The Pearl Company

Samarkand & The Silk Road: Saturday, June 16, Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets: $20 /$15 students/seniors/un(der)waged. Gary Santucci presents a suite of 10 works that musically trace the travels of Marco Polo from Constantinople to The Great Wall of China. Expect a rather fascinating history lesson along the way. Composed in 2007 by Santucci for Oud, Accordion, Bass and Drums. The work will have its world premiere on the 16th.
Oud- Gary Santucci
Accordion – Jordan Abraham
Bass- James Gannet
Drums- Vincent Waters

Scenes & Songs from Gord Carruth’s Canadian Musicals: THE SATURDAY EVENING SHOW BEEN CANCELLED. PLEASE BOOK FOR OTHER SHOWS. Thurs, May 24 & Fri. 25 @ 7:30. Sat. May 26: Matinee @ 1:30 & Evening @ 7:30. Tickets: $25. Doors: 7:00 & 1:00pm.
Ex-Hamiltonian, Gord Carruth, a national ACTRA award-winning playwright/composer, Canada’s most prolific writer of historical musicals, returns home to present scenes and songs from his works.
Gord has written eight mainstage musicals, four musicals for children and close to two hundred songs.
Canadian artists, Andrew Galligan and Reba Sigler from Ottawa, will present excerpts from the following musicals:
JOEY, based on the life and times of Joey Smallwood; THE PRINCESS &THE PIRATE, A Newfoundland legend; “AND SO TO BED”, based on the diary of Samuel Pepys; GABRIEL; JUST WATCH  ME, based on the life and times of Pierre Trudeau; and his most recent  SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD, the musical, an official event as part of Ottawa’s 150^th anniversary celebrations of Confederation.
All music is played by the musicians of Grant Avenue Studio in Hamilton.

Azalea: Saturday, May 19. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets: $20 / $15 students/seniors/ un(der)waged.  Randy Uberig Opens. Getting to know Azalea’s music is getting to know Benjamin and Mia Hackett, the husband and wife duo from Hamilton. The way their voices blend together in song conjures an imagined romance, much like their own. Thirteen years after discovering that they work better together than apart, their songwriting bond continues as strong as ever, and they are producing their best work to date.
Benjamin and Mia have released five albums and a holiday single together, each project holding a special place in their hearts. They are most excited about their most recent project, “Gypsy’s Moonlight Motel”, written and recorded with the usual homegrown heart and soul, at “Sweet Dreams Recording Studio” in their home. Of course, this wouldn’t be an Azalea album without love songs and rich two- part harmonies. “Gypsy-Americana” is a term coined to define the remaining songs that borrow from North American and Eastern European folk traditions.
Two haunting voices supported by guitar, piano, and their trademark “suitcase-kick-drum” create a breathtaking concert experience. A must see for fans of “The Civil Wars” and the film “Once”.
http://azaleamusic.net/

Alfie Zappacosta in Concert: Friday, May 18. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets: $40.  Zappacosta is undeniably one of Canada’s premier songwriters and performers, with an American Music Award, two JUNOs, a string of chart topping million-sellers, and a recording and acting career that has spanned 40 years. He continues to evolve as an artist by “doing it his way”, an effort that has been rewarded with an impressive song catalogue and a discerning, loyal fan base.
In his teens, Zappacosta set his sights upon being a guitarist until his vocal prowess and song writing skills were uncovered. His legacy of hits brought him to the world’s attention. “Start Again”, “When I Fall in Love Again” and “Nothing Can Stand In Your Way” became staples on adult contemporary radio. Zappacosta became a Rock Star and in 1987, Walt Disney’s Danger Bay episode “Rock Star” catapulted Zappacosta to a new kind of fame.
Underneath it all, was a songwriter of the highest caliber. With a massive catalog of well over 200 songs, Zappacosta true art is in his words. All but seven songs on his thirteen recordings have been written or co-written by Alfie many of them delivered from his acoustic guitar.
His recordings since 1996 reflect his mastery at romance, his insight into relationships and his complex knowledge of music. Zappacosta has redefined the live concert experience with intimate and intense showcases. His performances deliver a blend of acoustic, jazz and pop music that grabs your heart with the words and your head with soaring melodies.
Zappacosta’s latest CD and DVD, Live From Blue Frog Studios captures a recording in front of an intimate audience with his great band, finding the heart and soul of his classics and new material showcasing him making some of the most dynamic music of his career. “No trends, no hype –This is pure music, pure art…pure Zappacosta.  http://zappacosta.ca Tickets: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/21101/   Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rHomdCRPiM

