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January 4, 2012JMI Signs Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys
The group will compare easily to the very best live artists to have come from Atlantic Canada - watch them for yourself here. This four-piece group of seasoned musicians hail from the rich and dynamic PEI music scene and have collectively toured North America and the UK with ECMA winners the Grass Mountain Hobos. JMI will be touring Gordie in the Maritimes this coming fall, and there are plans for other tours as well, TBA soon. January 3, 2012Nathan Rogers to Tour Australia
January 3, 2012 Beoga's "How to Tune a Fish" Chosen
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JMI sends out our congratulations to Ireland's incredible Beoga, who's How to Tune a Fish has just been chosen from hundreds of recordings by the venerable Irish Echo as the Best Irish Traditional Album of 2011. |
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"Breathtaking virtuosity, unflagging energy,
and inventive risk-taking from a unique quintet
charting fresh territory."
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Earle Hitchner
As you can imagine, the top 40 list was populated with a who's who of Irish stars, making the attainment of the #1 spot all the more remarkable. Beoga will tour Eastern Canada in the spring of 2013, and will be on the Canadian festival circuit as well well in the summer of the same year.
Hear for yourself what all the fuss is about.
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JMI's Shane Howard made the cover of last month's Rhythms, Australia's folk & roots monthly magazine. In it, he discusses his anthemic song, Solid Rock, which is arguably Australia's most important song on the issue of the treatment of the country's aboriginal people by the Australian government. The story was written by Tony Hiller and is used here with the magazine's permission. |
Because James Keelaghan now resides in southeastern Ontario, we are finding it easier to do one-off gigs in the province. You can catch him at the Mera Schoolhouse in McDonald's Corners on February 24th, doing a solo show. |
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Information on the venue can be found at meraschoolhouse.org.
James is becoming increasingly busy, but is in striking distance of many Ontario markets. If you would like to book James for your theatre or folk club, please let us know.
Nathan Rogers will be touring "Nathan Sings Stan" across western Canada in early 2012, but we were not able to satisfy the demand for shows in Manitoba & Saskatchewan this time around. So, Nathan will be doing a ten day run in those provinces February 14th through 24th, 2013. He will once again tour with three musicians behind him, doing a complete evening of the music of his legendary father, Stan Rogers. |
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The response to Nathan Rogers' Nathan Sings Stan - The Rogers Legacy Continues has been incredible. His Maritime run met with standing ovations and encores at every show. In addition to the Maritime tour, we have four others in the works for the Nathan Sings Stan show. Here is where you can catch him in the New Year in Western Canada: |
| Feb 11 | Thunder Bay | ON | Sleeping Gaint Folk Music Society |
| Feb 17 | Pinawa | MB | Pinawa Community Centre |
| Feb 18 | Winnipeg | MB | West End Cultural Centre |
| Feb 20 | Regina | SK | The Exchange |
| Feb 22 | Fort MacLeod | AB | Empress Theatre |
| Feb 23 | Fort Macleod | AB | Empress Theatre |
| Feb 24 | Calgary | AB | Dalhousie Community Centre |
| Feb 25 | Calgary | AB | Braeside Community Centre |
| Feb 26 | Medicine Hat | AB | Medelata |
| Feb 28 | Athabasca | AB | Nancy Appleby Theatre |
| Feb 29 | Edmonton | AB | Festival Place Theatre |
| Mar 01 | Golden | BC | Golden Civic Centre |
| Mar 02 | Kaslo | BC | Langham Theatre |
| Mar 04 | Errington | BC | Errington War Memorial Hall |
| Mar 05 | Salt Spring | BC | Artspring |
Ray Bonneville has had a fantastic year, with Bad Man's Blood reaching the #1 position in the international blues charts and tours in Canada, the US, Europe and Australia. Ray will be touring in western Canada next fall (2012), and here is where you can catch him: |
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| Sep 27 | Dauphin | MB | Watson Arts Centre |
| Sep 28 | Winnipeg | MB | West End Cultrual Centre |
| Sep 29 | Edmonton | AB | Festival Place |
| Oct 30 | Calgary | AB | The Ironwood |
| Oct 01 | Salt Spring | BC | Fulford Hall |
| Oct 02 | Kelowna | BC | Minstrel Cafe |
| Oct 03 | Oliver | BC | Medici's |
| Oct 04 | Chilliwack | BC | Bozzini's Upstairs |
| Oct 05 | Errington | BC | Errington War Memorial Hall |
| Oct 06 | Duncan | BC | Venue TBA |
| Oct 07 | Vancouver | BC | Saint James Hall |
| Oct 09 | Fort St. John | BC | North Peace Cultural Centre |

Mountain Fever Records is proud to announce they have signed The Spinney Brothers, Canada's International Bluegrass band to their label and will release their debut CD, Memories spring 2012.
See the full press release here!
