Choose the Blues Productions

09/01/2026

Jeez I screwed up twice on my post from the KINGSTON BLUES FESTIVAL - This video taken on Friday night at the RCHA Club is BROTHER PAUL & BLUES REVIVAL and NOT SOULFIRE . My sincere apologies to the band. - "Brother Paul" Faulkner on guitar and vocals, Jennifer Carstairs on backing vocals, Anick Bertrand on bass, Mathieu Lapensee on drums and Marc Seguin on harp. Based in Ottawa they play all over eastern Ontario. You can learn more about them on Paul's page https://www.facebook.com/brotherpaultoronto/

Great set guys and I particularly enjoyed your rendition of Rufus Thomas' "Walkin' The Dog".

08/31/2026

Oops - made a mistake on the video I just posted of DIANA BRAITHWAITE & CHRIS WHITELEY from their great show at the RCHA in Kingston last Friday. Apologies to them.The other song was good but this one was the best and what I meant to post - "Queen Bee" . Enjoy!

08/31/2026

Saw some great shows at the KINGSTON BLUES FESTIVAL last Friday and Saturday. Kudos to the Kingston Blues Society for organizing the Festival and for continuing to bring in great acts to that city on a regular basis. No wonder I'm down there so often!

The Festival started on Wednesday, Aug 26 with the mighty DAVID ROTUNDO BAND joined by Tony Patler on guitar at the RCHA. I wasn't able to make that night but by all reports it was a killer performance and no surprise. David always delivers.

Thursday night featured 4 bands at the RCHA.

Friday night, Aug 28 featured multiple bands at several different venues in the downtown plus 2 more at the RCHA including the headliners that I went to see - DIANA BRAITHWAITE & CHRIS WHITELEY www.hotblues.ca - another Sold Out night. Ottawa band SOULFIRE opened for them with a nice mix of Rock, Blues, and Soul.

I hadn't see Diana & Chris perform in a long time and it was a real treat to reconnect. I've been a fan going back 25+ years and hired them several times for Blues On The Rideau at The Cove in the past. They truly are "Masters of the Old School Blues". Diana's great voice and songwriting won her the Lifetime Achievement Maple Blues Award a few years back and Chris has won Horn Player Of The Year (trumpet) multiple times and plays guitar and harmonica equally well.Phil Woodland and Gary Buffet on bass and drums backed them up nicely. Terrific show!

Saturday, Aug 29
During the day there was a full schedule of excellent local/regional bands in beautiful Confederation Park by the harbour on a flat out gorgeous day with a good crowd. Some of those bands played in several downtown clubs and bars that night.

At the RCHA
SARAH SOKAL & THE TWISTED CREW from Montreal opened the show warming everybody up.

Then MISSISSIPPI HEAT www.mississippiheat.net from Chicago took the stage. These guys are world class - multiple Blues Award winners including 3 Grammys . Led by PIERRE LACOCQUE who plays some of the best Blues harmonica you are going to hear anywhere. He was joined by Chicago Blues Diva Sheryl Youngblood on vocals (who belts it out in the style of Koko Taylor and Big Mama Thornton), big T-man on drums and two Japanese Americans - Shoji who played some great guitar and Yoshimi Hirata who laid down a solid, smooth bass line. Standing O from the Sold Out crowd at the end of the night.

For more details on the Festival and to see the Line-Up of great artists that are coming to the RCHA and other Kingston venues this Fall visit www.kingstonbluessociety.ca

I'm going to be back in Kingston this Friday Sept 4 to see the incredible GARRETT MASON who is up on Tour from his home in Halifax - another one of my favourites. Dave Whiteway from Women In Blues Productions is bringing him in to MONTE'S RestoBar in the historic Prince George Hotel that night. It's reserved seating and I'm not sure if there are still tickets left but Check with https://kingstonlive.ca/show/931351/view to see.

So much great LIVE Blues out there - and so little time! Do yourself a favour and get out and enjoy some wherever you are located. We all need it now more than ever!