An Evening with Shari Ulrich: Friday, May 4. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets: $25 / $20 students/seniors/wage-challenged.  This is a rare appearance in these parts by Juno award winner, Shari Ulrich. Originally a California girl, long settled on the west coast of Canada, Shari celebrates 45 years as a touring recording artist and multi-instrumentalist (violin, mandolin, piano, guitar, dulcimer, & harmonica). From Pied Pumkin through The Hometown Band, and as a solo artist and multi-instrumentalist, it all has lead to 23 albums – including her collaboration with solo artists Bill Henderson and Roy Forbes (UHF), Barney Bentall & Tom Taylor (BTU), and more recently The High Bar Gang, a 7 piece bluegrass band with Barney Bentall & Colin Nairne. Her work has garnered 2 Juno awards, several Juno nominations, an induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, and a 2014 CFMA for English Songwriter of the Year. Shari is thrilled be touring with her daughter – recording engineer Julia Graff, (on violin, mandolin, guitar, accordion & vocals) and fellow High Bar Gang member Kirby Barber (on bass, guitar & vocals).  www.shariulrich.com  Tickets: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/20889/
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj1ygeFacN4

An Evening with Séan McCann: Friday, April 6. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. $30 at the door. Séan McCann won over audiences from coast to coast and around the world as a founding member of the award-winning Newfoundland band Great Big Sea. Today, McCann is charting his own course with a new sound. His live performance combines original songs and stories designed to inspire and change lives for the better. Same great voice, songs that sing to your heart, and an engaging performance perfectly suited to the quiet intimacy of The Pearl Company. http://www.seanmccannsings.com/  Listen:  https://www.youtube.com/user/greatbigsean  Tickets: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/20100/

Annie Patterson & Peter Blood: Rise Up Singing: Friday, April 13. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. $20 / $15 students/seniors/wage-challenged.
The creators of Rise Up Singing and their 2015 sequel Rise Again are coming to Hamilton! This will be a singalong concert with Annie & Peter performing and leading songs from Rise Again. Annie & Peter will be joined by beloved Canadian singer songwriter James Gordon, whose song “Frobisher Bay” is included in Rise Again.
This tour is a celebration of the life & work of Pete Seeger, who worked closely with Annie & Peter on their books. A wide array of Pete Seeger CDs will be available as well as Seeger’s autobiography (which Peter edited). Copies of Annie & Peter’s songbooks will be available to borrow or buy at the concert.

• This is a chance to meet the people who “wrote the book” and experience group singing with two of North America’s most widely loved songleaders.
  Annie is a widely respected folk and jazz performer and recording artist. Playlist on Youtube.
• Praise for Annie’s performances
• Rise Up Singinghas created a quiet revolution in group singing across North America with a million copies in print. Praise for RUS.
• Rise Againcontains 1200 more songs (including many by Canadian singer songwriters) in the same format as RUS. Praise for Rise Again.

https://www.riseupandsing.org/events/rise-up-singing-hamilton  Tickets: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/20784/