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JMI's wonderful folk supergroup Quartette will tour Western Canada in March of 2012. Sylvia Tyson, Cindy Church, Gwen Swick and Caitlin Hanford will perform dates in Saskatchewan and Alberta on a rare swing through the west. |
Here is where they will be performing:
| Mar 10 | Moose Jaw | AB | Moose Jaw Cultural Centre |
| Mar 11 | Calgary | AB | Triwood Community Centre |
| Mar 13 | Bassano | AB | Bassano Community Hall |
| Mar 14 | Camrose | AB | Bailey Theatre |
| Mar 15 | Peace River | AB | Athabasca Hall |
| Mar 16 | Edmonton | AB | Festival Place |
| Mar 17 | Calgary | AB | Braeside Community Centre |
| Mar 18 | Hanna | AB | Hanna Community Centre |
Quartette will also do a very short Christmas tour of Manitoba from November 28th through December 2nd in 2012
| JMI is pleased to announce that long time friend James Keelaghan has been chosen to program Owen Sound's long running folk festival, Summerfolk. | ![]() |
"I have played Folk Festivals all over the world from Hong Kong to Denmark and Summerfolk has always stood out as one of my favourites," Keelaghan said in a release. "In many ways Summerfolk exemplifies everything a folk festival should be: personal, ethical, open and exciting. I am honoured to become even more involved with Summerfolk and look forward to helping to bring the best in the world to Kelso Beach."
James is now a resident of Perth, Ontario, and continues to tour extensively in Canada, Europe, America and Australia. We congratulate him on this new posting and wish him well.
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Ireland's wonderful trad group Caladh Nua spent six weeks touring Canada last summer, and won over a lot of fans in the process. March of 2012 sees the guys (and gal) heading back to Canada for dates in Western Canada, as well as a small handful in Ontario. Here is where you can catch them in the spring: |
| Mar 10 | Morden | MB | Venue TBA |
| Mar 12 | Valemount | BC | Valemount Com. Theatre |
| Mar 14 | Calgary | AB | Irish Cultural Centre |
| Mar 15 | Fort MacLeod | AB | Empress Theatre |
| Mar 16 | Fort MacLeod | AB | Empress Theatre |
| Mar 17 | Edmonton | AB | Festival Place |
| Mar 18 | Peace River | AB | The Bell Centre |
| Mar 19 | Fort St. John | BC | North Peace Cultural Centre |
| Mar 20 | Vancouver | BC | St. James Hall |
| Mar 21 | Chilliwack | BC | Chilliwack Cultural Centre |
| Mar 23 | Ottawa | ON | Kildare Room At Saint Brigid's |
| Mar 24 | Peterborough | ON | Market Hall |
| Mar 25 | London | ON | Aeolian Hall |
Canada's busiest bluegrass band will return to western Canada by popular demand from April 4 through 14, 2013. The Spinney Brothers just keep getting busier and busier, with the summer of 2012 almost completely booked, and offers already coming from festivals for 2013. They are also incredibly busy performing festivals and concerts all over the US. |
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Between gigs, the guys have also been working on a new CD this fall. Stay tuned for more information on the release date.
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Flamenco master Juan Martin will tour Central and Eastern Canada as a trio in March of 2013. The shows will features a singer and dancer, and this will mark his first tour of these regions in four years. The tech for these shows is remarkably simple, making it suitable for most sizes of venues. |
Martin continues to tour around the globe, performing solo, trio and full ensemble dates. He has recorded 20 albums, mostly as a composer, the most recent of which are Serenade with the Royal Philharmonic and Solo.
"In Martín's hands flamenco is not so much a musical style
as an entire culture compressed
into a quivering box of air".
The Guardian, UK.
His sold out Barbican appearance in 2009 was filmed in preparation for a TV program about his life and a live concert dvd.
Every New Year's day, people gather on the banks of Perth, Ontario's Tay River to witness the insane leap into the frigid waters. Some plungers plunge for fun, but some plunge to raise money, and this year funds raised will go to keeping the town's fantastic Stewart Park Festival a free festival.
| James Keelaghan confirms that he will be amongst the plungers, and yes, you can sponsor him here. | ![]() |
James will have video up of him making the plunge by noon EST on New years day, but you'll only see it if you pledge, so make sure when you do, that you follow the directions and link your pledge to his name.
Thanks for your support and for helping to keep acoustic music alive!
JMI has always taken the "International" part of its name seriously, touring artists from every corner of the world. In recent years we have built inroads to Ireland, Africa and more recently, Australia, amongst other countries. Last month when the biggest world music conference in the world was held in Copenhagen, we were there.
This year's Womex conference coincided with Globenhagen, a large showcase of Danish music produced by Danish Roots. JMI attended many Danish showcases around Copenhagen and as far away as the beautiful Hillerød. We were also invited to the Danish Folk Music Awards, featuring live performances from Danish artists, as well as from Greenland. For such a small country, Denmark has a thriving music scene, featuring hundreds of folk, jazz and world music artists.
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| Danish booth at Womex | Danish National Radio's Claus Vittus prepares to interview JMI's Bob Jensen in Copenhagen |
Danish National Radio did a feature on JMI's Danish connection, the audio for which can be found here.
A print story on JMI can also be found here.
On October 27th, JMI and Danish Roots produced a workshop on touring in Canada for Danish artists and managers. The five hour session was held at the offices of Danish Roots in the old city, and resulted in a great exchange between all parties. JMI has toured numerous Danish artists in the past, and we are currently negotiating with several new groups for possible touring in 2013.
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JMI Workshop on Touring in Canada |
While at Womex, we were also able to meet with management for some incredible African artists, negotiations for which are currently ongoing.
Alpha Yaya Diallo will join two Quebec based bands, Bobolessé (Brazil) and Kabukuo (West Africa) for an night of great world music. Bring your dancing shoes!!! The evening begins at 21h00 on Wednesday, November 16 at Club Ballatou - 4372 boul St-Laurent (corner Marie-Anne) with Alpha scheduled to begin at 23h30. |
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In the band will be the phenomenal balafon master, Naby Camara and his sister N'nato Camara, an alumni of the Baille Taille and Ballet Djoliba. For a taste, visit their performance video clip from Afrofest 2008.
