentum for nearly two decades, building to headline shows at Crystal Palace and The O2, an arena touring cycle across the globe, and a packed Radio 1 tent at Reading 2024 overflowing with the 18-to-24-year-old core audience that has stayed with them twenty years into their career.

Together on one stage at one of South London’s most beloved outdoor venues, this is a summer evening worth clearing the calendar for.

Four-Time Grammy Winner Sierra Ferrell Announces 40-Date “Heavy Petal Tour” Across the U.S. and Europe

Eric Alper
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Four-Time Grammy Winner Sierra Ferrell Announces 40-Date “Heavy Petal Tour” Across the U.S. and Europe

Sierra Ferrell is taking her biggest tour yet out on the road. The four-time Grammy winner announces her 2026 Heavy Petal Tour, spanning more than 40 dates across the U.S. and Europe throughout summer and fall, with presales beginning February 10 and general on-sale February 12 at 10am local time. The Red Clay Strays will open two hometown Nashville shows at Bridgestone Arena in October, a fitting celebration for an artist who has quietly become one of the most decorated figures in American roots music.

The tour follows a year that would be career-defining for almost anyone else. At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, Ferrell swept four trophies: Best Americana Album for ‘Trail of Flowers,’ Best Americana Performance and American Roots Song for “American Dreaming,” and Best American Roots Performance for “Lighthouse.” The year continued with collaborations alongside Nikki Lane, Jesse Welles, Joe Jonas, Kashus Culpepper, and Shaboozey, performances with Post Malone on every night of his stadium tour with Jelly Roll, a DJ set with Diplo, writing sessions with Zella Day, and an arena run with Mumford & Sons. All of that momentum now rolls into a tour that stretches from Portland to Paris.

Through a partnership with PLUS1, one dollar from every ticket sold on the North American leg will support the National Immigration Law Center and its work advancing the rights of low-income immigrants and their families. It’s a meaningful commitment that reflects how Ferrell approaches her platform.

The Heavy Petal Tour is one of the most anticipated Americana tours of the year.

Sierra Ferrell 2026 Heavy Petal Tour Dates:

May 30 – McMenamins Edgefield, Portland, OR

May 31 – Gesa Pavilion, Spokane, WA

June 8 – Grand Rapids, MI (TBA)

June 10 – The Salt Shed Outdoors, Chicago, IL

June 12 – Columbus, OH (TBA)

June 13 – Buckeye Superfest, Columbus, OH

June 24 – Manchester Academy, Manchester, UK

June 25 – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK

June 27 – State Fayre, Chelmsford, UK

June 29 – Le Trianon, Paris, FR

June 30 – Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL

July 1 – Gruenspan, Hamburg, DE

July 3 – Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, DK

July 4 – Down The Rabbit Hole, Beuningen, NL

July 5 – Rock Werchter, Werchter, BE

July 7 – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, UK

August 6 – Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA

August 9 – Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival, Alta, WY

August 14 – The Momentary, Bentonville, AR

August 15 – Avondale Brewing Company, Birmingham, AL

August 16 – State Fair of West Virginia, Lewisburg, WV

August 28 – University of Iowa’s Fall Welcome Concert on the Hancher Green, Iowa City, IA

August 29 – Landmark Credit Union Live, Milwaukee, WI

August 30 – Minnesota State Fair Grandstand Concert Series, St. Paul, MN

September 1 – Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh, PA

September 2 – Artpark Mainstage, Lewiston, NY

September 4 – Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on The Green at Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT

September 5 – Thompson’s Point, Portland, ME

September 6 – Pines Theater, Northampton, MA

September 8 – Ting Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA

September 11 – Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Bristol, TN

October 22 – Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN (w/Red Clay Strays)

October 23 – Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN (w/Red Clay Strays)

Czech Rock Veterans Extra Band Turn Up the Heat on New Single “Love Story”

Eric Alper
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Czech Rock Veterans Extra Band Turn Up the Heat on New Single “Love Story”

Extra Band don’t waste time getting to the point. The legendary Czech rock group release “Love Story,” a dynamic, high-energy single that plants its flag firmly in the territory of desire, passion, and the fearless expression of modern romance. Driven by powerful guitar riffs, energetic drums, and expressive vocals, the track delivers the kind of bold rock energy that translates immediately from headphones to festival stages.