Rae Billing with CRYBABY: CD Release! Saturday, April 14. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. $20 / $15 students/seniors/wage-challenged. REUNITED AFTER 20 YEARS… In 1996 Toronto alt-country band Crybaby released their sole and seminal recording, Paintings. The band lasted just four years, but won much critical acclaim: one of the Top Three Country Albums of 1996 (withLyle Lovett and Blackie & The Rodeo Kings)!  ‘Nashville Scene’ writer, Michael McCall, characterized their music as “tangy country soul” and called Crybaby’s performance one of the “notable moments” of the ‘96 South By Southwest Music Festival.
Praise for lead singer and songwriter Rae Billing’s voice: “honest and pure, assured and desperate at the same time”, “shiver-inducing”; her lyrics and music: “full of wide open spaces and bittersweet emotions,” and mood: “late night, pan-Americana rootsy songs… handled with gutsy femininity.” After Crybaby, Rae recorded three albums under her own name all receiving excellent reviews: her 2001 “self titled” album, her 2008 recording, “Blue Black Night”, and 2013’s “Walls and Fences” with ‘The Unpayables’. Late in 2016, Crybaby came together to play two 20 year anniversary shows. The reunited band included Steve Koch (Ron Sexsmith) on guitar and Lucky Pete Lambert (Kensington Hillbillies) on drums and backups.  Three treasured Hamilton musicians, Andrew Aldridge (Sarah Slean) on guitar, Greg Brisco (Junkhouse) on keys and Scott Bell (Dinner Belles) on bass jumped in. The music sounded so good, they went back into the studio to do their version of the renowned Bobby Gentry single Ode to Billie Joe. and while the music was flowing, they couldn’t resist recording one of Rae’s songs… and that was the beginning of a new album. Crybaby (redux!) is stronger than ever.  www.crybabyband.ca  www.raebilling.com  Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBvPQZl-pGc

Carlos del Junco & The Blues Mongrels – “Hang On” CD Release! POSTPONED! To the fall. Carlos has a detached retina – he’s in B.C and is not allowed to fly home…. Saturday, April 7, Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets: $25. Carlos del Junco is a harmonica virtuoso who has won numerous national and international awards for his unique playing style.  Simultaneously sophisticated and raw, his playing blurs the boundaries between blues and jazz (ergo, “The Blues Mongrels”). Caught between the blues and jazz world, Carlos and band deliver a seamless fusion of everything from swing to Latin, second line New Orleans grooves to swampy folk roots melodies, and even “world music”.
Their new CD Hang On is not officially available yet; however, it will be available for sale only thru Carlos during his western Canada March tour and he’ll for sure have it on hand April 7 at The Pearl Co!  Eventually he’ll put it onlline for streaming and digital download purchase. The new CD features Eric St. Laurent and Henry Heillig on guitar and bass respectively, some back- up vocals from Jimmy Bowskill, with Kevin Breit playing mandolin on mandolin and 12 sting resonator guitar on a couple songs. You can listen to some sound bytes of the new disc here: www.carlosdeljunco.com
“A model of focus and urgency…a true virtuoso…” Brad Wheeler – The Globe and Mail
http://www.carlosdeljunco.com   Tickets:  https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/20662/
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Bob Wegner: Introduces his new CD, “Changing of the Guard”.…Sunday, February 11. Doors: 7:30. Show: 8:00 pm. $20.  Bob Wegner is a seasoned performer, songwriter, and composer. Career highlights include playing with Classic Albums Live, performing on Canadian Idol, and playing in several productions of the west end musical ‘We Will Rock You’ after auditioning for Queen’s Brian May. He also performs as a solo artist, with an extensive repertoire ranging from Indian classical music to Bach to flamenco, as well as many of his own compositions covering a broad range of genres. Now he has a new CD!   This will be an evening of great music and storytelling and a unique chance to catch this master at his best! http://www.bobwegner.ca      Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9DNor7r9cI
https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/20396/

Gary Santucci’s SPANJAZZ: A World Beat Jazz Project: Friday, February 23. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00pm. $20 /$15 students/seniors/ un(der)waged.  A collection of musical compositions inspired by world music rhythms performed in a jazz context by the 6-piece world-beat jazz ensemble, Spanjazz. Featuring Jordan Abraham – keyboard, Jeff Plumbley – trumpet, Aidan Sibley – trombone, James Gannett – bass, Vincent Waters – drums and Gary Santucci – guitar. All musicians are highly respected performers in their own fields; the juxtaposition of their different styles and approaches creates the unique sound and experience that is Spanjazz!
https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/20526/ 