For more information, contact Jack Schuller.
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Quartette will perform two Christmas shows in Ontario in December. The ladies will play at the now-legendary Hugh's Room in Toronto on December 14th and then at the Princess Playhouse in St. Thomas on the 16th. The Saint Thomas show is now sold out, but there are a few tickets left at Hugh's Room. JMI is also working on a Christmas tour for Quartette in Manitoba for 2012. |
25th Anniversary Concert, A triple bill featuring : |
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Media release
November 10, 2011
For twenty five years Folk Under The Clock has been presenting a wealth of brilliant artists from Canada and around the world.
Artists as diverse as : Loreena McKennitt, Dougie Maclean, Fairport Convention, Ron Sexsmith, Oscar Lopez, Spirit of The West, Martin Simpson, Greg Brown, Tom Paxton, Eric Bogle, Danu, The Tannahill Weavers, The Wailin' Jennys, Harry Manx, Rawlins Cross, Lennie Gallant, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, Kate Rusby, Bruce Cockburn, Dar Williams, Ron Hynes, Arlo Guthrie, etc.
For the 25th Anniversary Concert we are bringing together a selection of fine artists who have performed here in the past :
James Keelaghan – The poet laureate of Canada's music scene, Juno winner, one of Canada's best songwriters, and one half of Compadres (with Oscar Lopez). Keelaghan played for the first time at Folk Under The Clock in 1991 !
Dala – A fan favourite at Folk Festivals across the country and a big hit at the Newport Folk Festival recently, winners of a Canadian Folk Music Award (best vocal group) in 2010. Dala are Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther.
David Francey – Winner of 3 Juno Awards in just 5 years, Francey is a brilliant songwriter who started his career later in life. His latest album, Late Edition, is getting rave reviews across the country, including the Peterborough Examiner's Ed Arnold.
This is sure to be a memorable event in Peterborough. The evening of celebration will also include music and pictures from the Folk Under The Clock archives as well as door prizes.
Mike Barker, Folk Under The Clock
Footage taken from Karine Polwart's forthcoming DVD - Here's Where Tomorrow Starts. Filmed largely in The Scottish Borders is now on YouTube. The DVD features live favourites such as "Daisy", "Sorry" and "Follow the Heron", as well as a peek at some new songs from her next album (due Summer 2012), and some behind the scenes banter about her songs and inspirations.
Karine recently performed at the Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton, and showcased at the OCFF Conference in Ontario. Watch for a Canadian release on Borealis Records in the coming months.
Nathan Rogers recently gave a full length interview to East Coast Kitchen Party on his upcoming, "Nathan Sings Stan - The Rogers Legacy Continues" Maritime tour. East Coast Kitchen Party Publisher, Michael Trenholm, reached Nathan in Winnipeg as he was preparing for the tour. This interview was recorded Friday, September 30, 2011 and you can listen to it here.
You can also get a sneak peak at some of the markets the "Nathan Sings Stan" show will be playing in Western Canada at the above link.
There is also a Facebook event around the upcoming tour. Nathan and Stan fans can learn more about the tour, keep abreast of tour developments and can invite friends to participate. Dates and venues for the Maritime tour can be found here. |
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JMI is preparing to return to beautiful Copenhagen, where we will be participating in the WOMEX conference as well as attending Globenhagen, which will feature off-Womex showcases featuring Danish groups. Globenhagen is organized and sponsored by Danish Roots.
While in Denmark, we will also be attending the Danish Folk Music Awards on October 29th, and giving a workshop to Danish artists on touring in Canada. JMI has booked numerous Danish artists in the past, and we look forward to seeing the latest musical offerings from this magical little country. |
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Womex is the premiere world music event in the world, featuring artists, manager, labels, agents etc. from every corner of the planet. It runs from October 26th through the 30th, and will take place in Greece in 2012. |
JMI is busy preparing to return to Denmark |
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JMI's Ray Bonneville has left the likes of Johnny Winter, Greg Allman and George Thorogood in his dust as he takes the # 1 position in the RMR Blues Charts, which monitor airplay from around the world. His current Red House Records Release, Bad Man's Blood, is Ray at his best, stripped down and raw, with some of the best songwriting ever from his long career. |
Ray will tour Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes in February of 2012, and will be out west next fall. Watch out for Ray in Australia as well - details to follow.
| Jensen Music International has been nominated CAPACOA “Agent/Artist Manager of the Year” for the 2010 - 2011 season. CAPACOA award winners are voted by the membership through an online survey that will be sent in early October. Winners will be announced during the Sunday night gala awards dinner taking place during the CAPACOA conference at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto on November 6th at 6:00pm. | ![]() |
CAPACOA is the united, national voice of the Canadian performing arts presenting and touring sector.
JMI has two new Maritime tours to announce for the spring of 2013. Rankin, Church & Crowe will return for their third Maritime tour, while Ireland's Beoga, this year's big hit at Stanfest, will make their inaugural Maritime run of Maritime theatres.
BEOGA - March 8th through 17th, 2013
It took only one 30 minute set at the Stan Rogers Folk Festival this summer to convince us to offer Ireland's incredible Beoga a spot on our roster. Not since PEI's Barachoios had we seen an act that could create such fun and musical virtuosity on a stage. The group mixes incredible instrumental prowess with beautiful vocals and a tremendous sense of humour that audiences love.
