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Grand River Black Music Festival and Conference In Kitchener Puts Its Melody Where Its Mouth Is

It’s hard enough to make a go of it in the entertainment business, and the complications are only compounded if you happen to be Black. Getting over those hurdles is the focus of the Grand River Black Music Festival and Conference, produced by Black Exposed Entertainment, a three-day conference of seminars, performances, and other enlightening events that’s coming to teach aspiring players how to win the game of music—as shared straight from the mouth of their peers and heroes.

Canada’s first not-for-profit Black music festival and conference, the GRBMFC, will present a stellar lineup of artists and industry professionals when it takes over the central location of the Kitchener Public Library downtown Kitchener, the weekend of June 14 to 16. Featuring powerful live performances, exchanges of industry wisdom, unique vendors, film screenings, emerging artist programming, and more, the event will impart valuable, real-life tools and knowledge—all of it pitched to empower emerging black artists, producers, digital creators, and future filmmakers living in Ontario.

Fifteen major acts will present inspiring concert sets. Topping the roster are legendary R&B singer, songwriter, and actor Jully Black, rap icon Solitair, gospel collective the Toronto Mass Choir, Juno-Award-winning R&B vocalist Erroll Starr, Canadian Afrobeats pioneer Zochi, and jazz synthesist outfit Reharm.

On Sunday afternoon, June 16, Solitair will headline a free, 2,500-capacity outdoor festival at Civic Centre Park. This family-friendly program will also feature a Black Emerging Artist Spotlight, spoken-word performances, DJ music, and a Black Artisan and Food Village. Pop-up concerts will be held throughout the region throughout the weekend, adding to the pervasive sense of fun and surprise.

On the conference front, more than 20 panelists will share their intimate experience of the music business through workshops, lectures, and other highly informative sit-downs. Executives and artists who have truly been there and done that will lay out proven strategies for getting signed, promoting your work, navigating the digital realm and just being Black in the music industry.

Headline performer Jully Black will deliver one of the event’s three keynote speeches when she appears as part of its Black Women in Music panel. Solitair and Zochi will take part in seminars too, as will producer/CEO/singer-songwriter Carlos Morgan, also the festival’s founder. Other speakers and conference participants scheduled for the weekend include marketer/manager Will Strickland; radio host/VJ Michael Williams; TV and radio personality/promoter Master T; entertainment reporter Rudy Blair; multi-instrumentalist/producer Joel Joseph; DJ/promoter Ron Nelson; publicist/blogger/SiriusXM radio host Eric Alper; producer/songwriter Roy Hamilton III; and label exec Tony Winger who helped launch Prince’s career.

The film schedule will feature screenings of the short Temple of Love: The Erroll Star Story; Making Music: The Making of “Why I Sing the Blues”, which shows how the LA Big Daddy’s came to cover the B.B. King classic, and Hip-Hop Hope, a documentary focusing on the legacy of Hip-hop in The Waterloo Region.

A total attendance of 4,500 is expected at this truly momentous event.

“As the founder, producer and curator of the Grand River Black Music Festival, I am grateful to be a part of the GRBMF team that created a festival to feature and highlight Black musicians, artists and their music in the Waterloo region,” Carlos Morgan  says. “Recognizing a huge void in the local music scene, the GRBMF hosts three days of incredible performances from some of the best Canada has to offer, showcasing new and upcoming Black artists and presenting insider discussions of various issues and initiatives within the Canadian music industry. We look forward to seeing you and your family at the 2024 Grand River Black Music Festival.”

Beyoncé Features Snippet of Roy Hamilton’s “Don’t Let Go” on Cowboy Carter – And There’s A Toronto Connection To THAT

Rich, melodic and booming, Georgia-born Roy Hamilton’s voice was instantly recognizable and that’s why it eventually attracted the attention of Elvis Presley, who was influenced by his gospel style and catchy riffs. Hamilton’s legacy is carried on by his son Roy Hamilton Jr. and grandson Roy Hamilton III, who both live in Toronto.

