The Pearl Company

Spanjazz: A World Beat Jazz Project: Friday, April 28. 8:00pm. $20.  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, Tom Bigas – drums and Gary Santucci – guitar. All musicians in this newly-formed group are respected performers in their own fields; their different styles and approaches helps create the unique sound and experience that is Spanjazz. Gary has arranged 14 new charts from the catalogue of his original world beat group, Zarabanda (Tom and Jordan were original members).

Jonathan Byrd & The Pickup Cowboy: Friday, April 21, Doors: 7:30. Show: 8:00. Tickets $20.  Jonathan Byrd, duo Roots/Americana songwriter, is “one of the top 50 songwriters of the last 50 years,” says Rich Warren in the Chicago Tribune. Scott Alarik, Boston Globe, says, “This rootsy North Carolinian may be the most buzzed-about new songwriter in folkdom. He displays John Prine’s gift for stark little songs that tell big, complex stories, Guy Clark’s lean melodicism, Lyle Lovett’s wry mischief, and Bill Morrissey’s knack for the revealing image.”  Byrd grew up singing in the Southern Baptist church, where his father preached and his mother played piano. He started as a rock musician but it was at an old-time fiddle festival in the mountains of southwest Virginia that he began to assimilate the sounds of southern traditional music. Byrd writes new songs in the ancient style. The Pearl Company is delighted to welcome him back! Listen: Working Offshore https://youtu.be/3rLskCGrYJ0  http://www.jonathanbyrd.com

Carlos del Junco with Jimmy Bowskill: Saturday April 22, at 8pm Tickets: $25. Carlos del Junco is a harmonica virtuoso. Simultaneously sophisticated and raw, del Junco’s taken the 10-hole diatonic harmonica to another realm. He approaches the harmonica like a horn, setting him utterly apart from fellow mouth organists such as Neil Young or Bob Dylan….
Del Junco visits The Pearl every April and this time he brings Jimmy Bowskill.  We get a dose of roots, country and pop infused blues from two masters of their craft who have recently released their new CD “BLUES ETC.” together. Bowskill, of course, began performing at a ridiculously young age.  Creating a sound all his own, he first played on stage at the age of eleven (!) at Jeff Healey’s club in Toronto. The next year he recorded his first album, Old Soul. Bowskill’s second album, Soap Bars and Dog Ears, was nominated for a Juno Award when he was fourteen years of age. http://www.carlosdeljunco.com   https://www.facebook.com/pg/JimmyBowskill Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9PP3Fv4aBs

Tamar Ilana & Ventanas: Saturday, April 15. 7.30 doors, 8:00 start. Tickets $20 each. Ventanas formed in 2011 after the stunning vocalist and dancer, Tamar Ilana returned to Toronto following one of several sojourns to Spain to study flamenco song, cante and dance, baile and teamed up with violinist Mark Marczyk of the Lemon Bucket Orkestra. They began exchanging flamenco, Sephardic and Balkan tunes and in no time had put together a repertoire and formed a stellar trans-Mediterranean ensemble that included flamenco guitarist, Dennis Duffin, Middle Eastern percussionist, Jaash Singh, and Greek oud player Demetrios Petsalakis – an eclectic group of well known musicians on the Toronto music scene.  While Ilana’s remarkable voice and intricate flamenco footwork is the heart of Ventanas, together they weave Sephardic love songs from North Africa and the old Ottoman lands, quirky Bulgarian dance tunes, captivating pieces in Greek and Turkish, original songs and deep flamenco. Ilana dances and alternates with her compelling vocals.  Ventanas’ virtuoso musicians offer oud, violin, lyra, baglama, double bass, derbukka, cajo?n, and hand percussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRTYdFy1Fl0   http://www.nerudaarts.ca/artists/ventanas-tamar-ilana

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Steel City Rovers: Join us to celebrate our 200th show! Friday, April 14, Doors: 7:30. Show: 8:00.  Advance: $15.00 / At the door: $20.00. Hamilton’s Steel City Rovers have toured their Celtic to Celtibilly musical styling’s across Nebraska to Colorado, been regulars on Festival stages in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan and crossed back and forth across Ontario close to a dozen times. The group has worldwide play of their numerous releases on Celtic and Roots music programming, worked for the entertainment conglomerate, Live Nation and been nominated 3 times in various categories at the Hamilton Music Awards. “Creative, fresh, engaging, and energetic” are descriptors used over and over by those who have attended shows ,and follow the group. Join them as they celebrate their 200th show in their beloved hometown. It will be a show of some favorite past works and the launch of some brand new material!  Website : www.steelcityrovers.com   FB : https://www.facebook.com/SteelCityRovers  Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFGJlhjwHas

The Buddy Rich Project: The Jazz Connection Big Band: Saturday, April 1. Doors at 8:00, Jazz at 8:30. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. The renowned Jazz Connection Big Band is celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the birth of one of the worlds greatest musicians with a special concert. In addition to performing many of his best loved pieces they will be presenting a retrospective about his life and music through rarely seen video clips, photos, recordings and narrative (including an audience Q&A). Given that Jazz Connection shows are full capacity events, this special show will undoubtedly be SRO. Reservations are very strongly advised! The JCBB is a well-established 17-piece jazz ensemble comprised of professional musicians, performing only the best modern big band charts. www.jazzconnection.ca   Listen: http://epresskitz.com/index.php?u=2691

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/