Saint John based Singer, Songwriter and Master Story-teller Brent Mason has just signed an exclusive publishing deal with the new local entertainment company 428 Entertainment Group. Brent has a rich and extensive catalog of songs including 11 studio albums. 

"We are extremely excited to be working with such an extraordinarily gifted songwriter and artist". Jeff Liberty of 428 Entertainment Group said. Paul Milner adds "We have a rare opportunity here to work with a world class singer songwriter who has influenced so many Canadian artists over the years, many of whom got their start at one of Brent's Legendary open mic's".

Brent Mason rolled back into Saint John NB in the spring of ‘92, after several years roaming North America in his best imitation of Jack Kerouac, riding his thumb and working carnival midways in Canada and the US. With a fistful of songs born out of an ‘On The Road’ ethos, and a burning desire, Brent recorded his first ‘singer/songwriter’ album. A true early indie effort, Head for the High Ground set a long and vital career in motion. Brent performs innovative original music with insightful powerful lyrical content.

Hot off the release of a handful of hot singles together in 2020, New York City-born, Moncton-based hip-hop artist Michael J. Foxx and Canadian singer/songwriter Sydney Sexton have released their first-ever full-length album together: Duality is available now. Check out the album on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/3tODk4W0iTmFQIfMK9m9Ez

While Duality serves as the pair’s first fully-joint effort, they actually spent the majority of 2020 together, writing, recording and releasing music in their home studio together. Composed of 10 original hip-hop/ R&B tracks, their past releases include: “So High,” “Just Give it a Moment” and “Winners,” among several other sultry and upbeat tracks.

Canadian electro synth pop trio Church of Trees have collaborated with JUNO Award-winning artist and legendary Rough Trade vocalist Carole Pope on this, their newest single “World’s a Bitch”.

Check out the video on YouTube here:

The song and video relay a stirring sonic snapshot of the angst felt and coping mechanisms tapped when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the world’s desperate need for vaccine distribution.

Famed photographer John Rowlands isn’t just a National treasure, he’s a global treasure and Canada is proud to call him a Native Son.  John has photographed such legendary performers as  the Beatles, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Rush, Kiss, Sam Cooke, Linda Ronstadt, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Glen Campbell, Leonard Cohen, and of course Elvis Presley and too many more too mention.

John recalls how he got started in the photography world.” I was a 13 year old living in Ottawa, Canada and I borrowed my Dad’s camera and went to see Brenda Lee perform. I took pictures of her show and when the set was over, I went backstage to try and talk to her. I knocked on the door and her mother answered. I asked her to tell Brenda how much I enjoyed her show. Her Mom said “Tell her yourself , she’s right here”. I talked to her and told her I had a whole roll of shots that I’d send to her. She liked the shots and I was paid the princely sum of $35. Doesn’t sound like much but in 1960 gold was $32 an ounce so I was paid more than the price of an ounce of gold. I used the money to buy a knock off Gretsch guitar, I think I paid $30 for it.

The music business is looking towards the digital landscape for ways to increase audience and monetization of content through new platforms in gaming, AI, VR, live streaming and marketing. SCREEN x SCREEN  - MUSIC + TECH CONFERENCE (FEB 16 - 20) presented by INDIE WEEK will host a number of in-depth conversations with the people driving these platforms and advancement. What will live music look like post covid? How can artists and businesses monetize their online content? How is AI and VR changing how business is done online? These questions and more will be addressed throughout the conference.

"After the success of moving Indie Week online in 2021, it just made sense to launch a new event that focuses on the future and new business models" said Indie Week and Screen X Screen founder Darryl Hurs.

Released on December 3, Harmonium symphonique – Histoires sans paroles symphonique has now been certified Platinum record by Music Canada, a recognition highlighting 80,000 copies sold.  An impressive and truly historic feat, considering the double instrumental album is only available on a single platform, the Oziko online store.

This is the first time since 2013 an album has been certified Platinum in Canada solely based on a physical format.

Harmonium symphonique – Histoires sans paroles brings together the complete works of Harmonium, adapted and directed by Simon Leclerc and performed by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM). Totaling more than 140 minutes of music, the album is co-produced by Serge Fiori and Simon Leclerc, under the artistic direction of Nicolas Lemieux, president of GSI Musique.

Following their 2016 debut, Romanza: The Music of Spain and South America, Azuline Duo — the Hamilton-based ensemble — has just released its eagerly awaited sophomore album, Fandango. The record features 15 unique performances of music by some of the world’s finest classical composers, including Gerald Garcia and Santiago De Murcia.

The classical/folk-inspired ensemble features two award-winning, versatile musicians: guitarist Emma Rush and flutist Sara Traficante. In their career together, the two have always aimed to push the boundaries of their instruments and conventional programming with unusual and rarely heard repertoire and a dynamic onstage presence that engages audiences right from the very first note. They are a sonic force to be reckoned with.

Fandango includes Azuline Duo’s take on two works by the renowned Brazilian musician Chiquinha Gonzaga: “Lua Branca” and “Atraente.” “When we’re writing arrangements, we love finding all the different ways to use our instruments to bring the music to life — whether it’s singing through the flute, or recording percussion on the guitar,” they said. “Anything goes!”