08/28/2026

On my way to Kingston today to take in some great shows at the KINGSTON BLUES FESTIVAL - organized by the Kingston Blues Society.

Tonight Friday, Aug 28 at the RCHA Lounge
DIANA BRAITHWAITE & CHRIS WHITELEY
https://youtu.be/_V0onvjgL70?si=dmqYe1M0HTv7YdNX
Really looking forward to seeing and hearing them again. It's been too long.

Tomorrow night Saturday Aug 29 at the RCHA Lounge
MISSISSIPPI HEAT from Chicago
https://youtu.be/XOvVm2NjPYQ?si=MqIL1zRKpJEEOPk8
Always a dynamite Show

Both of the above Shows are Sold Out so if you don't already have your tickets.....Lots of FREE shows happening as well with a variety of bands playing in a number of different Clubs in the downtown area and beautiful Confederation Park.

Details with Bands, venues and Show times at
www.kingstonbluessociety.ca

A big Tip of the Hat to the Kingston Blues Society for the great job they are doing bringing in so many first class bands. Get out and support them folks! We need LIVE music now more than ever these days.

08/28/2026

Another great YARD VIBES Dinner & Show at Kathy & TERRY GILLESPIE'S https://www.facebook.com/Gillespie.Terry/ beautiful big backyard near Vankleek Hill ON on Wednesday night. Terry opened the Show with the funky Montreal Reggae band JAB DJAB https://www.facebook.com/JabJab2016 and then Ottawa's awesome ANGELIQUE FRANCIS www.facebook.com/angelique.francis.3 and her Family Band took the stage. Wow!

What a treat to see a band this good up close and personal in an intimate back yard setting. Angelique just keeps getting better. Her fabulous voice and excellent bass and harp playing backed by the dynamite horn section with her sisters Kira (trombone), Kharincia (sax) and Kayla (trumpet) and big daddy Kiran on drums. Terrific energy and lots of audience participation made for one big, fun evening.

I especially liked the fact that she played lots of her original songs including from her most recent album "Not Defeated" which was just nominated for the Canadian Folk Music Award and nominated for 8 Canadian Music Awards this past year. They were also nominated for Best International Act at the 2026 Blues Music Awards (USA) in Memphis. And let's not forget the Juno they won for Best Blues Album in 2023 for "Long River. This is one VERY talented young band and I predict they will continue to be rising stars on the Canadian and International scene for years to come.

Get out and see them any chance you get. They will be playing a free concert at the St. Charles Market in Vanier (Ottawa) next Wednesday Sept 2 at 7 pm then on to Toronto for a Show at the Redwood Theatre on Sept 5, two Shows in Quebec Sept 10 and then down to the legendary Harvest Music Festival in Fredericton NB on Sept 16. https://www.facebook.com/theharvestmusicfestival For details and more info on the band and upcoming Shows visit their website at www.angeliquefrancis.net

As for TERRY - you have two more chances to see him this Fall before he and Kathy leave for their winter home at HALF MOON BEACH https://halfmoonbeachja.com/ near Negril, Jamaica. (P.S. If you're looking for a great sun spot to take your winter vacation at check this place out - gorgeous private beach, an historic Plantation home, funky cabins, reasonable prices and great music on the Patio Bar regularly with Terry & friends).

Sept 9 - 6 to 10 pm
At Golden Hill near Vankleek Hill ON
Last YARD VIBES of the season with Special Guests - multiple Maple Blues Award nominees - Blues, Soul and R&B - the DURHAM COUNTY POETS from Ormstown Quebec https://www.facebook.com/DurhamCountyPoets
Dinner & Show only $45. Advance Reservations and tickets by etransfer. Message Kathy at https://www.facebook.com/Gillespie.Terry/ or call 613-676-0880 for details and directions.

Sept 15 - 7 to 10 pm
THE BARN, Glengarry's Finest (near Alexandria ON)
The last BLUES ON TUES show of the season.
TERRY GILLESPIE & BAND X
Donation at the door
Visit https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Barn-Glengarrys-Finest-100064917728137/ for details and directions.

