The Pearl Company

Shari Vandermolen & David Brideau: Saturday May 5.  Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets: $20. Shari Vandermolen is a renowned vocalist and award-winning performer in Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area who has been entertaining audiences for 15 years with her Quartet, Trio or 5-piece band Quarter to Nine.  She is also the lead vocalist for the 10-piece jazz combo SwingLine.  On May 5th Shari brings her powerful and impressive vocal stylings back to the Pearl Company for a more intimate evening of song with jazz guitarist David Brideau, James Gannett on bass and Vince Waters on drums.  “…hear Vandermolen make jelly of your emotions with her voice and her art… one example is Stormy Weather… I barely weathered that storm intact.”  – View Magazine
David Brideau is a Canadian jazz guitarist, composer, and teacher who has been an active musician for over 15 years. A Hamilton native, and honours graduate from the Mohawk Jazz program, David has played all around the GTA with his own group, the David Brideau Trio and Quartet, as well as being prominently featured in groups with Michael Morobito, Amber-Leigh Palka, and Lauren Perreira among others. He studied under jazz greats Bob Shields, Pat Collins, Kim Ratcliffe, and Mark Ucci and is currently continuing his studies at McMaster University. David often composes his own standards, and released the sold-out EP “Addicted To You” in 2016. He is a recipient of the Dave McMurdo Music Bursary, the Antony Roberts Music Bursary, and the Richard Newell Memorial Scholarship.
Ticets: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/21098/

HELD OVER! Shelley Marshall Presents: The Award Winning Production “Hold Mommy’s Cigarette”: April 18 & 19. All One Woman’s story of an unfiltered life, written and performed by Shelley Marshall, directed by Linda Kash. It seems appropriate that world renowned Comedienne, Marshall would open her autobiographical One Woman Show in the city where the story and star were born. It took 10 years for Marshall to create this Play and it is the rewarding result of resilience, recovery, and reflection while exploring many genres of performance including elements of clown, stand up, improv, buffoon, and play. Shelley Marshall takes her audience many places; “I take them on an adventure, both emotionally and visually. There is no denying that my story is tragic, but it’s my story and time and writing without shame has been my comedic relief. ‘Hold Mommy’s Cigarette’ is not an exploitation of what has happened in my life, but rather, an acceptance of where it may lead. It is a dark comedy, a vulnerable piece about life, mental illness and survival.” Marshall reveals with a smile. She invites you to come to her show with an open mind and promises you’ll leave with a full heart. *Mature Content* http://www.holdmommyscigarette.com Tickets available at http://www.thepearlcompany.ca or 524-0606. Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1451939231706392/

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CHECK THE REVIEW FOR DEATH AND THE MAIDEN:
http://fringefestivalcommunityreviews.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/death-and-the-maiden/

Death and the Maiden: Written by Laurence Olivier Prize Winning playwright Ariel Dorfman. This is the fourth production that Nortesur has developed for the stage; chosen because it speaks passionately about current international events, it asks tough questions about forgiveness and the role of victims and perpetrators in transitory societies, and it is a local opportunity to see a truly amazing piece of theatre written by one of Latin America’s best contemporary playwrights.  It is raw, provocative, and driven by a cast of characters that are all-too-human. Performed, and designed by emerging professional artists from across the golden horseshoe and the GTA, it is an entertaining, insightful, and extraordinarily powerful piece that delivers an evening of truly engaging theatre.  Thurs.July 18@ 8:00pm, Fri.19@8:00pm, Sat.20@7:00pm, Tues.23@8:00pm, Wed.24@7:00pm, Thurs.25@8:00pm,  Fri.26@7:00pm, Sat.27@8:00pm

AND HERE’S  RIDERGIRL’S REVIEW :
http://fringefestivalcommunityreviews.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/ridergirl-second-review/

RiderGirl: Written and performed by Ottawa based actor and Saskatchewan native Colleen Sutton. Professional sports and
independent theatre meet head on in Tiger Town! This is the story of a young woman whose prairie roots and home team inspire her to get off the sidelines and get in the game of her life.  With the end zone in sight, she fights for every down, but fumbles when she tries to go it alone.  Her team is about to make it – can she do the same?  Come in your colours, GAME TIME is here!  Two?time Rideau award nominee Colleen Sutton will energize your inner fan!  “ **** ½ “The only reason I’ve withheld that last half?star is because I cannot in good conscience give 5 stars to a Rider fan. Other than that, the show was superb.” CBC Manitoba.   Note: Fri. 19 – 2 for 1.  Friday, July 19, 6:30; Saturday,  20, 9:00; Sunday,  21, 2:00; Tuesday,  6:30; Wednesday, 24, 9:00; Thursday,  25, 6:30; Friday,  26, 9:00; Saturday, 27, 2:00

Times, dates, and tickets are  on the Fringe website – www.hamiltonfringe.ca 

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

Last Art Bus for the Summer! Check out Hamilton’s unique and constantly evolving art scene! Call Barbara (905.524.0606) or email (info@thepearlcompany.ca) to reserve your seat. Next dates: Sept 6 & 20. Cost: $15/$10 students/artists. Group rates available.  Start: 6:30 from The Pearl.

