Singers and Songwriters
Listen to interviews with singer / songwriters and those who touch their lives.
Learn about their journey and the inspiration for their songs.
Spill The Tea
Previous Shows
Show 026 - Sep 21, 2024
Tanya Wills
Tanya Wills is as comfortable on stage in a musical as she is in a club with her Quartet and has sung everything from swing to blues/folk and jazz.
Known not only for her dynamic performance, but also as a great vocal technician, she brings a sensual and evocative sound to her musical interpretations.
Kylie Fox
Kylie Fox is a Canadian singer songwriter, fusing folk storyteller with vintage elements of jazz and alternative rock.
With influences like Kate Bush, Sharon Van Etten, and Joni Mitchell, her music is ethereal, lush and real.
Her latest single “Brandi Baby” is a coming of age alternative rock song produced by ECMA award-winning producer Daniel Ledwell and is the first single to come from her forthcoming album “Sequoia”. She has been showcased at events such as Canadian Music Week, the East Coast Music Awards, Folk Alliance International and Harvest Music Festival.
Kay Francis
Kay Francis has always been a singer / storyteller going all the way back to elementary school.
She received a vocal scholarship from the University of Miami in the late 70’s and was often found performing with her guitar in local restaurants & pubs.
She was a also a regular performer at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens performing both renaissance and folk music.
Upon moving to Canada, she continued performing as a solo artist in addition to her quartet the Dickens Carolers, her jazz quartet, and even on the NAC stage with the Opera Lyra chorus.
A classically trained vocalist her sound is rich with heartfelt emotions and her original songs all tell stories of hope and inspiration.
Show 027 - Sep 28, 2024
Jenna Dundon
Jenna Dundon is already an award winning artist even though she just launched her professional career in January 2024.
She is a singer-songwriter, drummer, and disability advocate who garnered a 2024 MARTYS Award for Emerging Solo Vocalist.
Her ambitious 'Project 2024' promises a new original song on the first of every month this year.
She thrives in both her artist and drumming careers and continues to peruse her passion in both.
Lou Pomanti
Lou Pomanti is a Canadian Screen Awards (Gemini) winner and one of Canada’s most accomplished producers, composers, musicians and musical directors.His original music and performances are featured on soundtracks and recordings from some of Canada's biggest stars, and he has contributed playing, arrangements and productions to several Grammy winning albums.In 1980 he received a call from David Clayton-Thomas to join the seminal jazz rock group Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Ciara Leah
Ciara Leah is a musician, singer-songwriter, and producer from Toronto.
Her soulful sound combines conscious lyrics and dynamic vocals with the colours and harmonies that cross Classical, jazz, and gospel lines with a rhythmic sensibility that draws from classic funk, R&B and hip hop.
She has a growing list of festival performances, including NXNE, Canadian Music Week, iLive, Soulfest, and the Toronto Funk, Soul, and R&B Music Festival.
Show 025 - Sept 14, 2024
Tomas Andel
Tomas Andel aka Saint Idiot is a Slovak-Canadian art pop musician living in Edmonton. While he is often writing his way through all that can come up when one risks feeling deeply in an often unfeeling world—doubt, grief, desolation—his music has been described as reverent, downright ecstatic—a "music of surprises.”
He is DIY motivated, and influenced by pop as much as experimental and underground music and art. He draws on sound palettes as diverse as shoegaze, indie folk, math rock, R&B, IDM, noise, and even free improvisation.
Aimee-Jo Benoit
Aimee-Jo Benoit is renowned for her distinctive vocal style, articulate diction, and expressive phrasing, Calgary vocalist Aimee-Jo Benoit is recognized for her unwavering commitment to featuring the works of Canadian songwriters in her repertoire.
Her performances guide the audience along the path of her emotional roots.
Her discography includes two studio albums.
Her latest from 2024 is her sophomore album HORNS OF HOPE which was released on boutique label Chronograph Records.
Suitcase Sam
Suitcase Sam emerged in late 2010 with the release of the Get It To Go EP on PLEASENCE Records.
Get It To Go was inspired by 1920's traditional Jazz and drew
comparisons to fellow Canadian singer/songwriters, Leon Redbone and Mose Scarlett.
In 2012, his song The Sweetest Hippopotamus, from the Get It To Go EP, was adapted into the BravoFACT short-film by the same name. Suitcase Sam, who appeared as himself, composed the music for the film and went on to win the Best Soundtrack Short award at the AOF International Film Festival.