My advice - GET OUT AND SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC - ESPECIALLY BLUES wherever and whenever you can. We need it now more than ever. It's good for the heart, mind and soul 👍❤😎🎼

08/17/2026

Attended the regular Sunday evening Blues Night at the ATOMIC ROOSTER in Ottawa tonight to catch MURRAY KINSLEY & WICKED GRIN - https://www.facebook.com/murraykinsley back after several months absence touring western Canada including a trip all the way up to Tuktoyaktuk NWT on the Arctic Ocean and back - 25,000 kms total. Now that's what I call a serious Road Trip - Canadian style.

Welcome home Murray. Soundin' good as always and so does the band - Zeke on sax, Laura on bass and Dave on drums.

08/13/2026

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Westport ON would be a great destination. Their excellent annual MUSICWESTPORT Festival takes place August 14-15.

Lots of artists playing on 2 Big Stages including one at THE The Cove Inn plus Street Performers and an Artists Alley.
Westport is a great place to visit anytime but this weekend is extra special.
Enjoy!

https://musicwestport.ca/

08/09/2026

Another great night of Blues in Kingston last night at the RCHA Lounge hosted by the KINGSTON BLUES SOCIETY with SHAWN HOLT & THE TEARDROPS all the way from Nebraska - hot off performing killer shows recently at the Kitchener Blues Festival and Festival International de Blues de Donnacona Last night was the same.

What a treat to see a band this good up close and personal in the intimate setting of the RCHA Lounge. These guys play real deal Chicago Blues and no wonder - Shawn is the son of the late, great Morris Holt aka MAGIC SLIM.

Shawn started playing in his dad's band when he was 17 years old and kept the spirit and name of the the group going after his dad passed in 2013. He shared that this was a special night for him since it was his dad's birthday. He would have been 89 if he were still alive.

I have a special connection with MAGIC SLIM & THE TEARDROPS going back to the early '90's when I first became a fan. I brought them in as the Headliner for the first ever Tremblant Blues Festival in July 1994 that I produced. It was great meeting and talking with Shawn and sharing some stories - and hearing and watching him play. The apple does not fall far from the tree!

I applaud the Kingston Blues Society for continuing to bring in so much great Blues talent on a regular basis. There's lots more coming up - including the KINGSTON BLUES FESTIVAL August 26-29 with a host of free shows in Confederation Park and multiple club venues featuring lots of great local and regional Blues artists plus some dynamite headliners at ticketed shows at the RCHA including the DAVID ROTUNDO BAND, DIANA BRAITHWAITE & CHRIS WHITLEY and MISSISSIPPI HEAT from Chicago.

Visit www.kingstonbluessociety.ca for details and to purchase tickets. You'd better hurry if you want to be there and you don't already have your tickets. Most of the Shows are already close to being Sold Out.

See you there!

07/30/2026

If you like great Back Porch Blues/Reggae in a beautiful rural setting (and how could you not?) then YARD VIBES returns on August 12 to Terry & Kathy Gillespie's farm house on Golden Hill near Vankleek Hill, eastern ON - only an hour's drive from Montreal and Ottawa.

This show features TERRY w. JAH CUTTA - a hot Jamaican -Canadian Reggae band from Montreal - a 3X Nominee at this year's Reggae North Music Awards.

Aug 12 (6 to 10 pm)
Dinner & Show $45, Show-Only $25
BYOB, lawn chairs, etc
Invitation Only. Contact Kathy Gillespie 613-676-0880
Book early. Limited space

YouTube Jah Cutta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFKxyiclHsk&list=OLAK5uy_lzWYXRR7Xi-VT8J4Ce0Z1n6Tudxohbr8I&index=8

05/14/2026

Look at what I stumbled on to on YouTube today. Some of my favourites just jammin'. What a mix! Circa late '60's/early '70's.

16K likes, 831 comments. "Van Morrison - Caledonia Soul Music"