The Pearl Company

“Spirit of the Narrows”: One woman’s journey into the world of Aboriginal fiddling.: July 7 to 10 / 14 to 16. Seven performances only. $20/$15 Seniors/Students/Un(der)waged. All shows @8, July 10 Matinee @2:00.  This fascinating voyage is created and written by internationally respected, award-winning fiddler, Anne Lederman, and performed by Anne and Capucine Onn, As a young musician, Anne became fascinated with the unusual sound of Métis and First Nations fiddling in her home province of Manitoba.
Her journey to learn more introduced her to fiddlers such as Carl Grexton, Emile Spence, Teddy Boy Houle, and a host of others. Entering a world very different from her own, the play is her journey – from present to past, from one culture to another, also from one state of mind to another. It is the story of a uniquely Canadian music, of the people who created it, and who, against all odds, continue to play it. It embodies Ojibwa, Cree, Scottish, French, English, American, and Eastern European traditions, all played on a small box with four strings.
Anne has performed a solo version of the show from Wells B.C. to Aberdeen, Scotland, in theatres, classrooms, folk clubs, and Church basements. In 2004, the Blyth Festival invited her to adapt it to a two-person theatrical experience, which did so well they brought it back for a second season on 2005. The Pearl Company is delighted to present the show again in Hamilton. http://www.annelederman.com/

The Pearl Company Summer Kick-Off Fundraiser Art Show and Music! Saturday, June 25. 7:00 to 10-ish. Pay What You Wish at the Door. This is The new Pearl Company non-profit corporation kicking off the summer with an Open House Party and you are invited. Come and join us for food, drinks, music and art at this PWYC fundraiser and get-together. This is going to be all about fun. There will be lots of fun art as well as serious…. Ian Andrews & Matthew King are always a good musical time! You can drop in or stay for the evening. We are getting ready to celebrate our 10^th season in the fall and this is the warm-up. 7 to 8: Art Show & Sale: Very reasonably priced.  Live music at about 8 from Matthew and Ian and you never know who else may show up. Come out and join in the fun!

BRAD ROBERTS Live in Concert: Thursday, June 16. Doors: 7:30 Show: 8:00pm. $25. Back troubles and the pressures of touring took Brad Roberts and the rest of the Crash Test Dummies off the road. But Roberts became restless. He missed touring more than he thought he would “There’s nothing like getting a crowd’s rapt attention. Turns out it’s habit-forming.”  Before it was about wanting to get back into the studio, now: “…it’s the live experience I cherish most.”
There is no mistaking Brad Roberts’ voice. When he opens his mouth his majestic baritone voice immediately conjures fond memories of the Crash Test Dummies hit “Superman”…. They are perhaps best remembered for the acerbic folk rock sound of their 90’s hits, but through it all, the band with Roberts at the helm has touched on funk and soul, folk, electronic music and even Christmas tunes. It is Roberts’ voice and offbeat lyrical sensibility that have been this beloved band’s calling cards since their founding twenty years ago. “I’m going to pull some old material out of the proverbial hat,” he says. “I’m looking forward to reinventing it.”  Welcome back Brad! www.crashtestdummies.com    https://www.facebook.com/brad.roberts.7545   Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPU0Bo-aTfQ

“Down The Rhodes“ A musical and visual tribute to the Fender Rhodes electric piano: Monday, June 13, at 8:00pm. Tickets: Pay What You Can (suggest $5):  Down The Rhodes: The Fender Rhodes Story is a historical, film tribute to the Fender Rhodes electric piano, brought to life through performances, insightful interviews, and stories from a remarkable cast of music notables. Interviews with: George Benson, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Ramsey Lewis, John Novello, and more!  Don’t miss this insider’s view of how a war-era rehabilitation tool developed into one of the core elements in creating music today.  Film maker and musician/producer Gerald McCauley (West Coast All-Stars) is the creative impetus behind this remarkable story: http://fenderrhodesstory.com/

James Gordon: “Sunny Jim” CD Release: Saturday, June 11: 8:00pm. $20 / $15 students/ seniors/ un(der)waged. James Gordon has had a remarkably diverse 30-year career in the Canadian entertainment business. As a solo singer-songwriter and with the ground-breaking trio Tamarack, he has released over thirty-five albums, and has toured around the world. Gordon has written for symphony orchestras, musical theatre and dance works, film scores, and for more than ten years was heard on CBC radio as songwriter-in-residence for the Basic Black and Ontario Morning programs. “Sunny Jim” is the 7th album for James Gordon on Borealis Records. We think this new collection of songs brings him back full circle to his folky roots. There are a lot of echoes here of his acoustic trio days with Tamarack, and of the kind of music he was raised on. Recently elected as a city councillor in his hometown of Guelph Ontario, you can hear some of his progressive politics and activism seeping through as well.
Recorded sparsely in his new studio, there’s a lot of James on it: he plays piano, acoustic and electric guitar, trilele, banjo, accordion, harmonica, tin whistle, recorder and  trumpet. He was joined by his sons Evan and Geordie on bass, guitars, fiddle and percussion. http://www.jamesgordon.ca  Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIOH16wJWzg

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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

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/