Show 024 - Sept 7, 2024
Lou Pomanti
Lou Pomanti is a Canadian Screen Awards (Gemini) winner and one of Canada’s most accomplished producers, composers, musicians and musical directors.
His original music and performances are featured on soundtracks and recordings from some of Canada's biggest stars, and he has contributed playing, arrangements and productions to several Grammy winning albums.
In 1980 he received a call from David Clayton-Thomas to join the seminal jazz rock group Blood, Sweat and Tears and toured the world.
1983 saw the beginning of his session career as the first call pianist/synthesist in Toronto.
His playing and arranging has enhanced the recordings of Michael Bublé, Gordon Lightfoot and Anne Murray; as well as rockers Kim Mitchell and Triumph.
Cassidy Taylor
Cassidy Taylor is an indie pop singer-songwriter who brings storytelling to another level with her atmospheric guitar tones and metaphorical lyricism.
As a self-declared introvert who grew up in the Haliburton Highlands, she was deeply influenced by nature and a sense of community.
Her quirky personality shines through on stage and charms her audiences.
Releasing her debut, self-Titled EP in July of 2023, the project has garnered over 90K streams on Spotify and amassed praise from blogs like ParaPOP who described the project as “a sonic journey of self-discovery, loss, acceptance, and ultimate healing.”
Justin Maki
Justin Maki is a musician, artist, and creative entrepreneur out of St. Thomas, ON, Canada.
He is the FCLMA’s 2021 “Pop Artist of the Year” and 2022 "Contemporary Singer-Songwriter of the Year".
Born in Japan raised in Canada, Justin’s music carefully draws influence from R&B, Soul, Funk, and Jazz and packages it in an accessible Pop format.​
He has played over 1,000 gigs from Halifax, to Prince George, to Mexico and has shared the stage with many of Canada’s top talent.​
His debut album, "New Flame" (June, 2022), is a diverse concept album that traverses the different stages of a romantic relationship from first spark to last billow of smoke.
Show 022 - June 22, 2024
Cat Bernardi
Cat Bernardi is a multi-award winning jazz vocalist and composer. She has been dazzling audiences with her unique sound and dramatic performances.
Her ‘crystalline’ voice and ‘timeless’ style have led her to stages all around Ontario, Quebec and into Europe.
She was the 2019 TD Toronto Jazz Hotspot Feature in the Downtown Markham Music Festival.
She has recorded two EPs: Minor Ballad/ Major Romance in (2014) and ‘Let’s Get Cozy’ in (2020) which was featured here on Spill the Tea Radio on our very first show.
She just released two new singles, Mona Lisa in June 2023, and I Love You For Sentimental Reasons in February 2024.
Dusty Marcus
Dustin Simpson aka Dusty Marcus has been writing poetry and music since his early teens. He was able to form a band called The Survivorz featuring the late and great Mike Palmer on lead guitar and his son Josh on keyboards.
He occasionally teamed up with his son Brandon on drums, friends Bryon on bass guitar and Garnet on acoustic.
Later he teamed up with his school pal Kyle and formed the band Decay and the Retribution.. In 2020 this artist began using the stage name DustyMarcus.
Seyblu
Chelsey Bennett aka Seyblu hails from a quaint Canadian town, as a remarkably talented vocalist who fuses jazz and R&B in her songwriting.
Her natural charisma shines through her captivating vocals, distinctive fashion sense and electrifying live shows.
Seamlessly blending mesmerizing jazz chords, heartfelt songwriting, and ethereal vocals, she has crafted a fresh and bold R&B sound that is undeniably hers.
Show 021 - June 15, 2024
Sarah MacDougall
Sarah MacDougall is a Swedish-born, Canada-based, multiple award-winning singer/songwriter. She also composes, produces, and mixes records. She has released four albums, and over the last ten years she has toured extensively across North America and Europe. Rootstime Belgium called her ‘one of the greatest talents of this era’.
Sarah has played many international festivals, including Iceland Airwaves, Edmonton Folk Festival, Isle of Wight, Reeperbahn, and has shared the stage with artists, Tallest Man on Earth, Buffy St. Marie, Passenger, Bruce Coburn, and many more.
