North By East West

This is the weekly thing where I tell you what's coming up on Canada Live, or rather I pass it along. Every weeknight Canada Live on CBC Radio 2 brings you live concerts recorded all over Canada. Someone at Radio 2 passes the list on to me, and I pass it on to you.

Among the many hi-lights this week:Jill Barber live in Vancouver, Jill Zmud live in front of a hometown crowd in Ottawa, Sarah Slean live in Regina plus C.R. Avery, Oh My Darling and More:

Monday, February 22, 2010
concert 1: Sarah Slean
recorded at the CBC Regina Galleria
Sarah Slean is one of Canada's great creative visionaries. She's been nominated for two Juno awards and two Gemini awards and is a true Renaissance woman in her artistic expression. Trained as a classical pianist, Sarah's performances continue to be informed by that musical sensibility, especially in her collaborations with many of Canada's finest classical orchestras and ensembles. A gifted songwriter, Sarah is also a poet, and books of her poetry have even accompanied album releases. She's also a visual artist. Given her diverse forms of creative expression, it's not surprising her list of influences is equally eclectic including Glenn Gould, Tom Waits, PJ Harvey and even Irving Berlin. This private concert was put together by the Regina Folk Festival as a special thank you to their volunteers in celebration of the organization's 40th anniversary.
concert 2: Sagapool
recorded at La Maison de la culture - Frontenac in Montreal
Sagapool is a virtuosic world music sextet that has been exciting audiences around the world for the last decade. This Montreal-based group fuses gypsy, klezmer, polka , jazz and Quebecois traditional music into their show. Led by the husband and wife team of Alexis and Zoe Dumais the group had released their CD, Épisode Trois just months before Canada Live caught up with them at La Maison de la culture Frontenac in Montreal.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010
concert 1: The Breakmen
recorded at St. James Hall in Vancouver
Bluegrass and roots music is alive and well in Canada these days and The Breakmen are amongst the best. You may not associate Vancouver with bluegrass, but The Breakmen will change your mind. Their closing song in this concert also shows their willingness to stretch the bluegrass sound with its tongue-in-cheek reference to hip hop. CBC caught up with them at the end of a western Canadian tour. They were back in Vancouver playing for the hometown fans at St. James Hall, a favourite spot for this kind of music -- the kind that'll set your foot to tappin' and your heart to singin'.
concert 2: Harrison Kennedy
recorded at Koerner Hall in Toronto, ON
Formerly with the band "Chairmen Of The Board" in the 1970's, Harrison Kennedy hails from Hamilton, Ontario. He's now released four solo CDs; which have earned him three Juno nominations and numerous Maple Blues Award nominations. He won the Blues Album of the Year at the Hamilton Music Awards for his discs "Sweet Taste", "Voice/Story" and "High Country Blues". In early 2009, Harrison released his latest record, One Dog Barkin', and music from that CD is featured in this concert, recorded at Koerner Hall in Toronto.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
concert 1: Alpha Thiam
recorded at the Église St-Joseph in Rivière des Prairies, Montreal
Originally from Guinea and Mali, Alpha Thiam is from a noble family of African griots. As a guitarist and singer-songwriter, he is a great exponent of West African music and culture. A resident of Montreal since 2005, Alpha Thiam is multicultural and multilingual; he sings in mandingue and susu. His music is also influenced by cultural soundings from Senegal, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Fasso, as well as American blues and jazz. For this concert, part of the Conseil des Arts de Montréal touring programme, Alpha Thiam is joined by veteran kora player Nathalie Cora, as well as Cédric Dind-Lavoie, bass and Moïse Matey, percussion, with special guest Francis Vancoppenolle, violin.
Concert 2: The Yardbird Suite All-Stars play Count Basie
recorded at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton
In 2007, the Edmonton Jazz Society presented an evening of music from the Duke Ellington songbook, performed by the best players in town, the Yardbird Suite All-Stars. The event was an instant sell-out, and the response generated from the Radio 2 Canada Live broadcast was very positive. When the EJS decided to present another exciting night of timeless jazz, this time featuring the music of Count Basie, CBC Radio was instantly on board. The Edmonton-based All-Stars are an ensemble comprised of the city's best instrumentalists. With Senator Tommy Banks leading the way on piano in the role of Basie, each band member sat in a "musical chair" representing a famous player from the Basie orchestras.

Thursday, February 25, 2010
concert 1: Jill Barber
recorded at CBC Vancouver Studio 40, as part of the Toque Sessions
Jill Barber shatters the myth that "they don't write songs like they used to". This Canadian chanteuse picks up the musical torch and brings an ageless sensibility to her original songs. Canada Live host Andrew Craig welcomes this double-Juno nominee and multiple East Coast Music Award winner and her band to CBC Vancouver's Studio 40 for a "Toque Session" concert before a sold out, live and enthusiastic audience. Before long, with a timeless, jazzy feel, Jill Barber transports us to a golden age when popular music was filled with love and romance. The CBC "Toque Sessions" is a series of free, live concerts at the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre.
concert 2: C.R. Avery and The Legal Tender String Quartet
recorded at CBC Vancouver Studio 40, as part of the Toque Sessions
C.R. Avery is a poet, pianist and composer who has received accolades from the likes of American music icon Tom Waits, who said "...[he's] blowin' my mind"... Never one to take the beaten path, C.R. Avery brought a band that prominently features a classically trained string quartet! This is the first of the concert series "Toque Sessions" presented by CBC Radio. Avery brings his acclaimed new show with the Legal Tender String Quartet to spacious CBC Vancouver Studio 40 and wows the audience.

