Oscar

Elton John still rocks, but with a little less falsetto

The venerable British pop star brought out the old favourites at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Feb. 6, 2014.   By: Nick Krewen Music, Published on Fri Feb 07 2014 Elton John 3 stars Air Canada Centre, Feb. 6 Goodbye yellow brick road, hello memory lane. Elton John unspooled another one of his almost three-hour, 28-song marathons at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday night and it was…

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Canadian composer Mychael Danna scores another hit with Life of Pi

Toronto composer takes no shortcuts when writing music for movies Canadian Mychael Danna is nominated for a Golden Globe for best original score for his work on Ang Lee film Life of Pi. “There’s something really wonderful about being the musical interpreter of a film,” he says. By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Wed Jan 02 2013   When it comes to writing music for movies, Mychael…


Herbie Hancock gives it all a try

Herbie Hancock gives it all a try | Toronto Star Longtime Gershwin fan’s Massey Hall show just latest outlet for broad-minded creator.   Herbie Hancock at home with keyboards both acoustic and electronic … thanks to Miles Davis. Nick Krewen Special to the Star Published on Thu Oct 20 2011 Legendary jazz innovator Herbie Hancock might be considered something of a prodigy, but that doesn’t mean he’s taking his upcoming…


Ryuichi Sakamoto works with giants and with glaciers

Composer found music even in the frigid waters of the Arctic Sea.  Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Mon Oct 25 2010 Over 80 albums and 32 years, revered Japanese cultural icon Ryuichi Sakamoto — who made a rare Toronto concert appearance Sunday at the Queen Elizabeth Centre — has dabbled in a lot of genres. Since he graduated from his electronic music studies at Tokyo’s University of Art, Sakamoto,…


Portrait of The Artist (Prince) As A Newly Free Man

Versions of this article for Southam News appeared in several Southam newspapers including The Windsor Star on November 20, 1996 PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A NEWLY FREE MAN   NICK KREWEN CHANHASSEN, Minnesota. The Artist Formerly Known As Prince  knows how to make a lasting impression. As the door to the conference room in his palatial Paisley Park Studios swings open, the man whose legal name is the unpronounceable…