Elegant and uplifting Larra Skye in Supermarket showcase tonight
\KENSINGTON MARKET\
It’s been almost a year since I had the pleasure of hearing TO smooth-Pop songwriter Larra Skye for the first (and so far only) time when she performed outdoors in a community park.
While the sound at the event wasn’t superlative, she nevertheless easily captivated a delighted throng of family picnickers attending the event, including me!
Having thereby acquired her album Wishing Tree I soon discovered that the magic was just beginning. Her lovely, enchanting voice spins ethereal spells as she sings about the delights and mysteries of everyday life and, of course, love.
Liberally interlacing strings (beautifully provided and arranged by Karen Kosowski) with piano, organ, synths, a variety of guitars and occasional spice from other instruments such as sax, trumpet and trombone, this is a wonderfully orchestrated, intimate and ultimately uplifting peek into a mostly very happy universe.
There’s also an elegance to the work that to me suggests she’s very confident and comfortable with being who she is, knows exactly what she wants to say and how to convey it with seeming effortlessness.
Some of the standout tunes include the title track, the lead-off number (“Neverending Nostalgia”), “Wait Your Whole Life” (co-written with Gavin Slate), “Grain Of Sand” (co-written with Emma-Lee) and “Dundas Street” (with Kosowski).
Tonight Larra does a set as part of a four-act show at Supermarket in Kensington Market. I’m not sure whether she’ll have pianoman Marc Rogers (very prominent as a player on the album, its mixer and, along with Kosowski, co-producer) with her tonight as she did in the park last year —but either way I have no doubt he’ll transfix the audience there on the strength of her soul and vocal prowess. It starts at 9 and cover is pay-what-you-can.
LISTINGS for Wednesday, August 13, 2021:
Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. (Double asterisk indicates repeating event with different hosts/guest/etc.) 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.
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*5-8> The Mediterranean Stars @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E.. TO East ~Jazz
5-8> Roots ‘n Branches @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Rootsy Blues
6> Emma-Lee @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~songwriter
6> Comhaltas Irish Slow Session @ Tranzac Club (Tiki Room), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~folk dancing
6:30> Ernest Cervini Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz
6:30> Raconteurs @ Tranzac Club (Main Hall), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~storytelling
*7-11> open jam with Wayne Buttery Band @ The Beacon, 146 45th St., Wasaga Beach
7> Paddyman @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough
*7:30-10:30> The BTBs feat. Ed Kopala @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Jazz
7:30> John Ainsworth @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO
*8-12> Girls Night Out Jazz singers jam with Lisa Particelli, Peter Hill et al @ Chalkers, 247 Marlee Ave., TO North-West
*8-1> open jam with Wednesday’s Child feat. Johnny Bootz Hutt @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave., TO
8> The Vipers @ Monarchs Pub (Eaton Chelsea Hotel), 33 Gerrard St. W., TO ~Jazz & Blues
8> The Moanin’ After @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO
*8-11> Fraser-Daley @ Inter Steer, 357 Roncesvalles Ave. TO West ~Roots/Blues
8> Indie Blender 1st anniversary bash with Union Duke; The Treasures; Blue Sky Miners @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West
8-1> Kate Todd @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke South ~Pop Rock
8-1> tba @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville
*8-11> open mic @ Frank’s Pasta, 426 King St. E., Cobourg
8> Mark De Bonis @ Free Times Cafe, 320 College St., TO ~comedy
*8:30> Crazy Strings host High Lonesome Wednesdays with opening acoustic act @ Silver Dollar 486 Spadina Ave., TO ~Bluegrass
*8:30> open mic with Jenn Fiorentino @ Earl Of Whitchurch, 6204 Main St., Stouffville
*8:30> Something Country @ The Endzone, 1900 King St. E., Hamilton ~Country
*8:45> Bradley & The Bouncers @ Reservoir Lounge, 52 Wellington St. E., TO ~Jazz/Blues/R&B
9-12> Blues Night with Julian Fauth & guests @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~original Juno-winning Blues
*9> The Phil & John Show feat. Phil Naro @ Molly Bloom’s Waterloo, 170 University Ave., Waterloo ~acoustic Pop Rock
9> Whitebrow @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Folk
9-12> Kaia Kater @ Bar Radio, 615 College St., TO ~songwriter; pwyc
9> Sleeping Lies; Within Rust; Kieran Strange @ The Painted Lady, 218 Ossington Ave., TO West ~indie
*9> open mic with Sean Barker @ Monarch Tavern, 12 Clinton St., TO
*9?> jam with Michael Zane @ Shakers, 580 Kerr St., Oakville
*9-12> jam with Damage Control @ St. Louis Bar & Grill Ajax, 11 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax
9> Doug Dale @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa
*9-1> open mic jam with Whiskey Birds @ Sweetz Lounge, 5289 Hwy 7, Woodbridge-Vaughan
*9:30> open stage with Nicola Vaughan @ Black Swan (downstairs), 154 Danforth Ave., TO East
9:30> Danjam Orchestra @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~NYC Jazz
*9:30-2> jam with Live Animals @ The Unicorn, 175 Eglinton Ave. E., TO North
*9:30-12> Saxy Sady & The It’s Not Just Jazz Cats @ Apollonia, 1504 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Jazz/Pop
9:30> Julien Dionne; Garage Baby @ C’est What, 67 Front St. E., TO ~comedy/variety; $10
9:30> open mic with Robbie & Mat @ Stone Cottage Pub, 3750 Kingston Rd., Scarborough ~Pop Rock
9:30> The Carson Freeman Diversion @ Shore Grill, 71 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Pop Rock
**9> Larra Skye; Pat Maloney; Declan O’Donovan; My Father’s Son @ Supermarket, 268 Augusta Ave., TO ~indie; pwyc
10> Tim Bradford @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO
10> Paul Jones @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO
*10-2> Blues-Rock jam with Bruce Domoney @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave. TO
*10-2> Paul & Curtis @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Rock/Pop
10:30> Jerry McCabe et al @ The Hideout, 484 Queen St. W., TO ~indie Rock
*10:30> The LMT Connection @ Orbit Room, 580 College St. TO ~Funk/R&B; $10
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