The legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin brings her extraordinary voice to the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, performing on Saturday, July 1 at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.

One of music's greatest treasures, Aretha Franklin has inspired a generation of vocalists, paving the way for all other artists who followed - from Whitney Houston to Beyonce, Alicia Keys to Adele.

Labeled the "greatest singer of all time" by Rolling Stone, Aretha has solidified her place in the popular and soul music pantheon. There is simply no one better.

The 2017 ‘Spotlight on France’ marks the first-ever official mission from France to CMW, and is long overdue.

The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Music and the Arts (CAAMA), in association with Canadian Music Week, is facilitating access for Canadian artists and music companies to do business with music companies and market specialists from France.

With a population of 66.7 million, France is ranked by TheInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) as the 5^th largest music market in the world for recorded music with $USD 809 million in trade value. France is also ranked 5^th worldwide for both physical and digital.

48.7 Increase in Streaming Revenue

In France, streaming revenues grew last year by a remarkable 48.7 per cent. Streaming is well on its way to overtaking physical, with income from the consumption of music streams on ad-supported video services now equal to the revenue from vinyl sales (US$12.6M vs. US$12.7M.)

Bell Media has joined forces with ole, the world's fastest-growing independent rights management company, in an exclusive music publishing and administration partnership encompassing Bell Media's extensive in-house music catalog. With this deal, ole has concluded $20-million inacquisitions in the first quarter of 2017.

The multi-year deal will increase revenue generated from Bell Media's premier audio-visual collection of more than 12,000 tracks, including iconic television music such as "The Hockey Theme", CTV News themes and compositions from Bell Media's roster of #1 hit original programs.

"With our extensive music catalog, this is a great opportunity for us to grow its use internationally and capture new revenue streams," said TysonParker, Head of Artist and Music Industry Relations, Bell Media.

"ole is very pleased to be working with Bell Media and its world-classcontent production teams," said Robert Ott, Chairman and CEO, ole. "I lookforward to adding value to what this talented team is creating."

Co-founder and guitarist of one of Canada’s original garage bands The Haunted from the 1960’s has passed away in British Columbia. Details are not available at the time of publishing.

The Haunted were a Canadian garage rock band from Montreal , Quebec. The band was formed by Jurgen Peter (guitar) in 1965, and went on to release several records before finally disbanding in 1971. They were among the first Canadian bands to achieve a level of success in their musical genre.

In 1965, Jurgen Peter joined up with Bob Burgess (vocals), Al Birmingham (lead guitar), Glenn Holmes (bass), and Peter Symes (drums) to form The Haunted. Besides Peter, the other constant band member through most of its six-year history was Birmingham. The band membership that recorded the band's best known song, "1-2-5" was composed of Birmingham (lead guitar), Peter (rhythm guitar), Burgess (vocals), Mason Shea (bass) and Dave Wynne (drums).

The Wall, one of Taiwan’s premiere event hubs, is bringing an exciting lineup of bands to the Rivoli on Thursday, April 20th for an exclusive showcase during Canadian Music Week. “Taiwan is a small island, but full of energy and passion,” says The Wall’s CEO, Orbis Fu. “People are nice, kindly, friendly, and this comes through in the music.”

The showcase, aptly titled Taiwan Beats, is highlighting three bands on the lineup, including bluesy garage band, 88 Balaz, Indigenous group, Outlet Drift, and electro-indie outfit, P.C.B. See complete details below.

On his Southern Ontario “401 Tour,” with stops in London, Peterborough,Hamilton, Waterloo and more, Julian Taylor releases new(radio edit) single “Chemical Low” from his monumentaldouble-album Desert Star (Aporia Records).Dropping Friday, March 24^th, the song will be available on allmajor online outlets including Spotify and iTunes plus a video is in theworks, with a teaser currently available for viewing. New tour datesannounced are March 26^th at The Rivoli with Taylor playing solo, along with PatRobataille and Cameron Murray; Folk Music Ontario Icebreaker on March 29^th atLula Lounge with Taylor sharing the stage solo, with AHI and Coco LoveAlcorn; CBC Music Presents on March 31^st atMavericks in Ottawa, for JUNOFest; Canadian Music Week Presents on April 22^nd atThe Horseshoe Tavern.

BNQT, a new indie super group conceived and led by Eric Pulido of Midlake, havedebuted new track, Unlikely Force, featuring Band Of Horses’ BenBridwell on vocals. The track comes from their“sumptuous, immensely pleasurable” (Uncut) debut album, Volume 1, set for release on April 28 via Last/GangDualtone (Entertainment One companies). Listen to the wistful, psychedelictrack over at Pitchfork.

