Acoustic Architects

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…

Adult Contemporary, Bass, Beatles, Country, Grammy, Guitar, Nashville, Piano, Pop, Producer, Rock, Rock 'N Roll, Rock 'N Roll Hall Of Fame, Songwriter, United States, Voice March 27, 2024

It turns out Sheryl Crow’s final album wasn’t really the last. The singer explains why she made another one

The new record, Evolution, out Friday, is about “what’s happening in all of our daily lives,” including AI and social media negativity. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star When she released Threads back in 2019, nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow decided her 11th studio album would be her last and declared it as such. How, then, does she explain the arrival of Evolution, her 12th, out Friday? “Yes, I did announce…

Beatles, Canada, David Bowie, Elton John, Glam Rock, JUNO, Rock, Rolling Stones, Songwriter, Toronto, Voice March 23, 2024

He wrote his viral hit song in 35 minutes. Now TALK will live a dream on the Juno Awards stage

he song Run Away to Mars changed Nicholas Durocher’s life. He will perform at the March 24 Juno Awards, where he’s nominated in five categories. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star With a worldwide viral hit in “Run Away to Mars,” a sold-out European tour and five Juno Award nods to his credit, TALK is walking the walk.It’s been about a decade since Stittsville, Ontario’s Nicholas Durocher, now 28, decided to go…