
Review: Bart, “Today, Tomorrow, & The Next Day”
byTwo years ago I walked into one my local record shops and was accosted by the clerk who’d been waiting for me. “Steeeeve,” he…
Two years ago I walked into one my local record shops and was accosted by the clerk who’d been waiting for me. “Steeeeve,” he…
With the recent release of “Wander Wonder,” the Allison Au Quartet adds to an already distinguished discography that includes their Juno-nominated 2013 debut album “The…
With the quantity of excellent music that comes out of Canada each year, it’s always a challenge to select a few favorites. As regular…
Between my two writing gigs and my own personal record collecting, I’ve probably listened to a hundred albums released this year. 2018 has been…
We can’t believe that it has been almost twelve months since the last installment of our “Take A Chance On Me” series. Indeed, we’d…
With the impending holiday season comes a treasure trove of new seasonal music. As you’re preparing for the holidays ahead, crank some of this…
As has become our tradition here at Team GDW, the US Thanksgiving weekend is a perfect excuse to skip the turkey dinner and head…
I haven’t traveled to New Orleans in a number of years, but the opening bars of Way North’s second album, “Fearless and Kind,” immediately…
The unknown trajection and unpredictable behavior of “The Island of Form” by Ethan Ardelli is a significant part of its appeal. “The Island of…
In this episode, Team GDW talks with jazz drummer Ernesto Cervini about his ensemble Turboprop and their latest album, “Abundance.” SOCAN license #5052874
Very few sounds can attract my attention more quickly than well-played piano. “Got a Light?,” released by the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio in July, features…
Here at GDW HQ, a number of intriguing albums cross our desk on a regular basis (sadly, more than we can keep up with!). …
Aaron Shragge and Ben Monder’s “This World of Dew” is like a score for an exotic film noir, that doesn’t yet exist. Aaron Shragge…
It might seem quite odd indeed to admit that the first time I heard trumpeter John Pittman’s debut album, “Kinship,” was under water. I…
Chris Monson has astoundingly created a sultry, smoky and languid debut. Each instrument is masterfully played and captured in this timeless collection of jazz…
Last week we featured conversations with Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival performers Bassline and Mike Downes; for this second part of our festival preview, we…
Next week, Toronto will come alive with a fabulous cacophony of jazz, as this year’s edition of the Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival gets underway. …
You would think that after nearly two years of almost daily music blogging, new music would no longer be a cause for excitement in…
The breadth and depth of the Canadian music scene is an ongoing delight to me, and “Pardes,” the recent project from Amos Hoffman and…
In this week’s episode of “Gossip Talkin’ Blues,” Team GDW talks with jazz vocalist Amy Cervini about her new album, “No One Ever Tells…
Having enjoyed catching up with The Once during their Friday evening performance at the Sound Of Music Festival, Team GDW took delight in seeing…
The fifth album from Canadian jazz vocalist Deanne Matley, “Because I Loved,” is a tour de force, taking the listener on an emotional journey…
With her new album of self-penned compositions, jazz/soul singer Avery Raquel takes a major step forward in her progression as a musician. Embracing a…
In 1947, saxophonist Charlie Parker gathered a group of talented musicians (including a young Miles Davis) for a recording session in Detroit’s historic United…
A couple of weeks ago, we were privileged to post an interview with jazz musicians Aline Homzy and Emma Smith about their April 28…
The Winnipeg-based instrumental group Apollo Suns have just announced tours of eastern Canada in May and June, and western Canada in July. They’ll get…
In celebration of #InternationalJazzDay, we’re crowdsourcing a list of Canadian jazz albums; we’ve added a few but we’re counting on you, dear readers, to…
Michael Kaeshammer’s latest album, “Something New,” strongly evokes the best feelings of New Orleans (if you’ve ever been there, you’ll perhaps know what I…
Toronto-based jazz violinist Aline Homzy is curating a concert on Saturday night (28 April) at the Canadian Music Centre. Why, you may ask, is…
I’ve been living with this album for a while, letting it seep into my senses – some albums just need that space to breathe…
With his new album “Lost Villages,” jazz drummer Robert Diack is exploring not only the geography of Ontario’s nine “Lost” villages (submerged as part…
A fresh crop of newly released songs for your listening pleasure – enjoy! Dennis Ellsworth, “Caught in the Waves” Dennis Ellsworth has released “Caught…
If there’s one thing I’m learning about jazz as I dig more deeply into Canada’s jazz scene, it’s that the music can not only…
Being a music blogger presents unique challenges; one particularly painful thrill is hearing new music before it’s released and being so anxious to share…
We have another pile of terrific new songs to share that have recently arrived here at GDW HQ, so if you need a pick-me-up…
Since I’m still somewhat of a jazz neophyte (at least from the standpoint of listening it with a semi-critical ear), I can’t claim an…
Last week saw the announcement of the 2018 JUNO nominations – and a terrific slate of musicians it is, too. There are a number…
It’s a telling point that Laila Biali has chosen this, her seventh album, as the one to carry her name as the title. This…
The more I listen to jazz, the more deeply appreciative I become both of jazz musicians’ monster skills and of their ability to fuse…
One of the advantages of having eclectic musical tastes is that it keeps me open to new artists and projects that I might not…
The pairing of saxophonists Dave Liebman and Mike Murley could reasonably be considered a supergroup – both are masters of their instruments, and their…
Now that we’re thoroughly into 2018, it’s time to look forward instead of backward. We already know of a number of great albums coming…
As our regular readers know, we most frequently focus on Canadian roots and folk music. But we are eclectic listeners here, and we’ve started…
Although I am of a certain age to recall fondly my record player with tinny speakers and my spindle of 45’s (borrowed, I admit,…
Many of us with parents who grew up in the Great Depression undoubtedly heard stories about its miseries, and perhaps also heard some of…
For many people, the Christmas holidays are a time to pull out scads of holiday albums and crank up those old, familiar Christmas songs…
The Halifax Jazz Festival is expanding its annual holiday fundraiser this season, adding a new show, “Swing Into The Holidays,” for the evening entertainment, along with perennial family favorite, “Tales of a Charlie…
Tory Cassis, Murray Foster, and Jeff Ulster have each enjoyed significant careers, but (as for other musicians) there were still some musical avenues awaiting…
Today, two-time Juno winner Diana Panton celebrates the release of her new album, “solstice/equinox,” a celebration of the four seasons in song. Together with…
Wanting to enjoy yet another later summer weekend in southern Ontario, we had the good fortune of spending some quality time on Saturday afternoon/evening…