The Pearl Company

Back from the Brink: Aaron Berger: Friday, June 10. 8:00pm.  $15 / $10 students/ seniors/ un(der)waged. Stories are powerful. They are the oldest form of human communication. Sharing stories can change the way we see and experience ourselves, others and the world. “Back from the Brink” is a new play that tells the unforgettable true life story of award winning speaker,on Berger’s healing journey back from 2 months in the psychiatric ward of Greater Niagara General Hospital and a failed suicide attempt at the brink of Niagara Falls. Making peace with the past, singer/songwriter and actor, Berger is following his dream of inspiring others to see their interconnectedness and remember that no matter what they go through they are not alone. Link to video introducing personal story and this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYQY_8JyEic My music is available to listen to and download here: www.aaronberger.bandcamp.com Link to music video for ‘Seeing You in Colours’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R41Cz3mWO7U

Christina Martin & Dale Murray: Thursday, June 9. 8:00pm. $20/$15 students/seniors/un(der)waged.  Nova Scotia Singer­ Songwriter Christina Martin’s musical journey has led from Austin, Texas, to Germany, from where she has cultivated a substantial following across mainland Europe. Along the way, she has earned multiple East Coast and Music Nova Scotia Awards, and had songs featured in television soundtracks. She performed at Rolling Stone Weekender Festival in Germany, and for the Queen at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Christina’s most recent release It’ll Be Alright won Pop Recording of the Year at the 2016 East Coast Music Awards. She is accompanied by her guitar player, acclaimed Nova Scotia producer and musician, Dale Murray. ‘It’ll Be Alright,’ is Christina’s most accomplished and accessible album to date. Martin made a conscious effort not to be bound by the expectations of others. Although she will never shed her alt­country and Americana influences, ‘It’ll Be Alright’ utilizes pop and rock sonic textures, allowing Martin to explore the many sides of her musical personality. “Always known as one of the area’s best lyricists, with an ability to get right inside the heart of her characters and listeners, Martin has translated that emotion in a bigger rock sound.” – Bob Mersereau, CBC. www.christinamartin.net  Official Music Video: https://youtu.be/SgFqXq5DYZw

The Gary Santucci Project: Spanjazz: Friday, June 3. 8:00pm. $20 /$15 students/seniors/ un(der)waged.  A collection of musical compositions inspired by world music rhythms performed in a jazz context. Featuring Jordan Abraham – keyboard, Simon Wheeldon – saxophone, David Baldry – trumpet, Aidan Sibley – trombone, James Gannett – bass, Steve Wilson – drums and Gary Santucci – guitar. All musicians in this newly-formed quintet are highly respected performers in their own fields; the juxtaposition of their different styles and approaches will create the unique sound and experience that is Spanjazz.

Hammer Hoppers Presents: The Adrean Farrugia Quartet: Wednesday, June 1. Doors: 7:00/Lesson: 7:30/Show: 8:00. $15 / $10 with a MacSwing membership card…  Hammer Hoppers is pleased to present The Adrean Farrugia Quartet to perform for us at our last live band dance until the fall. Adrean Farrugia is a graduate of the Mohawk College Applied Music program and the University of Toronto Jazz Performance program. He has travelled extensively throughout North America as well as Europe and Japan with a variety of bands, and has appeared on over 30 recordings. Adrean’s own Juno nominated project RICOCHET debuted at the Toronto International Jazz Festival. We are excited to welcome Adrean’s experience and expertise to our dance floor. Join us for an evening of great music and fun dancing with The Adrean Farrugia Quartet.
The Theme: Yellow (Walking On Sunshine). Hammer Hoppers offers dance instruction and socials for vintage swing dances, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Authentic Jazz, and Balboa.
7:30-8:00PM: Drop-In Beginner Lesson. 8:00-11:00PM: The Adrean Farrugia Quartet. www.adreanfarrugia.com  Listen to Adrean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KLw-2qz3W0

Murphy-Dyson/Santucci: Pas de Deux: Friday/ Saturday, May 27/28. 8pm. $20/$15 students/ seniors/ un(der)waged. An exceptional blend of choreography and improvisation from two major talents in their fields. The combination of duos (dance and guitar) will make this unique and exciting event a memorable one!  Gary Santucci plays his original compositions for solo guitar; Sarah Murphy-Dyson dances. We know Sarah for both her dancing and acting chops! Remember The Naked Ballerina? She danced and acted her way through “…a heartbreaking performance in this almost autobiographical story of a dancer coming to terms with the pain of being perfect. Murphy-Dyson’s script was compelling stuff and her stunning performance rocked The Pearl Company nightly.” Gary Smith, Hamilton Spectator. Gary Santucci (Flamenco, Classical & Jazz Guitar Artist) has become a consummate musician whose repertoire spans numerous genres. Among his awards is Best Classical Musician 1982 [Hamilton Wentworth Council of the Arts],  The City of Hamilton Arts Award for Music 2004, and together with Barbara Milne, The City of Hamilton Arts Award 2008 for Lifetime Achievement.  Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzKBk4LxbRU

Poor Angus: Saturday, May 21. 8:00pm. $20 /$15 students/ seniors/ un(der)waged.  A Hamilton-based Celtic ensemble mixing the music of past and present with dynamic arrangements of traditional and original Scottish, Irish and East Coast pieces. They’ve shared the stage with the likes of Blue Rodeo, Kathleen Edwards, and The Proclaimers, Featuring Ross Griffiths’ masterful highland and uilleann piping and tin whistles, the virtuoso fiddling of Andrew Bryan,vocals and rhythm guitar of Joel Guenther, , the bodhran, guitar and mandolin of Brian LeBlanc, with bass and keyboard player DJ Moons.  Poor Angus is noted especially for their foot stomping vocal harmony. Their first album in 2007, won the Hamilton Music Award for Folk/Traditional Album of the Year; Their second album, “Prime Cuts”, also won the 2009 HMA for Folk/Traditional album of the Year! Greg Quill of the Toronto Star notes: ”Deftly executed instrumental ballads, jigs and reels…..” www.poorangus.com   Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnKXQIOSIHA

Shari Vandermolen & SWINGLINE: Friday, May 20. 8:00. $20/$15 students/seniors/un(der)waged. SWINGLINE is an inspired and accomplished group of musicians hailing from the greater Hamilton and Toronto areas bringing you big-band jazz standards and a little soulful R & B to round things off.  They originally came together purely for the love of music; it was an opportunity to play together and develop new musical connections with other musicians. Now they are in demand and we are lucky to have them for the 20th.  Shari Vandermolen’s rich vocals filled the niche completing the band and we get to be the listeners and appreciators!  Shari Vandermolen’s recent CD release has kept her busy but she is thrilled to be back at one of her favourite venues with her favourite “little big-band”.  They will have you humming along and tapping your feet all night long giving you that big-band sound you crave!  http://swingline.webs.com/   Listen:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXw_ytuzvFc

Rae Billing & The Unpayables / Mississippi Bends: Saturday, May 14. 8:00pm. $20 /$15 students/ seniors/ un(der)waged. Rae Billing’s voice and lyrics create a touchstone that is rare on the Canadian landscape. Her voice has been described as “honest and pure, assured and desperate at the same time.” And her lyrics and music as “full of wide open spaces and bittersweet emotions,” “handled with gutsy femininity.”  Rae’s show will focus on her fourth alt-country album, the fluid, passionate, and critically acclaimed, Walls & Fences. The album was chosen by respected Penguin Eggs Magazine as the top pick for April 2014. And opening will be the talented duo Mary Simon and Andrew Aldridge in MISSISSIPPI BENDS, alt-country at its finest!
Working with the multi-talented Unpayables, Matt Coleman on violin/fiddle, Andrew Aldridge on electric guitar, K. Michael Hickey on electric and upright bass, Clifford Costa on drums, plus the talents of album producer Michael J. Birthelmer on piano and guitars
“There is a depth to her songs few contemporaries have yet to hone.” Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide.  Listen:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkI7OvCupvs     www.raebilling.com