Wreckless Harbour
Jon Harley and Trevor Roach’s are from the band, Wreckless Harbour. an alternative folk band based in Hamilton, Canada. The band’s sound is inspired by East Coast folk music and indie alternative rock. They met in 2021 during COVID at a socially-distanced open mic event. Originally using the band name “No Name Fold Band”, they immediately went to work and Trevor wrote their first song “Step Lightly” which was inspired after meeting Jon Harley and Lawren Helder. They have been working on new music with producer Steven Branchaud of Canary Minor Music to record debut singles and album to be release this year.
Shreya Jha
Shreya Jha is a Toronto-based composer-playwright and medical student with a keen interest in the intersections between music and science.
Her musicals include Statistics (2020) Connections (2019, 2023), and The Last Piece (2023).
Her research interests include music and dementia and the impact of music on developing brains.
She made her professional orchestra compositional debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in 2021.
She has also worked with the Rose Orchestra, the Can-Am trio, the Mississauga Children’s Chorus, the Gryphon Trio, and the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra.
Show 020 - June 8, 2024
Maddy Ringo
Maddy Ringo is a Toronto-born folk singer-songwriter, currently based in Ann Arbor while she pursues a degree in classical voice from the University of Michigan.
Her songwriting draws inspiration from American music of the 70s and the indie music of today with a mezzo folk tone like Gillian Welch and jazz inclinations reminiscent of Joni Mitchell. She has become a familiar face in the Ann Arbor local scene, playing heartfelt live shows with her jazz-folk band.
Taylor Simpson
of Wishwell
Taylor Simpson is the front man for the band Wishwell. An indie rock band from Toronto who advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. They create a safe and fun environment for their listeners and make everyone feel included.
Chanel Martins
aka BlkBird
Chanel Martins aka Blkbird is a Canadian singer/songwriter, who began singing at a very young age and has always used songwriting as an outlet.
She decided to pursue a career in music as music has been her lifeline for as long as she can remember.
She has opened for Jeff Martin of The Tea Party, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots, Puddle of Mudd and more.
She has also performed with Ian D'Sa of Billy Talent and Cone McCaslin of Sum 41.
BlkBird released her debut EP with Grammy Award winning producer, David Bottrill, on September 16th 2022.
Show 019 - June 1, 2024
Matt Hinojosa
Holly Forrest and
Matt Fuentes
aka: fxrrvst
Brian Raine
Matt Hinojosa is an award winning multi instrumentalist performer based in Mississauga.
He has been performing live music for a decade with many successful artists such as Jammer’s Waffle House, Wilson & The Cast Aways and Scratchnasty.
This includes opening for City and Colour, illscarlett, performances on Rogers Hometown Hockey and many more.
With a wide spanning repertoire of familiar favourites and original compositions, he engages an audience and always leaves them
wanting one more song.
Holly Forrest and Matt Fuentes form the duo fxrrvst (Forest). Described as your friendly neighbourhood-queer alternative/indie/emo/ band.
Besides music and rock climbing, they are super passionate about the planet and change for the better, so they always try to make eco-conscious merch and promote organizations they love whenever they can.
Brian Raine is a multi-instrumentalist musician and music producer in Edmonton, Alberta.
Originally hailing from Yellowknife, NT, he began playing music when he was four years old.
It became his single focus before moving to Alberta to study music at MacEwan University.
There, he began developing the project that would eventually become Ways In Waves.
With malleable form and the spirit of experimentation at its core, the group began as a live duo, and eventually expanded to a five piece live band with our guest picking up vocals, guitar and keys.
Show 018 - May 25, 2024
Rich Freed
Rich Feed hails from Glasgow, Scotland and moved to Toronto in 2018 to pursue a solo music career.
Influenced by indie-pop and blues-rock, he draws inspiration from bands such as The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, and Radiohead. With performances at top Toronto venues and a brand new single "Peace of Mind", he continues to captivate audiences with his talent for creating innovative melodies, catchy hooks, and introspective lyrics.
Whitney Ross-Barris
Part of the Toronto jazz scene since 2008, Prairie-born, Ontario-based jazz singer Whitney Ross-Barris has quickly built a respected name for herself among players and listeners alike.
As a solo jazz artist, Whitney has appeared frequently in the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, she has been featured recurrently in JAZZ.FM91’s One Stop Vocal Jazz Safari and performs regularly in clubs, restaurants and concert halls across South Western Ontario.
On the heels of her self-produced debut EP in 2009, Whitney released her full-length jazz album "Everybody's Here,” featuring a number of not-so-standard standards, originals and even a few long-lost compositions by her late grandfather, writer-broadcaster, Alex Barris.