“It was big, booming, and able to ‘sob’ with the best,” notes the Elvis Information Network. “Roy could convincingly deliver a rocker like ‘Don’t Let Go’ or gently build the tension of a dramatic ballad like ‘Unchained Melody.’”

To pay tribute to the musician who was instrumental in shaping Black country music as well as Southern music as a whole, Beyoncé featured a brief snippet of Hamilton’s hit “Don’t Let Go” in the prelude to “Texas Hold ‘Em” on her new album Cowboy Carter.

“Queen Beyoncé, I would like to personally thank you for featuring my dad Roy Hamilton’s song “Don’t Let Go” on your Cowboy Carter album. The album is wonderful,” Roy Hamilton Jr. commented on Beyoncé’s Instagram reel featuring his father’s song, which was later reported by Now magazine.

Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Roy Hamilton III is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, and A&R executive. He’s been instrumental in selling more than 70 million albums globally for Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Keri Hilson, Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, and many more.  This year, he won Billboard Album of the Year, and he won the Gospel Music Award Album of The Year in 2018.

Award-Winning Jazz Singer-Songwriter HALIE LOREN Releases New Album DREAMS LOST AND FOUND

Today, the award-winning Oregon-based jazz singer-songwriter Halie Loren is proud to release her new full-length album Dreams Lost and Found out now via Nettwerk/Justin Time Records. This collection of songs explores themes of longing, seeking, and seeing with new eyes — the falling away of old illusions and outgrown desires, finding new visions for love and life, allowing some dreams to die to make space for new dreams to be born. The album captures the live essence of her music, that has led to tours and performances for audiences worldwide. The 14-song effort sees Halie lend her take on standards, originals, and her personal favorites.

Halie adds: “This album marks my return to a more jazz-oriented musical sound, but forged in a completely new environment of creativity (quite literally, in that I traveled to Montreal to record for the first time) that brought my improvisational spirit to the forefront—in no small part inspired by collaborating with masterful musicians Taurey Butler on piano, Morgan Moore on bass, Sam Kirmayer on Guitar, and Jim Doxas on drums. Though I have performed for years with most of these amazingly talented people, we’ve never before recorded together… to me, it was like we were dancing on the edge of the unknown when creating these songs. It felt very alive in the moment, and I think that comes through the music”

Halie is excited to celebrate her new album release with a run of shows in the Pacific Northwest where she’ll entertain crowds with album standouts like “Sukiyaki (You Took Your Love Away)”, “Stop This World” and “For All We Know” and more. Find the full list of tour dates below and for more information visit www.halieloren.com.

Halie Loren is an international, award-winning jazz singer/songwriter. She brings a fresh and original perspective to time-honored musical paths, channeling her innate understanding of connectedness across musical boundaries to forge bonds with diverse audiences in North America, Asia, and Europe. Her multi-genre and multi-lingual musical blend across her ten albums to-date has earned several national and international awards in multiple genres as well as significant critical and chart success along the way, with her albums consistently reaching #1 on the Billboard Japan, iTunes (Canada and Japan) and Amazon jazz charts.

An award-winning songwriter since her early teens, Halie began garnering international acclaim as a recording artist when her debut jazz album They Oughta Write a Song was named the Best Vocal Jazz Album of the year at the 2009 JPF Independent Music Awards. She was subsequently signed for distribution in Asia by JVC/Victor Entertainment and in North America with Canadian-based jazz label Justin Time Records. Loren’s accolades in more recent years include an Independent Music Award for her original song “Thirsty” in 2011, a Best Vocal Jazz Album 2012 award in Japan’s Jazz Critique Magazine for her album Heart First, (which also reached #1 on Canada’s iTunes Jazz chart), and a total of four Billboard #1 albums on Japan’s jazz charts since 2013. Her video for “Noah”, the 2nd single from her 2018 release From the Wild Sky album produced by UK tour-de-force Troy Miller (Amy Winehouse, Gregory Porter, Diana Ross), won an Emmy in 2019 for Best Music Video as presented by The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) Southeast Chapter.

