Editor’s update/correction, 140403, 15:00:
I’m now advised that the bi-weekly or twice-monthly jam hosted by Howard Ross referred to in this story is not on tonight but takes place next week. This is the big problem with these “alternate Thursday” or “two Thursdays a month” type of events: it’s very easy for people to lose track of when they actually happen and many times the result is that after showing up and finding no show people just stop going. The only time these things work well, in my experience, is when they’re monthly and it’s a clear “first Thursday” or “last Thursday” thing or sometimes twice a month works if it’s “first Thursday and third Thursday” or a second-and-fourth thing. At any rate, don’t go there tonight! -Gary 17

The big winner at this year’s Maple Blues Awards was Ottawa Swamp-Roots Blues-Rock trio MonkeyJunk, which copped five of them, including for act of the year and songwriting. Tonight they return to Hugh’s Room on Dundas West just south of Bloor. Tickets are just $25 —if you can still get one.

 

It’s been a year of changes for Scarborough musician John Robbie (aka Johnny Megabyte) as the Rock band that he fronted for some time, Jabez Stone, basically disintegrated through no fault of his. As a result, most of his stage time lately has come on Thursday nights at Karla’s Roadhouse on Kingston Road in the West Hill area, where Tommy Rocker’s Classic Rock Show band hosts a weekly jam. It’s a comfy fit for John —so much so that this is where he’s celebrating his 55th birthday party tonight. You can bet he’ll be sizzling in more ways than one!

Karla’s was also the scene where last year I snapped some long overdue new pics of a Blues titan I hadn’t seen on stage in a long time. That’s because Howard Ross mostly plies his very talented trade in Durham and York regions and I have spent much time out that way like I used to. But I can tell you that what I saw the night his band performed at the Scarborough club demonstrated to me that quality musicians, like a great malt whiskey or fine wine, only improve with age. Durham residents can these days find him hosting an every-other-Thursday jam, including tonight, with the Big Mojo band at a club called The Hub at 15 Simcoe St. N. in Oshawa.  -Gary 17, www.torontomoon.ca

LISTINGS:

Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. Names of subscribers appear in bold and include a live link to their websites where applicable. Advertisers’ listings are in larger type, include live link to website and also have ad icon included in listings

noon> free Jazz show with tba @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

*5-8> Nelson Denis @ Frank’s Pasta, 42 King Street E., Cobourg ~eclectic mix (Folk, Jazz, soft Rock, Latin)

5-8> Roberta Hunt Jazz & Blues Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO W. ~Jazz & Blues

6> Angie Gunn @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

6:30> Ross Woolridge Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

7-9> TBC @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO E. ~songwriter

7> Shugga @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etob. S. ~Funk

*7:30-12> open mic with K.M. Smith @ Molly Bloom’s Guelph, 91 Wyndham St. N., Guelph

*7:30-9:30> Bluegrass Thursdays with Houndstooth @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

*8-12> jam with Tommy Rocker Band celebrating John Robbie’s “Sleeman 55” birthday party @ Karla’s Roadhouse, 4630 Kingston Rd., Scarborough

*8> open mic with Anthony Abbatangeli & Ken Foster @ DeSotos, 1079 St. Clair Ave. W., TO West

8-12> Denis Martel @ Fionn MacCool’s Ajax, 32 Kingston Rd. E. Ajax ~Pop

8-12> Blues jam with Howard Ross & Big Mojo @ The Hub, 15 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

8> Shuffle Demons; Turbo Street Funk for Richard Underhill For Mayor fun-raiser @ Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W., TO W. ~Jazz; $10 or campaign donation

8> Between Sounds @ The Only Café, 972 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Psych sounds

*8-12> open mic & jam @ Black Swan Pub Burlington, 4040 Palladium Way, Burlington

8-12> Cormac Cleary @ Ember Hot Stove, 3039 Lakeshore Blvd. W., Etobicoke South ~

8:30> tbaThe G Chord Project – Songs, Stories & Sisterhood feat. Katy Taylor Warren, Kaitlin Kozell, Jessie Treener & Carrie DeMaeyr @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St. Oakville ~original music & words; $5

8:30> MonkeyJunk @ Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas St. W., TO West ~Swamp-Roots Blues-Rock; $25

8:30> James Sloan & Peter Verity @ Free Times Café, 320 College St. TO ~original Folk; $5

*9-1:30> open stage with Jay Pennell @ Dave’s On St. Clair, 730 St. Clair West, TO W. ~eclectic

9> Single Malt Soul @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave., TO E. ~Soul/Funk/R&B

*9> jam with Ted Rusk @ The Sauble Dunes, 11 Southampton Parkway, Sauble Beach

*9> jam @ The Wee Pub, 371 Wilson Rd. South, Oshawa

9-12> Melanie Brulée Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO W. ~Jazz

9> tba @ The Painted Lady, 218 Ossington Ave., TO W.

9> Tich Meredza Trio @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO W. ~Zimbabwean Roots

9-1> David Cavan Fraser @ Black Dog Pub, 87 Island Rd., Scarb. ~Pop Rock

9-1> Jerome Godboo Band @ Monarchs Pub (Eaton Chelsea Hotel), 33 Gerrard St. W., TO ~jumpin’ Blues

*9-2> karaoke with Joe @ Tudor Rose, 700 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax

*9:30> karaoke with The English Rose & The Mad Scotsman @ Coyote Jack’s, 64 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax

*9:30> karaoke with Kiki @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO E.

*9:30-2> Skip Tracer @ Southside Johnny’s, 3653 Lakeshore Blvd., Etobicoke S. ~Rock/Pop

9:30> Parc-X Trio @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

*9:30> jam with Jack B Nimble @ Abbey Road Pub, 3200 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga

9:30> open mic with Rob & Matt @ Stone Cottage Pub, 3750 Kingston Rd., Scarborough ~Pop Rock

9:30> Patrick Dorie; Ken Yates; Brian Dunne @ C’est What, 67 Front St. E., TO ~songwriters; $8

*10> Salt & Pepper karaoke with Josh & Danish @ St. Louis Ajax. 11 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax

*10> open jam @ The Red Garnet, 231 Hunter St. W. Peterborough

10> The Tonkas @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Blues

10> The Millwinders @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Roots-Rock

10> tba @ Orbit Room, 480 College St. TO ~

10-2> Greg Cockerill @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West ~$10

10:30> Scully & The Crossbones @ The Hideout, 484 Queen St. W., TO ~indie Rock

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