• July 5: (L’Arche Gallery, Workers Arts & Heritage, Nathaniel Hughson, Book Club Gallery, Manta Gallery) This will be another varied and interesting trip with specially-opened galleries, and tours of places you have never been before!

Roxanne Potvin: Saturday, June 9: 8:00 pm $15 / $10 students/artists: When last at The Pearl, Roxanne blew the audience out of the theatre with an utterly delightful and eclectic display from her talented self. With her latest album “Play”, Potvin has achieved something that few artists ever succeed in doing – she’s expanded her style and grown as an artist while still keeping the grit and authenticity that is so appealing about her music.  Her smart and sassy new album Play, finds the Montreal-based artist pushing new buttons and continuing her evolution from a stylish, bluesy guitar slinger to a more tuneful pop-orientated performer, free-spirited and varied.  Steve Dawson encouraged her in her decision to shift direction and helped her keep the songs on “Play” ambitious, while never losing the loose limbed joyful feeling that inspired them.  She says about her aggressive, energy-driven hooks of Play, “I had been listening to all different types of music and learning to approach writing as a discipline. I found myself going back to the Beatles and Beck.”  Roxanne can rock with the best of them when she wants! www.roxannepotvin.com

Listener: Wednesday, June 6. $10 advance; $12 at door. 7:30 start time. These guys sound like a whole lot of fun! Here’s the blurb from their site:  http://artistdata.sonicbids.com/listener A talk music band from Colorado (Dan Smith) and Nevada (Chris Nelson) called Listener. Dan and Chris have been making music together on the road since 2007. They have put out two albums so far, and they are the best yet. Before that, Dan worked with other producers and friends on the road and on records to make Listener a storied and varied musical tale of a thing. Dan is the vocalist and Chris makes the music. Dan has toured since 2002 under the “listener” name, and Chris has toured and played in a myriad of bands in the west coast. Both of us would love to come to your city and play. “You can talk to us. We are normal humans”. From Wikipedia: Listener is an experimental spoken word band that started in 2002….. Their music is described as “Talk Music”, and “A wide spanning style that features a heavy vocal element that is neither screamed, sang, or just spoken. The lyrics are more like a poetic rant.”  Shades of Shane Koyszan who was absolutely riveting!

Kaleidoscope Brown: featuring ALI BROTHERS with Brownman Ali: Saturday, June 2. $15 door / $10 artists/students. With electric trumpet: Marcus Ali – alto sax & EWI: Colin Kingsmore – drums: Ben Miller – 6-string electric bass.  Conceived in the spirit of multi grammy winning outfit  ”The Brecker Bros”, the ALI BROS embody the essence of jazz improvisational ideology erupting against a backdrop of powerful urban grooves. Latin, funk, hip-hop, drum’n’bass, R’n’B all colliding with modern jazz textures. Their uncanny musical relationship enhanced by blood, Brownman and Marcus Ali together form an incredibly synergistic, almost telepathic bond making them two of the most called upon horn men in the city. They have appeared side by side in countless horn sections in the Canadian professional music scene most notably as the backbone to the multi-award winning latin-jazz ensemble CRUZAO, Juno nominated reggae artist JASON WILSON, with reggathon superstar FITO BLANKO, modern house outfit FUNKY HI-LIFE, african masters RADIO NOMAD, urban songstress SHYANN, pop-rock sensation CROSSBAC, merengue specialists DOMINICANADA, Salsa powerhouse MARRON MATIZADO, Trinidadian Calypso group BACCHANAL ALL-STARS and far too many more to list here…” http://alibros.brownman.com

Read Toronto International Film festival review: http://brownman.com/Interviews/2005-08-FilmFest/Mythology.html

Shari Ulrich with Julia Graff and Ted Littlemore: Friday, June 1 at 8:00. Tickets: $20 / $15 students/all artists.  This is a rare appearance in these parts by two time Juno award winner and inductee into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, Shari Ulrich. Shari was first heard in the early 70’s with the quirky Pied Pumkin playing fiddle, mandolin, dulcimer, flute & sax.  Her defection to the Hometown Band (with Valdy) and a high profile launch to national recognition led to her solo career as a singer songwriter. Her live shows in the past 5 years, as well as her new CD have been enhanced by the contribution of her 21 year old daughter Julia Graff on violin, piano, guitar, accordion, mandolin and vocals, bringing an unexpected and delightful dimension to Shari’s life in music. For the past year she has also been joined by Julia’s McGill classmate Ted Littlemore on piano, accordion and vocals.  Her latest and 7th solo release “Find Our Way” is her first self produced solo album and the 19th of her career including her work with Canadian “Supergroups” Pied Pumkin,  Ulrich Henderson Forbes, and Bentall, Taylor & Ulrich.  www.shariulrich.com

The Quarterly: Saturday, May 26, 8:00pm

Join us for our first edition of the Quarterly: A Night of Song, Dance,
and Theatre.  Featuring a diverse mix of artists in a great lineup
of performances. 

