The Pearl Company

Jazz Connection Big Band: Friday, May 27. Doors at 8:30, jazz at 9:00 $15 at the door: With renowned jazz pianist John Sherwood! They’re back and are gaining a bigger audience every time they play here! Made up of talented musicians from all over southwestern Ontario, the Jazz Connection Big Band is a 20-piece band dedicated to playing great, straight-ahead jazz.  The JCBB, carry us once again into the cool space of surround sound big band music! http://www.jazzconnection.ca

The ƒ Holes: Thursday, May 19. 8:00. 15$ at the door.10$ students/artists: … An impeccably authentic, raucously entertaining blend of gypsy jazz, zippy Dixieland, viper blues and roots from this Winnipeg creative hybrid that is rewriting the definition of roots music. Over-the-top vocals meet pedal steel, blistering horns, banjo and fiddle to create this campy, slightly twisted take on country, blues, dixieland, klezmer and anything that piques their interest, apparently. With music that would be at home on an off-Broadway stage, this musical conglomerate swirls around the hell-fired vocals of Patrick Alexandre Leclerc and a group of talented musicians who throw caution to the wind in their bid to make a distinctive mark. (The F refers to the holes in acoustic guitars and standup basses…) www.thefholes.ca

Brott Music Festival Showcase: Chamber Music Concert. No Charge. Wednesday, May 18, 7:30.  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. Their diverse season includes everything from classical to pop music and this week they are doing a sneak preview of treats to come with a free concert at The Pearl. Come experience three exciting new chamber music groups: brass, a string trio and a wind trio. http://www.brottmusic.com

Jonathan Byrd with Corin Raymond and the Sundowners: Saturday, May 14. 7:30pm doors/8pm show, $20/$10 artists and students. Cackalack is Jonathan Byrd’s first release since joining Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell on the Chicago Tribune’s list of the 50 most significant singer-songwriters of the last 50 years. His 7th album title comes from Cackalacky a strictly-fun word which Carolinians have used to describe their state for hundreds of years. For an American release by an American artist celebrating his home state, this record has many Canadian connections. www.jonathanbyrd.com
The Sundowners are an all-star line up: Corin Raymond is the Toronto-based troubadour who is also half of the Undesirables; John Prine comparisons often come his way. David Baxter is a coveted guitar player a fine songwriter in his own right. Treasa Levasseur has her own powerful voice and unstoppable band, Brian Kobayakawa on upright bass has a couple Juno awards under his own belt  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Corin-Raymond

“Jonathan Byrd doesn’t sing songs; he sings truth.” – Performing Songwriter. “Maybe the most buzzed-about new songwriter in folkdom.” – The Boston Globe Read the rest of this entry »

Bill Bourne with String Bone: Friday May 13. 8:00 $15 at at the door multiple Canadian Juno Award winner, Bill has received international acclaim for his recordings and live performances. A mainstay on the international roots scene, life on the road is reflected in Bill’s music – powerful rhythms and soulful songs, steeped in World Beat, Blues, Cajun, Celtic, Folk, Flamenco, Funk, Poetry and more… Bill loves to collaborate with (musician) friends and on this tour, it is with Barry Payne pulling together ‘Stringbone’.   Canadian Folk Shaman – Magical Mystery Bourne’ – Kitchener/Waterloo Echo. “This man was put on this earth to play music.” – Crossroads Magazine

Justin Rutledge + New Country Rehab – Thursday, May 12. 8:00pm: (Series price: includes Jenn Grant + Jim Bryson – June 17:  2 shows for $30). OR: $18 adv/$22 door individual shows. Rutledge’s powerful new album, ‘The Early Widows’, includes songs co-written with literary giant Michael Ondaatje http://justinrutledge.com New Country Rehab: The band’s unique Outlaw/Indie/Country sound channels Hank Williams Sr. as much as Arcade Fire to create exciting new music. Their debut, self-titled album highlights the group’s original compositions and deep musical palette. www.newcountryrehab.com Read the rest of this entry »

Royal Wood: Wednesday, May 11, 8:00pm $15 advance. $18 door. Singer-songwriter Royal Wood has spent years perfecting his craft of balladry and pop music. His new album is “The Waiting” and with each new release Royal Wood delivers another collection of heartrending and honest tales of love, loss and life more impressive than the last. It seems Wood has found his voice and these songs are his “most personal and introspective to date.” confirming his position amongst the cream of Canada’s songwriting crop. The thoroughly contemporary multi-instrumentalist has a gift for layered, prismatic arrangements. http://www.royalwood.ca Read the rest of this entry »

Fish & Bird with Earth, Wind & Choir: Tuesday, May 10. 8:00. $10 at the door. Fish & Bird are a five-piece indie-folk powerhouse. They do vocal improv, they rock out in 11/8; sometimes it seems like they’re playing bluegrass, and sometimes they might make you cry. Their new album ‘Every Whisper is a Shout across the Void” has all the band’s influences and musical ideas woven tight into a cohesive sound.  Every Whisper explores the relationship between reality and perception exploring the fragility of human interactions, and the fictions we all weave about our own worlds whether we acknowledge them or not. www.fishandbird.ca Earth, Wind & Choir are a newly-formed Hamilton group who love to play with sound. The choir includes Sarah Good,  Melinda Richter and more…

