From: "Toronto Blues Society" <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: March 27, 2009 2:53:50 PM GMT-04:00
To: <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: TBS HARMONICA WORKSHOP BLOWS NEW LIFE INTO CLASSIC
RECORDINGS OF CHESS RECORDS AND BLUES HARP LEGENDS
Media information - For immediate release
Please retain for events listings
TBS HARMONICA WORKSHOP BLOWS NEW LIFE INTO CLASSIC RECORDINGS OF
CHESS RECORDS AND BLUES HARP LEGENDS
WHAT: Harmonica Workshop
WHERE: Silver Dollar
WHEN: April 25th, 2-6pm
WHO: Mark Stafford (host) with Bharath Rajakumar, Jerome Godboo,
Mike “Shrimp Daddy” Reid, Pete Schmidt (guitar), Ben Caissie
(drums), Dennis Pinhorn (bass)
How much: $10.00 TBS members, students / $12.00 non-members
Website: www.torontobluessociety.com
The Toronto Blues Society will hold a special workshop for harmonica
players and blues fans on Saturday, April 25 at the Silver Dollar
Room (486 Spadina Ave., Toronto) from 2-6pm. The workshop will be
hosted by Mark ‘Bird’ Stafford and is designed to include both
novice and seasoned players in an informative dialogue that will
engage everyone in the room.
Stepping into The Silver Dollar Room on April 25th may feel like a
blast from the past with all the vintage gear and sounds coming off
the stage. A portion of the show will revisit the sound of the
classic Chess Recording Era in so much as the harp amps, drum kit,
upright bass and guitar will all be instruments of the 1950's sound
that many harp players draw from. All these musicians come from the
old school of playing harmonica in this type of genre and this is
your opportunity to get up and close with them to find out how they
do it. The afternoon will be full of great music and insight. It's
all about the harp and the sounds on this special event day.
Mark ‘Bird’ Stafford is one of Toronto’s busiest harmonica players
both as a performer and a teacher. He has been in and out of school
class rooms for the last ten years as part of the Blues in the
Schools program he helped create with the Toronto Blues Society.
Mark’s passion to sweat, swing, and boogie is matched only by his
abilities as a musician and harmonica player.
Bharath Rajakumar is completely self taught and plays harmonica in
that mean toned, old time “Mississippi saxophone” amplified
harmonica style in the tradition of blues fathers like Little
Walter, Big Walter Horton, and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Based out of
Montreal, he is quickly becoming a name well known to the world
Blues scene having performed with Junior Watson, Pinetop Perkins,
and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. Bharath and the Catfish won the Toronto
Blues Society Talent Search in 2004.
Jerome Godboo is a singer, songwriter and harp player
extraordinaire. He has released twelve albums over twenty years,
recorded and toured with the Phantoms, Dutch Mason, Jeff Healey,
Ronnie Hawkins, and Jack de Keyzer, and has performed across Canada,
the U.S., France, Finland, Portugal, Ukraine, Israel and beyond.
Mike ‘Shrimp Daddy’ Reid’s music whisks you to the juke joints of
Mississippi and the hard edged blues clubs of Chicago through the
music of the Little Walter, Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf, and Muddy
Waters. Originally from Montreal, Shrimp Daddy now calls Toronto his
home and performs regularly with his band, The Sharpshooters.
The Harmonica Workshop is one of the most popular events in the
Toronto Blues Society's ongoing programme. It is made possible by
the generous support of the Department of Canadian Heritage, the
Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts
Council, Wilson Music Services, Suzuki Harmonicas, and Lee Oskar
Harmonicas.
-30-
For more information, photos, interviews, please contact:
Tim Des Islets, Toronto Blues Society, (416) 538-3885, info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx