The Pearl Company

Gary Santucci Solo & Pearl Review Re-View: Saturday, January 21, 8:00pm. $15 door/$10 artists/students – For Concert and Reception: (free Pearl Review as part of package.) Response was so good that if you missed The Pearl Review kick-off last week, we’re doing it again this Saturday with a concert thrown in. Come on by! We’ll start the evening with an intimate evening of guitar music: Classical guitar, World Music, and original compositions from Gary Santucci. (Trained in Spain [and Canada] and playing his unique brand of flamenco and world music for over 30 years, he 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.)
After the concert: 10:00pm. No charge; except you have to buy a newspaper….  We’ll adjourn to the loft to celebrate The Pearl Review Quarterly: This packed first issue of 76 pages for $2.95 is filled with compelling, inquiring, diverse opinions, photo essays and stories.  Come join the party; purchase a copy; become a Patron subscriber.  Special patron subscriber packages include Art Bus Certificates, discounts on Pearl Company events and Pearl District products, and a free Gary Santucci CD. We will have Food and Refreshments available.

BEETLEBARROW Books Presents: A Japanese Bookbinding Workshop: Saturday, January 14: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m. $60. Want to meet fellow bookbinders? Looking for a great way to spend a Saturday? Join local artists Chandra Rice and Lindsay Slavin and learn how to bind your own books using ancient Japanese techniques and modern tricks of the trade.  Go home with a beautiful hardcover book you’ve made from start to finish. You’ll be making a large, hardcover, Japanese Stab book.  For $60, Lindsay and Chandra will provide all the materials and tools.  They will even feed you a delicious home-made lunch.  All skill levels are welcome and make to look good. Sign up with a friend, or come and make new friends! Workshops will be happening monthly: January 14, February 18, March 17, and May 12.
Chandra Rice is a maker; most herself when making something with her hands.  She’s been a teacher, a researcher and a Jill-of-many-trades.  Lindsay Slavin’s studio is ready to make books, photographs, paintings, quilts, drawings which all play very nicely together.  To register or for information email makers@beetlebarrow.ca www.beetlebarrow.ca

Pearl Review Launch: Saturday, January 14. Open House! The Pearl Review Quarterly Lifts off from the Loft on Saturday beginning @ 8:00pm.  A packed first issue of 76 pages for $2.95.  Compelling, inquiring diverse opinions, Photo Essays and Stories.  Join the party; purchase a copy; become a Patron subscriber.  Special patron subscriber packages include Art Bus Certificates, discounts on Pearl Company events and Pearl District products, and a free Gary Santucci CD. (If you are already a subscriber, come by and get your copy and your package!)  Food and refreshments available.

The Art Bus is Sponsored by Judy Marsales Real Estate Brokerage:

First 2 Fridays of every month! (Except January when it is only the second Friday…) Check out an art scene which changes every single month and which will leave you breathless!
Seats available for upcoming buses.  Next dates: February 3 & 10.

January 13: We will start with a stroll down Ottawa Street – Earls Court Gallery, Under the Moon, Allsorts Gallery, and Sketch Gallery .  We will then head to the James North Art Crawl with its blocks and blocks of studios, galleries, eclectic shops, music  & more… Finishing up at the inimitable Tiger Group Studio Gallery; more great art and refreshments!

Andy White: Thursday, January 12. 8:00pm. $15 door/$10 artists/students: White has earned a global following for blending folk and pop stylings with a poet’s sensibility. Working with the great names of Irish music – Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison – and writing with the likes of Peter Gabriel and Neil and Tim Finn, Andy has won Ireland’s top songwriting awards and toured the world many times over. This singer-songwriter carries a 12-string guitar under his arm and wears his particular brand of Irish charm on his sleeve. With the political edge of Billy Bragg, the romance of David Gray and the Celtic lyricism of the Waterboys, Andy is a fully paid up ‘21st Century Troubadour’ (and that’s also the title of his first book, recently published in Ireland to rave reviews).
Belfast born and raised, Andy’s latest release ‘Songwriter’ is his tenth studio album. Released on Floating World in Europe and slated for release by Judy Collins’ Wildflower Records in North America later in 2011, it was recorded in Vancouver with members of the Be Good Tanyas, Neko Case’s band, and features special guests Allison Russell from Po’ Girl on vocals and Radoslav Lorkovic on piano.
As well as touring ‘Songwriter’ and his second book ‘21st Century Troubadour’ (Lagan Press), Andy is preparing for the release of the eponymous debut album from Fearing & White, his collaboration with Canadian singer-songwriter Stephen Fearing.  www.andywhite.com

Ryan Van Sickle: January 7; 8:00pm. $15 at the door: Born and raised in Dundas, now living in New York,Van Sickle comes home to rock The Pearl! Writing songs of character and integrity that resound the timeless and universal, Ryan Van Sickle uniquely translates the themes of love, war, life and death and the epic and mundane struggles within. Following in the steps of the masters from his native Canada, Ryan draws on the influences of Neil Young, Daniel Lanois, and Leonard Cohen alongside American greats Bruce Springsteen and Emmylou Harris. With the release of his latest album Ghosts Of The Brokenhearted, Ryan emerges as a powerful singer songwriter; asserting prowess in building a lyrical highway with a strong voice to carry his listeners on the journey. http://www.reverbnation.com/ryanvansickle

Valdy: Friday January 6. 8:00pm. $20 advance/$25 at the door:  Born Valdemar Horsdal in Ottawa, Valdy has been part of the fabric of Canadian pop and folk music for over 34 years. A man with a thousand friends, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island to Texas to New Zealand, he’s a singer, guitarist and songwriter who catches the small but telling moments that make up life. Valdy has sold almost half a million copies of his 13 albums, has two Juno Awards (Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year) with a total of seven Juno nominations and four Gold albums to his credit.
Valdy has taken his music to a dozen different countries, from Denmark to Australia and been an often-invited performer at the prestigious Kerrville Festival in Texas. His recent television appearances include Canada AM and Open Mike with Mike Bullard. Valdy has also been a panelist on Front Page Challenge, and played a lead role in an episode of The Beachcombers original series.
Today, he is based on Salt Spring Island, where he lives with his wife Kathleen, three dogs and a large cat. All three children are grown, flown and doing famously living in or near Vancouver, or Colorado.  www.valdy.com (more…)

Martha’s Trouble: Friday December 30, at 8 pm. $15 at the door. The Pearl Company is delighted to present an evening of music with this talented duo.  Jen, originally from Ancaster, and Rob Slocumb, from Nashville, are Martha’s Trouble, a critically acclaimed Americana folk/pop duo. Music-charting giant, Billboard asks, “How does an indie folk band expand its fanbase in 2011? Catchy hooks, hard work and a unique tour. Plus, a little help from Starship.”  Martha’s Trouble have just made Billboard’s top ten list of ‘Best Tempo-Halting Remakes’ with their version of Starship’s “Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now”.   Their latest album, ‘Anchor Tattoo,’ is a fresh, honest, and uplifting. Again from Billboard Magazine: “With its 10th album, ‘Anchor Tattoo’, the Alabama-based husband-and-wife duo, Martha’s Trouble continues to intensify the mystery as to why it remains a hidden gem ”
The album, released in early 2011, takes the duo back to their roots, bringing back their signature sound that made them touch so many when they first came to the music scene 12 years ago. Some of the most influential and well-respected music critics of our time have paid tribute to the duo. They have been listed and featured in Billboard Magazine, USA Today and Performing Songwriter. Their songs have received awards and have been featured in a number of movies. www.marthastrouble.com

Charly Chiarelli and the Sunamabeaches: Sunday, December 18: 7:30pm. $15 door. $10 artists/students.Charly comes to The Pearl with his close friends Venesio – aka Dennis – De Salvo (a manager at Hamilton’s Canadian Mental Health Association, on guitar) Ron Weihs (co-proprietor of Artword Artbar, on fiddle) and Gary Santucci (Pearl Company, on very classy guitar).  Charly has become internationally recognized as one of the world’s most accomplished storytellers – widely known for his two earlier one-person plays, Cu’Fu and Mangiacake, and now the new hit Sunamabeach, to complete the trilogy. Charly is also a songwriter and virtuoso harmonica player, so, it is no wonder that this collection of four notorious Hamiltonians went on to form a band called the Sunamabeaches! Charly takes on the role of lead singer, harmonica player and at times will tell a story or two… However, any one of the other musician’s may step up to the plate with a story. But make no mistake about it, the focus is on music. And the Sunamabeaches will regale you with unique interpretations of jazz, blues, rock and Sicilian folk tunes – including Charly’s original tunes from his plays (and beyond). Just in case you do not know this, Charly has been inducted into the McMaster University Alumni Hall of Fame, along with inductee notables like Martin Short, Dave Thomas and Eugene Levy!  There you have it, Hamilton’s own SUNAMABEACHES, a must see!

Jazz Konnekt: Saturday, December 17. $15 door. $10 artists/students. 8:00pm start.  A “band within a band”, this jazz quintet is comprised of members of the highly acclaimed Jazz Connection Big Band playing mainstream, bop, post-bop material with a relaxed vibe.  Performers include top instrumentalists,  Steve Wilson on drums, Chris Bruder on piano, Kilian Bamberg on bass, Paul Taylor on guitar and Simon Wheeldon on tenor sax, plus special guest players who will join the fun. These guys bring an energy that will make you laugh, make you listen, and make sure you relax and enjoy! There will be a bit of Christmas thrown in….