Kyp Harness
Kyp Harness has put out 19 albums of original songs, had his compositions covered by Mary Margaret O’Hara and Ron Sexsmith, has opened for Elvis Costello and been called “the most vital, essential Canadian singer-songwriter out there” (Calgary Straight), “the creator of a songbook that should rightly be hailed as a national treasure” (Exclaim!), and identified as “my favourite songwriter” by Ron Sexsmith.
Show 017 - May 11, 2024
Lucas Silveira
Lucas Silveira is the frontman of The Cliks, now a solo artist. He made history as the first openly transgender man signed by Warner Music, a major label with the album Tommy Boy in 2006.
He’s been on global stages alongside music greats the likes of Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Debbie Harry, Tegan and Sara, The Cult and The New York Dolls.
His most recent project was a solo album of original music, released in 2022 titled, “The Goddamn Flowers”.
Riwo Ego
Riwo Egor is a Nigerian-born singer/songwriter. She specializes in vocal composition and arranging.
As the lead vocalist of Melafrique, an Edmonton-based, Afro-fusion band, she has gained recognition throughout the province.
With a passion for sharing her own stories, she delves into neo-soul, R&B, and Afro-jazz genres, curating her own distinct voice with each record released.
Using music as the catalyst for new healing journeys, Riwoh facilitates an atmosphere of connectivity, life, and a sense of homecoming for her audience.
Andrew Wilson
Andrew Wilson was born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. He writes in the indie-folk genre drawing inspiration from 60s folk revival and contemporary americana. He has two music award nominations to his credit and is set to hit the studio with his band, Wilson and The Cast Aways.
Show 016 - May 4, 2024
Brian Raine
Brian Raine is a multi-instrumentalist musician and music producer in Edmonton, Alberta.
Originally hailing from Yellowknife, NT, he began playing music when he was four years old.
It became his single focus before moving to Alberta to study music at MacEwan University.
There, he began developing the project that would eventually become Ways In Waves.
With malleable form and the spirit of experimentation at its core, the group began as a live duo, and eventually expanded to a five piece live band with our guest picking up vocals, guitar and keys.
Ellen Doty
Ellen Doty is a soulful singer-songwriter with a world-class voice.
Her background in traditional
jazz continues to influence her work, drawing from a number of genres while staying true to herself.
A born storyteller, her intimate and personal lyrics shine through her stunning vocals.
Born and raised in southern Alberta, she currently lives in Edmonton and represents Canada on the world
stage, from performing at the Tokyo Jazz Festival to opening for Grammy award winning artists
Gregory Porter and Lisa Fischer.
Harley Card
Harley Card is a guitarist and composer who has been a contributor to the creative music scene in Canada since 2003.
As a singer-songwriter he has emerged as a member of the Toronto chamber jazz outfit; Hobson’s Choice.
In 2018 he began performing in his own solo projects as a
songwriter and has since put out three releases;
‘Unconfined Invisible’, Two Tomorrows (single),
and ‘Our Canopy’ (an EP co-released with Rebecca Hennessy).
Show 015 - Apr 27, 2024
Shannon Butcher
Shannon is an acclaimed Canadian singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She charms her audiences far and wide with her joyful wit and warm energy. Shannon has been lauded for her ability to inhabit the lyric and character of a song while equally celebrating playful nature of jazz.
Her performing career over the past two decades has brought her across Canada including performances at Victoria’s Hermann’s Jazz Club, Edmonton’s The Yardbird Suite, Upstairs Jazz in Montreal and Ontario’s greatest jazz festivals. Internationally Shannon has performed across The United States and in England.
Shannon has released five albums under her own label Summer Bloom Records. With her first major album she was named Best New Jazz Artist of the year by iTunes.
Matt Zaddy
Matt Zaddy has a sound that seamlessly blends folk-rock and modern soul.
He is a storyteller at heart and his music is filled with tales of life, love, hardship
and redemption.
He has shared stages with K’Naan, Francesco Yates, Rock legends Tom Cochrane and Jim Cuddy.
His new single, What Comes Around, was released in June 2023 as a follow up to his award winning album, “Be”
What Comes Around plays on mainstream radio internationally in Seven countries, and has been added to over 340 Spotify Playlists.
Melissa Lauren
Melissa Lauren has a boundless souring voice. She is as comfortable with jazz and she is with pop.
Her album “My Voice” showcases original work along with a cover of one of my desert island favorites, Insensitive written by Jann Arden.
She has performed across Canada the United States and internationally in Budapest, Berlin and Rotterdam.