Friday, February 26, 2010 - Next! A ten-week series featuring Canada's up-and-coming musicians
concert 1: Oh My Darling
recorded at the West End Cultural Centre in Winnipeg
Currently the "darlings" of Winnipeg, this fiery young female quartet is delighting audiences both at home in Winnipeg and across Canada. Their roots are country and old time, blended with the sounds of Appalachia, a bit Southern twang, and some funk inspired bass lines. Their infectious mix is now increasingly enhanced by their original tunes. With Vanessa Kuzina on guitar, Alison de Groot on banjo, Rosalyn Dennett on violin and Marie-Josee Dandeneau on bass, they'll get your hips swaying and your toes tapping.
concert 2: Jill Zmud
recorded at the Irving Greenberg Theatre, Ottawa as part of the Ottawa Folk Festival's Acoustic Waves Series
Jill Zmud is a transplanted prairie lily who's been doing her best to put down roots in Ottawa the last few years. Her path to music followed an unusual course compared to most singer-songwriters: she left her parents in Saskatoon to attend the National Ballet School in Toronto through high school. She returned to Saskatoon to do her undergrad at the University of Saskatchewan, at which time her brother gave her a guitar to replace her pointe shoes, which were now gathering dust. She then did a masters degree in International Affairs in Ottawa. Then this gentle soul dabbled in the military before settling into the public service in Ottawa. In addition to all that she was born with the kind of singing voice that slides into your ears to tie a ribbon around your brain that leads right to your heart, and tugs on it. That voice is finally available in full-length record form on as we quietly drive by. The roots-folk-tinged-with-gospel album "resonates with a twangy ache worthy of Patsy Cline," according to the Ottawa Citizen's Lynn Saxberg, and got 4 stars from the Citizen critic. "[Jill] has much more going for her than a pretty voice. Her CD shows she is also a fine songwriter, gifted lyricist, strong guitarist and an inventive piano player. Zmud is definitely one artist to keep an eye on in 2010. "

CBC Radio 1 broadcast, Fridays at 2:05 PM
Friday, February 26, 2010 on CBC Radio 1
concert 1: Jill Barber
recorded at CBC Vancouver Studio 40, as part of the Toque Sessions
Jill Barber shatters the myth that "they don't write songs like they used to". This Canadian chanteuse picks up the musical torch and brings an ageless sensibility to her original songs. Canada Live host Andrew Craig welcomes this double-Juno nominee and multiple East Coast Music Award winner and her band to CBC Vancouver's Studio 40 for a "Toque Session" concert before a sold out, live and enthusiastic audience. Before long, with a timeless, jazzy feel, Jill Barber transports us to a golden age when popular music was filled with love and romance. The CBC "Toque Sessions" is a series of free, live concerts at the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre.
concert 2: C.R. Avery and The Legal Tender String Quartet
recorded at CBC Vancouver Studio 40, as part of the Toque Sessions
C.R. Avery is a poet, pianist and composer who has received accolades from the likes of American music icon Tom Waits, who said "...[he's] blowin' my mind"... Never one to take the beaten path, C.R. Avery brought a band that prominently features a classically trained string quartet! This is the first of the concert series "Toque Sessions" presented by CBC Radio. Avery brings his acclaimed new show with the Legal Tender String Quartet to spacious CBC Vancouver Studio 40 and wows the audience.

Canada Live podcast, released on Fridays
Friday, February 26, on the Canada Live podcast
Jill Barber
recorded at CBC Vancouver Studio 40, as part of the Toque Sessions
Jill Barber shatters the myth that "they don't write songs like they used to". This Canadian chanteuse picks up the musical torch and brings an ageless sensibility to her original songs. Canada Live host Andrew Craig welcomes this double-Juno nominee and multiple East Coast Music Award winner and her band to CBC Vancouver's Studio 40 for a "Toque Session" concert before a sold out, live and enthusiastic audience. Before long, with a timeless, jazzy feel, Jill Barber transports us to a golden age when popular music was filled with love and romance. The CBC "Toque Sessions" is a series of free, live concerts at the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre.

Labels: Canada Live, CBC Radio 2, CR Avery, Jill Barber, Jill Zmud, Sarah Slean

This week is a little unusual. Our weekly spotlight is really to showcase individual artists but it's the holiday season, and we're in the middle of a recession so, it's time to make an exception. Record numbers of Canadians are using food banks and at the same time donations to food banks are falling, leaving them to try to do more with less every month.

So, the good folks at Zunior plucked a holiday favorite from the vaults, made some calls, and put together A Peanuts Christmas: The 2009 Zunior Holiday Album. With all the proceeds going to the Daily Bread Food Bank.

In 1965 Vince Guaraldi, created a classic soundtrack for the Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon that most of us have grown up with. On the new Zunior album some of your favorite Canadian artists recreated the soundtrack song for song - with each bringing their own distinct style to the song.

01. Don Kerr, Kevin Lacroix and Dave Wall - O Tennenbaum -
02. Wayne Petti - What Child Is This -
03. Nick Zubeck - My Little Drum -
04. Dave Merritt and The Quiet Revolution - Linus and Lucy -
05. Jason Kenemy and Dave Clark - Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental) -
06. The Awkward Stage - Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) -
07. Mike O'Neill - Skating -
08. The Violet Archers featuring Ruedi, Sadie and Oliver - Hark, The Herald Angels Sing -
09. Ben Gunning - Christmas Is Coming -
10. Ruth Minnikin - Fur Elise -
11. Jill Barber - The Christmas Song -
12. Construction and Destruction - Greensleeves -

You can grab a copy on high quality (256 VBR MP3) complete with album art for $8.88 and/or on Lossless Flac for an extra $2.