Cinema Insieme Presents: La Febbre (2005): Monday May 9 at 7pm. $10 at the door. Mario is a young geometer of Cremona, a splendid medieval city to the south of Milano, taking courses at the faculty of Architecture, He spends his days performing jobs for a famous architect and he is also in business with 3 friends turning a mechanic shop into a pub. The discovery that he has won a contest for a municipal employee thanks to an application sent by his father four years before and the consequent possibilities of fixed employment will transform his existence. Splendidly shot by Alessandro D’Alatri, played with a lot of passion by a great Fabio Volo, the movie represents an interesting fresco of the contemporary Italian society. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452778/

Charly Chiarelli Returns with the Sunnamabeeches on Sunday, May 8 at 8:00. $10 (Again $20 for any two performances/ $30 for the 3. See below) One performance only for both these unique “Charly” events. Charly’s close friends Venesio (aka Dennis) De Salvo, Ron Weihs and Gary Santucci will join him as a musical ensemble. They will play everything from Frank Sinatra croon tunes to down and dirty Sicilian blues.  You can also expect some far-out stories about ‘mothers’.  (Charly says, ’You know who you are!’) Perfect for Mothers Day….

Melwood Cutlery with Jenny Whiteley: Saturday, May 7. Doors open 8:30, Concert at 9:00pm. $15. On the Road Again: Rare opportunity to see one of Canada’s best live at The Pearl Company! Singer songwriter, Melwood Cutlery is kicking up the dust again, performing songs from his award winning album, CAMPFIRE, and previewing tunes from his upcoming release, LIVE AT THE BLACK SHEEP INN. Melwood will be joined by superb instrumentalists Fred Guignion (Howe Gelb) and Dan Whiteley (Amy Millan). Guinon and Dan Whiteley add energy and virtuosity to this trio’s performances.  Unified by Melwood Cutlery’s gorgeous and intelligent songs, emotive and expert vocals, guitar, harmonica, and piano, audiences can expect a riveting three piece volley of sound and substance. “The hippest songwriter around.” David Francey. “A musical monster.” Joey Wright  www.melwoodcutlery.com

Special guest appearances by renowned singer songwriter, Jenny Whiteley at select shows and we are one of them!  Winner of a Juno roots album award, Whiteley’s integrity and commitment emanate from every syllable she sings as she shares her tales of life on the road less traveled. www.jennywhiteley.com

Charly Chiarelli and The Pearl Company Present: Sex and the City, 1300. Saturday, May 7. 7:00pm. $15 at the door. Erotic tales from Boccaccio’s Decameron, told by the storytelling company Raccontamiunastoria (in association with the Italian Federation of Storytelling)  www.raccontamiunastoria.com.  Sexy, deliriously funny, touching and personal, these tales are delivered in English (no subtitles…).  The performances are created and performed by Paola Balbi, Mariella Bertelli, Davide Bardi, and Charly Chiarelli.  The music is arranged and performed live by Charly and Davide Bardi.  A totally engaging experience taking place before a very special concert: see directly above….  Special offer: Both events (Charly / Melwood & Jenny) for $20. Add Charly’s Sunday event=3 events for $30 or any 2 for $20!

• May 6: We will visit Gallery on the Bay first, then Anastasia Gallery, Sunrise Gallery out on the Beach Strip, the new Image Gallery 205 on Cannon and the always surprising Gallery 435.
• May 13: Off first to Ottawa Street where we visit Earls Court Gallery, Under the Moon, and Allsorts Gallery . Then to the James North Art Crawl with its blocks and blocks of artists studios and galleries.  We’ll finish the tour at Hamilton’s original Studio Gallery with the long-standing and talented Tiger Group

•    Starting at 6:30 from ‘The Pearl Company’, 16 Steven Street and King William.
•    Please reserve a spot via email or phone, and purchase your trip ($15.00 / $10 students/artists) when you arrive.
•    We finish up at The Pearl for an après-tour wind-down which includes a tour of the building or whatever event is happening on the theatre floor

Kate Reid and evalyn parry: Friday, May 6. 8:00pm. $15 / $10 artists/students. Are teaming up and hitting the road together to wow audiences with their dynamic and innovative approach to writing. With a penchant for penning quick-witted and entertaining pieces from song to spoken word, Parry and Reid are a pair not to be missed.
evalyn parry, an award-winning songwriter, poet and ironic social commentator, is gifted with a sharp pen, a quirky musical sensibility and a wicked sense of humour. Parry shoots from the hip and aims for the heart. “Fierce, funny, poignant and provocative.” www.evalynparry.com
Kate Reid is one of Canada’s funniest, sharpest new talents – a whipsmart wordsmith with a stage presence cited for her originality, topical songwriting and laugh-aloud humour. Her socio-political musings about identity, love and queer life are matched with an irreverent, often self-deprecating sense of humour Season these songs with one of Kate’s warm, disarming laughs and you’ll understand why listeners of all persuasions have taken such a shine to her. “One woman. One guitar. Lots of attitude”. “Edgy, fun and brilliant” www.katereid.net

Roxanne Potvin: Wednesday May 4: 8:00 pm $15 / $10 students/artists: With her new album “Play” Roxanne 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 past three albums have been wailing the blues with luminaries such as Colin Linden, John Hiatt and Bruce Cockburn.  Steve Dawson who runs the Black Hen label out of Vancouver (and just wowed an audience at The Pearl) 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.  On the funky keyboard driven “Pretty Girls”, Potvin snarls her way through one of the most biting songs ever written about our culture’s fascination with beauty.  Clearly Roxanne can rock with the best of them when she wants to….  www.roxannepotvin.com