She writes as a solo artist and has collaborated with Juno award winning artist Ernesto Cervini, Steven Taetz and electronic producer Hibernate.
Show 014 - Apr 20, 2024
Karen Thornton
Karen Thornton is a singer-songwriter with a lifelong passion for music & has been proudly performing in the GTA for years.
Karen’s love for piano began at the age of 12.
By 15, she was writing & performing in local coffee houses.
Her father was a part-time drummer & singer who’s repertoire included all of the Big Band favourites & crooners of the 40’s.
This influence is notable in Karen’s musical styling & writing.
Her talent for creating music & lyrics will both stir & soothe your soul.
Jeremy Clement
Jeremy Clement grew up in the village of Croydon, located near Napanee Ontario.
He first began playing and singing country music at a very young age. He comes from a musical family and was able to learn to play guitar by ear followed by his move to song writing.
As he grew onto the local music scene he began playing at various festivals and pubs eventually gaining the chance to open for some of Canada’s biggest country music stars.
He has shared the stage with Dallas Smith, Dean Brody, George Canyon, Jason Blaine, Emerson Drive, Corb Lund, and Gord Bamford.
D. O. Gibson
D.O. Gibson is a two-time Guinness World Record-setting rapper, author, and professional speaker. He set a Guinness World Record for the longest freestyle rap ever (8 Hours and 45 Minutes). Gibson has toured Europe, Asia the US as well as his native country Canada performing over 3500 shows. As a rapper, his songs have hit #1 on the US college charts, he's had Snoop Dogg provide him with freestyle topics, and Drake appeared in one of his videos. In 2023, Gibson completed a national Black Canadian history tour and appeared on CBC, Breakfast TV and The Social.
Show 013 - Apr 13, 2024
Sarah Catharine
Sarah Catharine is an award winning artist for Emerging Solo Vocalist. She takes “independent artist” to another level. She began her songwriting journey in 2020 and released her debut album “Dear You” in 2023 where her song was featured on Spotify’s Editorial Playlist “Best of….created by women” She loves to do mash ups of Taylor swift songs and her creations have attracted millions of viewers.
Mallory Chipman
Mallory Chipman is an award-winning singer-songwriter who has never shied away from making music outside the box.
Her genre-bending tendencies, powerful sound, and story-driven
songwriting has been described as “some of the finest folk rock
currently being made” by Amplify Music Magazine and has drawn
comparison to the likes of Feist and Kathleen Edwards.
Recently she was named the Edmonton Public Library’s inaugural Musician in Residence, and was celebrated as
part of the Top 40 Under 40 class of 2023 from Edify Lifestyle Magazine.
Heather Christine
Heather Christine has a soulful sound that blends R&B with Jazz and Pop.
She is an award-winning vocalist, composer, entertainer and producer from Mississauga, Ontario.
Her recent single “Walking With You” was produced by powerhouse Canadian pianist Bill King..
Her latest project “Isn’t She Lovely” was met with standing ovations.
Show 012 - Apr 6, 2024
Faith Amour
Faith Amour is an Award-winning jazz vocalist performing classic jazz, neo soul and original songs, to bring the music of the past….to life!
New York’s Broadway World hailed her voice as “smooth as molasses running downhill in July”.
She was invited to Guyana to sing in the presence of the President and First Lady, and former Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson.
Her second album and DVD, “Classics - Live” was released in 2020. She is currently working on her 3rd album, singing in the languages of love (French, Spanish, Italian) from around the world to bring peace, joy and hope.
Nathan Hiltz
Nathan Hiltz is a jazz guitarist based in Toronto. He has performed and recorded with Melissa Lauren, Terra Hazelton, Jill Barber, Alex Pangman, Laura Hubert, Steven Taetz, Drew Jurecka and others. Nathan composes and plays jazz with numerous trios. His new group, 'Thermo', is co-led with Ottawa pianist Mike Manny. He has also written music for jazz quartet Robot Cops, set classic Canadian poetry to music with vocal trio Samways, and collaborated with Whitney Ross Barris to write solo vocal jazz with The Bright Lunch Trio.
Lori Yates
Lori Yates has been called a trailblazer in Canadian music and one of the original pioneers of “alternative country” in Canada. She burst on the scene in the 80s with her cowpunk band Rang Tango. She has performed and recorded with music legends including Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, Rick Danko of The Band and Greg Allman or the Allman Brothers. Her list of friends include the last names “Cash”, “Wynette” and “Acuff” Her list of awards and nominations include Juno, Lifetime Achievement, Songwriter of the Year and a SOCAN #1.
