Hump Day

I was at The Burdock Wednesday for a mid-week show. The venue was already packed when opener Ken Yates took the stage. Armed with a deft hand on the guitar, he gave us some Americana numbers. There were some stand-outs including Keep Your Head Down.

For her solo EP, Lydia Persaud has arrived fully formed. Granted she has spent five years with folk trio The O'Pears (and continues to do so), collaborated with other Toronto artists, and also studied music at Humber College. But this is an assured debut. Unlike a previous show I attended, where she ranged from country to pop to R&B, now Persaud has narrowed her focus to folk, gospel, and soul. I don't want to pigeon-hole her by equating an artist of colour with an "urban" sound. But her rich voice, full of earthy tones, is such a perfect fit for those particular songs that they went straight into your spine. This is music to dance to, or alternatively, seduce a willing lover. Her backing band, and the various vocal guests, were also up to keeping that funkiness going all night. It was a well-deserved standing ovation for Persaud.

Middle East To Go

On Tuesday, after an early evening yoga class, I was looking for a quick bite in the Queen and Bathurst area. Like most streets in Toronto, there were plenty of cheap shawarma places. But a trendier looking place called Soufi caught my eye. Claiming to be the first Syrian restaurant in Toronto, it had the typical hipster aesthetic: blonde wood, mismatched furniture, decorated with personal knick-knacks. The family that owns Soufi didn't come with the recent influx of Syrian refugees, though they are also relatively new to Canada. They've decided to aim a little higher and so is willing to pay Queen St. W rent prices. The menu was kept short and simple so I ordered a version of manaesh called sujuk ($6.50).

This was essentially a version of the Turkish Lahmacun (or ground-beef flatbread) but using the thicker Iranian zataar bread. It was a good couple of bites but next time I'll paid extra for a few add-ons like tomatoes and so on.

Got Gud

Friday night, I headed over to Gallery 345 for local Jazz singer Genevieve Marentette first fundraiser called Women In Jazz. To celebrate turning 40, Marentette has decided to organize a series of shows over the next year to raise funds for the Women's College Hospital in Toronto. Appropriately enough, I believe she will try to have mostly female musicians since they are as equally short-changed in live shows as they are in medical funding.

It was a beautiful evening of music. I couldn't believe these musicians have never played together. Keeping it all together was Nancy Walker (piano), Carly Howell (upright bass), and Zaynab Wilson (drums). A parade of wonderful singers made appearances. Highlights included Joanna Majoko's blistering God Bless The Child.

Song Sung Blue

I was at The Rivoli on Thursday to hear some folk/light country from Sweet Alibi and Jadea Kelly. These two bands often tour together as co-headliners, last time at The Dakota Tavern. With Toronto being Kelly's hometown, or it was before she moved to the States, the latter usually sings the second slot here.

First up tonight was Sweet Alibi, a trio from the prairies. Their songs had a bit of folk and new country. I'm on the fence about their music. It usually comes from a place of deep emotion, such as a song written while sitting in a hospital parking lot worrying about their mom. Yet the lyrics and melody often fall short of conveying such moving truths. As such, it was their covers that highlighted their talent: Bob Dylan's Gotta Serve Somebody, Leonard Cohen's Almost Like The Blues, and Khari Wendell McClelland's Song of the Agitator.

Being back in her old haunts, Kelly had plenty of musician friends out to see her including Mélanie Brûlé and Lydia Persaud who contributed some guest vocals. The women of Sweet Alibi also took the stage for back-up harmonies. She sang mostly slow sad songs, as she wryly acknowledged, that had a country-tinged pop vibe. Sometimes that got a bit pedestrian but more often, her great ear for melody and her lyrical phrasing elevated the music. They were deceptively simple verses that portrayed rich imagery. If Mariah is her Jolene, then that's a good legacy, though the combination of Kelly and Persaud on Beauty was also pretty dang great too.