The ultimate OG saxman Pee Wee Ellis and Canadian global-roots visionary Jason Wilson are teaming up for a special night at Hugh's Room Live. Ellis was an essential part of James Brown's band and later served as Van Morrison's bandleader. Jason Wilson is a two-time Juno-Awards nominee who fuses reggae with jazz and folk. He has recorded with artists such as Dave Swarbrick, UB40, Jackie Mittoo and Ron Sexsmith. Together, Ellis and Wilson's funky-reggae mix has charmed audiences across Canada, the UK and Jamaica.

Widely credited with inventing funk jazz, Ellis is a saxophonist, arranger and composer who was an essential part of James Brown's band in the 1960s. During his time with Brown, Ellis co-wrote such classic hits as "Cold Sweat", "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" and "Lickin' Stick". In the early 1980s, Jaco Pastorius enjoyed commercial success with Ellis' "The Chicken". In 1979, Ellis began working with Van Morrison. Ellis appeared on several of Morrison's albums and also served as Van's musical director and arranger from 1979 until 1986, and then again from 1995 until 1999. The sax-man has also worked with artists such as George Benson, Hank Crawford and Esther Phillips, David Liebman and Oumou Sangare. Most recently, Pee Wee has been collaborating with Scottish-Canadian reggae artist Jason Wilson. The resultant funky-reggae mix will be front and centre at the Hugh\s Room gig.

Dr. Jason Wilson is a two-time Juno-Awards nominee, Canadian Reggae Music Award winner and a national best-selling author-historian from Downsview, Ontario. The Scottish-Canadian musician is the protégé of Studio One legendary keyboardist Jackie Mittoo and has recorded with, among others, UB40, Alanis Morissette, Pee Wee Ellis, Sly & Robbie, Ron Sexsmith and Dave Swarbrick. Wilson's various projects include his own Perennials ("post-reggae"), a funky-reggae collaboration with legendary sax-man Pee Wee Ellis, as well as reggae-folk combinations with such icons as Dave Swarbrick, Martin Carthy and Dick Gaughan. Wilson also wrote and produced~Soldiers of Song, a touring theatrical tribute to Canada's First World War concert party the Dumbells based on his eponymous book. The Adjunct-Professor has six books to his name to go along with seven critically-acclaimed albums.

Some of the Proceeds will go to Ride to Conquer Cancer

HUGH'S ROOM LIVE Pee Wee Ellis & Jason Wilson Friday, June.2 Showtime 8:30PM • $25 adv/$30 door hughsroom.com You will be moved.

Yukon-based singer/songwriter Declan O'Donovan is gearing up to tour new album Broken Sky with the video premiere for the first single 'Down To The Bottom', exclusively at LiveInLimbo.com . O'Donovan is touring in support of the album, starting with a string of dates overseas that kicked off with a show in Berlin and has Western Canadian dates coming up in June. Broken Sky is the follow-up to Declan O'Donovan's self-titled debut album, released in 2012. The sophomore release was recorded with Juno Award-winning producer Jean Massicotte (Patrick Watson, Adam Cohen, Lhasa) at Studio Masterkut in Montreal and features members of Patrick Watson including:Robbie Kuster, Mishka Stein, and Joe Grass; and Brad Barr from The Barr Brothers. All music was written while Declan was living between Whitehorse, Toronto, and Montreal from 2014 to 2016.

"Jean gave my songs a landscape to live in and explore," says O'Donovan. "He brought with him a sound and an approach that gave every note warmth and direction, and he gracefully coaxed out incredible performances from everyone involved, making the songs simultaneously grounded and unrestrained."

O'Donovan will be spending much of 2017 on the road. Following the dates in Western Canada, the next stop will be Japan in late July which will include a performance at the Fuji Rock Festival with more Canadian dates coming up in the fall. It's a busy year of touring and that suits O'Donovan just fine: "I don't really have a home, and with the exception of a piano, most of my belongings fit into a suitcase. I'm quite happy to just live on the road for a while."

