Baby, I'm So Good

Tia Brazda

Monday night, on the 1-year anniversary of Amy Winehouse's death, singer Emma-Lee organized a tribute for her with a group of local female singers. Appropriately, all money raised went to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). But before the show started, it was chaos at The Orbit Room on College St.

An hour before the 10 pm start, the tiny venue was allegedly at its capacity of 110 patrons. No further admittance was allowed, according to whoever was in charge. But no bar staff or security was provided to manage the crowd, so it was up to the frazzled organizers (first one of the singers, then the ticket person) to block the entryway and pass the bad news to people who were still arriving and lining up along the stairwell that led up to the 2nd story club.

That sour note aside, the evening was a huge success, especially for the many Amy Winehouse fans in attendance who sang along on almost every song. All 5 singers had great voices and stage presence. They each highlighted a different side of Winehouse thanks to their personality and singing style. Emma-Lee sang her covers relatively straight and unadorned. Tia Brazda brought the wide-eyed ingenue. Treasa Levasseur showed delicate emotionality informed by musical theatre and cabaret. Saidad Baba Taliba was all lippy swagger while Tanika Charles epitomized the classy black soul diva that underlaid Winehouse's retro sound.

The band kept everything tight and strong, with jazz influences on the solos. Tyler Emond (bass), Matt Giffin (keys), Sly Juhas (drums), and Tom Juhas (guitar) were crammed behind the singers on the tiny stage. As a result, the horn section of Chris Gale (baritone sax), Alison Young (tenor sax ), and Steve Dyte (trumpet) was squeezed up against the wall between the stage and the kitchen.


It was a wonderful night of music. I would be surprised if this does not become an annual event.