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See what we mean here. (YouTube) For those who are more traditional in their tastes, This tour is timed so that we are touring for the week leading up to, and including, St. Patrick's Day. |
RANKIN, CHURCH & CROWE - April 12 - 20, 2013
Three of Canada's most beautiful voices, all originally from Nova Scotia, come together to create Rankin, Church & Crowe. Raylene Rankin is best known for her work with the multi-platinum selling Rankin Family, while Cindy Church is known for her solo work as well as collaborations with Ian Tyson, Quartette and many other Canadian folk and country icons. Susan Crowe is an award-winning songwriter whose beautiful voice has been a staple on the Canadian folk circuit for many years.
Together, the three friends and colleagues perform the best material from their respective careers. The ladies have sold a number of Maritime venues, including the Church at Indian River, Kings Theatre and the Marigold Centre. |
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Rankin, Church & Crowe perform to a capacity house in Indian River, PEI in August. |
Chilean folk star Nano Stern, well known in his native Chile as a political activist, took part in a mass protest in Santiago last week. |
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Nano Stern performs before 180,000 protesters in Santiago on September 15 |
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Students were protesting what they describe as an educational apartheid between public and private schools. The protest movement, which is now in its fourth month, is the biggest in Chile since the country returned to democracy in 1990. President Sebastian Pinera has responded by promising limited reforms and $4 billion in extra educational funding. |
Chilean students demand educational reform |
The protest ended with students clashing with riot police, who responded with tear gas and water canon.
Stern's music has always been coloured with hard hitting social commentary, and he has established himself at a very young age, as one of the predominant voices of progressive change in Chile and South America in general. |
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Students clash with riot police |

JMI is very pleased to announce a large and fully choreographed African revue for the fall of 2012. Our biggest and most successful tours to date have been with groups like Black Umfolosi and Memeza Africa, and this show will take it up another notch in November of 2012.
Freedom (YouTube)
Alpha Yaya Diallo is well known to Canadian presenters, having performed at theatres and festivals from one end of the country to the other. In November of 2012 he will bring a brand new show to the stage. The revue will feature Alpha’s Juno Award winning band enhanced by two of Africa's Greatest instrumentalists, Naby Camera (balafon) and Prince Diabate (kora), with whom Alpha performed at the fabled Hollywood Bowl.
See for yourself the virtuosity of Alpha's special guests; Naby Camara - Balaphon Master of Guinea The seven musicians will be joined on stage by three brilliant and colourful dancers; two of whom are veterans of Les Ballet African de Guinea. Choreographers, N’nato Camera and Mariama Camera will join Alpha and the band to produce the show at the Banff Centre early in the New Year. This video will give you a sense of the kind of sparks that N'nato Camara can generate on a stage; Alpha Yaya Diallo and band at the Montreal Jazz Fest 2008. The West African Summit will start in the Maritimes at the beginning of November 2012, and work its way west. Please contact us if you would like more information on booking this very exciting show. |
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For the first and perhaps the only time ever, Nathan Rogers is going to be touring a full program of his famous father's material. Nathan Sings Stan - The Rogers Legacy Continues will debut in the Maritimes in November of this year, and will feature former Cottars fiddler Rosie MacKenzie, as well as Allie Bennett on bass. Bennett is famous for his work with The Rankins, Nathalie MacMater, The Barra MacNeils and Rita MacNeil, to name just a few. Guitar duties will be handled by J.D. Edwards. JD has shared the stage with some great artists including Hawksley Wokman, Don Ross, Suzie Vinnick, & Buffy Sainte Marie. |
The setlist will include Stan Rogers gems such as Northwest Passage, Mary Ellen Carter, Barrett's Privateers and Forty Five Years.
The music of Stan Rogers still resonates with Maritimers and with all Canadians, and there is no one who could deliver an evening of his music with the integrity and feeling of his son Nathan.
Check out Nathan here:
This is where you will be able to catch him in the fall.
| Nov 04 | Sydney | NS | Membertou Centre |
| Nov 05 | Port Hawkesbury | NS | Civic Centre |
| Nov 06 | Pictou | NS | Decoste Centre |
| Nov 07 | Hunter River | PE | Harmony House Theatre |
| Nov 08 | Halifax | NS | The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium |
| Nov 09 | Liverpool | NS | The Astor Theatre |
| Nov 10 | Annapolis Royal | NS | Kings Theatre |
| Nov 12 | Sackville | NB | George's Roadhouse |
There may be one or two additional Maritime dates, and Nathan will also be touring this show in western Canada in February - stay tuned for details on that tour.

Ian and Sylvia Tyson began playing folk in Toronto clubs in 1959. They quickly went to the top of the heap on the Canadian folk scene, and their success in the United States helped put Canadian folk music on the international map. The duo dropped by Studio Q for rare joint interview on september 7th, in which they discussed their role in creating the "folk revival" of the mid 20th century and Four Strong Winds: Ian and Sylvia, the new biography by music journalist John Einarson, penned with Ian and Sylvia's cooperation. Listen to their conversation with Jian here and share your memories of one of Canada's most treasured folk music acts.
Sylvia Tyson will tour the Maritimes in November - for the dates and cities, click here.