Santa’s Big Sleep: Friday December 16. Children $6, Adults $10, Family pass for 4 $26 (2 adults max). Reservations accepted. 7:00pm start.  SBS is a heart-warming story about the power of children’s faith in Santa Claus and the spirit of Christmas. As the play opens Santa is at the North Pole supervising the Elves and answering mail from children living in Hamilton.
In Scene Two the Postmaster informs Santa that there is a mail strike and there will be no more letters. Santa falls into a deep sleep and we discover that it is the love contained in the letters from children that keeps Santa awake and alive.
Can the Elves solve the problem and wake Santa before Christmas Eve, or will the Spirit of Christmas Giving be lost forever? In the final scene children in the audience are asked to show their love for Santa and when the shouting reaches maximum level – Will Santa Wake Up and Christmas be Saved?
Santa’s Big Sleep was written by Hamilton’s award-winning playwright, Lee William Fairbanks and is directed by Patti Cannon.

Kaleidoscope Brown: featuring: Brownman Ali with GRUVASYLUM: Saturday, December 10. $15 door. $10 artists/students.  Jazz & hip-hop have long been cross-pollinated by geniuses from both genres.  From the appearance of rappers on the legendary Miles Davis’ “DooBop” recording, to jazz superstars like Herbie Hancock and Donald Byrd guesting in hip-hop legend GURU’s JAZZMATAZZ (now recognized as the 1st successful amalgamation of jazz & hip-hop). And then Brownman, Canada’s own nationally acclaimed trumpet playing jazz icon, replaced Donald Byrd in Guru’s Jazzmatazz and did 4 world tours catapulting him to international acclaim in the hip-hop community.  Now Brownman continues the late Guru’s legacy in the exploration of jazz-hip-hop in his own group GRUVASYLUM.  This 5-man ensemble features Brownman with his now famous electric trumpet effects rig; Mad Dukes – a berserker freestyle rapper from NY; DJ Cutler – turntablist for Jeru The Damaja; Ben Miller, from God Made Me Funky, on electric bass & Chris Lamont, touring drummer from the Brownman Electryc Trio.  This all-star quintet, with Guru alumni and multiple National Jazz Award Winner Brownman at the helm, reminds us that the essence of the jazz solo is not so different from the essence of freestyle — in that improvisation and spontaneous creation is at the heart of both idioms.  Gruvasylum is about modern, thoughtful, conscious hip-hop that tells tales of the world we live in – yet rooted in the jazz lineage.   Brownman & GRUVASYLUM — hip-hop with a jazz ideology.  You do NOT want to miss this. http://gruvasylum.brownman.com (more…)

Nadje Noordhuis Quartet: Wednesday, December 7. 8:00pm. $15 door/$10 artists/students. Australian born trumpet/flugelhorn player and composer, Nadje Noordhuis, produces a unique sound characterized by a warm, rich tone and a lyrical approach to improvisation.  With a gift for unique melody and a lush, hauntingly dark sound, Nadje (pronounced “NA-dia NORD-house”) has been based in New York for the past four years. She has been a featured soloist with symphony orchestras, Afro-Cuban big bands, large and small jazz ensembles, and has appeared on many recordings across a variety of musical genres. Nadje has performed at numerous jazz festivals world-wide and has shared the stage with a number of acclaimed jazz artists. Nadje was also a semi-finalist in last year’s Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition and was selected as a Carnegie Hall Young Artist in 2010. She is playing with her quartet featuring Adrian Farrugia (piano), Mark Cashion (bass) and Ernesto Cervini (drums)  www.nadjenoordhuis.com

Meaghan Smith: Tuesday, December 6. 8:00pm. $15 at the door. Hot off her ‘best new artist of the year’ Juno win, London, ON, born, Meaghan Smith wasn’t content to rest on her laurels. She began production of her new album IT SNOWED soon afterwards. This album was inspired by Meaghan’s love of the holidays. In her own words, “It’s the traditions, the food, the friends, the family, the lights and the music that I love. I want to be a part of the joy in people’s holidays.”  IT SNOWED is an eclectic holiday collection of songs, some original and some standard favourites. The album carries on with Meaghan’s unique modern/vintage vibe featuring antique-sounding samples under Meaghan’s pop melody. There’s a simply haunting vocal rendition of the closing track “Silent Night” that ensures that IT SNOWED is sure to be a crowd pleaser for seasons to come.  Smith’s warm and winning voice and personality will make you an instant fan!  She’s wonderfully accompanied on guitar by her husband Jason Mingo.  www.meaghansmith.com

Drumhand with Marcus Ali: Saturday, December 3: 8:00pm, $15 door/$10 artists/students. Propelled by a steamroller of drums and energized by jazz horns, DRUMHAND draws inspiration from the circuitous rhythms of hot climates to enforce a high-energy, interactive performance. The group has introduced audiences of all ages to instruments and sounds from around the globe through concerts at festivals, schools and concert events. DRUMHAND, was not born out of any particular tradition but has been informed by the many that have been willing to share. Founded in 2008 by percussionists David Chan (Shoot the Cameraman) and Larry Graves (Mr. Something Something), DRUMHAND features the horn work of Marcus Ali (Cruzao/Jason Wilson) and Rebecca Hennessy (Hobson?s Choice/Broken Social Scene). www.reverbnation.com/drumhandmusic