Along with recording and songwriting successes, Halie’s live performances have brought her around the world several times, with performances on 4 continents thus far, including tours across the U.S., Canada, France, the U.K., Japan, Italy, Egypt, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Egypt, and Haiti. Her concerts range from intimate clubs to grand halls to festivals, from solo to classic jazz trio to lush orchestral collaborations.

Halie is pleased to announce her next record Dreams Lost and Found, recorded in Montreal, Canada in collaboration with fellow artists from the Justin Time Records family, and slated for release on April 12, 2024. Stay tuned for more information and tour dates to follow.

HALIE LOREN 2024 TOUR DATES:
June 28 – Newport, OR @ Oregon Coast Council – The Arts
July 30 – Seattle, WA @ Jazz Alley
August 28 – Seattle, WA @ Jazz Alley
December 8 – Seaview, WA @ Water Music Festival

Halie Loren – Dreams Lost and Found – Track List:
1. For All We Know
2. How High the Moon
3. Dance Me to the End of Love
4. Sabor a Mí
5. All I Want
6. More
7. C’est le printemps (prelude)
8. It Might as Well Be Spring
9. All Night Long
10. Stop This World
11. The Fool on the Hill
12. Under the Same Moon
13. Sukiyaki (You Took Your Love Away from Me)
14. I’ll Be Seeing You

2024 JUNO Award Winner Christine Jensen Announces Her New 19-Piece Jazz Orchestra Album “Harbour”

Today, the acclaimed, JUNO-winning Canadian saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen is proud to announce her forthcoming jazz orchestra album Harbour, due out on June 28th via Nettwerk/Justin Time Records. The follow-up to her two previous award-winning jazz orchestra albums Habitat (2013) and Treelines (2010), Harbour features a searing set of originals penned by Jensen over the last decade. Featuring some of New York and Montreal’s top improvisers, Harbour represents a departure point from leaving shelter and emerging into the new world, with the ensemble playing with acoustic and electric elements from Jensen’s compositions. The first taste of the album comes with “Fantasy On Blue,” a feature for Ingrid Jensen commissioned in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Miles Davis’ seminal work, Kind of Blue.

Christine reflects on the track: “I wore out more than one vinyl of Kind Of Blue, so it was appropriate that I got to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the recording in 2019 with this commission from the Saskatoon Jazz Festival. Ingrid takes a fantastic solo feature, capturing the punchy spirit of Miles with her contemporary improvisations, taking us on a celebratory jaunt that goes to all sorts of corners with the band.”

Canadian Saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen has led a distinct voice to the creative jazz scene for the last twenty-five years with her large and small ensembles. She is set to release her third jazz orchestra album Harbour (2024) which follows previous releases Habitat (2013) and Treelines (2010). It features her Montreal-based orchestra, along with guest soloists NY-based Ingrid Jensen on trumpet and electronics, Gary Versace on piano, Chet Doxas on tenor saxophone, Jon Wikan on drums and Montreal-based Steve Raegele on guitar. This album captures over a decade of her compositions and commissions, with her sister’s improvisations infused throughout.

“I think of this collection of songs as my commissioning series, with each piece marking time since the beginnings of life for my daughter. I chose the title Harbour because I think its place of shelter on the water, a respite before the new migrations that await on land. This ensemble of family and friends represents that feeling to me, as we all came out of so much turbulence to land together in a room, where my music could take flight. The musicians that I had the privilege to perform and record with took all this to another level and brought their own characters in through their masterful sounds and improvisations. This time around, I can’t be more thrilled with the magic that has surfaced, from the sculpting of forms to the performances that are so lovingly interpreted.”

Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra – Harbour Track List:
1. Passing Lions Gate
2. Swirlaround
3. Wink
4. Surge
5. Harbour
6. Cascadian Fragments
7. Fantasy On Blue

Singer-Songwriter Matt Von Turns Loss Into A Musical Win With “Still In My Heart”

Penning a tribute to a fallen loved one is an unavoidably personal undertaking. Whether the finished product ends up sounding like a private moment we shouldn’t be eavesdropping on, or like a gift to be shared with all humanity, is entirely up to the quality of the artist.

