On The Beat

The divine Ms. Emm

EMM GRYNER: This superb local singer/songwriter launched her new CD, asianblue, with a short industry showcase then a well-attended public gig at Top O' The Senator. She gained notoriety as a backing singer for DAVID BOWIE, but Emm is, above all, a solo artist of real charm and talent. Her previous CD, Girl Versions, comprised covers, but asianblue is full of well-crafted and melodic originals. By choosing to stay an independent artist, Emm has been able to be prolific, and at just 26, she has now released six albums! The music biz crowd was highly attentive, prompting the singer to praise them as "the best audience I've had of people with real jobs!" Of the new songs, "Beautiful Things" stood out as a potential hit. The new album is now out on Dead Daisy Records/Outside Music.

COUSTEAU: The fact that music fans here are real spoiled was shown by the recent gig from this English band. They played for free at The Horseshoe, yet the club was only about a third full. Those in attendance were treated to an excellent hour-long set that mostly drew upon songs from their self-titled 2000 debut. A second CD, Sirena, has just been released on Palm. Cousteau explore moody and introspective territory, led by the wonderfully rich and resonant voice of LIAM MCKAHEY. Heavily tattooed, he looks a little thuggish, but croons divinely on songs written by his guitarist, DAVEY RAY MOOR. Good stuff. Also impressing were locals MEMORY BANK, whose sound has progressive-rock tinges and is given variety by two contrasting lead singers, one of whom sounds like BRETT ANDERSON (SUEDE).

NEK: This Italian star returns with a new album, Le Cose Da Difendere (Things To Defend), released on Warner Music Canada on Aug. 13th. Over the course of 11 songs, the singer/songwriter tackles various facets of the theme of love. He gets vocal assists from LAURA PAUSINI on "Sei Solo Tu" (the first single) and DANTE THOMAS on "Cielo e Terra," sung in Italian, Spanish and English.

MARKHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL: Jazzfest season is still on, as shown by the strong line-up for this local event. It takes place Aug. 15-18, kicking off with JIM GALLOWAY'S WEE BIG BAND, featuring U.S. star WARREN VACHE. The Markham Theatre hosts a BILL EVANS TRIBUTE on Aug. 16th, while a Saturday night club crawl features MELISSA STYLIANOU, BRIAN BLAIN, LORNE LOFSKY, the funky RIVETHEAD (with MICHAEL OCCHIPINTI), and many more. Log onto www.jazzfest.markham.on.ca.

NEW RELEASES: Montreal-based r 'n b/pop artist CHHAYA has been getting good national response to her debut CD, Just Like You (on Rawtari/Madacy), fuelled by first single "Give It 2 Me." A recent CD launch in Toronto helped spread the word on the sultry singer. A double album benefiting a good cause is 20 Years At Roy Thomson Hall. This both celebrates the anniversary of RTH and raises funds for the much-needed acoustic upgrade of the concert hall. Selections are not of RTH performances, but rather numbers from artists who have played there. The star-studded cast includes KIRI TE KANAWA, CECILIA BARTOLI, MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH, I MUSICI and ITZHAK PERLMAN, with composers represented including PUCCINI, VIVALDI, MOZART and SIBELIUS. It is released on Universal Music on Aug. 13.

UPCOMING: For those still hooked on the more adventurous side of the punk/new-wave explosion are in for a treat with two upcoming September gigs. PERE UBU were one of the most innovative and influential American bands of the late '70s and early '80s, and they retain real credibility. Manic lead singer DAVID THOMAS is worth the price of admission alone. They're in at Lee's Palace on September 22. English band WIRE similarly came down on the art-punk side of the fence. They split in the early '80s, but have reunited and should definitely be worth catching at Lee's on Sept. 15th. Let's hope they still do their early fave "12XU." A crucial band in the psychedelic era was LOVE, headed by eccentric genius ARTHUR LEE. They play Lee's on Aug. 5.

Publication Date: 2002-08-04
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=1650