On September 6th, Four Stong Winds, a biography of Canadian folk icons, Ian & Sylvia will be released by McClelland & Stewart. An acclaimed music historian brings us the long-awaited story ofIan & Sylvia - marking the first time that the legendary folk duo has endorsed a biography of their groundbreaking career. |
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Their classic "Four Strong Winds" is widely considered to be one of the great songs of all time. Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell count among their admirers. Their music, including hits like "You Were On My Mind" and "Someday Soon," has been recorded by everyone from Dylan, Joan Baez, and Johnny Cash to Sarah McLachlan and The Tragically Hip. Their influence on music - both in Canada and the United States - has endured over generations and surpassed genres. Yet until now, we have known little of the story behind the folk sensations Ian & Sylvia. In Four Strong Winds, John Einarson takes us back to Ian & Sylvia's early days in Toronto coffeehouses, to their experiences at the heart of the vibrant 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene, and beyond, as their personal and musical partnership continued to change and evolve. Based on Ian and Sylvia Tyson's own personal reflections as well as on the recollections of contemporaries, associates, and admirers, Four Strong Winds is the definitive account of this iconic musical duo and a window on a fascinating period in music history.
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“To my principal mentors Ian & Sylvia – I offer my profound respect and admiration.” —Gordon Lightfoot |
Four Strong Winds was penned by JOHN EINARSON, a widely-respected rock music historian and author of more than a dozen books including critically-acclaimed biographies of Neil Young, Randy Bachman, Buffalo Springfield and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Several of his books have been ranked among the top ten best music biographies and received award nominations. |
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Fresh off the road from a very busy summer playing festivals all over North America, Nova Scotia's ever-popular Spinney Brothers will be touring western Canada in October of this year. In September the Spinneys will be attending the IBMA Awards (International Bluegrass Music Association) in Nashville, and November will see them working on a new recording. |
| Here is where you can catch them in October: | |||
| Oct 15 | Portage la Prairie | MB | William Glesby Centre |
| Oct 18 | Regina | SK | The Exchange |
| Oct 19 | Shellbrook | SK | Shellbrook Theatre |
| Oct 20 | Saskatoon | SK | Broadway Theatre |
| Oct 21 | Sundre | AB | Sundre Arts Development Centre |
| Oct 22 | Camrose | AB | Bailey Theatre |
| Oct 23 | Red Deer | AB | Elks Lodge |
| Oct 26 | Sherwood Park | AB | Festival Place |
| Oct 27 | Fort MacLeod | AB | The Empress |
| Oct 28 | Fort MacLeod | AB | The Empress |
| Oct 29 | Vancouver | BC | Venue TBA |
| Oct 30 | Kaslo | BC | Langham Theatre |
The incredible Juan Martin, whom Guitar Player Magazine calls "one of the top three guitartists in the world," will tour western Canada in November, with one Ontario date at the end of the run before he heads home. This time Juan will be touring with a larger ensemble, including a dancer and a singer. |
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Check out this Youtube video, with nearly 200,000 hits. For some live video more in line with what the November shows will be like, visit the JMI Theatre. |
Here is where you can catch him in November:
| Nov 04 | Vancouver | BC | Kay Meek Centre |
| Nov 05 | Madeira | BC | Sechelt Theatre |
| Nov 06 | Mission | BC | Clarke Foundation Theatre |
| Nov 07 | Chilliwack | BC | Chilliwack Arts Centre |
| Nov 08 | Lake Country | BC | Creekside Theatre |
| Nov 10 | Fort MacLeod | AB | Empress Theatre |
| Nov 11 | Calgary | AB | River Park Church |
| Nov 13 | Sherwood Park | AB | Festival Place |
| Nov 15 | Prince Albert | SK | E.A. Rawlinson Centre |
| Nov 16 | Saskatoon | SK | Broadway Theatre |
| Nov 17 | Winnipeg | MB | West End Cultural Centre |
| Nov 18 | London | ON | Aeolian Theatre |
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We had the opportunity to catch the most wonderful Beoga last month at the Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Nova Scotia, and offered them a signing on the spot. As they join Caladh Nua on our roster, we believe that we now have the two finest new traditional acts out of Ireland. |
Although Beoga is not strictly a trad act. See what we mean here.
But if trad is your thing, they have that covered too.
"Madcap genius, master craftsmen.
In Beoga, the Irish music world found another prodigy."
- IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE
Beoga (gaelic for ‘lively’) are based in County Antrim, in the north of Ireland. The bedrock of their sound lies firmly within the Irish tradition. However, they are not afraid to incorporate other genres’ nuances into their music. From bluesy riffs to Astor Piazzola-style jazz, to a raunchy New Orleans jamboree vibe, their music always returns to a wonderfully bouncy Irish sound. The result is traditional, with a huge sense of fun and adventure and it all works - wonderfully well. The Wall Street Journal describes them as “the most exciting new traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century.” Irish Music Magazine writes, “Beoga are at the forefront of the new Irish wave.”
Why would 60,000 people want to watch a bodhran solo on line? Here's why.
With their new 2011 release ‘how to tune a fish‘ attracting fresh critical acclaim, Beoga are confirming their reputation as the most audacious Irish band rooted in trad today. With their unique blend of inventive arrangements, virtuosi instrumental talents and beautiful vocals, Beoga’s popularity continues to flourish as they captivate audiences on a global scale. |
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Stay tuned for tour announcements.
A new release for Acoustic Strawbs, collecting a selection of key tracks from earlier (in some cases no longer available) Witchwood releaes and a few surprises - live tracks of songs never released before in acoustic form - "Jesus" and "Grace Darling", and two Cousins/Willoughby tracks - an unreleased version of "Beat The Retreat" recorded in Italy, and the B-side of "The King", the stunning acoustic version of "Ringing Down The Years". |
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Check out Dick Greener's preview. A thoroughly enjoyable collection with some real gems and some great unreleased stuff.
