The Dwayne Côté and Duane Andrews Podcast Released. View Episode 1 ‘The Princess’

The Dwayne Côté and Duane Andrews Podcast is finally here!

The idea of the podcast is to have an episode for each track on the album and give some insight into the music. Episode 1 – ‘The Princess’ is online now.
For the moment the place to check it out is the place where we hear most people actually go to listen to music these days which believe it or not is…youtube!

There will soon be a  podcast page at http://www.dwayneandduane.com with sheet music and chord charts for each tune available to download.

They would love some feedback so please leave comments on their video.
In other news Dwayne and Duane have been fortunate enough to make the shortlist for the Atlantis Prize which is organized by The Scope magazine http://atlantismusicprize.ca/. They would like to give a big thank you to MusicNS and MusicNL who recently gave their CD the honour of being Jazz Album and Instrumental Album of the Year respectively.

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Culture, Place & Identity at the Heart of Regional Development Conference

A Three-Day International Conference Organized by The North Atlantic Forum, in partnership with The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) and The Small Island Cultures Research Initiative (SICRI) – October 2011

This conference will examine the relationship between the arts, cultural heritage and regional development in islands and in rural and remote regions. It will examine global trends in tourism, technology and demographics, and will feature global best practices in cultural tourism and cultural industries. The themes of the conference are:

• The role of culture, place and identity in regional development
• The role of cultural entrepreneurship in economic diversification
• Tangible and intangible heritage as engines of cultural tourism
• The arts and cultural heritage as tools for community building

For complete details and a review of the Call for papers and presentations, please visit the conference website – http://www.naf2011.com

This conference will be of interest to representatives from:

• the arts community
• the cultural heritage community
• the knowledge economy
• the tourism industry
• organizations dealing with regional development
• academia and
• government.

http://www.naf2011.com/

“A is for Art” Fundraiser at Eastern Edge

“A IS FOR ART” FUNDRAISER | ROGUE GALLERY SPACE

26 YEARS

26 ARTWORKS

26 TICKETS

Opening: Sat Nov 6, 3-5pm

Closing reception and holiday warming: Sat Dec 11, 4-7pm

For their 26th anniversary fund raiser, 26 past exhibiting artists have created artworks inspired by a letter of the alphabet that will be on display in the Eastern Edge’s Rogue Gallery space, 72 Harbour Drive, from November 6th until December 11th and be reproduced as the pages of an art-themed Eastern Edge alphabet book.

While the book will be available through the gallery on an ongoing basis, only 26 tickets at $226 each will be sold for the original works. During the closing reception on December 11th the ticket numbers will be drawn until all ticket holders have chosen an artwork – a raffle of sorts where every ticket-holder wins! All ticket holders also receive a 40% discount coupon for Newfoundland Art Framing (Ropewalk Lane).

Click this link for a  sneek peek of some of the pieces that will be part of this fundraising exhibition. Tickets can be purchased in person at the gallery, by mail, or online at easternedge.ca. Several have already been sold, and the number is limited.

“A to Z” MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION | MAIN GALLERY SPACE

Opening: Sat Nov 6, 3-5pm

Closing reception and holiday warming: Sat Dec 11, 4-7pm

Running concurrently with the “A is for Art” fundraiser is the annual Members’ Exhibition, on display in the main gallery space. This year there will be a special viewing of works created for Out of Purgatory, exhibited at the Confederation Centre, Charlottetown, PEI Sept 4th – Oct 3rd 2010, and featuring completed works by Mary MacDonald, John McDonald, Candace Fulford, Zea Cline, Peggy Tremblett, Michael Young, Michelle Bush, Debbie Collingwood, Anita Singh, Bill Rose, Jackie Alcock and Kendra Miller. The Out of Purgatory works will be up for Silent Auction; bidding ends at 7pm on December 11th.

Out of Purgatory has been staged twice in the past five years by Peake Street Studios, an artist-run collective based in Charlottetown. The artist challenge, originally conceived as a fund raiser, asked members to donate unfinished or abandoned works for completion by others. Through a random draw, individual pieces were passed on for completion and presentation by fellow participants. The latest incarnation of the challenge features a regional exchange of works between artists from Peake Street Studios, Eastern Edge in St. John’s, Newfoundland , and Gallery Connexion in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

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Eastern Edge Gallery

72 Harbour Drive

po box 2641 station c

St. John’s, NL, A1C 6K1

709-739-1882

easternedgegallery@gmail.com

www.easternedge.ca

Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues’ Executive Director leaving post

Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues (WJB) is undergoing some changes at the top. Our beloved founder and Executive/Artistic Director, Kirk Newhook is leaving his post with the organization. Kirk has always been an important advocate for arts and culture in St. John’s and at the centre of diversifying the music scene in our vibrant city for almost a decade. He took his dream of expanding the musical heritage of St. John’s and created an organization and festival that has become a cornerstone event in the city’s cultural offerings. He has lead WJB through its formative years, and leaves a healthy and robust organization ready to move into the next phase of development. We owe Kirk a tremendous debt of appreciation and gratitude.

