Regions

British Columbia, Canada, Country, Country Pop, Folk, Guitar, Music Industry (Trade), Pop, Rock, Songwriter, Toronto, Vancouver, Voice May 23, 2024

He made radio hits in the 1970s but later gave up music for woodworking. Now Ray Materick is back

Materick, whose Canadian radio hits included “Linda, Put the Coffee On,” “Feelin’ Kinda Lucky Tonight” and “Northbound Plane,” will play Hugh’s Room Live on Saturday. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Linda, it’s almost time to put the coffee on. When singer/songwriter Ray Materick performs at Hugh’s Room Live Saturday for the first time in over a decade, it will be with renewed interest in his most popular material, including…

Arranger, BeBop, Big Band, Composer, Events, Grammy, Jazz, New York, Orchestra, Saxophone, United States May 9, 2024

A Toronto concert offers jazz great John Coltrane’s music in a rare format: arranged for symphony orchestra

“He was a passionate player that was always looking forward,” says saxophonist Joe Lovano, featured soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in world premiere “John Coltrane: Legacy.” By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Get ready to hear the music of John Coltrane in a whole new context. While the legendary repertoire of the late jazz sax colossus has been performed in many configurations over the last 75 years or so,…

Chicago, Depeche Mode, Engineer, In Memoriam, Producer, United States May 9, 2024

Canadian musicians remember record producer Steve Albini as ‘an extremely generous and kind soul whose work did unmeasurable good’

Albini, who died Tuesday, engineered seminal albums by Nirvana, the Pixies and P.J. Harvey, but he also loved working with Canadian bands.  by Nick Krewen Special to the Star Thirty years later, Toronto’s Don Pyle still sounds shocked that legendary producer and engineer Steve Albini told a music magazine he’d rather work with Pyle’s Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet than British synth superstars Depeche Mode. The year was 1993 and Albini…

Africa, Beyoncé Knowles, Composer, Grammy, Herbie Hancock, Producer, Regions, Songwriter, Voice, World Music April 18, 2024

‘All women suffer from injustice’: Mali singer Oumou Sangaré on why she’s still speaking out for women in Africa and beyond

Sangaré, who has been opposing arranged marriages, polygamy, sexual subservience and genital mutilation for more than three decades, makes a rare Toronto appearance on April 20.by Nick Krewen Special to the Star She’s known worldwide as “the Songbird of Wassoulou.” But over the past three decades, Malian singer-songwriter Oumou Sangaré, who makes a rare Toronto appearance on Saturday, has meant so much more, especially to the women of Africa. Since…

Alberta, Canada, Comedy, In Memoriam, Television, Toronto, United States April 5, 2024

Everyone knows Joe Flaherty was funny. These Canadian comedians say he was also generous, friendly and kind

Comedians who met and worked with Flaherty, like Naomi Snieckus, Ron Pederson and Seán Cullen, say he was always ready to lend a hand to his fellow funny people. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Joe Flaherty was not only a master of impressions but knew how to leave a good one. Local comedians described the beloved Pittsburgh-born Second City and SCTV star, who died Monday at the age of 82…