This edition features:
Tor Lukasic-Foss – Song
Laura Kappel – Dance
Nea Reid – Spoken Word
Evalyn Parry – Music
Clare Preuss and Thom Morgan Jones – Theatre
Lucy Rupert – Modern Dance

Hosted by Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
Tickets are $12 for Adults, $10 for Artists, Seniors and Students
For more information please contact Lisa at girlcancreate@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/events/368237366546037/

Jazz Connection Big Band: Live, professional recording sessions! May 23, 24 & 25. Doors at 8:00pm. $5 for students/$10 for adults: The JCBB is inviting music educators, their students, and the public to attend these sessions in order to understand and participate in the technical and musical processes involved in capturing the magic of a live jazz performance. Catch the powerful sound of a big band in this relaxed, funky venue. The audience will observe everything from “sound check” through the various stages of an actual recording; including stops and starts, retakes, bloopers, microphone adjustments and all the other variables that can happen in this kind of situation.  Proper audience etiquette would be appreciated in order for the band to capture the best final product possible. Student admission will include a non-alcoholic beverage and a snack.  Those audience members wishing to attend multiple evenings will be given free re-admission.  The Jazz Connection Big Band is a renowned 17-piece jazz orchestra playing contemporary jazz, funk, and latin charts at a professional level from artists such as Buddy Rich, Don Menza, Bob Florence and many others. Their high-energy show has been performed at a number of Jazz Festivals and clubs throughout the GTA and the Golden Horseshoe. www.jazzconnection.ca For more information: email – bigband@jazzconnection.ca Phone: 905-807-6421

URBAN JAZZ at The Pearl:

Another exciting new festival at The Pearl Company. Challenge your jazz sensibility; experience the urban jazz soundscape born of the inner city. Hard as concrete, edgy as broken glass.

When: May 17 to 20
Who: Gary Santucci’s Spanjazz, May 17
Ernesto Cervini Quartet, May 18
Kaleidoscope Brown: Brownman & GRUVASYLUM, May 19
Errunriv- Matinee: May 20
Myriad, Evening:May 20
Time: All starting at 8 p.m. except the Sunday Matinee at 2:30
Tickets: All tickets: $15 / $10 (seniors/students/artists)

Myriad: Sunday Evening, May 20. 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/all artists. Myriad is a contemporary piano trio from Toronto featuring three young musicians/composers who are in demand as sideman and bandleaders in Toronto and across Canada; Chris Donnelly on piano, Dan Fortin on bass and Ernesto Cervini on drums.  The band is a collective in the true sense of the word. Each band member offers his own original compositions to the band repertoire as well as offering his unique voice to the group. Influences include the Keith Jarrett trio, the Brad Mehldau Trio, and Thelonious Monk. http://www.ernestocervini.com/ Click on Myriad.

ERRUNRIV: Sunday, May 20. 2:30pm. $15 /$10 students/all artists:  – errunriv (which is pronounced riverrun; a statement about jazz you think?) is an Electro-acoustic-chamber-jazz quartet, although Minimalist-avant-garde-pop also works. A quiet purposefulness pervades this quartet’s thoughtful compositions and playing. Featuring leader/composer Tom Richards’ keyboards, Peter Lutek’s clarinet, Jim Sexton on bowed and plucked bass, and percussionist Jake Oelrichs, their sound unfolds with restrained directness. From Klezmer to tango, this quartet’s unabashed musicality is intriguing and highly listenable; errunriv is definitely worth checking out. http://www.insoundmusic.com/weblog/page_id93/

Kaleidoscope Brown: Brownman & GRUVASYLUM: Saturday, May 19. 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/all artists. Jazz & hip-hop have long been cross-pollinated by geniuses from both genres. Canada’s own multiple National Jazz Award Winner and acclaimed trumpet-playing jazz icon BROWNMAN was catapulted to international acclaim in the hip-hop community after 4 world tours with Guru’s JAZZMATAZZ. Brownman continues to explore jazz-hip-hop with his own quintet GRUVASYLUM featuring BROWNMAN with his famous electric trumpet effects rig; MAD DUKEZ – a berserker freestyle rapper from NY; DJ CUTLER from Jeru The Damaja’s touring crew; BEN MILLER from God Made Me Funky on electric bass & COLIN KINGSMORE from the Brownman Electryc Trio on drums. This all-star group reminds us that improvisation and spontaneous creation is at the heart of both jazz and freestyle. Brownman & GRUVASYLUM — hip-hop with a jazz ideology! http://gruvasylum.brownman.com/

The Ernesto Cervini Quartet: Friday, May 18. 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/all artists.  In just a few years, this quartet has earned a reputation as one of North America’s most exciting modern jazz groups featuring drummer-leader Ernesto Cervini, saxophonist Joel Frahm, pianist Adrean Farrugia and bassist Dan Loomis. Of their recording, ‘There’, The Ottawa Citizen said: “On ‘There’, you can practically hear the musicians smiling and reveling in their creativity and musical repartee. Some superb, high-energy, spur-of-the-moment music.” http://www.ernestocervini.com/