Show 011 - Mar 30, 2024
Jessica Stuart
Jessica Stuart describes her music as indie-jazz-pop. She has toured the globe landing in Japan, where she had her first top 40 single. To her credit, she won best album at the Independent Music Awards and has had five songs in the finals of the Canadian Songwriting Competition. The CBC documentary about her life in Japan as a child is underpinned with Jessica’s own musical score.
Kromatix_
Kromatix_ is a neo soul and RnB singer, songwriter, recording artist, and jazz pianist emanating from Toronto.
Known for his signature style, he blends sublime lyricism with groovy beats, trademark harmonies, and soulful chord progressions that simply compliment his euphonious vocal tones.
Attracting a growing fandom since his first two singles, “Show U Off” and “Fruit-Loops”, Kromatix_ took his artistry to new levels with a slew of releases including “Songs of Hope”, “Don’t Waste My Time”, and his first EP in 2021 “Thoughts & Afflictions”.
Ralph Selbach
Ralph Selbach waited 30 years to give life to his compositions and started recording.
In 2019, he went to Small Pond Studios in Georgetown, Massachusetts and recorded a six song EP
“Born Just a Little Too Late.”
Since then he has released four more singles, which were recorded in the artist’s apartment during the pandemic, and then mixed and mastered at Small Pond.
Eight of these compositions were originally created long ago with creative partner Alan McLellan.
Show 010 - Mar 23, 2024
Steven Taetz
Vintage pop, swing, and jazz singer and composer/lyricist Steven Taetz is based in Toronto. He has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall (NY), The Rogers Centre (Toronto), Blue Room (Korea), Capital Pride (Wash DC), Hotel Café (LA), World Pride, House of Jazz (Montreal), Ironwood (Calgary), and Toronto landmark venues including Jazz Bistro, The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar, Hugh’s Room, Koerner Hall Galleria for Sinatra’s 100th, and leading music festivals.
Dizzy and Fay
Dizzy is Mark Lalama is a singer/songwriter/pianist/producer who has performed extensively and recorded and toured with countless artists. Including Olivia Newton JohnFay is Amanda Walther - Juno nominated singer-songwriter and award winning composer from Toronto, Amanda has spent most of her career as half of acclaimed folk-roots duo Dala, and has ventured into composing music for film.
Denielle Bassels
2024 Juno Nominee for
"Best Jazz Vocal Album of the Year"
Denielle Bassels music is described as a fusion of jazz manouche, blues, folk and pop. With a voice with hints of Norah Jones, she delivers solid heart punches with natural storytelling flair.
From sweet Doris Day-esque melodies to the ferocity of Big Mama Thornton, Denielle's vocal versatility,
Show 009 - Mar 16, 2024
Rebecca Hennessy
Rebecca Hennessy writes in a warm, clear voice that delivers a message of hope, healing and new life. She has released 10 albums including her most recent which was recorded a month before she became a new mom. She has toured North, Central and South America along Europe. She is an award winning musician garnering the Toronto Arts FoundationEmerging Jazz Artist Award in 2018.
Adam Clarke
Adam Clarke has been performing since his school days.
His musical inspiration comes from Chris Cornell, Thom Yorke, Damien Rice and Sohn.
He uniquely blends his classical vocal training and technology to engage his audiences.
He co-hosts the Music City North open mics at The Dive Shop where he performs with his band Chaos Euphonic.
AND on today’s show, he debuts a reworked version of one of his songs.
Thunderclap
Thunderclap (a.k.a. Adam Buller) is a singer/songwriter/performer originally from Niagara Falls, ON.
His music is played on radio stations around the globe, and he has performed live across North America and Europe.
His performance style was honed as a practicing method actor.
His approach is honesty without a preconceived outcome and a pinch of poetic justice.
He will leave you scratching your head and tapping your toes.
Show 008 - Mar 9, 2024
Daphne Lane
Daphne Lane is a 16 year old singer songwriter from Mississauga, Ontario.
She plays the guitar, piano and ukulele.
Ever since she wrote her first song at 10 years old, she has not stopped
since.
She currently has 3 songs uploaded to all streaming platforms and will be releasing more in the near future.
Her dream is a career in music AND from what I’ve seen and listened to so far….she is one to keep on your radar.
