The Pearl Company

World Beat Fusion: Friday June 24: 8:00 pm.  $15 at door.  A once-in-a-lifetime concert! Four remarkable musicians: Gary Santucci on guitar, Randal Hill on mandolin and fretless tenor banjo, Killian Bamberg on bass, with Bashir Abbas, Sudan’s premiere oud player.  Gary Santucci: Just in case you don’t know; Gary is “the real thing” as he was called the other day. A guitarist/composer who plays flamenco, classical, and world beat. Randal Hill: Voted “Blue Grass Entertainer of the Year” (at least a hundred times…) Randall is one of the leading mandolin players around.  He’s played with Ian Tyson among others… Killian Bamberg: Considered a “marvelous talent”, he can be found in any number of bands playing both upright and electric bass. Bashir Abbas is just plain incredible.  He is the Sudan’s top instrumental musician (He will play the oud, which is a pear-shaped, lute-related, stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music.) and we are stunned to have him here.  What a night this will be!

Lansdale Neighbourhood Association presents their annual “Summer in the Park”:  Sunday, June 19 at 1:00 – 5:00pm. In association with Solus: A Community Earth Vision Festival. (www.manyhandsart.org) Starting with a Giant Puppet Procession from the Pearl Company at 1pm and heading to Tweedsmuir Park at King William and Victoria.  An afternoon of free family fun, food, and entertainment! Check out the gorgeous poster.

Due to a vehicle break-down in Montreal, this show has been canceled…A line-up of Ambient / Indie / Psychedelic / Experimental/ Modern Classical performers from Seattle via Chicago and Hamilton: Sunday, June 19. 8:00pm. $10 at the door. $8 students/artists
ELECTROLUMINESCENT: Hamilton, ON – www.myspace.com/electroluminescent
LOCRIAN: Chicago, IL – http://www.myspace.com/thelocrian
HOUSE OF LOW CULTURE: Seattle, WA – an Aaron Turner (of Isis) solo project
MAMIFFER: Seattle, WA – www.myspace.com/mamiffer
Mamiffer is Faith Coloccia, a Seattle-based pianist, and Aaron Turner
from the band Isis, Jodis, Lotus Eaters, as well as a collective of other song-weavers and visionaries.
The group has been called “an environmental salvo of noise and atmosphere that is elegant, striking, and evocative.”

HOTCHA with the Nonie Crete Band: Saturday, June 18: 8:00pm  $15 door / $10 students/artists. HOTCHA: High-energy hillbilly swing duo blends old-time Western, bluegrass, early swing and country gospel delivered with the energy of a runaway train. Soaring vocals, lively accordion, gritty guitar, wailing harmonica and big-beat bodhran. www.HOTCHA.ca Nonie Crete Band: From heady blues, Irish balladry, to Cajun and French Canadian folk,  this one-woman music festival also features Eugene Rea (vocals, guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, bouzouki, whistles) and Gary Kreller (accordion, piano). “… [her] delightful accomplished original pieces, ranging in style from melodic Anglo-American balladry to bluesy rock, gutbucket saloon songs and country folk, reveal Crete as a powerful and engaging storyteller with an extraordinarily sweet voice and a mean harmonica”. ~ Greg Quill, Toronto Star www.noniecrete.ca

Jenn Grant with Jim Bryson: Friday, June 17. Doors 8:30. Concert 9:00. $18/$22 at door. Jenn Grant, an East Coast Music Award winner for Best New Artist, rose to attention with her intuitive songcraft and with her jazzy, Feist-influenced folk/pop. She’s a fine arts graduate with a voice like brushstrokes on a canvas. Her latest album, Honeymoon Punch, is a frisky concoction of spirited, synth-sweetened songs balanced with muted, natural elements: it drives the dark clouds away. Jenn has performed across Canada, the US and Europe, with Hawksley Workman, Martin Tielli, Barenaked Ladies and others. www.jenngrant.com
Jim Bryson: Ottawa’s Jim Bryson is known as the songwriter’s songwriter. For the past decade, he’s been releasing carefully crafted, quirky collections of folk-rock that have earned him a spot in the backing bands of Canuck icons such as Sarah Harmer, the Tragically Hip and lately the nation’s favourite Winnipeggers, The Weakerthans, who are backing him on his latest album, Constellation. He is also a member of Kathleen Edward’s touring band. www.jimbryson.org

Jubal’s Kin: Wednesday, June 15: Door 7:30/ Concert 8:00 $15 / $10 students/artists. Jubal’s Kin, is the Florida based duo, brother and sister Roger and Gailanne Amundsen. Roger, a three time Florida Old-Time Music Championship winner, and Gailanne, the 2009 Florida & Tennessee Grand Champion Old Time Fiddler. Jubal’s Kin is an eclectic blend of old-timey bluegrass and indie folk – dubbed  “Appalachia-infused Cosmic Americana.” Their music draws from a wide palette of earthy roots inspirations; the distinctively spare sound is grounded in a love for what can only be called the pure and real, at once embracing both a strong roots tradition and a fresh take on making music. A seemingly new subgenre is created, their songs displaying a chemistry of raw emotion,  vulnerable and unassuming  with handcrafted spins that creak and stomp like a wooden dance floor…  www.jubals-kin.com

David Hickey: Sounds of the Solar System: Saturday, June 11. Doors 7:00 Start 7:30. $20. David performs with 15 to 20 Quartz Singing Crystal Bowls. These bowls produce the purest sound there is. They are played in combination with Paiste Planet and Symphonic Gongs, Quartz Crystal Bowls, Santoor & Vibraphone. The intent of the performance is to create soothing meditative and healing music. Each performance is completely unique with musical inspiration that ranges from The Grateful Dead to John Lennon to Miles Davis to Chopin.   http://www.crystaljourney.ca