Stony Plain Records announces a March 26 release date for New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers Vol. 2, the second edition of music from roots “super group,” New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers: Charlie Musselwhite, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Jimbo Mathus, the late Jim Dickinson, and North Mississippi Allstars members Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson (just nominated for a GRAMMY in the Contemporary Blues category for their Up and Rolling album). Recorded at the Zebra Ranch Recording Studio in Coldwater, Mississippi, the 11 blues-drenched tracks on New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers Vol. 2  give fans even more bang for their buck than the first volume’s 10 tracks of sublime roots music. New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers Volume 1, released in September of 2020, was greeted with universal acclaim and became a Top 20 Billboard and Top 10 Living Blues chart album.

Pre-order the new album here: https://stonyplainrecords.com/lp/vol2/

Hilton Valentine, founding guitarist of the 60s group the Animals and the man responsible for one of the most famous and recognizable  intros in recorded music has died at age 77. His now famous arpeggio guitar intro Am/C/F/D/ Am/E brought an old folk tune, “House Of The Rising Sun”, into the rock world with a simple progression that anyone with a guitar could play, and still play to this day.

American singer/songwriter Jimmie Rodgers has passed away at age 87. The cause of death and the location has not been released at this time.  Jimmie Rodgers was born just across the river from Portland, Oregon in  Camas, Washington where he took music in school and sang in the choir.

He started singing around 1952, joined the Air Force and got deployed to Korea. While in the military, he joined a band called "The Melodies" and during his service he was transferred to Nashville to Seward Air Force Base from 1954-1956.  It was during this time that he began expanding his musical repertoire. While in Nashville he heard the song that would change his life, “Honeycomb.” He started singing around in clubs with his eye on one day becoming a recording artist. He worked his way to California where he auditioned for different folks until he eventually headed east to New York City.

Internationally renowned Canadian keyboard player, Michael Fonfara has died in a Toronto hospital on January 8, 2021, due to complications from his two-year battle with cancer. He was 74.

Born in Stevensville, ON, Canada in 1946, the former Lou Reed keyboardist/bandleader appeared on nine of Reed's albums between 1974 and 2005, including his highest charting US album (#10) Sally Can't Dance on RCA, as well as Rock and Roll Heart, Street Hassle, The Bells (which Fonfara executive produced) and Growing Up In Public that was co-written and co-produced by Fonfara for Clive Davis' Arista Records in 1980.

A supremely talented musician, Fonfara loved many different styles of music, performing on British-American Rock band Foreigner's iconic album 4, produced by Mutt Lange, including their Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Urgent". He also recorded with The Everly Brothers, Rough Trade, Rhinoceros, Electric Flag and was a current and 30-year plus member of Canadian blues legends Downchild, who are perhaps best known as the inspiration for Hollywood stars Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi's hit film The Blues Brothers, until his untimely death.

The Toronto-based, globally active music industry company has opened a new division of the diversified group and will be headed up by Jo-Anne Beharrell as Executive Director, a title she is currently holding for the Ontario-based offices.

Entertainment Music Group (EMG) has a history of over 14 years connecting with global partners when it originally launched at MIDEM in 2007, with the mandate of working with Canadian and International artists to further collaborate companies with the belief that music has no borders.

With the new expansion, Entertainment Music Group (EMG) will continue to focus on artist direction and create strategies on a short term basis but will now be launching different initiatives that will include special event creation and production, promotional and branding campaigns, import/export opportunities, grant writing as well as access to global experts who will be available for advice and consultation.

The Acclaimed Canadian folk label achieved success with Stan Rogers, Le Vent Du Nord, La Bottine Souriante, Michael Jerome Browne, Ron Hynes, The Fugitives, & Oliver Schroer among many others.

After 25 years of proudly putting out some of the best Canadian folk and roots music, the principles of Borealis Records - Grit Laskin and Bill Garrett - have announced that as of January 1, 2021 the Borealis catalogue will shift to the management of Linus Entertainment, a leading Canadian rights management company whose portfolio of labels includes True North Records, Stony Plain Records, The Children’s Group, and Solid Gold Records.

In a joint statement, Laskin and Garrett said of the transition, “We have partnered with Linus Entertainment for some 13 years in distribution and they have been our partners in the best sense.”

Cashbox Radio is excited to welcome iconic radio host Scott Walker to our team and his show Musical Milestones debuts debuts Saturday, January 16 @3-4pm EST and Sunday, January 17 @7-8pm EST.

“I have been building a database of musical anniversaries for about 25 years. I’m up to about 5,000 entries. The first show on Cashbox Radio will include the newest addition to the database: a story of two college friends who helped each other overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles that led to a #1 hit song”.

Scott Walker began sharing the stories behind the music on CBC Radio in the mid-90s. Along with his work as a CBC network news anchor, Scott has been a deejay in several cities across Canada, playing formats from the Big Bands to the Top 40. As an actor, he has appeared on stages across Canada in productions ranging from Shakespeare to Steinbeck to Sondheim. As a singer, he has recorded with many of the biggest names in Canadian jazz. He is the narrator of the Youtube classic, Spiders on Drugs [more than 50 million hits]. And he is the Executive Director of CSARN, the voice of Canada’s senior professional artists.