The song leans into its emotional intensity without apology. Lyrically it celebrates physical attraction and intimate connection with a confidence that suits the music perfectly, wrapping a strong longing for connection in a chorus built to stick. The arrangement blends traditional rock elements with contemporary production, resulting in something that feels both timeless and immediate, the kind of track that earns its place on rock playlists and live setlists in equal measure.

Extra Band have built their reputation on charismatic performances and a sound that draws freely from across rock subgenres, connecting raw passion with strong musical hooks. “Love Story” reinforces that identity while showcasing their ability to distill complex emotion into something direct, catchy, and completely alive.

Victoria Shoegaze Indie Rockers Blush. Drift Into New Territory With Dreamy Single “Seasons”

Eric Alper
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Victoria Shoegaze Indie Rockers Blush. Drift Into New Territory With Dreamy Single “Seasons”

Blush. return with something worth slowing down for. The Victoria, BC-based indie rockers share “Seasons,” a dreamy, 90s-influenced single and video that drifts between hazy nostalgia and quiet introspection, marking the first glimpse of their forthcoming EP ‘In The Grey,’ due May 1. Built on airy guitars, laid-back rhythms, and a warm lo-fi glow, the track favours atmosphere over urgency and leans fully into the shoegaze textures and melodic restraint that define their sound at its most immersive.

“‘Seasons’ feels like a dream that just keeps looping,” says lead vocalist and guitarist Anton Wilson. “It reminds me of picnic jam sessions in the park, it reminds me to take a breath, and it reminds me to never stop chasing.” That unhurried quality runs through every second of the song, equal parts chill and enveloping, unfolding patiently like a memory that keeps replaying itself, familiar, comforting, and slightly out of reach.

The accompanying video matches the song’s dream-like quality perfectly, unfolding in soft focus and muted tones with washed-out visuals and an unhurried pace that feels less like a narrative and more like a feeling. Fleeting moments stitched together, as if caught between waking and sleep.

‘In The Grey’ follows the group’s 2024 EP ‘Still Wet’ and promises to capture Blush. at both their loudest and most restrained, a full picture of what Anton Wilson, Eric Josephs, Renata Baldwin, and Rosie Said are capable of across the full sonic range they’ve been developing. “Seasons” is out now.

Stagecoach Unveils Genre-Defying Mustang Stage Lineup Featuring Journey, Hootie & The Blowfish, and Red Clay Strays

Eric Alper
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Stagecoach Unveils Genre-Defying Mustang Stage Lineup Featuring Journey, Hootie & The Blowfish, and Red Clay Strays

Stagecoach just got bigger. California’s premier country music festival announces the full lineup for the brand new Mustang Stage on April 24-26, presented by Boot Barn, a genre-defying addition positioned near the Mane entrance across from the iconic Ferris wheel with expanded space for fans who want to keep the night going. The stage brings together Southern rock legends, 90s alt-rock icons, hip-hop heavyweights, and country newcomers under one roof for three nights of music that refuses to stay in one lane.

Friday opens with soul-soaked Southern country rockers Red Clay Strays, rapper BigXthaPlug, and Americana rock legends Counting Crows. Saturday steps up with anthemic rock titans Journey, English rockers Bush, and self-described “West Texas Degenerates” Treaty Oak Revival. Sunday closes the stage out with one of the great 90s triple bills imaginable: Hootie & The Blowfish, Third Eye Blind, and The Wallflowers.

The Mustang Stage also becomes the new home of Stagecoach’s beloved Late Night series, previously held at the Palomino Stage. Diplo, Pitbull, and Ludacris each take a night for three special sets that promise to send festivalgoers home with something to remember. It’s a smart expansion that gives Stagecoach a genuine second destination within the festival grounds, designed for fans who want more after the main stage lights go down.

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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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