David Woodhead’s Confabulation: Friday, May 13, 8:00. $20 /$15 students/ seniors/ un(der)waged. Bassist and multi-instrumentalist David Woodhead is one of the most accomplished of Canadian musicians and his genre-defying, (mostly) instrumental supergroup, Confabulation, is a thrill-ride for players and audiences alike. David has played on more than 200 albums. He was the bassist for folk legend Stan Rogers. He’s played with Loreena McKennitt, Valdy, Sneezy Waters, Brent Titcomb, Scott Merritt, jazz ensemble Manteca. He regularly tours with James Keelaghan. Confabulation’s musical eclecticism features: harp-like fingerstyle ukulele picking, klezmer-like horns, a few intriguing time signatures and some unexpected chord changes. The line-up: keyboardist Doug Wilde (Leonard Cohen, Jane Siberry, Manteca), drummer Rich Greenspoon (Njacko Backo, Stewed Tomatoes, Betty and the Bobs), reeds player Colleen Allen (Anne Murray, Rita MacNeil, Gino Vannelli, Ani DiFranco, Molly Johnson) and guitarist Bob Cohen (Jesse Winchester,Tim Hardin).
The quintet combines Woodhead’s sophisticated-yet-accessible compositions with the odd dramatic interpretation of Rudyard Kipling and a nod to Peter Gabriel.  Their shows merge outstanding musicianship with spontaneity, whimsy, and the musical chops to take them in whatever direction they’re moved to go. The Confabulation: http://www.davidwoodhead.com/confabulation.html  Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m62zRUT9u4M

Steve Dawson: Wednesday, May 11. 8:00pm. $20 /$15 students/ seniors/ un(der)waged. As one of Canada’s most sought after producers, session musicians and guitarists, this Vancouver-born slide guitarist has become an indelible fixture on the North American musical landscape. He has acquired an endless stream of awards producing and/or playing on more than 80 albums since 2000 – 7 of which have won Juno Awards. Whether he’s turning heads on the concert circuit with his incendiary playing, or pulling the best possible performances out of the many artists that he works with, Dawson is always striving to take things to the next level.
Steve’s multi-faceted career has brought him to countless international festivals, and he has worked with an extensive cast of leading artists including: John Hammond, Sonny Landreth, Van Dyke Parks, Colin James, Bruce Cockburn, Geoff Muldaur, and more.
He has also recorded and released six albums of his own, exploring blues, jazz, roots, folk and even experimental music, over the years.  His latest CD, ‘Solid States and Loose Ends’, with stellar slide guitar work reminiscent of 70’s Ry Cooder albums, and with the intimacy, spontaneity, and warmth one might hear on records produced by Joe Henry or T-Bone Burnett, is a killer set of new tunes that play to all of Dawson’s many strengths.
Steve currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. He also runs his acclaimed independent label Black Hen Music, and the always in demand, Henhouse Studios. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/blackhenmusic/sets/steve-dawson-solid-states-and/s-44QjT   www.stevedawson.ca
And we all know Robin Benedict.  She’ll get the crowd warmed up; there will be no doubt about that! www.robinbenedict.ca

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Gary Santucci’s CD RE-Release! Saturday April 30. 8:00pm. $20 /$15 students/ seniors/ wage-challenged. In response to increasing demand, Gary Santucci (Flamenco, Classical & Jazz Guitar Artist) will re-release his first CD Recording, Santucci Solo, a selection of solo guitar works composed between the years 1974 and 1995. Santucci Solo was first released in 1999 and the works have remained timeless in the classical tradition. Gary will perform the entire CD as a kick-off to his return to the studio to begin recording many of his projects for guitar and other instruments as well as further works for solo guitar. As part of the evening there will be a post performance reception; also Gary’s impressive instrument collection will be on display!
Santucci’s fourth CD is currently in rehearsal; It will feature 3 major works. Suite for Gu Zheng (Chinese harp) and Guitar, Melodious Thelonious Suite for Drum Kit and Guitar and the title track of the CD The Unknown World for solo guitar.