Tracks
1. Ghosts (Baroque & Roll)
2. Copenhagen (Dancing To The Devil's Beat)
3. A Glimpse Of Heaven (Live At Hampton Court DVD - unreleased on CD)
4. Midnight Sun (Hero And Heroine In Ascencia)
5. Evergreen (Baroque & Roll)
6. Grace Darling (UNRELEASED - recorded live at Johnny D's, Somerville MA)
7. Cold Steel (Painted Sky)
8. Autumn (Full Bloom)
9. Josephine, For Better Or For Worse (Strawberry Fayre)
10. Witchwood (Live At Hampton Court DVD - unreleased on CD)
11. The Man Who Called Himself Jesus (UNRELEASED - recorded live at The Fishpond, Matlock Bath)
12. Benedictus (Painted Sky)
Heritage Gold (bonus tracks)
13. Cousins And Willoughby: Beat The Retreat (UNRELEASED - recorded 1979 in Bergamo Italy)
14. Ringing Down The Years (B-side of "The King", recorded at Tittenhurst Park, 1980)
For fans of songwriters, it doesn’t get much better than this. Canada’s James Keelaghan is teaming with up Scotland’s legendary Archie Fisher for a series of dates in the Maritimes this fall. Each artist will have one full solo set, performing songs from their long and varied careers. The first leg of the tour sees them playing intimate venues in PEI and mainland Nova Scotia, and they wrap up at the Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton.
Here is small taste of what you can expect from this unique pairing:
Message to the Future (James Keelaghan live from Ottawa Folk Festival)
Borderlands (Archie Fisher live from Celtic Roots Festival)
And here is where you can catch this one-time package in the fall.
| Oct 01 | Chester, NS | Chester Playhouse |
| Oct 02 | Liverpool, NS | Astor Theatre |
| Oct 03 | Halifax, NS | The Carleton |
| Oct 05 | Hunter River, PE | Harmony House Theatre |
| Oct 07 | Pictou, NS | Decoste Centre |
| Oct 8-10 | Cape Breton, NS | Celtic Colours (venues TBA) |
JMI is very excited to announce that we have signed the extraordinary Fribo, whose members come from all over Europe. See the official Fribo web site. Fribo (Open House) is a unique collaboration between Norwegian singer Anne Sofie Linge Valdal, Scottish fiddler Hannah Read, Liverpool born Ewan MacPherson on guitar and tall Swedish percussionist Magnus Lundmark. See Fribo perform a completely live version of their self-composed track 'Swallow Twine / Many Little Sheeps & Goats Jumping Around in a Green Meadow / Waltz of Freedom' in an old Norwegian house. |
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They are described by Celtic Connections Festival as
“…one of the freshest and most inventive acts on the emerging 'Nu-Nordic' scene,
exploring and creating links between British and Scandinavian traditions,
with a deft peppering of wider contemporary influences.”
After first playing around an old Edinburgh kitchen table in 2003, Fribo have become experts in finding subtle ways of exchanging traditions while expressing them anew, with an exuberant feel for contemporary sounds and rhythms.
Gaelic Drinking Song / Kvenna Visa / The night we drank the Port (YouTube).
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Today after honing their musical explorations through five years of touring experience and a very well received debut album, Fribo is rapidly gaining recognition and acclaim; the band released their second album called 'Happ' (Old Norn language meaning "in good health") on 30 March 2011 which is already picking up great reviews, positive comment and airplay worldwide. |
The dynamic blending of voices, willow flute, fiddle, jaw harp and guitar has become a “...zestful, vibrant, multi-national North Sea sound.” (Womad). To date Fribo have toured throughout Europe and North America, performing at large-scale events such as: WOMAD, Celtic Connections, APAP, Vancouver Folk Festival, FolkBaltica Festival, Telemark Festival, Calgary Folk Festival, Gosport & Blàs.
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The wonderful Rankin Church & Crowe will tour western Canada in October of this year. Raylene Rankin, Cindy Church and Susan Crowe deliver a brilliant harmony packed evening of their best material. Here's where to catch them: |
| Oct 13 | Olds | AB | Olds Kiwanis Performing Arts Society |
| Oct 14 | Edmonton | AB | Festival Place |
| Oct 15 | Calgary | AB | Strathcona Community Centre |
| Oct 16 | Medicine Hat | AB | Medicine Hat Folk Club |
| Oct 18 | Forget | SK | Ananda Art House |
| Oct 19 | Virden | MB | Virden Auditorium Theatre |
| Oct 21 | Pinawa | MB | Pinawa Community Centre |
| Oct 22 | Manitou | MB | Manitou Opera House |
On August 30th, Juno Award winner Ray Bonneville celebrates the release of his highly anticipated new album Bad Man's Blood on Red House records. One of North America's most masterful players and songwriters, Ray is a veteran musician just now getting his due. With the release of this tour de force, Ray confirms that "His time has definitely come" (Real Blues Magazine). |
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From the haunting opening bars of the title track to the playful closing song, Ray takes us on a journey through life's darkest and sunniest moments, delving deep into the lives of this world's drifters, losers, lovers and criminals. Following in the tradition of the great American writers of the south and his favorite authors Cormac McCarthy and Flannery O'Connor, Ray draws inspiration from the places he has been, creating short stories that evoke true-to-life characters stumbling their way through a rough and tumble world of violence, hope and despair.
