Whitehorse is a Canadian folk rock band, composed of husband-and-wife duo Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Doucet and McClelland were both established singer-songwriters before opting to put their solo careers on hold to work together as Whitehorse.
Matt Weidinger has established himself as a full time musician since the age of 16 having surpassed thousands of hours in the trade. During his formative years, Weidinger found a home within the thriving blues scene in Kitchener-Waterloo, playing regular club gigs with its leading practitioners while still in high school. Since then Matt has worked his way up to being one of the most sought after and well known entertainers in Ontario. He is a singer/songwriter and a multi instrumentalist. He has three original albums under his belt and although considers the Hammond Organ, his instrument of choice, is equally comfortable on piano, guitar, bass and mandolin. He joined forces with Lance Anderson in 12-piece band called “Matchedash Parish” whose debut album Saturday Night earned them a 2020 Maple Blues Awards nomination for New Artist of the Year.
Grievous Angels are a Canadian alternative country band, active since 1986. The band’s name is a reference to the Gram Parsons album Grievous Angel. Their primary leader is singer-songwriter Charlie Angus, who entered electoral politics in 2004 as the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Timmins-James Bay
Justin Shaw is a comedian and storyteller originally from Cardigan, Prince Edward Island (and if you’re also from Cardigan, his dad probably knows your dad.)
Fusing comedy and storytelling, Shaw has creatred solo theatre shows that have toured across Canada, having presented works with Theatre Aquarius, Blyth Festival, Charlottetown Festival, Here For Now, and Live @ The Centre.
Development of his solo work was documented on his TV series Tales From Island Boy on Bell FibeTV1.
As a standup comic, he has been featured on Hubcap Comedy Festival, JFL42, Departure Festival, CBC Laugh Out Loud, and has opened for Harland Williams, Fortune Feimster. He is a member of Yuk Yuks official comedy roster.
Shaw’s latest comedy album Mostly Clean showcases his down-home yet outrageous sense of humour, and can be heard on Sirius XM Comedy Club.
2017 & 2018 SPAH (U.S.A. Society for the Preservation & Advancement of the Harmonica) Bernie Bray Harmonica Player of The Year Award nomination
Harmonica Player of the Year – winner EIGHT times
Canadian Maple Blues Awards (& an additional eight times nominated)
2016 Maple Leaf Blues Nomination for Best Acoustic Duo (with Jimmy Bowskill for Blues Etc…)
2010 JUNO NOMINATION for STEADY MOVIN’ cd
(JUNO is Canada’s equivalent of a Grammy)
2005 “Best Blues” Award – NOW Magazine, Toronto, ON
1998 JUNO NOMINATION for BIG BOY cd
1996 Blues Musician of the Year Award – Jazz Report Magazine
1993 Hohner World Harmonica Championship, Trossingen, Germany –
Two Gold Medals in both diatonic blues and diatonic jazz
It’s probably a good thing Carlos wasn’t there when the harmonica appeared in North America in the 1860s. Neil Young and Bob Dylan can probably roll with it when he says they are very mediocre harmonica players. Aspiring harmonica players Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid might have overreacted and pulled out their pistols…
To say that Carlos is just a harmonica player is like saying Jimi Hendrix was just a guitar player. He blows the blues harp through a prism — suddenly it seems he’s holding every color in the musical rainbow right there in his hands.
Simultaneously sophisticated and raw, his playing blurs the boundaries between blues and jazz (hence the name for his band “The Blues Mongrels”). The emphasis is on blues, but Carlos and his band are not afraid to merrily traipse off in other directions delivering a seamless fusion of New Orleans second line grooves, swing, Latin, ska melodies, to swampy roots rock.
Born in Havana, Cuba, del Junco (loosely translated “of the reeds”) immigrated with his family at the age of one. He bent his first note on a harmonica when he was fourteen, making his debut with his high school math teacher at a student talent night. In his early 20’s del Junco was immersed in a visual arts career; he graduated with honours from a four year programme, majoring in sculptureat the Ontario College of Art. Sculpture has definitely had an influence on his outlook on music: “Music is just a different way of creating textures and shapes.”
Playing a ten hole diatonic harmonica, Carlos has developed the unique ability to play chromatically by using a recently developed “overblow” technique taught to him by jazz virtuoso Howard Levy. Overall, this approach to the diatonic harmonica, although much more difficult to achieve, is in many ways more expressive and communicative than the mechanized tone produced by the chromatic harmonica . Carlos is one of the few pioneers of this overblow method, bringing musical credibility to what has still been considered by many in the music industry – a fringe folk instrument. The sophisticated sound produced by del Junco is both soulful and sensitive while never forgetting the rawness inherent in blues music.
Juno nominees and winners of the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year, Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine of Dala write and sing in harmony best described as angelic. These two best friends met in their high school music class in 2002; they have since released five albums and toured extensively across North America. Darlings of the Canadian music scene, Dala are now poised to bring their fresh brand of acoustic pop music to the world.