Duane Andrews and the Conception Bay String Quartet: Friday, April 22, 8 PM, $25 at the door/ $20 in advance at http://www.ticketscene.ca/events/15092/ Free admission for ages 12 and under. Join Duane and members of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra for an evening of jazz, classical and folk music from his latest album ‘Conception Bay’! Duane Andrews – Guitar, Stephen Sitarski – Violin, Cecilia Chang – Violin, Elspeth Thomson – Viola, Kirk Starkey – Cello. Guitar virtuoso Duane Andrews’ new album, ‘Conception Bay’, is an ambitious undertaking, pairing Andrews’ jazz-influenced guitar with a string quartet and pulling from a spectrum of jazz, classical arrangements, and traditional Newfoundland folk music. For more insight into Conception Bay visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYOGqtnAkzE
“The music might be best described as Folk music played by a top Jazz guitarist and the result is refreshing and stunning. Highly recommended.” Folkworld Magazine, Germany

Roxanne Potvin & Erin Costelo! Saturday, April 23. 8:00pm. $20 /$15 students/ seniors/ wage-challenged. Roxanne Potvin’s latest album, For Dreaming, sees the Montreal-based singer/songwriter and guitarist return with a highly personal and deeply affecting collection of songs after a five-year break from recording. The hiatus Included two years of formal training in sound engineering and work as a studio assistant. When Potvin decided to record a new album, she produced most of it herself, building upon the quiet intensity displayed on her album Play. For Dreaming now opens a new chapter for Potvin as a singer/ songwriter with pop smarts, undeniable soul, and a ceaseless drive in uncharted directions.
Erin Costelo’s a Halifax, Nova Scotia native. Her latest album Down Below,The Status Quo is a reflection of her (and our) complicated world, expressed through a voice unlike any other in Canada; she has an exquisite vocal talent, also piano playing and songwriting. With her vintage soul music influences on her previous album, We Can Get Over, Erin’s musical evolution has taken its next natural step on Down Below, The Status Quo, by channeling those themes into 10 new deeply personal tracks that display her exceptional gifts as a producer, songwriter and arranger.
Roxanne – Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOymxX2z340 www.roxannepotvin.com
Erin – Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUEmzrES1uY http://erincostelo.ca/

Carlos del Junco and The Blues Mongrels: Saturday April 16, at 8pm Tickets: $20 advance/$25 at the door. Carlos is one of those players whose music is so advanced that he’s not allowed to compete any more (Eight time Harmonica Player of The Year at the Maple Leaf Blues Awards!). Simultaneously sophisticated and raw, his backing band’s playing blurs the boundaries between blues and jazz. The emphasis is on blues, but they are not afraid to merrily traipse off in other directions delivering a seamless fusion of New Orleans second line grooves, jazz swing, Latin, hip-hop or ska melodies, to swampy roots rock. The Blues Mongrels are: bassist Henry Heillig (founded the nine piece Latin band Manteca), and guitarist Eric St. Laurent. Get ready to trash all you thought you knew about the harmonica. The Blues Mongrels deliver a no-holds-barred display of fun and melodic virtuosity.  “a model of focus and urgency..a true virtuoso”.. Brad Wheeler – The Globe and Mail  http://www.carlosdeljunco.com  Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpuBtxuE_xo

Little Miss Higgins & Jordie Lane: Friday, April 15, 8:00pm $20 /$15 students/seniors/wage-challenged. From the Great Northern Plains of Western Canada, The award-winning Little Miss Higgins struts and serenades her way, guitar in hand, lips blazoned red, onto any stage. As if she just drove in off the back-road of another time with gravel dust and a sunset trailing behind her, this pocket-sized powerhouse plays music brewed up in old-time country blues sprinkled with a little jazz and maybe a hint of folk. Whether it’s songs about passion or songs about panties, she writes about real things in a rooted and poetic way. Guitar and voice are her main instruments and her theatre background brings a “refreshing sound and story to the stage.” As a songwriter, she has been influenced by a range of artists from Memphis Minnie, Billie Holiday, Big Bill Broonzy to Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton and Bob Dylan. www.littlemisshiggins.com   Listen! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcPas_B_CwA