Melanie Doane: CD Release Showcase: Friday, June 10. Doors 7:30pm/Concert 8:00. $24 advance / $30 door (Buy tickets online) Or reserve with The Pearl.“There’s no place like home” sings Juno Award winning singer-songwriter Melanie Doane on “Ruby Slippers”, the opening track from her new album THE EMERALD CITY recalling the edgy style of her breakthrough Gold record ADAM’S RIB while showcasing Melanie’s multifaceted skills as a vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (she plays guitar, violin, piano, ukulele, mandolin, and bass). Doane will be joined by acclaimed guitarist Mike Borkosky for a must-see intimate acoustic performance at The Pearl, showcasing songs from “The Emerald City” as well as fan favourites from her extensive catalogue. For more information on Melanie, please visit www.melaniedoane.com Read the rest of this entry »

Jon Bryant with Jadea Kelly: Thursday, June 9. 8:00pm. $10 / $8 students/artists.  Jon has recently been nominated for best new artist, digital artist and inspirational album of the year by Music Nova Scotia and received a covenant award nomination for folk/roots album of the year.  A singer/songwriter at heart, Jon’s music is beautiful in its melancholy, strength and character conveyed through wonderfully contrasting styles. His live performance hits spiritual highs and sweet, somber lows.  Jon is an artist advocate for World Vision and works closely with them on tour and abroad.  http://www.jonbryant.ca  Jadea Kelly‘s first CD, Second Spring, won “Best Country” honors at the Toronto Independent Music Awards. She has since been nominated as New/Emerging Artist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Although Jadea’s stage persona compares to such established vocalists as Neko Case and Kathleen Edwards; it is her distinctive and husky voice which engages and captivates her listeners. http://www.myspace.com/jadeak

Petunia Petunia with the Minimalist Jugband: Wednesday, June 8. 8:00pm. $15 / $10 student/artist. Two solo acts touring together. Petunia has been swingin’, swoonin’ and bringin’ ’em into bars, churches, theatres, folk festivals and street corners for over ten years. “He has a unique, surreal style all of his own … His live performances have been likened to an Avant-Country night club scene from a David Lynch movie! One to watch, Bonanza thinks!” “…hillbilly-flavoured-swing inflected-ragtime-goodtime-thunderously rolling-one-of-a-kind-you-don’t-want-to-miss-this-sort-of-a-show” – Peterborough Examiner  http://www.petuniamusic.com
The Minimalist Jugband: is a West Coast underground phenomena and Petunia says he is fantastic. He’s played the Vancouver folk festival 3 times, and the two have toured together for the last 7 years. “Sadder than music, funnier than comedy.” “Washed Up Guy on a washtub bass.”

Gerardo Mansang:  “44 Moons” Art Closing Party: Sunday, June 5, from 6:00 to 10:00pm. This Colombian artist understands colour, warmth, and symbolism. From very large to small canvases, all in brilliant acrylics. We will celebrate this marvelous show once again with a closing party.  Music and art; a perfect end to a perfect weekend.

Splish Splash: The Bobby Darin Story: Saturday, June 4. 8:00pm. $15 advance/$20 door. This exhilarating show is a biographical look at Bobby Darin as a professional, presented in a concert type format in two acts. It showcases a full 12 piece orchestra with back-up singers and 30 full length songs,  from Splish Splash to Mack The Knife and Beyond the Sea all done live, like the good old days!
The show features Hamilton’s own Tony Sciara (You know him from Degrassi High!) and The 12/4 Swing Orchestra with Jim Heaslip.

Steve Brockley Band: Friday, June 3. 8:00pm. $15 at the door. $10 Artists & Students. Our fourth Steve Brockley concert! “Steve is a remarkable songwriter; one of those singers whose every word we strain to hear because those words are so entertaining and fitting  you don’t want to miss any.  But even if you don’t hear a single sentence, this three-piece band is so tight and original that the music alone will satisfy”.  Leon Power’s beats combined with Kevin Bertram’s double bass swagger make a low-down groove while Steve Brockley’s finger-picked electric guitar tactics and whiskey-blend vocals deliver some honest songs from the heart and guts.   “His album, crafted in the riff-filled, storytelling tradition of legends like Johnny Cash, is beyond his years.” www.myspace.com/stevebrockley

Brott Summer Festival Showcase: The Bremen String Quartet. Thursday, June 2, 7:30. $10 at the door.  Formed in 2008, the Bremen String Quartet is an ensemble of dynamic young musicians ready to make an impact by showcasing their love for chamber music.  They have quickly garnered a reputation for being “… musicians who play with remarkable nuance, intensity of expression, and probing intelligence” (Edwin Outwater).  http://www.bremenstringquartet.com The Brott Music Festival has played a leading role in providing cultural excellence and diversity to the Hamilton area for 22 years. The annual summer festival presents orchestral concerts with the National Academy Orchestra, intimate recitals with great singers and stellar instrumental soloists, opera, dance, even visual art.  http://www.brottmusic.com

FOR THE LOVE O’ NAT – CHRONICLING THE LIFE, TIMES & MUSIC OF NAT KING COLE: Dean Hollin presents another of his popular “Musical Biographies”.  Saturday, May 28th,  8 pm.  $18 advance / $22 door.  An evening of memories and melodies, all tied together by one man — that tremendous crooner of the twentieth century, Nat King Cole. The songs: “A Blossom Fell”, “Route 66, “Mona Lisa”, “Straighten Up and Fly Right”, “Paper Moon”, “When I Fall In Love” and, the timeless “Stardust”! In direct keeping with the instrumentation of the original Nat King Cole Trio piano, rhythm guitar, and upright bass — Dean will be accompanied by a live jazz trio.  http://www.deanhollin.com