DECLAN O'DONOVAN UPCOMING TOUR DATES
June 22 - Whitehorse, YK - Yukon Arts Centre (Album Release Show)
June 23 - Vancouver, BC - Wise Hall
June 25 - Chilliwack, BC - Tractor Grease Café
June 26 - Salt Spring Island, BC - Tree House Café
June 28 - Duncan, BC - Duncan Showroom
June 29 - Victoria, BC - Northern Quarter
June 30 - Port Alberni, BC - Char's Landing
July 1 - Cumberland, BC - Studio Live
July 4 - Kamloops, BC - Riverside Park (Evening Concert Series)
July 5 - Salmon Arm, BC - Marine Peace Park
July 6 - Penticton, BC - Dream Café
July 7 - Atlin, BC - Atlin Arts and Music Festival
July 8 - Atlin, BC - Atlin Arts and Music Festival
July 9 - Atlin, BC - Atlin Arts and Music Festival

Avery Raquel returns to 3030 (Dundas Street West) in the Junction on Tuesday, May 30., the scene of the rising jazz vocalist's knockout album release party forWithout a Little Rain before a capacity crowd. The album includes six Avery Raquel co-writes on this her sophomore recording.

Raquel has garnered numerous vocal awards over the years, and has excelled on the festival circuit too, delivering winning performances at The Oakville, Brantford, TD Niagara, and South Coast Jazz Festivals and sharing the stage with the likes of Matt Dusk, Lou Pomanti, June Garber, and other prominent Canadian artists.

This summer Avery won't get much downtime . She's one of 40 international artists awarded a full-scholarship (tuition and housing), week-long intensive jazz program at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Workshop at the Newport Jazz Festival hosted by Salve Regina Instiutute and taught by world-renowned faculty, led by Danilo Pérez, artistic director and Marco Pignataro, managing director. The program features ensemble rehearsals, master classes by musicians who have appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival, and final performances by all students, with selected groups chosen to play on the Newport Jazz Festival stage. Tuesday's gig finds Raquel backed by her usual suspects Adrean Farrugia(piano) Ross MacIntyre(bass), Joel Haynes & Jackson Haynes (drums) Nick Tateishi (guitar) Brandon Tse (sax) ,Kaelin Murphy(trumpet, flugelhorn) and Amoy & Cecile Levy(backing vocals).

Of the new album, Mark Rheaume, CBC Radio says:
"The singer knows that sticking to the old songbook can only take one so far, so this time round, she's writing most of the songs herself. These wonderful songs have an introspective, soulful feeling that suggests the move from a pure jazz sound was the right idea"

Kim Doolittle loves to sing, write, play and tell stories about a life she had perfectly planned. Those plans went more curly than straight, teaching her that too many plans are laughable while those curves inform her Muse.

Kim's 9th studio album "Into The Blue", produced by Ken Whiteley , is the sum of 43 years yet feels like her first. It comes straight from the heart and the songs reflect a deep desire to move forward in her musical life authentically, with an eye on looking back at where it all began.

"I am so grateful to have been mentored by Ken Whiteley , my music could not have been placed in better hands. The songs are reflective and meant to create hope and optimism through strength, perseverance, trust and spirit. We cannot get enough of that in the world."

Kim Doolittle has shared the stage with many famous and infamous people from Jeff Healey to Serena Ryder and Rita MacNeil, and worn many musical hats, finally making herself at home with a sound married in roots blues, folk and a hint of alternative country. She delivers all that with the snap and crackle of the born entertainer bent on elevating every song in the set. And she does it, abetted by a hearty vocal range and lotsa down-home humour.

When you ask her what kind of music she plays, she simply says, "Kim Doolittle Music", thus leading to the formation of Doo-A-Little Music a decade ago. And, when you ask Kim what the future holds, she simply says, "creativity, music, more of the same."

Kim Doolittle Into The Blue album release . Thursday Jun. 8. Hugh's Room Live Music 8:30 pm.

Quirk act of the week is Boston multi-instrumentalist Nick Pope , whose Howl and Flood album holds the key to the perfect balance of folky twang, light indie, and pop/rock. The lyrics to all eight tracks are intricately woven into the instrumental compositions, allowing you to really feel as though the tracks came out sounding this polished, as though they could not exist in any other form. Pope's guitar work sounds like he's wrestling demons one minute, all laid back, effortless and nuanced the next.

