\ TO CENTRAL \

After several weeks in hospital for brain surgery and then time recuperating at home, double-slide Blues guitar icon Brian Cober is back in action and has announced that tonight he returns as host of his weekly Sunday night jam at Grossman’s Tavern downtown.  It wasn’t his first medical scare —as we reported on Dec. 6 of last year, he also had to deal with a cancerous growth on his larynx that seriously derailed him for a spell in 2015.

He was feeling well enough last week to venture out to The Painted Lady on Ossington for its weekly jam night and a photo of him looking strong and upbeat, with his guitar in hand, that he posted on Facebook says even more than the cheery post he made accompanying it, in which he says he feels his “old self coming through more and more as I get stronger,” gives thanks to his wife Dianna for all her support and tips his hat to Gord Downie and Tragically Hip.

I’m relieved that it appears I won’t have to be delving too deeply into my archives to gather material about Brian for an obituary any time soon.  And a lot of Blues fans and fellow players will be very glad to learn that he’ll be back in the room at 379 Spadina Ave. tonight with drummer Bill Hedefine and another stellar guest bassist (this week it’s Al Kavanagh) —a formula he’s employed ever since the passing of his longtime 4-string accompanist Paul McNamara, in September of 2008.

I did, however, take a cursory look through early issues to see when I first wrote a feature about him —Brian has been someone I’ve been writing about since first hearing him in Kensington Market in 1992, when the magazine was still called The Open Season and published monthly in hard copy.  While I’m still missing some early issues [and still hoping folks with back copies will help me to fill out the library] I did find a 1994 cover article from Issue #025 of to-nite, when his band, then called The Nationals and featuring Nick Kent on the kit, was just starting to venture outside of the Kensington area into other rooms across the city.

[Subscribers who are registered as members of the website can read that story in a jpg scan of the issue’s inside page on a post in the Vault section of TorontoMoon.ca]

Now 60, Cober has evolved from being a talented but generally underappreciated Blues songwriter with a unique approach to slide guitar in those early days, to nowadays getting regular festival gigs and is hailed by all who appreciate fine Blues talent.  But he still seems to adhere to a do-it-yourself approach to management and promotion he talked about in the 1994 article and that probably has severely curtailed what he could have accomplished by now.

Any shortfall of “career success” doesn’t seem to bother him much however, as he’s probably never so happy as when he’s performing close to home as host of the 10-2 jam at G-Man or putting on any of the regular shows he’s does at Lola, in the heart of the Market at 40 Kensington Ave.

I have no doubt he’ll be sharing his charming smile at the event a lot tonight —and he sure won’t be the only one in the room who’ll be beaming.

-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca

SHOW LISTINGS for Sunday, August 14, 2021

Listings are organized by area in which shows take place and listed chronologically within each area field.

Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. (Double asterisk indicates repeating event with different hosts/guest/etc.). Events preceded by question mark (?) usually take place but have not been confirmed. Admission prices followed by a slash and minus (/-) after the amount indicates door charge with availability of cheaper rates for some purchases. /+ indicates stated price is minimum.

Names of subscribers appear in bold, are underlined and, where applicable, include a live link to their websites. Advertisers’ listings are in larger highlighted type, include live link to website and also have ad icon included in listings.

ONLINE / ON AIR

*6, 7, 10 & 11am; 5 & 7 pm> “Sunday Morning Soul” with Johnny Max @ www.sundaymorningsoul.com ~Blues

416 – TORONTO CENTRAL

11am-2pm> Ensemble Topaz for Jewish brunch buffet @ Free Times Café, 320 College St., TO

noon-3> Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

12> Capital Focus Jazz Band @ Tranzac Club (Main Hall), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO ~vintage concert hall Jazz

1> Toronto Improvisers Orchestra @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

3-5> Sue and Dwight with Dave Lang @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO ~Folk

3:30-6:30> Red Hot Ramble @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz; $

*4:30-8> New Orleans Connection All Stars & guests @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave., TO ~New Orleans Jazz

5> Max Layton & Robert Priest with various guest musicians including David Hines and Ed Roth @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