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Matt Von has taken the latter tack on his affecting new single, “Still in My Heart.” Ostensibly a paean to his mother, who passed away in 2023 after a more than 18-month battle with cancer, the song strikes a universal chord that transcends his own harrowing experience and rockets it straight into the stratosphere of mass catharsis. And in the algebra of popcraft, mass catharsis equals a great song.

It’s a musical send-off that’s neither maudlin nor morbid—just one of the qualities that make it feel like a ready-made hit. The weighty subject matter notwithstanding, “Still in My Heart” remains both uplifting and irresistibly catchy, due in large part to its invigorating, light-headed bounce. Von’s already youthful voice keeps leaping excitedly into falsetto as the rhythm simply skips along beneath him, turning what could be a defeated dirge into a hand-on-heart pledge of eternal gratitude. All the while, the meticulous production by Luca Caracciolo boosts and augments the song’s vocal/guitar core with keyboard accents and other embellishments that are applied tastefully in all the right places.

Most important, the lyrics convey their fond farewells in a way that’s generalized enough to resonate with anyone who’s experiencing grief over just about anything—not just death, but the sad end to a relationship of any kind:

I wanna be with you
After all that we’ve been through
I know that you’re far
But you’re in my heart
We still have forever
And for now, I’ll just settle
It’s been kinda hard
But I won’t fall apart
You’re still in my heart

“It’s always hard losing someone in your life, but I had never imagined I would be without my mom, my best friend, at the age of 25,” Von muses. The ordeal was so preoccupying that this natural talent—who had been playing music since he was 8—didn’t write any new material the entire time she was sick. But four months after she had passed, he sat down with an acoustic guitar, and the number poured out of him in the course of just about an hour.

“This song came as a blessing to me, which I believe was sent from my mom to me from heaven,” he says.

It wasn’t until he had given the tune a couple of dry runs at shows, however, that he realized he had something truly special on his hands:
“I performed the song live a couple times when it was unreleased, and the reaction that I received from audiences was surreal. I knew I had to record this song and have it released.”

Now it’s the fourth single in Von’s ever-expanding catalog of solo music, joining prior entries like his debut, “Crazy,” and the subsequent “Help with Something,” which he wrote and recorded as a tribute to his parents. Yes, family has always been a big deal to this Toronto kid. From 2018 to 2020, he performed as part of duo, Sarah Jordan and Matt Von, with one of his two sisters. They were a popular recording act and a regular presence at local events and festivals until the day Von decided to strike out on his own. As a solo artist, he’s cultivated a distinctive sound that seeds his pop/acoustic roots with hints of country and gospel.

“Still in My Heart” is the first addition to his released repertoire in three years. And as a proven crowd-pleaser, it’s bound to be a staple of his live sets as he continues his regular schedule of appearances at Ontario-area venues, where he regularly wows the crowd with a winning mixture of originals and covers.

“I want this song to be a tribute to my mom, and how much of an incredible person she was,” he says. “I would not be where I am today without her love, guidance and nurturing heart. She was my biggest fan and best friend. I continue to live my life today through her memory.”

And that isn’t just a promise he’s made to himself.

“I will never forget what my mom said to me just before she passed: ‘Don’t ever stop doing what you love.’ I won’t, Mom. I promise. I love you. You’re still in my heart.”

Pianist And Singer-Songwriter Jeffery Straker Releases Sincere New Single “The Time You’ve Got”

Life’s highest highs often accompany its lowest lows. Regina, Saskatchewan pianist and singer-songwriter Jeffery Straker knows this well. He’s opening up about some of the lessons he’s recently learned on his new single, “The Time You’ve Got,” out everywhere now.

“In the past five years I’ve watched both of my parents pass away,” Straker shares. “I’ve also found love in my partner of four years, Michael. Losing my parents has made me reflect on where it is that I was born, then decided to leave, and then felt drawn back to in recent years. All throughout this I’ve become cognizant of time: how precious it is and how important it is to use it wisely.”

