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Oscar Peterson is remembered as a gifted pianist who could play it all, from Chopin and Liszt to blues, stride, boogie and beyond. Peterson led his own jazz trios, performed with such legendary figures as Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong, who dubbed him “the man with four hands,” won eight Grammy Awards and Canada’s prestigious Glenn Gould Prize. Called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, he released over 200 recordings before his death in 2007, including his 1956 Stratford Festival recording, 1958’s On the Town, recorded at Toronto’s Town Tavern, and 1962’s Night Train, which featured a number of Ellington pieces a...

JUNOS SPECIAL Canadian music’s big night takes place this year in Hamilton, Ont., airing on CTV Mar. 15th. It’s the first time since 2001 that the city southwest of Toronto—affectionately known as the Hammer—has hosted the awards and it’s pulling out all the stops for the occasion. The Juno show always makes for great entertainment and this year’s, the 44th edition of the awards, promises to no exception.   MUSIC This year’s show offers live music from the likes of Magic!, Kiesza, Hedley and the Hammer’s own Arkells. One of the night’s most anticipated performances will be from the Weeknd (aka 25-year-old Abel Tesfaye), who takes to the stage to deliver his hit single “Earned It” from t...

It opened with Australia’s AC/DC devilishly stomping their way through “Rock or Bust” and “Highway to Hell” and ended with America’s Beyoncé, John Legend and Common taking us to church with hopeful hymns about emancipation and salvation. In other words, the 57th annual Grammys, hosted once again by the affable LL Cool J, ran the gamut from rock to gospel and heaven to hell. Another distinguishing feature of the show, which boasted a whopping 23 performances and only 10 onscreen awards, was the producers’ penchant for pairing legends with rising stars. While obviously an attempt to bridge the demographic divide, it made for some damn good duets. The young-meets-old collaborations included Ed ...

Toronto City Council votes to preserve historic music venue The Silver Dollar is one of Toronto’s most historically significant music venues. Along with its important role as a blues bar for 16 years (1994-2010), it provided a regular showcase room for rock, jazz and bluegrass music.  The earliest known band to play there was Tommy Danton & the Echoes, a gold-lame-suited group fronted by a Sinatra-style crooner that performed a popular mix of jazz and rhythm 'n' blues. Danton and the Echoes (pictured below at right) had a long residency at the club, after it opened in 1958. In the ’70s, when the Dollar was a strip club, the house band included notable jazz players John T. Davis (B3 ...

Adam Cohen is the first to admit that being the son of Leonard Cohen is a blessing. But he also confesses that he once struggled to step out of his father’s considerable shadow and establish himself as a musician. Adam’s breakthrough came with his 2012 album, Like a Man, a collection of acoustic, lovelorn songs in which he says he finally found his own voice. His new album, We Go Home, deepens his role in the singer-songwriter tradition and what he calls “the family business.” Recorded in two of his childhood haunts, his father’s homes in Montreal and on the Greek island of Hydra, it connects Adam, 41, to Leonard and to Adam’s own son, seven-year-old Cassius. What drew you to record in Montr...

Kiesza has a look and sound as diverse as her background. Born in Calgary of Norwegian and Scottish heritage, she pursued ballet, a stint in the Royal Canadian Navy and even entered the Miss Universe Canada pageant before settling on a career in music. Kiesza’s hit single “Hideaway” blends house, trance and pop. Its dance-filled video, featuring her in blue jeans, suspenders and high-top sneakers, has gone viral with over 135 million YouTube views and made her a star. She’s now writing songs for the likes of Rihanna. Kiesza, 25, who just released her debut album Sound of a Woman, spoke to Hello! about celebrities and her sense of style. How would you describe your look? There’s a lot of fusi...

Historic Toronto music venue that has welcomed U2, Rolling Stones, Ramones to its stage has been sold once again, confirms co-owner Sam Grosso. By Sadiya Ansari Toronto Star Sep 17 2014 Sam Grosso, co-owner of El Mocambo, has confirmed that after over 65 years the legendary music venue — which has seen the likes of the Rolling Stones, the Ramones and U2 — will be closing its doors Nov. 6.“I would like not to sell it, but I don’t have the money to continue buying out certain investors,” said Grosso, who has owned the club for the past two years. The property has been conditionally sold, but Grosso would not comment on who the buyer is. As for what will stand at 464 Spadina Ave. after the sale...

His work has won Grammys, JUNOs and an Emmy, and he’s been nominated for an Oscar. He’s an acclaimed solo artist, frequent collaborator with Arcade Fire, composer for ballets and symphonies, and the music industry’s go-to guy for lavish orchestral arrangements. On top of that, Brian Eno is one of his biggest fans. And yet, Owen Pallett still finds himself wracked by self-doubt. “I always feel like I have something to prove,” admits the 34-year-old indie pop auteur. “I’m constantly trying to prove to myself that my songs are worth writing. I don’t see that as a bad thing,” he adds. “A lot of songwriters out there haven’t settled into a confident state.” Growing up on a small farm outside of T...

Jesse Winchester was born in America, but chose Canada as his home. We were the better for it. A superb musician with a profoundly soulful voice, he gave us a body of work to last a lifetime and beyond. Here are a few of his most memorable songs: Biloxi Twigs and Seeds Yankee Lady Brand New Tennessee Waltz Bowling Green Mississippi You're on My Mind Rhumba Man Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt Talk Memphis That's What Makes You Strong Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding Despite his enormous talent, Jesse Winchester was a deeply humble man. Quiet About It, the tribute album that James Taylor, Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams and others made of his work, was aptly named. Losing a fine songwriter is a lot like los...

Giving talk + slideshow with rare photos of '60s Yorkville #Winterfolk this Sun. 3-4 @GlobeBistro 124 Danforth Ave. pic.twitter.com/5dw0uKFZhk — Nicholas Jennings (@nicojennings) February 14, 2014