Pope is a member of the music collective Odd Gift Records. Originally a drummer, Nick now writes and plays all the instruments on his records, along with making art for his shows and albums. To really clear things up, he's a huge fan of Louis Armstrong's solos, Whitney Houston performing The National Anthem, Radiohead performing "The National Anthem," Kelly Clarkson's "Break Away," the key change in "Thong Song," and the first three Yes albums.

The Junction "The new songs hear the band venturing into previously untouched territory, channelling influences like Radiohead, Pink Floyd and the score to Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange." - Exclaim.ca

""Changes," a 80s-inspired groove that could be mistaken for a slowed down disco hit" - Indie 88

"The Toronto-based three-piece of Brent Jackson, Matt Jameson, and Mike Taylor weave a warm, enveloping indie pop sound through big bass lines, driving beats and pulsing riffs, and behind the music is an equally potent songwriting force." - Atwood Magazine

Toronto indie popsters The Junction are currently working fourth studio album, City Nights , outa town. Recorded at The Slaughterhouse by Jose Miguel Contreras, mixed by Gus Van Go and Werner F at The Boiler House, and mastered by Bryan Martin at Sonosphere, The Junction will cap off the release of the new album with a homecoming show atThe Horseshoe Tavern June 3^rd.

"City Nights is the perspective and self-reflection on nightlife," shares lead singer Brent Jackson. "What is put into the party and what the party puts into you. Its ingredients are loss, detachment, world-weariness, substance abuse, apathy. But it also takes on love, empathy, and a general desire to change for the better and keep hope for the human condition."

The Junction is a three-piece outfit who have been serenading clubs and venues since their inception in early 2000. With a penchant for hard work, and the ability to wow different audiences all over the world, the guys are back with another groundbreaking recording. The band's sound is defined head on by front man and lead vocalist Brent Jackson, who demands attention from the stage to the stereo. His sultry, and often times haunting vocal range always leaves the listener feeling a little closer to him; perhaps even imploring anyone who's heard what he has to say to dig a little bit deeper, challenging us to offer up our own version of authentic.

Jackson's rhythm section is comprised of bassist Matt Jameson, and drummer Mike Taylor whose rhythmic back-bone add just the right layers and textures, helping to bring Jackson's relentlessly honest, heartfelt songs to life. The trio are a cohesive unit with a work ethic any indie label would applaud, and inevitably gravitate towards. That being said, their new home at Culvert Music is an undeniably great fit for the release of their brand new, long awaited LP - City Nights.

The progression of their career embodies the true concept of passion in music. The Junction is the perfect example of the artist's quandary when it comes to having to continuously fight the good fight, and maintain their vision, all the while navigating a seriously tough industry landscape. Right from the beginning with their debut release, And With This Comes Tomorrow (Universal 2005), these guys have created an incredibly loyal fan base, slugging it out in the days of DIY touring, to creatively trying to find new and innovative ways to fund their craft. From making music videos in Iceland for Grievances (Fontana North / The Junction Inc. 2012), to heading back to the drawing board, and realizing an entirely different stream of songs, one thing is certain, The Junction are a force to be reckoned with now more than ever.

This new body of work will take the listener on a mood changing ride resembling something inspired by Radiohead's DJ Shadow era, Pink Floyd, or even something scored from a Stanley Kubrick Film - ala Clockwork Orange. It's a record you want to lend your ears to with headphones on for at least first time through. Clearly this band of brothers not only wants to challenge their die-hard fans with something completely fresh and new, but the boys are looking to remind the world that they will always be far from done. Whether they are working fearlessly with traditional, jazzy, rock chord progressions, or now venturing into sound creation that can only be described as one thing - their own - The Junction are back, and in a way that nobody's experienced up until now.

The Junction brings the party to The Horseshoe Tavern.