Co-written with Beverley Mahood and Mac Shepherd, “The Time You’ve Got” reflects on that ever-profound common refrain of the bereaved– That we have to appreciate every day that we’ve got. Straker and Mahood were initially inspired to write the song while co-hosting the annual Telemiracle Telethon on CTV, where they both shared a profound sense of awe witnessing Canadians contribute their hard earned dollars to a good cause.

The single is the third off Straker’s upcoming album Great Big Sky, following “Brand New Light” and “Sing Your Song.” On Great Big Sky, Straker shares his story as Saskatchewan’s prodigal son in his signature folk-roots style, with eight self-penned tracks and two co-written with Nashville-based producer Steve Dawson. The full album will be released everywhere this July.

“In spite of the deep loss I’ve experienced,” Straker concludes, “an optimistic tone rings from these songs and I think it comes from gratitude. I feel lucky to have been raised in a beautiful place by wonderful parents. I’m lucky to be from and to call the prairies home. A place that reminds, inspires, lifts, and grounds me. Great Big Sky is about being lost and then being found again, it’s a whisper painted on a giant canvas, and the gratitude for not knowing all the answers but being able to ask all the questions.”

Jeffery Straker is a celebrated pianist and singer/songwriter hailing from small-town Saskatchewan. He received his licentiate diploma in piano performance from Trinity College, London when he was just 19, and has gone on to perform over 100 shows per year across Canada, Europe and Latin America. His music has been featured on CBC radio’s ‘Canada Live’, and he has twice been recognized as the Saskatchewan Music Awards Roots/Folk Artist of the Year.

Married Singer-Songwriters Marc Jordan And Amy Sky Show Off An Enduring Love On “Into You”

It’s one thing for a couple to stay together for decades while plying their trade in different corners of the same business. It’s another for them to collaborate on a project that celebrates the durability of their bond with the deepest sincerity. And it’s still another thing entirely for them to sit on that document for a quarter century, then have it feel as fresh and honest as a newly written wedding vow when it finally does come out.

“Into You,” the new single by married singer-songwriters Marc Jordan and Amy Sky, is just such a wonder. Written in 1999 as a song for the hard-working pair to duet on during one of their rare shows together, it’s only now seeing the light of day in recorded form—ironically, as an appetizer for a tandem concert tour they’re undertaking as a rare treat for their fans. But no matter the era or context, the song is a showcase for the writing skills the duo have honed crafting hits for the likes of Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Chicago, Olivia Newton-John, Heart, Reba McEntire, Joe Cocker, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Cher and Cyndi Lauper. Just as important, it’s a testament to why they work so splendidly as singing partners when they can manage it. Whether they’re trading lines or doubling up, Jordan’s jazz-trained voice meshes perfectly with Sky’s earthier, more intuitive approach as they lob mutual-appreciation tributes like “You tattooed your name on my skin/ And I can’t get back if I wanted to.”

“If you look at the lyrics and you know our writing styles, you can see who wrote what,” Jordan says. “I like to write with visual metaphors like ‘I see the signs/ I know that Jupiter aligns with Mars/ It’s clear to me our destiny was written in the stars/ and gravity is pulling you closer to me.’ And Amy uses more personal, interior language: ‘And I breathe you out and I breathe you in/ I don’t know where you stop and baby I begin.’”

The couple says the tune was influenced by their shared love of Southern California rock, but it also has an alt/roots feel that’s held up nicely over the years. The minor tonalities are met by refreshingly dark timbres, with some full-bodied acoustic guitar playing against electrics whose trebly bite keeps the lyrical theme of undying devotion from coming across as particularly saccharin.