Says Pulido: "Unlikely Force was the first of all the album tunes that we worked on and a guinea pig of sorts. We wanted a lush 70s feel good vibe and Ben's song was a perfect foundation to build upon that ultimately set the precedent for what was to come!”

Avery Raquel recently learned that she has been awarded a a full-scholarship (tuition and housing), five-day intensive jazz program  at The Berklee Global Jazz Institute Workshop at the Newport Jazz Festival, hosted by Salve Regina University and  taught by world-renowned faculty and led by Danilo Pérez, artistic director, and Marco Pignataro, managing director.  The program features ensemble rehearsals, master classes by musicians who have appeared in the Newport Jazz Festival, and final performances by all students, with selected groups chosen to play on the Newport Jazz Festival stage. Berklee Global Jazz Institute Workshop at the Newport Jazz Festival Participants study and stay in the heart of Newport on the campus of Salve Regina University.

The National Music Centre (NMC) has launched a new online platform, connecting music lovers from around the world to NMC’s extensive and rare collection of musical instruments and memorabilia at the click of a mouse.

This new digital platform will kick off with 150 of NMC’s top collection items viewable online in celebration of Canada 150.

NMC stewards one of the most impressive music collections in the world, including over 2,000 historic musical instruments, artifacts, and Canadian music memorabilia, which collectively spans over 450 years of music history, technology and innovation.

NMC Collections Online will be an important and accessible resource for a wide audience, that includes the general public, students interested in music and music history, industry, artists and producers from around the world, aspiring participants in NMC’s Artist in Residence program, and various scholarly and cultural institutions.

NMC believes that this resource will open up future collaborations, more national and international interest in its unique collection, and raise awareness of the need to preserve musical artifacts and our Canadian musical heritage.

Canada’s Walk of Fame announces the return of its Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Program, supported by RBC, one of Canada’s most successful programs supporting aspiring Canadian musical artists. Valued at more than $100,000, this program provides musicians the tools needed to take their careers to the next level including private studio time at the prestigious Metalworks Studios; introductions to renowned artists; access to music industry influencers; exposure to audiences and media; as well as artist development and funding. Submissions will be accepted immediately through to Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 11:59 pm ET.

Nestled in the heart of Queen Street in the east end of Toronto sits a really cool club, The Duke. Man about town Danny Marks is also a really cool rock ‘n’ roll icon – so it just made sense for the club operator to put the two together.

On March 25, 2017 The Danny Marks Band will be bringing their music and memories to The Duke, and inviting all to come and rock ‘n’ roll the way they used to do it. A venue like the old days of Larry’s Hideway, Route 66, The Jarvis House, this great old building has old bar chairs, a big dance floor and food service that is both inexpensive and delicious. There is also a beautiful patio for those who might need some fresh air. And one more fact unheard of nowadays – NO COVER CHARGE for this show!

Cashbox Canada received an official press release from Jane Harbury, providing us with the update on the ongoing issue of Hugh’s Room and the latest (good) news of one of Toronto’s finest music listening rooms. Here is what was communicated:

Hugh’s Room Update – March 9, 2017

What’s been happening?
A new Not-For Profit corporation has been formed to manage the club. Hugh’s Room For The Performing Arts Inc. is the formal name and the club will now be operating under the trade name of Hugh’s Room Live.

While we were negotiating in good faith with the current landlord, including a hard offer to take over the lease and cover some missing rent, the building was sold and the locks changed. We had been given no hint that a sale was in the works.

North Carolina duo Flagship has announced the release of their album The Electric Man via Bright Antenna Records.

Of the album the band explains "The Electric Man is a very special record for us. We really put pieces of ourselves into every single track and there isn't a single track that suffers from a lack of energy or heart. We truly feel that this is our best music to date and stand behind this record as an audible representation of our growth and hard work up to this point."

The new album, The Electric Man was produced by Joey Waronker, known for his work as the drummer for Beck, REM, Brandon Flowers, Atoms for Peace, Walt Mink, and many others.

Wayne Warner's songwriting is distinctive, timeless, and loves to flirt with many different genres. The former Atlantic Records artist, best know for his 2006 hit, "Turbo Twang," Warner has been joined on his records by some of the most established country artists of the eighties and nineties, as well as a pop icon, and a current superstar. From Bryan White and Mark Collie, to Bonnie Tyler and Taylor Swift, his peers have come to hold Warner in great esteem as an "artists' artist". His hooks, so fresh, so powerful, that Warner has been deemed as a genius by many in the field, receiving praise from the likes of Billboard and Music City News. His appearance is as interestingly unique as his sound, and he speaks in overtones that only a well crafted artist could. And yet, in many ways, Warner is almost a well kept secret.