See Ray perform "Nightwalker" from the new release on YouTube.
Click here to see the above one-pager as a PDF.
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JMI is very excited to announce the signing of a young family group from Newfoundland, five sisters who call themselves Ashelin. Since their first public performance in 1997, they have entertained thousands at such high profile events as the World Podium of Influential Leaders series with guest speaker Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and in Qatar for an audience with Queen Sheikah Mozah. |
The group’s original song “Song for Mariana” was a winner from over 600 contenders for David Suzuki’s “Playlist for the Planet,” and their 2010 release “The Road Not Taken” was produced by Grammy Award winning producer George Massenburg, who has worked with the likes of Billy Joel, James Taylor, Lyle Lovett and Linda Ronstadt. In his review of Ashelin’s recent concert at the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Stephen Cooke of the Chronicle Herald in Halifax said, “They are poised to become Newfoundland and Labrador’s answer to the Rankin’s.” Their rendition of Stan Roger’s, The Jeanie C. brought them a spontaneous standing ovation at Stanfest – hear them perform it here.
To see recent video of the group, please visit them on YouTube here. Ashelin is managed by Brookes & Fiona Diamond of Halifax, and JMI is already coordinating tours of the US, Ireland and Australia well into 2013 and 2014. Watch for Canadian tours to be announced soon. |
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The incredible Alpha Yaya Diallo will perform an outdoor show at the Don Fink Memorial Park in Seymour Arm, BC on Saturday, August 13th at 7:00 p.m. Ticket information is available from the Roots & Blues website. |
Alpha's Seymour Arm performance is presented by the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival.
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JMI has signed Chile’s Nano Stern, a brilliant young songwriter, who at the age of 24, has already performed to hundreds of thousands of fans from Santiago to Europe and Australia. He has been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, and many of his YouTube videos boast views numbering up to 200,000. Stern’s songs carry on the humanitarian tradition of sociopolitical commentary, whichhas drawn comparisons to Chile’s fabled Victor Jara, who was tortured and killed during the 1973 coup that brought down the government of Salvador Allende. Not only is he a brilliant musicians, Stern is also one of the most important young artists to emerge from South America in recent years. |
“One of the concert highlights of the year.”
- The Melbourne Age, Australia
"When he sings, you listen,
even if you don't understand Spanish,
because it feels like the truth."
- Andrew Cronshaw
Nano will be available for summer festivals in July of 2012, and is suitable not only for folk festivals, but also for jazz and world music events.
For taste of Nano’s striking music, watch him on YouTube here:
Necesito una Canción
Cantaba
Nano will also be touring Western Canada during the 2012/13 season, dates TBA.
Canadian singer-songwriters Kate & Anna McGarrigle are featured on a new stamp released by Canada Post this month, pictured at left. The stamp is one of four in the third installment of the Post's popular Canadian Recording Artists stamp series, honoring outstanding Canadian singer-songwriters and performers who have won accolades on Canadian stages and abroad. Also included in today's release are Bruce Cockburn, Robbie Robertson, and Ginette Reno.
Each stamp features a monochromatic photo of the artist alongside their Order of Canada insignia—the sisters were invested with the Order in 1994—as well as titles from some of their most well-known song titles, like the McGarrigles' "Heart Like a Wheel." To purchase copies of the new stamp, go to canadapost.ca. |
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JMI had the privilege of representing Kate & Anna for more than a decade.
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Sylvia Tyson will make a rare tour of the Maritimes in November of 2011. Between work with Quartette and her newly-found career as a novelist, Sylvia has not had much time for solo touring. This spring, she released Joyner’s Dream on HarperCollins Canada. Joyner’s Dream is the sweeping story of a family and its dubious legacy: an abiding love of music coupled with a persistent knack for thieving. Beginning in England in the 1780s, continuing in Halifax at the time of the Great Explosion, and ending in Toronto in the present, eight larcenous generations from all walks of life—craftsmen and highwaymen, aristocrats and servants, lawyers and B-movie actors—are connected by music, a secret family journal and one long-lived violin. When the branches of the family are reunited and lingering secrets are revealed, we have come full circle in a hugely satisfying and surprising tale. |
This multi-generational story—told in a spellbinding series of historical voices—abounds in such rich social detail and sharply rendered characters, it affords the deep reading pleasures to be found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy.
Here is where you can find Sylvia on tour this fall in Atlantic Canada:
| Nov 03 | Saint John, NB | Imperial Theatre |
| Nov 04 | New Glasgow, NS | Celtic Cultural Centre |
| Nov 05 | Summerside, PE | Harbourfront Jubilee Theatre |
| Nov 06 | Halifax, NS | Casino Nova Scotia |
We may have to start referring to the Spinney Brothers as the hardest working bluegrass band in Canada. They are also turning heads all over the United States. If you love bluegrass, or just great music, here is where to catch them this summer: |
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July:
07/02-03/2011 Stan Fest, Canso, NS
07/08/2011 Basin Bluegrass Festival, Vermont
07/09-10/2011 Renfrew Bluegrass Festival, Ontario
07/14/2011 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Walsh Farm Oak Hill, N.Y.