Shari Vandermolen & SWINGLINE: Saturday, March 24. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00pm. $20 / $15 students/seniors/un(der)waged. SwingLine is a 10-piece jazz combo of talented and seasoned musicians who pack a powerhouse big-band sound.  Their featured vocalist, Shari Vandermolen, is an award-winning performer who has been performing in and around the city for over 15 years.
You can look forward to a swinging evening exploring songs from the Great American Songbook and other favourites.
SwingLine includes; Darren Blundell (alto), Lindsay Paul (tenor), Pat Lundy (bari), Don Templeton (trombone), Ray Chantler (trumpet), Urmas Soomet (bass), Barry Smallbone (guitar), Frank Cammisuli (piano), Vincent Waters (drums), and Shari Vandermolen (vocals)
“[Shari Vandermolen] takes a song and gives it emotional depth and edge.  She not only sings it magnificently she acts the heart and soul out of it…  When she tackles such hurting songs and raw pain surges from her throat, that pain finds you in the dark and makes you shiver with pleasure.”   –  The Hamilton Spectator
Don’t miss out on this one – make your plans now to join us March 24^th!  https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/20656

David Woodhead’s Confabulation – CD Release: Friday, Feb 9. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00pm.  $20 /$15 students/ seniors/ un(der)waged.
You can hear the ideas bouncing back and forth on The Confabulation’s new album Tunnels and Visions.  Ringleader David Woodhead’s compositions range from rambunctious romps to contemplative minimalism, with stops at vintage song and contemporary parlour music on the way.  His playful Confabulation project combines a handful of expert players with a musical mandate fusing the inviting community feeling of folk, the wide musical palette of jazz, and the entrancing rhythms of world music, with the occasional foray into classical music structure.
Tunnels and Visions is a high-spirited, cinematic deep-dive into ’70s-style jazz composition and improvisation. Naturally, it features Woodhead’s trademark melodic electric bass playing, with his expressive touch on the fretless, and a long list of notable instrumentalists. Band members include keyboardist Doug Wilde (Manteca), reeds player Colleen Allen (Molly Johnson, Holly Cole), guitarist Bob Cohen (Jesse Winchester) and drummer Rich Greenspoon (Betty and the Bobs, Stewed Tomatoes). Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOafAqIvvmk
See more links at: http://www.davidwoodhead.com/confabulation.html
Tickets: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/20247/

ZULA Presents: Scandinavian Jazz Powerhouse Atomic: Tuesday, February 13. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets $15 reg./$10 students & seniors @ http://paypal.me/ZulaTix  Norwegian and Swedish jazz quintet ATOMIC is made up of some of the most accomplished and exciting 2nd and 3rd generation Scandinavian/European free jazz artists, inspired by American and European jazz/free/contemporary music and exploring adventurous works written by its members. Explosive, retrospective, joyous, contemplative, fiery, intense performances leave audiences in awe.  Fredrik Ljungkvist – reeds; Magnus Broo – trumpet; Håvard Wiik – piano; Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – double bass; Hans Hulbœkmo – drums.)
ZULA Presents: world-renowned visiting artists; revered local musicians; newer traditions in jazz; improvised music; experimental sounds; the avant-garde here in Hamilton  This event is presented as part of Hamilton Winterfest with kind support from the City of Hamilton.
Details at: https://zulapresents.org/2017-2018-something-else-series/feb-13-2018-atomic-at-pearl-co/

Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy: Saturday, March 31, 2018. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show: 8 p.m.,  Admission: $30 Nortesur Artistic Productions & The Pearl Company present SEEDS OF HOPE Fundraiser concert in benefit of  the Technical Institute John Paul II of  Nicaragua.   Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy is one of Latin America’s great troubadours. His music and song have deep roots in the Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean traditions of Nicaragua. His art gives voice to the struggles for human rights, equity, and justice.
The Technical Institute John Paul II of Nicaragua www.itejp.org  was founded in 1996. The Institute provides a pathway to a future of economic and social participation through opportunities for young people from low income families to learn skilled trades.
Special guest performance: Mischa Aravena
Tickets available at the door; by phone; or online: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/20578/