Sonny Geraci, the Cleveland-born pop singer who scored national hits as lead singer of The Outsiders in the 1960s and Climax in the 1970s passed away on  February 5, 2017. He was 69, and had been in ill health since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2012.

Geraci, a graduate of John Adams High School, became lead singer of The Starfires in 1964. The band, founded by guitarist and songwriter Tom King soon changed its name to The Outsiders and put four singles on the U.S. pop charts during the late 1960s, including "Time Won't Let Me," "Girl in Love," "Help Me Girl" and "Respectable (What Kind of Girl Is This)," a remake of the Isley Brothers tune.

Geraci left the band in 1970, striking out on his own and eventually forming the band Climax with Walter Nims, who had been a member of both the Starfires and The Outsiders. That group later scored a Top 3 single with "Precious and Few," written by Nims. Climax disbanded in 1975.

Geraci left the music business in the early 1980s, but tried a comeback, under the pseudonym Peter Emmett, in 1983, releasing an unsuccessful album on MCA.

Photo: John Mayall by David Gomez

Forty Below Records announces a February 17 release date for the vinyl edition of iconic musician and Blues Hall of Fame member John Mayall’s latest album, Talk About That. Originally released on CD January 27, the vinyl version will also include a free download card.

Joining Mayall (vocals, keyboards, harmonica and guitar) and Greg Rzab (bass), Jay Davenport (drums) and Rocky Athas (guitar) as special guest is legendary guitarist Joe Walsh, who plays on two tracks, “The Devil Must Be Laughing” and “Cards on the Table,” both John Mayall compositions.

John Mayall will begin a lengthy European tour in early February. His most-recent American dates included several days onboard the “Legends Cruise,” and featured an exciting special guest appearance from another legend – Todd Rundgren – who jammed on guitar with John and the band on the Otis Rush classic, “All Your Love.”

Cool Cat Records has announced the release of "Rockabilly Rebel", a fresh new music video and single by singer songwriter, pin up model, and super luxe entrepreneur Heather Ballentine. The video, directed by Marc Esteves & produced by Ballentine Entertainment, features cameos of Toronto biker & entrepreneur Paul Dutra as the "Rebel" and CCMA Hall of Fame inductee Barry Haugen.

"Rockabilly Rebel" is from the album "The Cat's Meow", produced by Pete Anderson, available on iTunes.

Heather recalls, "my first boyfriend smoked, wore a leather jacket, and picked me up for dates on a motorcycle. My dad wasn't thrilled, but years later the experience was the inspiration for 'Rockabilly Rebel', which I co-wrote with Lary Bartley".

Celebrated songstress Martha Wainwright is set to take Canada by storm on her forthcoming tour, including 9 stops in Quebec. Following the successful release of her recent studio album, Goodnight City, via Cadence Music on November 11th, Martha is ready to bring these new songs to her fans across Canada, as well as the UK and Australia in 2017. Her Canadian dates will begin on April 5th in Chicoutimi, QC and include stops in Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver.

In conjunction with the tour announcement, Martha has released a brand new video for lead single, Around The Bend and shared it via Facebook . She teamed up with her cousins, Vinnie Dow, Sylvan and Lily Lanken, and Kathleen Weldon to create the DIY video in Montreal.

LONDON - Musician Greg Lake co-founded both King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer — bands that helped define the sprawling, influential but often-maligned genre known as progressive rock.

Lake, who died of cancer at 69, was instrumental in bringing classical influences, epic length, mythic scope and 1970s excess into rock 'n' roll, winning millions of fans before punk swept in and spoiled the party.

Manager Stewart Young said in a statement that Lake died Wednesday after "a long and stubborn battle with cancer."

Born in the southern English seaside town of Poole in 1947, Lake founded King Crimson with guitarist Robert Fripp in the late 1960s. The band pioneered the ambitious genre that came to be known as progressive rock.

He went on to form ELP with keyboardist Keith Emerson and drummer Carl Palmer. With Lake as vocalist and guitarist, ELP impressed crowds at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, in a lineup that also featured Jimi Hendrix and The Who.

The band released six platinum-selling albums characterized by songs of epic length, classical influence and ornate imagery, and toured with elaborate light shows and theatrical staging.

Brighton, UK's, As It Is, has released the third track, No Way Out, from their highly-anticipated sophomore album, okay., set to release January 20, 2017.

Digital and physical pre-orders are availablenow, where singles Okay, Pretty Little Distance, and No Way Out are all available as instant downloads with each pre-order.