5> Animal Party; Squiggly Lines; Konig; Heart Behind A Barbed Wire Hymen @ The Central, 503 Markham St., TO ~indie; $

5-9> The Dreamboats @ Seven44, 744 Mount Pleasant Road, TO North ~vintage Rock/R&B; $10

*6-9> open mic with Eddy Culjak @ Fox & Fiddle Wellesley, 27 Wellesley St., TO

*7-1> Freefall Sundays open stage (2 songs each -signup @ 7 or pre-sign online) @ The Supermarket, 268 Augusta St., TO

7-9:30> Kim Ratcliffe’s On Topic @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz; $

7-9:30> Whitney Ross-Barris Trio @ Jazz Bistro, 251 Victoria St., TO ~Jazz/Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan; $

*7-10> Brooke Blackburn @ Nawlins, 299 King St. W. TO ~Blues/Jazz/R&B

7> Thelonious Hank @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Country

7:30> Guh! @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

8> Rozhanytsia @ Free Times Café, 320 College St., TO ~touring Ukrainian tradition Folk group; $10

*8> jam/open mic with backline & host band Meg and the Scene @ The Antler Room, 146 Front St. W., TO

*8> open mic with Kyle @ The Cavern Bar, 76 Church St., TO

*8-12> The Honour Roll with REMY trio @ May Café, 876 Dundas St. W. ~freestyle Hip Hop; no cover

9:30> Scott Marshall Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz; $

*10> Horshack feat. Chris Caddell @ Orbit Room, 580 College St., TO ~Bluesy contemporary & classic Rock

10> Lina Allemano Four @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO ~Jazz

10> Angie Hilts Band @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Roots/Country

**10> Blues jam with Brian Cober, Bill Hedefine and guest bassist Al Kavanaugh @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave., TO

10:30> Geoff Unplugged @ The Hideout, 484 Queen St. W., TO ~acoustic Rock

416 – TORONTO EAST

11 a.m. - 2> The Pearl Motel for Jazz brunch @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave. TO East ~Jazz

*2-5> Two of Us @ The Dylan Bar, 1276 Danforth Ave., TO East ~acoustic Pop

*3-6> open mic with Nicola Vaughan @ Hirut, 2050 Danforth Ave., TO East

4> Cash On Demand @ Castro’s Lounge, 2116 Queen St. E., TO East ~Johnny Cash Country

*4:30-8:30> jam @ Black Bear, 1125 O’Connor Drive, TO East

7-10> Sam Taylor Band @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave, TO East ~R&B/Blues

*9-1> jam with the Stir It Up Band featuring David Macmichael @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East

*9> Michael Darcy @ An Sibin Pub, 709 Queen St. E., TO East ~Pop Rock

**9> open mic night @ The Groove Bar, 1952 Danforth Ave., TO East

9> Watch This Sound @ Castro’s Lounge, 2116 Queen St. E., TO East ~vintage Jamaican music

416 – TORONTO ETOBICOKE

5-9> Taunted By Girls featuring Michelle Deneault @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke ~Pop Rock

*10-2> jam with Rebecca Matiesen & Phoenix @ Southside Johnny’s, 3653 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Etobicoke South

416 – TORONTO SCARBOROUGH

*6> The Tall Boyz featuring Tommy Rocker host acoustic jam @ Coco’s, 2480 Eglinton Ave. E., Scarborough

*7-11> open jam @ McGradie’s, 2167 Victoria Park Ave., Scarborough

416 – TORONTO WEST

**11-2> live Jazz brunch @ DeSoto’s, 1079 St. Clair Ave. W., TO West

*noon-3> Julian Fauth’s Blues brunch @ Axis, 3048 Dundas St. W., TO West ~Blues

* noon-3> The Cosmotones @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West ~Bluegrass

4-8> Blues/Rock jam with host Voodoo Walters Band feat. Dave McManus on bass @ The Cat, 3513 Dundas St. W., TO West

**5-8> John Borra & Sam Ferrara w. guest @ The Communist’s Daughter, 1149 Dundas St. W. TO West ~Country

5-8> Laura Repo @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~original urban Folk

