Uncategorized February 28, 2022

Brampton singer/songwriter AHI talks influences and the winding path that led him to music

His third album, Prospect, released late last year, with singles “Danger” and “Coldest Fire,” is an extraordinary folk-rooted effort. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star February 23, 2022 From a stranger outside Thunder Bay to Prospect Cemetery, to Bob Marley: Ahkinoah Habah Izarh — AHI for short — finds inspiration in all kinds of places and people. The Brampton-born singer and songwriter’s third album Prospect displays 10 songs of…

Canada, Composer, Country, Country Rock, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, JUNO, Piano, Pop, Producer, Psychedelic, Rock 'N Roll, Songwriter, Toronto, Voice December 3, 2021

Blue Rodeo on the making of new album Many A Mile: ‘Everybody was willing to let go of how everything was before and it was really great’

By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Sometimes fate intervenes in mysterious ways. For example, take Blue Rodeo: the creation of the Toronto collective’s new album Many A Mile, released Friday, was as much a surprise to the band’s co-founding songwriters Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor as anyone. Even though it’s been five years since their last studio effort, 1000 Arms, it seemed it would be another little while before…

Progressive rock, Rock, Toronto, United Kingdom, Vancouver November 26, 2021

Genesis: Nostalgia Is The Balm That Heals At Scotiabank Arena Finales

By Nick Krewen Special to the Star For what was potentially its second last performance ever in Canada, Genesis turned it on again for the Toronto crowd for the first of two shows at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night. It was a bittersweet event.  On one hand, the core trio of singer and ex-drummer Phil Collins, bassist Mike Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks – in their first local appearance since…

Uncategorized November 12, 2021

Gordon Lightfoot, 82, thrilled to be reopening Toronto’s Massey Hall

By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Well, we almost had a Massey Hall reopening without a Gordon Lightfoot concert. Reached at home by phone on Monday, Lightfoot admits that  even though his Nov 25-27 dates to welcome patrons back to the Grand Ole Lady following her $135 million facelift have been on sale for months, he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to honour his commitment. The culprit?  A…

Uncategorized October 16, 2021

Elton John talks about the magic of collaboration and his new album The Lockdown Sessions

By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Sometimes no plans are the best plans.  According to British pop superstar Sir Elton John, his star-studded, upcoming 32nd studio album, The Lockdown Sessions,  out October 22, wouldn’t have happened without an invitation from Charlie Puth, the L.A.-based singer and songwriter of the hits “Marvin Gaye,” “Attention” and “How Long,” to write in his studio.  “I had no plans to make any music at all,…