Sean Barrette
Sean Barrette entered the radio business as a 17-year-old high school student in 1988.
ISean is a singer-songwriter with three albums to his credit:
Live Through This – 2011
Signs – 2013
The Puckhogs – 2018
Sean gained national exposure as co-writer and member of The Puckhogs, with their song, For the Love of the Game, placing 1st Runner Up out of over 1000 entries in the national 2013/2014 CBC Hockey Night in Canada Song Quest.
Ellen McGregor
Ellen McGregor has a creativity that has been bottled up inside an executive body for decades. She tried music lessons, but they didn’t quite work for her.
She obtained her first piano by displaying her unconditional love for music AND her stories of her journey are epic.
She has been writing and composing music for years including the song we are featuring today, which is a tribute to the late Hurricane Hazel McCallion, the legendary former mayor of Mississauga.
Show 007 - Mar 2, 2024
Francesca Panetta
Francesca Panetta is an old soul who is inspired by many intergenerational artists.
She kindled an interest in music from a young age, evolving to release her
alt-pop/folk original music. This artist has come to headline her first festival and play her first “Sofar Sounds” show, resulting in sparking a name for herself aroundToronto and the GTA.
She transitions into a more psychedelic, orchestral jazz sound with the release of her latest single, September Weather.
Ji Sharp
Ji Sharp is a singer, songwriter, manager and lead vocals and guitar for Ontario based soul-rock band, Road Waves. Road waves was conceived a decade ago and now tours across North America delivering an energetic and emotional experience. They have been named “Best New Group” and “Best Jazz Group” at the Niagara Music Awards which propelled them to a coveted Diamond award in 2020 by Niagara Falls Readers Choice Awards.
Sandra Bouza
Sandra Bouza gets right down into our blood and bones. An award winning singer with roots in Canada and Spain, this well traveled artist has had a groundbreaking year, playing Massey Hall as part of the Women’s Blues Revue, nominated for a Maple Blues Award and releasing her third album; A Sound in the Dark. She is an artist who will stop you in your tracks with her powerful voice and well crafted, thoughtful lyrics
Show 006 - February 24, 2024
Whitney Ross-Barris
Part of the Toronto jazz scene since 2008, Prairie-born, Ontario-based jazz singer Whitney Ross-Barris has quickly built a respected name for herself among players and listeners alike.
As a solo jazz artist, Whitney has appeared frequently in the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, she has been featured recurrently in JAZZ.FM91’s One Stop Vocal Jazz Safari and performs regularly in clubs, restaurants and concert halls across South Western Ontario.
On the heels of her self-produced debut EP in 2009, Whitney released her full-length jazz album "Everybody's Here,” featuring a number of not-so-standard standards, originals and even a few long-lost compositions by her late grandfather, writer-broadcaster, Alex Barris.
Sherri Harding
As long as she can remember, Sherri wanted to be a singer.
As a child, she used to stand on tables in her parents’ used furniture store and belt out “I’m Goin’ Hollywood” from The Little Rascals for bemused customers. Her folks had no money for lessons or instruments, but she managed to “borrow” a cheap guitar from her older brother and spent endless hours immersed in her Mel Bay chord book. School band and church choir followed, along with innumerable basement groups, until she was finally old enough to get into the bars, and her first professional gigs.
Arlene Paculan
Arlene is an award-winning singer-songwriter from Mississauga. She has enchanted crowds across Canada, UK, Europe and the US since 2010. She is the host of her own TV show, Striving Artist, which is aired on Filipino TV. Past performances include: Rock the Coliseum, JUNO Fest (London), Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, Aeolian Hall, Living Arts Centre, The Rose Theatre, tedXMississauga, CMI TD Connected Music Series, YYZLive, Sound of Music Club Series, Paisley Arts Festival (Scotland). Her upcoming EP features original songs that embrace the concept of mental health.
Show 005 - February 17, 2024
Ori Dagan
Shifting Ground
Richard (Dick) Cooper
Ori Dagan is an ward-winning jazz singer-songwriter.
He has attracted a dedicated and growing audience, both in his native Toronto and globally.
He brings a wry and agile sense of swing to everything he does.
His songs are filled with everyday happenings.
His songs, Viruses, Click on Romance and My Finger Slipped are filled with humorous lyrics and real life everyday situations.
Viruses garnered him a Grand Prize at the Great American Songwriting Contest
His songs are called “fun, provocative, fancy-free and spirited,” while Jazz Weekly proclaimed: "Rare are the male singers these days who are just as clever with the pen as the vocal sword.
