The Laughing Heart
My mission for 2016!
The Laughing Heart
your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.108 – Idle Moments
Happy New Year! I hope that you survived the “Christmas Craziness” and had a beautiful time with friends and family. After the holidays begin to wind down, I enjoy taking a few moments to think about what is important, set […]
Wonderlove
Check out this happy, bumpin’ track called “Wonderlove”! Feels like summertime!
It’s a fun new collaboration between LarryKoek & Mike James that I was lucky enough to sing on! Listen here and Crank it!
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Sunday Slow Jam Vol.107 – A Child is Born
The holidays are upon us and it always seems a little bit crazy this time of year. The eternal “to do” list is always way too long and it often feels like the madness will never end. Perhaps this is […]
New Year’s Eve with Dawn Pemberton
Ready to “Do It To It?” Let’s ring in the New Year together!!! Reserve your spot here.
Details below on the right:
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.106 – Sweet Sucker Dance
Joni and Mingus. These two artists managed to influence the world with their musicality, expressivity, bright ideas, and progressive thoughts and approaches to making music. The fact that they can be identified by first or last name alone speaks to […]
DP and Dysfunktional!
Today I got to hang out with the raddest bunch of people!!! I am extremely honoured to work with these folks. This is Dysfunctional a wicked group of students at New Westminster Secondary who created their own funk band. I’m […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.105 – Saturday Morning
Canadian alto saxophonist Dylan Cramer found music at a transformative time in his life. He was 13 years old when he initially heard a Sonny Criss recording and knew that he wanted to study with him. Six years later Cramer […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.104 – Visions
“…Have I lived to see the milk and honey land where hate’s a dream and love forever stands or is this a vision in my mind?” I like to believe that Stevie Wonder has written a song for every moment. […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.103 – A Remark You Made
This week’s Sunday Slow Jam features a classic tune called, “A Remark You Made” by the prodigious Weather Report. This highly influential band was stacked with monster musicians who liked to seek out the in-between spaces and just hang there. […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.102 – Lima Bean
Today’s Sunday Slow(ish) Jam features the spunky and creative Scott Amendola Band. A little bit funky, a little bit sideways and outside the box, always stretching and searching, This band is bold and fearless. It features some really great musicians […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.101 – Walk in The Rain
The Mike Allen Quartet is one of Vancouver’s shining gems and an undeniable musical force that plays everything from heavy hitting originals to beloved standards. Check out this great tune “Walk in The Rain” from the quartet’s 2007 release called […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.100 – Spirits Free
You know you’re a bad mamajama when you can give yourself the designation of “Doctor” and no one protests. Dr. Lonnie Smith is that heavy of a musician and character. People have been calling him “Doctor” for more than forty […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.99 – Time Remembered
This week Vancouver’s music community lost its sparkle as we heard about the passing of the wonderful, Bob Murphy. He was a generous, kind hearted, inspiring and thrilling musician, one of Canada’s best. A fantastic “piano giant” who was deeply […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.98 – Speak Softly Love
“Speak softly love and hold me warm against your heart.” Sounds like a perfect way to start a Sunday to me. “Speak Softly Love” was written by Larry Kusic and Nick Rota and is best known as the theme from […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.97 – Blues Straight Up
Steve Kaldestad is one of Vancouver’s musical treasures! He is a fearless player with three fantastic albums of his own and is also featured with notable groups such as Jesse Cahill’s NightCrawlers and the Jodi Proznik Quartet. This week’s Sunday […]
Article: The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer put on killer performance at the Toronto Star
Check out the fun The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer and I had while making a raucous at the Toronto Star! Big thanks to Ben Rayner
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.96 – Day Dreaming
This Sunday’s jam is coming from the soulful side of things. “Day Dreaming” is one of Aretha Franklin’s breakout hits off of her 1972 Grammy Award winning album, “Young, Gifted & Black”. This track coos from start to finish and […]
And The Award Goes To…
SAY SOMETHIN’!!!
I am very happy to announce that Say Somethin’ won the 2015 Western Canadian Music Award for Urban Recording of the Year!
The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer also won awards for […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.95 – Lover Man
“Oh Lover Man, where can you be…..?” pours out of Chet Baker’s trumpet like sweet honey. His beautiful lyrical interpretation can’t help but keep the listener hooked to the emotional content of this song, making it a favourite of mine. […]
SHOW: Do Right! Soul Revue
Toronto and Hamilton!!!!! I’m coming your way…I’m so excited for this show! Do Right! Soul Revue ft. The Soul Motivators, Dawn Pemberton, Heavyweights Brass Band! October 9th (Lee’s Palace) and 10th (This Ain’t Hollywood).
