Posts Tagged ‘Canadian Musicians’

Week in Review

Sunday, June 30th, 2019

Dawn Tyler Watson, the Canadian Empress of the Blues, performed at the NYS Blues Festival on Friday evening. The following day she played the Festival de Jazz de Montreal.

Social Climbing

Friday, March 11th, 2016
Canada's Coleman Hall made a stop in Syracuse on Wednesday. Their tour will take the to the Midwest for the next two weeks. They will play Montreal at the end of the month.

Canada’s Coleman Hell made a stop in Syracuse on Wednesday. The songwriter, vocalist’s tour will head to the Midwest for the next two weeks before playing Montreal at the end of the month. Hell will appear at the Juno Awards on April 3.

Red Hot Blues

Sunday, July 20th, 2014
Shakura S' Aida commanded the stage for Day 2 of the NYS Blues Festival on Saturday.

Shakura S' Aida commanded the stage with her mature sound for Day 2 of the NYS Blues Festival on Saturday.

Sibling Revelry

Saturday, September 7th, 2013
Colleen and Erin Searson (Ottawa Valley Girls)

Colleen and Erin Searson (Ottawa Valley Girls)

This is a post about two valley girls…

Ottawa (Ontario, Canada)Valley sisters Erin and Colleen Searson returned to the Syracuse Irish Festival this year, and were last night’s main stage entertainment.  Their show delivered one foot-stomping hit after another. Colleen and Erin were accompanied by band mates Danno O’Shea (drums) and Orianna Barbato (bass).

The band will play again during the festival today, then head off for other dates in the Midwest before returning to Ottawa in October.

Check out the interview with Erin and Colleen below, where they talk about their connection with Kitty Hoynes in Syracuse and their gigs in Spain.

The group are true ambassadors for Celtic and fiddle music.

Syracuse loves Searson

Syracuse loves Searson

Celtic Cool: Orianna Barbato on bass for Searson

Celtic Cool: Orianna Barbato on bass for Searson

Colleen Searson has played fiddle since age 9

Colleen Searson has played fiddle since age 9

Danno O'Shea: pounding out funky Celtic Folk on the drums

Danno O’Shea: pounding out funky Celtic Folk on the drums

Erin "Do It All" Searson, vocalist, keyboardist, composer, guitarist, dancer

Erin “Do It All” Searson, vocalist, keyboardist, composer, guitarist, dancer

Jazz for a Sunday Afternoon

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Dave Mann, Will Lee and Chris Parker

Dave Mann, Will Lee and Chris Parker

The 28th Annual Syracuse Jazz Fest took place again at Onondaga Community College last weekend. I got cover the final day, which featured Natalie Cole, Toph-E, Sheryl Bailey, and Michael Kaeshammer. One fan I spoke with said the Friday night Jam Session was the best set he’d seen at this particular event (he’s been attending for over 20 years).

Michael Kaeshammer and Marc Roberts (The Canadian Connection)

Michael Kaeshammer and Marc Roberts

Other artists who performed on days one and two of the festival (who I missed) included Gil Scott Heron, Boz Scaggs and Jeff Lorber.

It was also good to see, photograph and talk with piano tuner Kenneth Williams.  According to Jazz Fest Producer Festival Frank Malfitano: “[Williams] is the best in the business and a very dear friend of the festival, he’s indispensable.”

Natelie Cole

Natalie Cole