In a further irony, this paean to simpatico-hood was written at a time when Jordan and Sky were spending plenty of time apart. Sure, they would write together incessantly, but when it came to taking performing gigs, they agreed that someone always had to be home to look after their then-young offspring. And there was another, just as sensible reason for them to maintain somewhat of a professional distance:

“One of the reasons we’ve had a long and successful marriage is that we’re in the same business but in very different departments,” Sky says. “We write with many of the same people, but we try not to collaborate too much. We aim to be a support to each other, rather than being the person causing you work problems.”

They’ve certainly racked up enough successes on their own. Jordan’s forays into jazz/pop won him a Juno Award in 1993 for his record Reckless Valentine and a nomination for 2019’s Both Sides, while Sky explored New Age/spiritual terrain with Olivia Newton-John on albums like Grace and Gratitude and Christmas Wish.

When they overcame their misgivings about working too closely together long enough to record and release 2022’s He Sang She Sang, the results were just as stellar. Boasting their renditions of classics like “Free Fallin’” and “Always on My Mind” plus five original compositions, the album was nominated for “Best Adult Contemporary Album” at the 2023 Junos. It also got plenty of radio and streaming play, appearing on many highly ranked playlists.

Now they’re taking the show on the road via a tour of Southern Ontario —their first road jaunt together since 2016—with “Into You” freshly rescued from their archives as an extra, non-album inducement. Dates are as follows:

May 1 Kingston – Grand Theatre
May 3 Orillia – Opera House
May 4 Milton – First Ontario Arts Centre
May 5 London – Aeolian Hall
May 6 Peterborough – Showplace Performance Centre
May 7 Ancaster – Memorial Arts Centre – Peller Hall
May 9 Oshawa – Regent Theatre
May 10 Meaford – Meaford Hall Arts & Cultural Centre
May 11 Guelph – River Run Centre
May 13 St. Catharines – Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

As their touring keyboardist and opening act, Jordan and Sky have enlisted their son, Ezra Jordan, now a singer-songwriter based in Nashville. Yes, he’s one of the two children the couple were so careful to mind back when “Into You” was new. And now their audience gets to see the benefits of growing up with at least one highly musical parent in the household at all times.

“Even though everyone in the family is a musician, I can count the number of times we’ve all played together in a professional capacity on one hand,” says Ezra (who also contributed keys and backing vocals to He Sang She Sang.) “I feel very grateful to have the chance to work with my parents not just as a family member, but as a peer, and to get the chance to stretch my creative muscles in a variety of ways that so few gigs can offer.”

To his mom, the tour is the capper to a recording/performing campaign that’s been a true labor of love between her and her husband—one that might not be repeated any time soon.
“We are both very busy with our own projects, so we may never do an album together again,” Sky says. “This will be a unique opportunity for people to hear us together.”

Canada’s Teen Jam Coming To Toronto’s TD Music Hall – Auditions Open Now

Some of the best, most innovative musical acts ever started out when they were merely teens – The Runaways, The Strokes, The Arctic Monkeys, to name just a few – and Canada’s Teen Jam, a first-of-its-kind performance showcase, is aware of the immense talent and creativity that can be developed during that wonderful time of life.

Canada’s Teen Jam’s Discovery Program has proven hugely successful in uniting undiscovered musical teens and providing high-level opportunities such as performing on the same concert stages used by iconic Canadian music stars, and absorbing the professional world that surrounds them!

Back in July, Canada’s Teen Jam hosted its inaugural launch at the Wayback Festival in Kitchener ON, receiving a whopping 300 submissions in their search for teen talent. Now, Canada’s Teen Jam has acquired a major Sponsor, United Van Lines Canada, for a multi-year deal!

Last year’s finalist, 15-year-old rock guitar wiz Brandon Ahmet will be flown, all expenses paid to Miami Beach to perform at United Van Lines’ convention.

Teen Jam was created by Mark Higgins, producer, and founder of Big Music Fests, which has featured A-listers including Aerosmith, Bryan Adams, Soundgarden, The Tragically Hip, Slash, ZZ Top and many more legendary acts.

“When musical teens experience this level of excellence, they develop a great sense of worth, and a clearer path to fulfilling their dreams,” said Higgins. “Teen musical growth is essential for the future of our music industry! Canada’s Teen Jam will help in creating the next wall of sound.”