07/16/2011 Minden Hills Bluegrass Festival
Minden Hills, Ontario
07/17/2011 Canal & Railway Festival, Smith Falls, Ontario
Smith Falls, Ontario
07/23-24/2011 Ossipee Valley Bluegrass Festival, Hiram, ME
07/28/2011 South Shore Exhibition, Bridgewater, NS
07/30-31/2011 40th Annual NS Bluegrass Festival, Bible Hill, NS
August:
08/01-4/2011 NE Celtic Arts - Maine
08/01/2011 St Keiran's Community Centre, NH
155 Emery St. Berlin, NH - 7pm-9pm (603-752-1028)
08/02/2011 Lakeside Theatre, Rangeley, Maine
Main Street, Rangeley- 7pm-9pm (207-864-5000)
08/03/2011 Skye Theatre Performing Arts Centre
South Carthage, Maine (207-562-4445)
08/04/2011 Unity Centre For The Performing Arts
Unity, Maine (207-323-0505)
08/06-07/2011 Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival
08/18/2011 The Forest Festival, Haliburton, Ontario
Haliburton Forest & Wildlife Reserve Ltd.
08/19/2011 Granville Museum, Granville, TN
08/21-22/2011 Spinney Brothers in Dollywood, TN
08/27-28/2011 Rogersville Bluegrass Festival, Rogersville, NB
September:
09/3-4/2011 County Bluegrass Festival-Maine
Location: Fort Fairfield, Maine 04742
09/17/2011 Maplewood & Parkdale Hall, NS
09/18/2011 The Music Barn, Sackville, NB
Showtime: 2pm - 4pm
09/24-25/2011 Newfoundland Bluegrass & Oldtime Country Music Society
09/26-28/2011 IBMA's, Nashville, NS
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Shoogs fans will have three chances to catch the group early this summer. Here's where; | |||||||||||
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| James Keelaghan also has a busy summer lined up. If you are in Canada, this is where you can catch him over the summer months: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| When the National Folk Festival took place in Canberra, Australia in April of this year, JMI was there to scout Australian talent for the Canadian festival and concert circuit. The result has been very exciting, as we have signed three of the continents very finest live acts, including a young rising star, a legend of folk-rock and the country’s finest bush band. | ![]() Giant Mice Crossing Next 3 km |
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![]() Australian legend, Shane Howard |
Shane Howard – England has Billy Bragg, Canada has Bruce Cockburn and America has Pete Seeger. The premiere voice of conscience in Australian folk-rock and one of the country’s greatest songwriters, Shane Howard first achieved notoriety with the rock band, Goanna, releasing Solid Rock in 1982, a song that has become somewhat of an anthem on the continent. It was one of the first contemporary songs to broach the subject of Aboriginal rights in Australia and impacted powerfully on a whole new generation of writers and musicians who followed. The album, Spirit of Place, was released in 35 territories, worldwide. Howard’s solo career since Goanna disbanded has been too busy and diverse to adequately describe here. You can read about this remarkable artist’s life in the arts here. |
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| Watch the video for Back in Time from Shane’s 2010 release, Goanna Dreaming here. | ||
Richard Perso – At 20 years of age, Richard Perso is already a veteran of the Australian folk circuit, and one of a new generation of artists incorporating Australian sounds and instruments with new ideas, producing music that is both exciting and unique. A brilliant slide guitarist and a fan of John Lee Hooker, Richard trades in a rack harmonica for a rack didgeridoo. On stage, he performs solo, with three giant didgeridoos and four guitars, including lap steel. Richard has performed at more than 50 different festivals in Australia alone, and he also toured the US for six weeks in 2010 after recording his debut CD in New York City. The reason Richard is in such demand on the Australian festival circuit is simple – his live shows are riveting and unique. |
Watch Richard perform Shane Howard’s anthem, Solid Rock, at the Mount Beauty Music Festival last year. |
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Wongawilli – JMI is very excited about having signed Australia’s premiere bush band, Wongawilli. In Australia, bush bands are typically large groups who perform traditional music on instruments such as fiddle, accordion, concertina, bush bass, lagerphone and barcoo dog, an improvised rattle originally used for moving sheep in a paddock. Left: Playing the lagerphone |
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Bush bands evolved in the Outback, playing music for bush dances, in which the dance program was usually based on dances known from colonial times to the folk revival in the 1950s. Contemporary dances, composed in the traditional style, are also featured at bush dances. Wongawilli is Australia’s most traveled bush band, having completed many tours of Australia, Europe, the UK and China. It would be difficult to find a better proponent of Australian folk music than this incredible group. |
See Wongawilli perform the iconic |
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![]() “Joey” will not be touring in 2012 |
JMI, in conjunction with Folk Alliance Australia, with whom we have been closely working over the past year, will be touring all three of these Australian artists, along with an Aborigine act, TBA, on the Canadian festival circuit in July and early August of 2012. This package will be perfect for an evening mainstage performance, but the individual artists will also be able to do unique workshops, dances, mini-concerts, etc. The Aussies Are Coming is an exciting and well-rounded package of Australian folk, from traditional to the new and breaking sounds of some of the continent’s very finest artists. |
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JMI is committed is to fostering an exchange of artists between Canada and Australia, and will be touring other Australian artists in the coming years. We have also been instrumental in helping a number of Canadian artists to tour down under, and continue to work on this with key players across the continent. Additionally, JMI has been working with an Australian agency to facilitate an exchange program between to Canada and two Aussie festivals. |
![]() Bob Jensen and Shane Howard in Canberra at The National Folk Festival |
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| Both Canada and Australia have much to gain from a close relationship within the folk community. We are very grateful to Folk Alliance Australia and Jim MacQuarrie for their help and dedication in this most worthwhile endeavour. Stay tuned for more developments. | ||