Duke Ellington, Paul Gonzales and other sleeping beauties. This is the concert to which Brian is referring : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17sjblH8bnw
On a side note:
After months of effort by L’Escalier Montreal to retrieve a permit by the city of MOntreal to restart their EVERYDAY live presentations the venue is still unable to do so, despite the whole level having been completely overhauled –
The Brian Downey Band feat. Montreal’s own Pedro Ullmann lost 4 (!!!!) shows that way with no replacement whatsoever – please give the minister an earfull, phone as follows:
https://www.facebook.com/spectaclesescalier
Monsieur François Robillard
Téléphone : 514 868-5178
http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=7317%2C79911708&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&id=102539599
please share, thank you. You can also sign and share the following petition. https://secure.avaaz.org/fr/petition/Sauvons_les_spectacles_a_lEscalier/sign/
In light of the latest efforts of our dictator government to bureaucratize and ultimately kill live music, a highly profitable industry with a lot of employment involved, it seems high time to raise your voices. Feel free to also write Jason Kenney a letter (info below). Thank u!
peace out and happy gigging
Maren Molthan
Abroadcom.net
background:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/fees+international+touring+musicians+threaten+smaller/8842759/story.html
The new fee: <"It's 275 per musician, paid by the venue. and i quote the department spokesperson "which ensures the administrative costs of the program are paid by employers-who can't recover the fee from the workers-and no longer subsidized by taxpayers." So, to recap-that's a clubowner paying 1100 dollars to have a 4 piece band. Result....you ain't getting hired It used to be a $150 dollar entry fee, good for the tour. Result...where do I plug in?" from Maplepost KENNEY, The Hon. Jason, P.C. Telephone: 613-992-2235 Fax: 613-992-1920 E-Mail: jason.kenney@parl.gc.ca House of Commons Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 this following letter was written by folk industry guru Richard Flohil: Re: New fees on foreign musicians performing in Canada Dear Minister Kenney, Briefly, sir, what WERE you thinking? These unreasonable, punitive, excessive fees, instituted without any consultation with the music industry, rob Canadian audiences of the opportunity to hear, meet, and be influenced by creative musicians from neighbouring countries. The following questions — which your aide said would be answered, but I have grave doubts that this will be the case — arise: 1) Why were these fees instituted in the first place? 2) Did you, in fact, consult anyone in the music industry before making the decision to impose these fees? 3) If you did, just which individuals and/or organizations did you consult with? 4) Do you seriously think more Canadian musicians will be employed as a result of effectively banishing low- and middle-range American artists from performing in Canada? 5) Was there consultation with Heritage Canada, and did you consider that the American authorities (who already think Canadian musicians are terrorists!) would match these fees, and thus end any reasonable cultural exchange possibilities in the popular music field? And, of course, ending the possibility that low- and mid-level Canadian artists can take their music into the United States. 6) Can these new fees be re-examined and rescinded? If not, why not? I await your response, Minister, with bated breath. I am not, however, optimistic that a reasoned response to these questions is likely. Richard Flohil +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Richard Flohil & Associates www.richardflohil.com Blues Foundation Publicist of the Year 2010 Folk Alliance International Spirit of Folk Award 1010 SOCAN Special Achievement Award 2009 Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Estelle Klein Award 2006 Toronto Blues Society Blues Booster of the Year 2005 Porcupine Awards Hall of Fame, 1999 CASBY Music Award: Special Achievement Award, 1990