Teens ages 13 to 19 can submit video performances here, along with a $10 submission fee. Cash prizes will be awarded for the best performances – $1,000 in the band category, and $500 for the solo-artist category. All sounds and musical styles are encouraged, as well as both original songs and covers. More information can also be found on Canada’s Teen Jam’s Instagram and TikTok.

Ottawa Singer/Songwriter Jeff Rogers Releases New Lyric Video For “Lock & Key”

It’s been quite wild ride for Ottawa roots singer/songwriter and keyboard player Jeff Rogers over the past 6 months.

Last fall he had the thrill of opening for The Legendary Downchild Blues Band on their sold-out Ontario theatre tour, to great response. The February 16, 2024, American and international release of his new album Dream Job, recorded in the revered music mecca of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, helped the album hit Top 5 on the Roots Music Report Canada Album Chart alongside The Dead South on March 30, 2024. Stellar album reviews south of the border from respected magazines like Downbeat and praise from Billboard Canada as “one to watch in 2024”, have helped put Jeff Rogers on the map internationally.

With the buzz building, Rogers is set to release his brand-new lyric video for his first single “Lock & Key.”

“Lock & Key is a song that captures the excitement I feel coming home from the road to see my partner. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and there’s honest appreciation in the lyrics with a hint of rose-coloured glasses masking a fear that one might have been gone too long. The rhythm and music represent the more primal longing upon return. It’s a fun song, and the band is electric, especially Kelvin Holly on guitar,” says Rogers.

“I wanted to approach this song with a jam vibe, the chords aren’t complex, it really is about the train rolling down the tracks. This is one of the songs that benefited the most from being down in Muscle Shoals, utilizing musicians who breathe that bluesy southern rock vibe. As soon as we counted it in, we clicked with the right attitude, and Kelvin dug in. It was a super fun jam. A couple days later, Clayton Ivey came in the studio and put the finishing touches on the rhythm section with some well seasoned B3, and it all really came together. It was so fun having these guys on my album and listening to them add their own spices in the mix. Wishbone Studio has an incredible room, spacious and warm with all the vintage toys you need to capture that Alabama sound.”

Jeff Rogers unmistakably soulful voice often evokes weighty comparisons to the past – whether that’s Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles or even Otis Redding, yet, his tone, range, phrasing, and sincerity, all make him unmistakably contemporary – and totally original.

On his new album Dream Job, Jeff is accompanied by some legendary musicians, including Kelvin Holly (Little Richard, Bobby Bland etc.), Clayton Ivey (The Staple Sisters, Thelma Houston), Justin Holder (Keb Mo’, Delbert McClinton) and Shonna Tucker (Booker T. Jones, Drive-By-Truckers). Dream Job features special guest appearances by Grammy Award winner, Colin Linden, and Juno Award winning singer, Kellylee Evans.

Jackman and Reynolds share the screen again – What’s the verdict this time?

By Mitch Rice

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, two of the world’s most prominent actors and greatest assets within the Marvel space, make the headlines again following the debut of the official trailer that discloses them sharing the screen in what’s about to be one of the year’s biggest cinematic hits. Deadpool & Wolverine, scheduled to launch on the 26th of July of this year, see Deadpool cross paths with Wolverine, each preoccupied with their own struggles. While the latter is recovering from the pain caused by the relative’s death, it appears that a heroic desire still lingers on, which later takes the form of a partnership aiming to take their common enemy down. The two actors are foretold to quadruple the remunerations received by blockbuster actors Cillian Murphy and Margot Robbie, so at least from this POV, you can rest assured knowing the looming release will be as great as Oppenheimer and Barbie. 

So, what don’t we know, and what should you discover already, especially if you’ve been missing the latest updates? Let’s keep you posted! 