Drawing upon influences like The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, Dala write songs that are both catchy and insightful. Amanda’s ethereal soprano voice blends seamlessly with Sheila’s velvety alto, creating the lush harmonies that have become their trademark.
“There’s nothing pretentious about Dala’s music; it’s stripped down and laid bare. That’s not to say it is without polish – far from it. Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther have worked hard to exploit every facet of their extraordinary musical blend, and it would be just as at home in a 1960s coffeehouse as it is now on the contemporary concert stage”.
-Andrew Craig, Host of CBC “Canada Live”
The sheer joy with which they perform is infectious, turning first-time listeners into instant fans. Dala are equally entertaining between songs, telling funny and down to earth stories that make every show unique. Dala have opened for artists such as Tom Cochrane, Stuart McLean of the CBC’s Vinyl Café, Richie Havens and Arlo Guthrie. No strangers to the festival scene, they have also performed at The New Orleans Jazz Festival, The Edmonton Folk Festival, California’s Strawberry Festival and Mariposa. In 2009, they were the only Canadian act invited to play at the 50th Anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival.
Formed in Downtown Toronto, Sam Polley and the Old Tomorrows draws its sound from 50’s and 60’s rockabilly licks, old country twang, and Motown swing.
Four ferocious players, masterful composition, and a genre-bending sound — Juno award-winning The Fretless is a Canadian quartet that has firmly taken its place on the map to a progressive form of “trad”.
A supergroup of celebrated solo artists, The Fretless has been creating a singular and signature sound that dares to expand the idea of what a string music quartet can be — transforming fiddle tunes and folk melodies into intricate, beautiful, high-energy arrangements that have quickly gained a dedicated following and accolades from around the world. Within what appears to be a simple and classical construct — two fiddles, a viola, and a cello — The Fretless has created a sound that is distinctly rich, multi-layered, and uniquely percussive. This tonal quality is pushing traditional music to new heights, producing a completely fresh approach to Folk music.
Starting with their debut album in 2012, The Fretless had a breakout year winning Instrumental Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and Instrumental Group of the Year and Ensemble of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards(CFMA). Their self-titled follow-up album, “The Fretless”, took home Ensemble of the Year at the CMFA’s and features the tune “Waving To Ryan”, which is approaching two million Spotify plays. In 2015, they released “Bird’s Nest”, an album that solidified them as a force among the world’s roots music scene and earned them a 2017 Juno award for Instrumental Album of The Year. Recorded in a converted barn, straight to tape with a live audience in upstate New York, in 2018 they released “Live from the Art Farm”, an expanded rhythmic, harmonic, and stylistic exploration of the many folk genres they play. This album not only won them a CFMA for Best Instrumental Album but earned them a second Juno nomination.
Since the band’s first album in 2012, The Fretless has been successfully touring at home in Canada, as well as globally throughout Australia, North and Central America, and six European tours. From intimate back rooms and rowdy dance halls to some of the worlds most iconic and prestigious stages, The Fretless has had the honor of performing for a wild variety of audiences. Select credits include the Cologne Philharmonic, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra Hall, Shetland Folk Festival, Festival Internacional Cervantino, two sold-out shows at Celtic Connections, as well as sharing the bill with Canadian fiddle legend, Natalie McMaster, for Canada Scene at the National Arts Centre. A Fretless show is infectious, dynamic, and impressively relentless. They not only deliver expert musicianship, a soulful and electrifying performance but always invite the audience to feel the passion they hold for their music.
In 2021, The Fretless released their most ambitious recording to date — Open House: a 10 track guest singer collaboration, featuring an astounding list of powerhouse vocalists that has absolutely solidified The Fretless as an ever-evolving, truly transcendent group. And this album received a Juno nomination for Contemporary Album of the Year in 2022.
Outreach and inspiring the next generation of string players is very much a part of The Fretless’ ethos. They continue to support numerous fiddle camps, masterclass’ and workshops around the world, not only as instructors but as mentors. Over the past few years, they have connected with notable organizations such as the Calgary Youth Orchestra and the Luxembourg Youth Orchestra, creating and performing full orchestral arrangements of Fretless tunes, as well as working toward a series of professional symphony presentations.
The Fretless is Trent Freeman (Fiddle/Viola), Karrnnel Sawitsky (Fiddle/Viola), Ben Plotnick(Fiddle/Viola), and Eric Wright (Cello).
Singer, songwriter and harmonica player Paul Reddick has been performing his critically acclaimed original songs on stages across Canada, the USA and Europe for over 30 years.
He has recorded and written with Colin Linden, Tom Wilson (Lee Harvey Osmond) and MonkeyJunk among others, and recorded 10 albums of his own. His most recent recording, Ride the One (on Stony Plain Records), received the 2016 Juno Award for Best Blues Album.