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SHOW: Dawn Pemberton at Garden City Grooves Festival
Performing: Saturday, Oct 3rd @ Lucky Bar in Victoria
The Third Annual Garden City Grooves (GCG) Music Festival will be “the Mothership” for all things funk, soul and groove in 2015. GCG takes […]
SHOW: The Biltmore Over Troubled Water Paul Simon Tribute Concert
The Biltmore Over Troubled Water | Paul Simon Tribute Concert in support of #singitfwd
Wednesday, September 30th 2015, 19+ No Minors
Featuring members of:
Said The Whale, Hey Ocean, Mounties, Bear […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.94 – I Can’t Get Started
Louis Hayes’ musical career spans over four decades and has helped to shape the sound of jazz forever. His brand of drumming is driving, evocative and really swings. From a young age he has played with jazz greats such as […]
SHOW: Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!
Friday, Oct.2nd at the Kay Meek Centre Grosvenor Theatre
Building on the highly successful collaborative concerts of the Black Hen Music Series, producer/guitarist Steve Dawson will lead another musical tour de force displaying […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.93 – Look At Me
I have three words for you: Cécile. McLorin. Salvant.
Don’t let the glasses fool you. Cécile McLorin Savant is a fantastic, serious student of music. You can’t not hear that when you listen to her new album “For One To Love”. […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.92 – Place To Be
Hiromi Uehara has been stunning audiences with her impeccable musicianship for years. She may look quiet and demure, however, she is as fierce as it gets. I believe that she is the best kind of musician; gifted with extreme heart, […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.91 – In Your Own Sweet Way
There is something I find incredibly beautiful about the standard, “In Your Own Sweet Way”. I can’t decided if it’s the quirky and lovely melody or if it’s the crafty tonal shifts that happen throughout the piece or the dear […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.90 – You Go to My Head
Two masters, one song…Joe Pass and Ella Fitzgerald recorded together often as a duo. This particular version was recorded in 1973 on their album called “Take Love Easy” which is a beautiful collection of standards that I highly recommend checking […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.89 – Sweet Home
This summer I’ve had the privilege to tour across Canada and make music with some mighty fine people. There is something about being on the road that is fantastic and invigorating, especially during the summer. However, there is always a […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.88 – I Loves You Porgy
I recently watched a documentary about Nina Simone called “What Happened Miss Simone?”. It highlighted Nina’s beautifully complicated, brilliant mind and fiery presence. Simone’s personality is as deep, multi-faceted and moving as her music. In a way it seems music […]
Photos: Saskatchewan Jazz Fest with Harp Axe
Photos from the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival with The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer 🙂
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Sunday Slow Jam Vol.87 – Blue in Green
Today’s offering makes me think of raindrops, warm sunshine and rainbows reflected on walls. There is something special about this ballad “Blue in Green” that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. For me, hearing Kenny Werner play it takes it […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.86 – People Like You
Wow, we made it. The 2015 Vancouver International Jazz Festival is officially over and what an inspiring, creative and jam-packed time that was. I find myself savouring the shows that I was lucky enough to see and pining over the […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.85 – As Surely As I Stand Here
Tower of Power is the funkiest and tightest band that you will ever have the pleasure of hearing. Known for their wall of sound, virtuosic solos, percolating bass lines and bubbling grooves they have perfected their brand of Oakland funk […]
SHOW: The Acapella Rumble: What It Is vs TriVo
The gloves are off when East Van Soul Quartet What It Is challenges World Music Heavyweights Trivo to an Acapella Rumble. Join your host Wayne “Sound Off” Stewart ringside for a knock down drag out acapella bloodbath. Featuring, on team […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol. 84 – Winin’ Boy Blues
Listening to the first 10 seconds of this track you may already notice that Eric Revis likes to colour outside the lines. This rendition of Jelly Roll Morton’s ‘Winin’ Boy Blues’ immediately evokes New Orleans with its swampy beat, big […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.83 – So In Love
It’s summer time in Vancouver which signals the beginning of The Vancouver International Jazz Festival! This year’s festival is stacked with some of music’s BEST! This week I’d like to feature a tune by the skilled composer, arranger, collaborator and […]
Sunday Slow Jam Vol.82 – Never
The Roots have been considered hip hop pioneers since the release of their breakthrough album “Things Fall Apart”. Fifteen years later, they are now easily recognized as The Tonight Show’s house band and have earned the right to be called […]
Artist at Home
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of hanging out with the fantastic photographer, traveller and human, Christopher Edmonstone! He is doing this amazing series called ‘Artist at Home’ and […]