Instruments

The Versatile Vanessa Williams

PUBLISHED IN THE TORONTO STAR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1997 Beauty Queen recovers from Penthouse debacle to star on stage, screen Nick Krewen Today, some people might call her a multi-media performer, but the old-fashioned word entertainer fits Vanessa Williams just fine. Film? She held her own with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the action-packed thriller Eraser, received critical acclaim for her acting in Soul Food and just completed Shut Up And Dance, the…


The Book Of Secrets Revealed

PUBLISHED IN CANADIAN MUSICIAN     Nick Krewen   When it comes to exploring her Celtic ancestry, Loreena McKennitt leaves no stone unturned. She’s trekked to the far corners of the Earth following her muse, this one-woman dynamo on a mission of cultural renaissance. Her travels have taken her to London, Ireland, Athens, Istanbul, Sicily and even a ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway to inspire her latest masterpiece, The Book…


Pat Benatar: She Belongs

  Nick Krewen Kitchener-Waterloo Record October 21, 1997 A million website hits can’t be wrong. Nor can thousands of people who flocked to outdoor sheds the past couple of summers to see her share the stage with Styx and Steve Miller. So why isn’t radio playing the music of Pat Benetar, especially when she’s recorded an album as strong as her latest, Innamorata? “Radio? I’m frustrated,” says Benatar, 44, matter-of-factly…


Daniel Lanois on recording

PUBLISHED IN CANADIAN MUSICIAN IN OCTOBER ’97 DANIEL LANOIS ON RECORDING Nick Krewen   Over the years, Daniel Lanois has chosen some pretty exotic locales to conduct his business: a New Orleans mansion, a Mexican cliff side dwelling, and a converted Californian porn theatre among them. The reason for his choices, however, isn’t as scientific as one might presume. “Hey, you’ve got to keep yourself amused,” chuckles Lanois, whose multifaceted…


Linda Manzer

PUBLISHED IN THE TORONTO STAR Friday, October 17, 1997 Nick Krewen The Toronto Star Friday, October 17, 1997 When jazz guitarist Pat Metheny performs at Massey Hall November 18, Toronto’s Linda Manzer will be sharing the stage with him. You won’t see her as much as hear her: through the ringing tones of Metheny’s classical fretless guitar as he performs the title track of his self-described “Chinese opera fretless blues”…