Misty Morgan of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan fames has passed away at age 75 after a courageous battle with cancer. The was duo best known for their mega hit Tennessee Birdwalk which went to Number One on the country charts and  No. 23 on the pop charts. This was followed by another novelty hit in "Humphrey the Camel", at No. 5 country and No. 78 pop.

Tennessee Birdwalk was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group at the 13th Grammy Awards but lost to Johnny Cash and June Carter for ‘If I Were A Carpenter’.

June 20, 2014 we did a feature story on Jack and Misty and would like to offer it to you today as a tribute to a beautiful and talented artist.

God Speed Misty, you will be missed.

cashboxcanada.ca/features-music/jack-and-misty-still-doing-tennessee-birdwalk/1643

Released on December 3, the instrumental album Harmonium symphonique - Histoires sans paroles has just been certified gold record by Music Canada, a recognition that underscores the 40,000 copies sold. This result is all the more remarkable since the album is offered on a single platform, the Oziko store.

Histoires sans paroles, the first symphonic project from the world of Harmonium, brings together the complete works of the group adapted by Simon Leclerc and performed by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) under his direction. Totaling more than 140 minutes of music, Histoires sans paroles is a co-direction by Serge Fiori and Simon Leclerc, under the artistic direction of Nicolas Lemieux, president of GSI Musique. 

The double album is available exclusively at www.harmoniumsymphonique.com, in digital version or in two-CD or four-vinyl boxes (available as of February 2021), accompanied by a booklet illustrated with photos taken during the recording at the Maison symphonique.

Chad Stuart, one half of the British Invasion duo Chad and Jeremy , passed away from pneumonia on December 20, 2020 just 10.days after his 79^th birthday on December 10^th.

The duo was a part of the British Wave of the 60s that included Gerry and The Pacemakers, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Searchers, The Tremeloes and their counterparts Peter and Gordon. All of these of course came storming through the door kicked wide open by The Beatles Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde were best known for such ’60s hits as “Yesterday’s Gone,” “A Summer Song” and “Willow Weep for Me.”

Watch “Summer Song” Chad and Jeremy here:

LyricFind, the world’s leader in lyric licensing solutions, is pleased to announce its worldwide partnership with Wixen Music Publishing, Inc., which represents over 2,000 songwriters and artists. Under the terms of this new global licensing agreement, Wixen’s catalog of lyrics will be made available to LyricFind customers.

“This agreement marks a milestone for LyricFind,” said Darryl Ballantyne, LyricFind co-founder and CEO. “We look forward to our new partnership with Randall, Sharon, and Andrew Wixen and their team at Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. and to helping them generate new revenue from licensed lyrics.”

LyricFind, the world leader in licensed lyrics solutions and data, has agreed to a partnership with music publishing giant Wixen Publishing. LyricFind will be the licensing partner for the over 2,000 artists/songwriters under the Wixen banner, which includes heavyweights such as Tom Petty and Rage Against the Machine.

The partnership will bring a much-needed revenue stream to Wixen’s roster, as the legal licensing of lyrics provides financial support and ensures that the Wixen roster’s lyrics are properly accounted for in the digital realm.

Author, archivist, and self-starting music historian Mike Carr continues his journey to document the impassioned works of Canadian musicians with this, the second release in his ongoing series — Rock My World Canada: Canadian Blues Reference & Collectors Guide — available now!

Featuring over 700+ artists and nearly 2,800 album covers, the book promises coverage of the likes of Kevin Mark, Jack DeKeyzer, Monkeyjunk, Ann Vriend, and more. Newly minted additions to the format include lists of blues festivals, societies, and record labels; there’s also an autograph page.

“It’s all about the music,” Carr considers. “I started this project as my personal commitment to help support Canadian musicians. No matter what genre you favour, we have a vast amount of talent in this country. The goal is for readers to discover something new.

“Just like a song can trigger certain memories, I found album covers could do the same,” he continues, marvelling. “I remember when I was younger, I could hardly contain my excitement when, after purchasing a new album, I could admire the artwork, review the liner notes, and check out the band credits.

Thursday, December 10th
Pre-recorded from Koerner Hall — 7:30 - 8:30pm EST
Tickets

New Meaning to the Name: Jazz Master Micah Barnes Set to Co-Host & Headline
LOFT Community Services’ 30th Annual Home for the Holidays Benefit Concert — Virtual for 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing new meaning to Ontario-based LOFT Community Services’ annual Home for the Holidays Benefit Concert. The long-standing charity is set to mark its 30th season with a virtually streamed offering this Thursday, December 10th at 7:30pm EST.

Given the fast spread of COVID-19 through the province, LOFT has decided to move the concert online to focus on everyone’s safety and to bring a much needed holiday cheer to people’s homes.

There will be both familiar and new faces lighting up screens to delight audiences at home in the name of an outstanding cause: JUNO Award-nominated and chart-topping jazz master Micah Barnes is set to both co-host, headline, and serve as Artistic Director for the hour-long event.