5-8 Marshall Jacklin Jazz Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

6> Monk’s Music @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St., TO West ~Jazz; pwyc

8> Happy Diving; Beige; WLMRT @ Smiling Buddha, 961 College St., TO West ~indie

*8:30-11:30> Fraser Melvin Blues Band @ Fat City Blues, 890 College St., TO West ~Blues

8:30> Lucas Dann Band @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St., TO West ~Jazz/Classical; pwyc

9-1> Jackson Welchner Quartet @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

9> The Hit Pickers @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Bluegrass

9> Clamaglamza with BonerJamzz93; Jonny; Chalky Leeroy @ Holy Oak Café, 1241 Bloor St. W., TO West ~indie

9:30-1> Steve Amirault @ Amico’s Pizza, 1648 Queen St. W., TO West ~Jazz; no cover

*10> The Mercenaries @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West ~retro Rock/Soul; $10

519

*3-7> acoustic open mic with Scott Rhodes @ The Pick and Shovel, 30 Water St., Cambridge

*9-1> jam @ Ivy Arms Pub, 201 Main Street East, Milton

705

2-5> Pat Maloney @ The Huron Club (patio), 94 Pine St., Collingwood

3> Chic’n Pot Pi @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough

6:30-9:30> Joe Huron Trio with guest tba @ Harbour Street Fish Bar, 10 Keith Ave., Collingwood ~Jazz

905 EAST

4> Doug Dale @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

*8:30-12:30> karaoke with The English Rose & The Mad Scotsman @ Pearson Pub, 101 Mary St. W. Whitby

905 NORTH

**1-3> Joe & Frank with guest performer @ Lake Simcoe Arms, 21089 Dalton Rd., Jackson’s Point ~Jazz

*1:30-4:30> Blaine Burnie, Mark Thackway & friends @ Coach House Pub, 3 Felcher Boulevard, Stouffville ~acoustic Roots

*3-7> open stage with Kevin Ker @ The Earl Of Whitchurch, 6204 Main St., Stouffville

*3-7> Daniel Davies Band hosts jam @ C.J. Barley’s, 213 The Queensway South, Keswick

*4-8> open mic with backline & keys @ Yogi’s Bar, 1285 Elgin Mills Rd. E., Richmond Hill

*6-9:30> The Andy Earle Trio @ Big Daddy’s Newmarket, 446 Davis Drive, Newmarket ~Blues

*8> acoustic open mic with Kat Vhonda @ Wild Wing North Newmarket, 340 Eagle Street, Newmarket

905 SOUTH

2-6> Bay City Blues Band & guest Paul James @ Bay City Music Hall, 50 Leander Drive, Hamilton ~Blues; $5

2-6> Groovy Food @ Donnelley’s Pub (patio), 54 Front St., Thorold

*3> Brother Tom hosts kitchen party jam @ Rebel’s Rock, 537 King St. E., Hamilton

905 WEST

**2-6> Country matinee with Rob Kirkham and Neon Rain @ Carrigan Arms, 2025 Upper Middle Rd., Burlington ~Country

*3-6> Chris Partland @ Cuchulainn’s Irish Pub, 158 Queen St. S., Streetsville-Mississauga ~Pop Rock

3-8> Salsa band @ The Franklin House, 263 Queen St. S., Streetsville ~Latin

*4-7> Glenn Groves @ The Purple Heather, 3600 Dundas St. W., Burlington ~Country

*4:30-8> Chuck Jackson’s All Stars @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Blues

**5:30-8:30> The Stew @ Mulligan’s, 2458 Dundas St. W., Mississauga ~R&B/Rock

**7-11> The Nomads @ Shore Grill, 71 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Pop Rock

*7:30-11:30> open jam hosted by Troy Harmer & The Persuaders @ The Brown Barrel, 1515 Upper Ottawa St., Hamilton

*8> open mic night with house band featuring Mike Shotton, Tim & Dave Johns @ Black Swan Burlington, 4040 Palladium Way, Burlington

*9-1> Kevin Reid & Derek Lathrop @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~$

*10:30> Adam Cooke & The Adams Family @ The Dickens, 423 Elizabeth St., Burlington

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