Kirk leaves WJB to take on a new role as a Sun Life Financial Advisor. Of his experience with Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues, Kirk said: “I am very proud of the contribution that the Festival has made to the local, national and international music scene.  It’s taken a tremendous amount of hard work, but I’ve been fortunate to have been surrounded by hundreds of great people; performers, volunteers, staff, directors, sponsors, government funders, industry colleagues and family who have shared in the vision and helped to build and sustain the momentum that’s now unstoppable. I am comfortable with my decision to step down from the ED role because of the stability that the organization has achieved, and feel very confident that the Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival will continue on well into the future.”

Although this will bring about great change in the organization be assured that, “We’re not going anywhere”, says Jim Price, president of the WJB Board of Directors. “Kirk has planted a seed that has allowed the festival to grow over the last 9 years. The organization is determined to see our vision realized and continues to contribute to the artistic community of St. John’s for many years to come”

Taking over as Executive Director is Liz Dunbar, the former Marketing & Operations Manager. “I am honoured and excited to take on this new role with WJB. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue working with this enthusiastic community and hope to foster the amazing growth the jazz, blues and world music community has seen over the past decade in Newfoundland. I look forward to many more years of outstanding music and community spirit.”

Kirk Newhook will become the festival’s volunteer Artistic Director. “Kirk will continue to bring a strong artistic focus and continuity to our festival’s programming, while Liz will continue to achieve WJB’s long-term goals,” says Jim.

Among the challenges Liz hopes to tackle as Executive Director of WJB is expanding the art form’s audience. “We must connect with younger audiences and make jazz less intimidating”. She will work closely with Wreckhouse Jazz and Blues Board of Directors, staff and volunteers, as well as Kirk to ensure that the Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival continues to be a landmark event in Newfoundland’s cultural landscape.

The organization has already started planning for the WIJBF’s 10^th anniversary in 2011 and hopes to confirm some of its headliners before the New Year.

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For more information please contact:

Liz Dunbar at 709-739-7734

liz@wreckhousejazzandblues.com

21st Annual St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival partner with MusicNL

This year St. John’s International Womens Film Festival is proud to announce its partnership with Music NL to host the panel The Art of the Music Film. In this MEET THE FILMMAKERS panel, they offer a chance to chat with filmmakers William D. MacGillivary, Terry Greenlaw (Man of a Thousand Songs), Judith Keenan (Paul Quarrington: Life in Music) and Rita Chiarelli, (Music from the Big House) as they explore and share their artistic journey in creating the ultimate tribute to music and music makers.

To continue MusicNL’s involvement in this year’s festival they celebrate the screening of documentary Music From The Big House (Dir: Bruce MacDonald) with a night of Women of Blues LIVE at The Ship Pub featuring Mary Barry, Lori Cooper and Canadian blues legend Rita Chiarelli (Music From The Big House). Please note that this event is for ticket holders of the Music From The Big House screening and festival pass holders only.

They continue their celebration of music with the documentary film: Paul Quarrington: Life in Music (Dir: Judith Keenan) screening at The Rooms. They are also proud to feature a documentary on Chris “Sandmand” Sand, Roll Out Cowboy by Elizabeth Lawrence documents the journey of this rapping cowboy’s musical tour across the American southwest.

In ending our festival the Festival pays tribute to St. John’s finest. The Man of a Thousand Songs, takes a provocative look at our unconventional folk hero, the legendary Ron Hynes. Written by William D. MacGillivray, Produced by Terry Greenlaw and Jordan Canning, The Man of a Thousand Songs weaves Ron’s live performances with intimate black box ‘interviews’ revealing an insightful and entertaining look into the genesis of song.

Click here to view the full festival schedule

For more information visit the festival website at http://www.womensfilmfestival.com/

NLAC: Upcoming grant deadline: Community Arts Program – September 30, 2010

The Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council (NLAC) is now accepting applications for its:

Community Arts Program (Find out more about the Community Arts Program)

To support projects by community based, non-profit arts organizations and groups

Application deadline: September 30, 2010

(Projects must start on/after December 1, 2010)

Contact the NLAC for an application form and details:

The Newman Building

1 Springdale Street

St. John’s, NL

726-2212 or

toll free 1 (866) 726-2212 (NL only)

nlacmail@nfld.net

Ruben Gonzalez: A story of two careers

On December 8th 2003 Ruben Gonzalez the Cuban Pianist passed away in Havana, at the age of 84. Ruben’s accidental music career lasted over 5 decades and despite arthritis was given new life dispite his intended retirement.

Ruben began his music career in his home town of Las Villas after dropping out of medical school due to financial difficulties. He moved to Havana in 1940 where he played  in various bands and released his first recording in 1943. During the 50’s he toured with Orquesta América around Latin America where he became well known. In the 1960’s Ruben became the pianist for Orquesta de Enrique Jorrín with whom he would play for the next 25 years till Enrique Jorrin’s death and Rubens retirement in the late 1980’s.

In 1996 Ruben was contacted by American music producer Ry Cooder, who tried to persuade him to come out of retirement and record with him. Ruben had reportedly not owned a piano in 11 years and was suffering from arthritis was hard to persuade but eventually agreed to Cooder’s proposition. He went on the make seven solo albums before his death and played on the international hit album The Buena Vista Social Club, which popularized his music around the globe.

To hear some of Ruben Gonzalez’s music play these videos

Related Articles

• Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club to play US, Europe (reuters.com)
• DJ Gilles Peterson interview for Havana Cultura (telegraph.co.uk)