Rumors fly about similarities between Logan in X-Men ’97 and the forthcoming character

Ever since the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer dropped and started a craze, impatient enthusiasts have been rolling their dice at the variant of Logan that Hugh Jackman will impersonate. Many hypotheses have been circulating, among which one stands out as a definite jaw-dropper. The latest trailer release depicted Wolverine as a character from a realm abounding in disillusion and portraying Jackman’s utter regret for his past wrongdoings. 

While the Logan you’ve seen in the X-Men movies has bit the dust in Laura’s arms, the one you’re about to look at, which has been featured in the trailer, may impersonate Wolverine from an unknown universe, where he and Reynolds’ Deadpool cross paths. According to Matthew MacFadyen, alias Paradox, Wolverine has disappointed his world, and the desire to be a hero is thus gone. 

Moreover, a new Logan has been front and center lately. The hero from X-Men: The Animated Series is seen passing through a massacre on the sanctuary and homeland of mutants, depicting X-Men’s processing of the pain resulting from their kinsmen’s demise. A Reddit user spurred off debate following his post that correlates the Genosha massacre with the Logan seen in Deadpool & Wolverine and X-Men ’97. It’s crystal clear where much of the hype is, therefore, coming from.  

Some facts not everyone knows surface 

The world’s been awash in comics and science-fiction creations to date, which are often satisfactory for a specific category of consumers. Besides the lovers of movie watching, there are content creators, memorabilia collectors, marketers, and other categories of people who keep tabs on the Marvel Comics and MCU releases for entirely different reasons than bewildering their cinephiles. 

These companies’ hobbyists have expressed their passion by collecting specific items and displaying or holding them for auctions in the long term. Wolverine fans are now finding interest in Deadpool-based content, such as the Deadpool Funko range that’s been rising in demand after the trailer hit earlier this year. 

As you will discover, the essentials about the movie aren’t just boiling down to the well-awaited launch later this summer. There are more exciting things you should find, which is why we’re offering you a rundown of the fun facts that wow anyone.

The comics clear out the waters 

The relationship in the comics will give you bountiful insights so you can clear out any perplexity witnessed following the movie. Wolverine and Deadpool engaged in a fight that had both almost terminated, seeing the latter’s attempts to drown the former in a pool. Nevertheless, Daken stepped in to draw Deadpool back and save his father’s life. Fans didn’t discover this verdict until the comics disclosed the altercation and its conclusion years later, or long enough to keep the more significant part of movie consumers in a nebulosity. 

Fans expect to be left speechless 

The movie adaptations of Wolverine and Deadpool, bound to share the screen in the forthcoming blockbuster, foretell a change of dynamics between Marvel’s most terrific antiheroes. Nevertheless, the memorable duo has made a reputation for weathering the storms in the comics, and fans are now expecting a just as intense and mind-boggling conclusion to hit the big screen later this year. 

Finally, we know who will play Cassandra Nova

According to the latest disclosures, Emma Corrin, alias Lady Diana Spencer in Netflix-based “The Crown,” will play the villain in the forthcoming MCU release. The news has long been kept a secret, and chances are that many viewers will be caught by surprise, given the little time left until Deadpool 3 debuts.

The tenth apparition – and possibly the most impactful 

Hugh Jackman, the veteran behind Wolverine, is making his tenth appearance in Deadpool and Wolverine. This time, he’s entertaining the public with a comic-accurate garment and a fight with loudmouth Deadpool, so you can expect the cinematic release to be filled with laughter and suspense. Likely, the duo could irremediably alter the destiny of the MCU with a range of breath-taking elements after the many swirling rumors and leaks reached the ears of the least connected individuals. 

The movie could overtake “Joker”

The duo isn’t treated lightly. According to estimates, the star-studded iconic film can outshine” Joker”, the current holder of the title of the highest-grossing R-rated movie to date. While the latter boasts a whopping $1.08 billion, Deadpool and Wolverine could crack $1 billion. That’s undoubtedly a lot; but when considering the big names starring in the creation, it’s safe to say that the amount starts to make sense!

Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.

 

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That Eric Alper
6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week, a 16-time JUNO Award winner overseeing PR campaigns, and have also been truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

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