JULIAN FAUTH NEWS - MAY 26
Hello folks. Here is the news this week. In this edition:
- CBC Taping of Julian Fauth at the Dakota Tavern on Saturday June 13
- Leonard Cohen
- Blues Element’s “Are You Ready” Hits Number 4 on the Roots Music Report
- Julian Fauth on the Radio
- Julian Fauth’s Gigs for the Next Two Weeks
- How to Book Julian Fauth
Check Julian’s website, www.julianfauth.com.
CBC TAPING OF JULIAN FAUTH AT THE DAKOTA TAVERN ON SATURDAY JUNE 13
On Saturday, June 13, there will be a special concert in celebration of JULIAN FAUTH’s JUNO Award. It will take place at the Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Avenue (at Dundas Street West) in Toronto and will be taped by CBC Radio for the show, Canada Live. The concert starts at 7:00 PM and runs until 10:00, and will feature three of the great musicians who played such a prominent role on “Ramblin’ Son”: Bob Vespaziani on drums, James Thomson on bass and Jay Danley on guitar.
You can reserve tickets in advance ($10 each) by emailing wexfordmusic@gmail.com.
LEONARD COHEN
We went down to Hamilton on Tuesday for the Leonard Cohen concert. We left at rush hour and it took about an hour and twenty minutes to get from west end Toronto to Copps Coliseum. That is the kind of commuter trip that a lot people make every working day, twice a day. Phew! Not for me! I like living in the city and having a shorter commute (like two flights of stairs!).
But the concert was very enjoyable. Leonard Cohen and his band were very tight and the guy still has a lot of energy. He sure has staying power. And I declare his voice has improved with age. (response # 1 – how could it get worse?; response # 2 – maybe my hearing has deteriorated). But no kidding, he sounded pretty good, though he still gave special attention to that line in “Tower of Song”:
“I was born like this, I had no choiceI was born with the gift of a golden voice.”
Well, golden voice or not, there is no denying what a great songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen is. And he has a great rapport with a crowd (every seat was filled) that has loved him for a long time, or that has more recently discovered him. There were lots of younger people there, not kids maybe but not geezers like me either. It’s like this everywhere he goes so they say. Leonard Cohen is a Canadian but he is known and admired around the globe. Before the show, at intermission, and at the end you could hear people talking in what seemed to be every language on the planet. He defines the term world music.
Some say that Cohen sings mainly to women, and for sure more than 50% of the Hamilton audience was female. But he has songs that appeal to men too. What guy can listen to “First We Take Manhattan” and not feel an atavistic fighting urge?
Still, it’s true that women adore him. I like that, because a dope like me could never conjure up the words and images that connect with a woman’s soul the way he does. It’s like the song, “Famous Blue Raincoat”. He can do for her something a lot of us guys could never do, and though it might feel a little threatening you still want to thank him for that.
I felt real bad for Leonard Cohen when he had his financial problems a few years ago and, so they say, was compelled to go back out on tour at his age. But I wonder, too, how it must feel at 74 years of age to go out on stage and still pull a crowd of 15000 adoring fans every night you play. I would guess it would feel pretty gratifying.
BLUES ELEMENT’S “ARE YOU READY” HITS NUMBER 4 ON THE ROOTS MUSIC REPORT
Speaking of staying power, what do you think of BLUES ELEMENT’s “Are You Ready” still hitting so high on the radio charts? That CD came out early in 2008, and yet the Roots Music Report chart compiled April 22, 2009 has “Are You Ready” at Number 4 on the overall Canadian roots chart.
That is just another indicator of how good “Are You Ready” is. Congratulations to JAMIE BROWNING and IAIN GREEN and everyone else associated with BLUES ELEMENT.
You can catch BLUES ELEMENT next at Ten Feet Tall, 1381 Danforth Avenue in Toronto on June 6. Later in June they are playing a corporate gig, and a prestigious one at that, the Amethyst Awards honouring outstanding achievement by Ontario public servants.
JULIAN FAUTH ON THE RADIO
During the past week JULIAN FAUTH’s music has been featured on:
Dave's Blues Mix with Dave Barker, Sundays on STAR FM, St. Helens, Tasmania, Australia. Dave’s Blues Mix broadcasts on 93.7, 100.3 and 98.5 FM, 1600 hrs to 2100 hrs AE Summer, and streaming on the web at http://www.starfm. org.au/.
Blues Boogie & Bop hosted by Vince Almond, Tuesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 PM PST on 92.5 FM in Kamloops, British Columbia. www.thex.ca
Metro Morning with Matt Galloway, CBC Radio 99.1 FM in Toronto. Matt gave a big shout out about the Dakota show, too. Thanks Matt.
JULIAN FAUTH’S GIGS THIS WEEK:
Tuesday, May 26 – Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles, Toronto, 416-588-2930, 8:00 PM – featuring James Thomson on bass and Tim Hamel on trumpet
Thursday, May 28 – Fifth Grill, 221 Richmond Street West, Toronto, 416-979-3005, 7:00 to 11:00 PM – featuring James Thomson on bass and special guest Al Lerman on harmonica.
Friday, May 29 – Boathouse, 57 Jubilee Drive (in Victoria Park), Kitchener, 519-745-7202, 9:30 PM
Saturday, May 30 – Axis Gallery and Grill, 3048 Dundas Street West, Toronto, 416-604-3333, noon to 3:00 PM – featuring James Thomson on bass
and Momo’s Bistro, 664 Queensway, Toronto, 416-252-5560, 8:00 to 11:00 PM, featuring Jay Danley on guitar and James Thomson on bass
Sunday, May 31 – Axis Gallery and Grill, 3048 Dundas Street West, Toronto, 416-604-3333, noon to 3:00 PM – featuring James Thomson on bass
HOW TO BOOK JULIAN FAUTH
To book JULIAN FAUTH contact John Allen at 1-416-769-2272, by emailing wexfordmusic@gmail.com, or by responding to this newsletter with your inquiry. I will return your phone call or email promptly.
Bye for now,
John
