Two new Wednesday jams in Durham Region starting up tonight

\ PICKERING/OSHAWA \

Hump day is about to get a little brighter for musically oriented residents of Durham Region (or those from other places who don’t mind a mid-week road trip) with the advent tonight of two new jams in the area east of TO.

The 8:30 Blues jam with Howard Ross and his Big Mojo Band taking place at The Hub in Oshawa isn’t totally a new thing for the band or the venue –they’ve been staging biweekly jams there on Thursdays for some time. But with the switch to Wednesdays starting tonight not only will the event now be held weekly, it will also feature a new wrinkle.

In addition to being an ace guitarist and frontman of his own Full Count Blues Band, Ross is the key man at the Durham Region Music Society, which will be staging the 2014 Durham Region Music Awards show later this year. Starting with the October shows, not only is the Wed. jam in the club at 15 Simcoe St. North auditioning groups for a showcase there as “Best New Live Band”, it’s also giving away studio time and other gigs.

Tonight’s inaugural edition will be kicked off with a special 8 p.m., performance from singer Heather Luckhart (an accomplished Blues/Jazz singer and songwriter who lives in Durham and who just released a new album), with the open stage to follow.

In Pickering, meanwhile the new Zone Music Youth Jam will already be well underway by the time Luckhart performs. Targeted at singers and players “20 or under, give or take a couple of years” in the words or organizer and mentor Earl Johnson, it starts at 7 p.m. and presumably wraps before 11 so that the kids’ can still get to school the next day.

It takes place at the new West Shore Bar & Grill at 877 Bayly St., which Google Maps says is located a bit east of White’s Road, where the street begins, though on their street-level photos it appears to be a purely residential strip. Maybe I’ll have to get out there and check this out to resolve that question –which by the sounds of it probably would be a worthwhile excursion anyways, since this room is hosting a lot of live music lately and with Harp & Crown seemingly on life support may be the next Pickering hot spot.

Like the clientele they’re hoping to attract, the host band is also young: a three-piece group known as Chasing Shadows comprised of players who all, despite their few years, are accomplished enough that they, like Johnson, also teach at Zone, which is owned by Earl’s wife Debbie Sutton.

This event will be a bi-weekly affair and hopefully Earl and the gang will keep everyone posted online to ensure we remember which weeks it’s on and which weeks it isn’t!

-Gary 17, www.torontomoon.ca

LISTINGS for Wednesday, September 10, 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.

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

*5-8> The Mediterranean Stars @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E.. TO East ~Jazz

5-8> Michelle Rumball & guest @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Blues

6> The Lovelocks @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~acoustic fem duo

6> Comhaltas Irish Slow Session @ Tranzac Club (Tiki Room), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~folk dancing

6:30> Tom & Sly Juhas @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

*7-1> Zone Music Youth jam with hosts Chasing Shadows @ West Shore Bar & Grill, 877 Bayly St., Pickering

*7> open mic night with Tanya Joy Senior @ Col. McGrady’s Pub, 44 Brock St. W., Uxbridge

*7-11> open jam with Wayne Buttery Band @ The Beacon, 146 45th St., Wasaga Beach

7> Wylie Harold @ 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> The October Trio @ 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

10> Sean Conway @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

**8> open stage with 9 p.m. feature by Tony Hanik @ Fat Albert’s, 25 Cecil St. (Steelworkers Hall), TO ~Roots

*8-1> open jam with Wednesday’s Child feat. Johnny Bootz Hutt @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave., TO

8> The Robin Banks Quartet @ Monarchs Pub (Eaton Chelsea Hotel), 33 Gerrard St. W., TO ~Jazz

*8-11> Fraser-Daley @ Inter Steer, 357 Roncesvalles Ave. TO West ~Roots/Blues

8-1> Jeanine Mackie @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke South ~R&B/Rock

8> Paper Lions @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West

8-1> Christine Tier & Friends @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville ~Sault Ste. Marie songwriter; $5

*8-12> all-ages jam with The Brand New Low @ Sixth Line Pub, 1500 Sixth Line, Oakville

*8-11> open mic @ Frank’s Pasta, 426 King St. E., Cobourg

*8:30> Howard Ross hosts “Big Mojo” Blues jam @ The Hub, 15 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

**8:30> Wednesdays Go Pop showcase with Sam Taylor & The East End Love; Future History; Lonely Deer; Braeden Mitchell @ Supermarket, 268 Augusta Ave., TO ~indie

8:30> Bad Teenage Moustache for International Comedy Music Night @ Free Times Cafe, 320 College St., TO~ $5

*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> Everlovin’ Jug Band @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~old-time Jug music

9-12> Kevin Jollimore @ Bar Radio, 615 College St., TO ~Rockabilly; pwyc

9> Junik @ The Painted Lady, 218 Ossington Ave., TO West

*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> Bruce Hughes @ 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> Hans Luchs Organ Trio @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Chicago Jazz

*9:30-2> jam with Live Animals @ The Unicorn, 175 Eglinton Ave. E., TO North

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

10> Sam Cash @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

10> Words Around The World @ 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> Tara Holloway @ The Red Garnet, 231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough

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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