Josh Kilimnik, Shannon Murtagh and Colette Richardson are part of a group dedicated to promote musical theatre.
Shifting Ground Collective which is Toronto’s newest home for emerging musical theatre voices. Their work spans developmental processes for new Canadian musicals, concert and cabaret programming, and full-scale productions of beloved musical theatre favourites – all with a focus on spotlighting the next-generation of great Canadian musical theatre talent. The group is performing their adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along.
Richard (Dick) Cooper is an award-winning songwriter, novelist, and screenwriter. He has penned seven Cooper Brothers albums that included several singles that were charted on the Billboard Top 100 including Dream Never Dies, Rock 'n Roll Cowboys and Know Her When I See Her.
As a screenwriter, he has worked both in television as well as video games.
He spent 10 years as Creative director at Artech Studios working with the likes of John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg and Andy Serkis.
He currently teaches a “Storytelling for Media” course at Algonquin College in Ottawa and continues to write for his own band as well as other artists such as J.W. Jones, Sherri Harding, and Jeff Rogers.
Show 004 - February 10, 2024
Cat Bernardi
Cat Bernardi is a multi award-winning jazz vocalist, composer, arranger and educator from Mississauga, Ontario.
Her ‘crystalline’ voice and ‘timeless’ style have led her to jazz festivals around the GTA. She was the 2019 TD Toronto Jazz Hotspot Feature in the Downtown Markham Music Festival.
Cat has recorded two EPs: Minor Ballad/ Major Romance in (2014), and ‘Let’s Get Cozy’ in (2020).
The EP’s title track was one of the Top 4 picks in Canadian Beats’ “Weekly Beatdown” and was featured on PopCan Radio’s Top 24 picks for #NewMusicTuesday.
She just released her new, I love you for sentimental reasons.
Robert Williston
Robert Williston was born in Vancouver and now lives in Calgary, Alberta.
He initiated the "Canadian Music Discovery Project" in 1988, fueled by his passion for the nation’s diverse musical landscape.
Drawing from his personal collection of Canadian music, he meticulously built a database that would later evolve into an expansive digital archive.
He has the largest private collection of Canadian Music memorabilia with more than 110,000 items.
Over the past decade and a half, he has built an all Canadian music streaming website which boasts over 700,000 titles.
Jeff Rogers
Jeff Rogers has an unmistakable soulful voice which often evokes weighty comparisons - however, his tone, range, phrasing, and sincerity, all make him completely contemporary.
A professional musician since 1998, he has performed thousands of shows, in dozens of different bands.
Predominantly a piano-playing singer, he averages over 250 shows a year .
He travelled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama in early 2020, to begin work on his 3rd solo album along with co-writer and co-producer Dick Cooper of Cooper Brothers fame.
Jeff’s album “Dream Job” was released in December 2023 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
Show 003 February 3, 2024
Heather Christine
Jesse Maxwell
Heather Christine has a soulful sound that blends R&B with Jazz and Pop.
She is an award-winning vocalist, composer, entertainer and producer from Mississauga, Ontario.
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Her recent single “Walking With You” was produced by powerhouse Canadian pianist Bill King..
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Her latest project “Isn’t She Lovely” was met with standing ovations.
Jesse Maxwell has distinctive brand of Pop, Alternative R&B and Soul
Born in Toronto, this artist released his debut album Radio Silence which led him to plays on SiriusXM and over 400K streams on Spotify.
He then released Hellion in 2021 and LP2 in 2022.
Recently, he released five acoustic reimaginings of his songs in 2023.
He also has 1.3 million streams on Spotify to his credit as well as being #1 on the People’s Soul Choice Charts in the UK.
Melissa Lauren
Melissa Lauren has a boundless souring voice. She is as comfortable with jazz and she is with pop.
Her album “My Voice” showcases original work along with a cover of one of my desert island favorites, Insensitive written by Jann Arden.
She has performed across Canada the United States and internationally in Budapest, Berlin and Rotterdam.
She writes as a solo artist and has collaborated with Juno award winning artist Ernesto Cervini, Steven Taetz and electronic producer Hibernate.
Show 002 January 27, 2024
Cat Bernardi
Randy Ray
Matt Zaddy
We broadcast on Classic 1220 AM
Saturdays at 11am and 8pm
and
Sundays at 3pm and 11pm
We broadcast on Sauga 960 AM
Mondays at 3pm