Upcoming Toronto Dates:
June 3 - The Horseshoe Tavern w/Kayto and Krief (album release show)
(Advance tickets also available at Rotate This, Soundscapes & The Horseshoe front bar)

Andy Shauf "Canadian troubadour Andy Shauf is a find."

"The Party charms and troubles, playing like the soundtrack to a particularly devastating film noir. …simply marvellous." - 9/10 Exclaim!

"it's a baroque-pop exercise with echoes of Seventies smarties like Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Steely Dan, though rather more empathetic than them." - The Independent, UK

"The Party is definitely worth celebrating." - Uncut, UKAndy Shauf has delivered a delightfully surreal new video for his song "Early To The Party". The track is from Shauf's critically heralded albumThe Party, which Stereogum called "a lovely, luxuriant thing" and the Independent described as "a baroque-pop exercise with echoes of Seventies smarties like Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Steely Dan."

The new clip, directed by Luke McCutcheon & Michael Yablonski (Andrew Bird, Young Galaxy), depicts an offbeat and surreal party attended by an collection of eccentric Twin Peaks-like characters. They socialize with one another, dance alone, and eventually engage in a strange party game which ends on a both poignant and unnerving note.

Andy Shauf is currently on tour in support of his critically acclaimed new album The Party, out now via Arts & Crafts.

"both beautiful and beautifully troubling - understated, imaginative chamber pop." - Irish Times

"The Party has placed the Regina-reared musician among the country's top songwriting talents" - Victoria Times Colonist

"Shauf can locate the game-changing chord that great songs pivot on, for which lesser talents fumble in vain. The Party conceals killer lyrics in music of extraordinary beauty and lushness." - The Sunday Times (UK)

"one of the single most promising voices to emerge from Canada in recent memory." - Flood Magazine

Awkward characters show up "Early to the Party," and either reveal life-changing secrets ("To You") or try their hardest to reveal nothing at all ("The Magician"). In "a city the size of a dinner plate," everyone knew the guy who keeled over dead after smoking what he promised would be his last pack of cigarettes ("Alexander All Alone"). The girl dancing by herself, unselfconsciously, in the middle of the room, with the "Eyes of Them All" upon her. One moment you're dancing with someone who bears an uncanny resemblance to your ex ("Martha Sways"), and later you start slagging your best friend as way of endearing yourself to his recently dumped ex ("Quite Like You").

Did that all really happen in the same night? It certainly happens in the space of this tightly narrated thirty-eight minutes, all set to ornate arrangements of fuzzed-out guitars, string sections, clarinets and dreamy synths, all draped over delicate piano, acoustic guitars and rainy-day drums.

ANDY SHAUF TOUR DATES
May 17 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg SOLD OUT
May 19 - Kingston, NY - BSP
May 20 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
May 21 - New Haven, CT - Cafe Nine
Jun 3 - London, UK - Field Day
Jun 4 - Ghent, BE - Dok
Jun 6 - Amiens, FR - La Lune Des Pirates
Jun 7 - Orleans, FR - L'Astrolabe
Jun 8 - Clermont-Ferrand, FR - La Cooperative De Mai
Jun 9 - Nimes, FR - This Is Not A Love Song
Jun 10 - Parma, IT - Teatro Regio
Jun 11 - Padua, IT - Galzignano Terme
Jun 13 - Rome, IT - Monk
Jun 15 - Annecy, FR - LE Brise Glace
Jun 16 - Reims, FR - Cryptoportique
Jun 17 - Hilvarenbeek, NE - Best Kept Secret Festival
Jun 18 - Mannheim, DE - Maifeld Derby
Jun 25 - North Adams, Solid Sound Festival
Jul 16 - Quebec City, QC - Festival d'ete de Quebec
Jul 23 - Los Angeles, CA - FYF Festival
Jul 30 - Oro-Medonte, ON - WayHome Music And Arts
Aug 4 - Montreal, QC - Osheaga Music & Arts
Aug 5 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon
Aug 18 - Paredes de Coura, PT - Vodafone Paredes de Coura
Aug 19 - Winterthur, CH - Steinberggasse
Aug 20 - Brecon Becons, UK - Green Man Festival