Often referred to as the Poet Laureate of the Blues, he has been exploring and pushing the boundaries of the blues art form his entire career. His dedication, “Blues is a beautiful landscape”, led him to create the annual Cobalt Prize for Contemporary Blues Composition in 2014 which encourages the growth and vitality of blues music.
Renowned for his intense and hypnotic performances, Paul Reddick has developed a loyal following amongst both his fans and musical peers and continues to be one of the most compelling performers on the Canadian music scene.
ROD BEATTIE (actor) A veteran of eighteen seasons and over 50 productions with Ontario’s Stratford Festival, Rod Beattie is one of the most respected and versatile actors in Canadian theatre. Featured stage roles include Narcisse in The Passion of Narcisse Mondoux at London’s Grand Theatre; Ed in Ed’s Garage at the Grand Theatre, Manitoba Theatre Centre and Theatre Orangeville; Felix in The Odd Couple at Segal Centre, Montreal; Johnny Pateen Mike in The Cripple of Inishmaan at Theatre Calgary; Bill in The Love List and Greg in Sylvia at the Belfry Theatre, Victoria; John Proctor in The Crucible and Father Gustave in Blessings in Disguise at Manitoba Theatre Centre; the professor in Oleanna at the Grand Theatre and the National Arts Centre (opposite Sandra Oh) and Andy Ladd in an Ontario tour of Love Letters (opposite Martha Henry). Over the past forty years Rod’s name has become synonymous with the Wingfield series which has brought him acting awards, rave reviews and sold-out houses in Toronto, London, Stratford, Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Saint John, Fredericton
and a host of smaller communities across Canada. Rod and Walt made their American debuts to great acclaim at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in 1994. Rod is the winner of the 1991 – 92 “Dora” Award (best performance by an actor in a leading role) for his performance in the first three Wingfield plays. In 2017, he was appointed Member of the Order of Canada.
“Beattie is astonishingly adept at transforming himself from one character to another in a matter of seconds, calling up echoes of a crotchety Walter Brennan, a gawky Jimmy Stewart or a flustered Bob Newhart.“ -The Toronto Star
“With his man-next-door face – perfect for a character like Walt – Beattie flows to other roles with a twist of the lip, an arch of an eyebrow, a different bend in the back and a wonderful array of different voices.“ –The Globe and Mail
DAN NEEDLES (playwright) Dan Needles spent half his childhood in the city and half on the family farm at Rosemont, Ontario. After university he went to work as editor of the local newspaper in Shelburne where he created the character of Walt Wingfield, the retired stockbroker turned farmer, who told about his adventures on the farm in a series of weekly letters to the editor. In 1985, Dan drew from these columns to write his first play, Letter From Wingfield Farm. Wingfield’s Progress followed in 1987, Wingfield’s Folly in 1990, Wingfield Unbound in 1997, Wingfield On Ice in 2001, Wingfield’s Inferno in 2005 and Wingfield Lost and Found in 2009. Thousands of readers have followed Dan’s columns in Harrowsmith-Country Life, Small Farm Canada, Watershed, In the Hills and On the Bay. He has authored a number of multi-character stage plays, including The Perils of Persephone, Ed’s Garage, and The Last Christmas Turkey (a musical). Nominated three times for The Stephen Leacock Award, he won in 2003 for his history of Persephone Township, With Axe and Flask. Dan’s other books include Wingfield’s World (a novelisation of the seven Wingfield plays), True Confessions from the Ninth Concession and his latest, Finding Larkspur. From more than a thousand platforms, Dan has entertained crowds as a banquet and conference speaker, carrying a message of neighbourhood, affection and the power of farmer thinking.
“Dan Needles has much the same gift for gentle comedy as England’s James Herriot of All Creatures Great and Small glory.” -The Toronto Sun
“a kind of philosophical Will Rogers with a flair for the well told anecdote that is like the best of W.O. Mitchell, AND IT’S FUNNY!“
-CKLN Newswave
DOUGLAS BEATTIE (director) became an independent producer and director in 1979. His association with Dan Needles goes back to childhood summers spent on the farm. In addition to heading the Wingfield team, Doug has directed plays at the Stratford Festival; the Belfry Theatre, Victoria; Lighthouse Festival, Port Dover; Theatre Orangeville; the Blyth Festival; the Piggery Theatre, North Hatley; Thousand Islands Playhouse; Gryphon Theatre, Barrie; and the Grand Theatre, London (The Passion of Narcisse Mondoux, Ed’s Garage and The Perils of Persephone). He consulted on Primedia’s television production of Letter From Wingfield Farm, which won the 1991 “Gemini” Award for best performing arts program, and worked as co-executive producer of the Wingfield TV series. In 1999 Doug founded Touchmark Theatre in Guelph and served as its artistic director until 2009. As president of Douglas Beattie Theatrical Productions Ltd., he markets the recordings of the Wingfield plays.
“The third partner, invisible but important, is director Douglas Beattie, who keeps it all seeming simple, but actually being quite complex.“
– The Toronto Star
