Gary Higgins headlines Chicago Psych Fest @ The Hideout, Friday

Acid folk legend Gary Higgins kicks off the first night of Chicago Psych Fest 16. Check out the interview link below. 

Chicago Psych Fest 16

Chicago Psych Fest 16 has seemingly upped its own heady game with a rare appearance by stoney-folk deity Gary Higgins! Get tickets for the two-day event at Chicago's venerable Hideout Inn (1354 W Wabansia Ave) right here. 

Friday, March 6

Gary Higgins – The Hideout and Plastic Crimewave via CPF are honoured and thrilled to present this absolute legend, who hasn't left his East Coast haunts for Chicago (or many other places) since 2008. Higgins recorded his beautiful, laid-back, dark/sunny, baroque/fried album, Red Hash, in 1972 Connecticut--and he'll be playing many smokey cuts off the revered private press platter. Reissued by Drag City Records, the now-classic LP was released as Higgins went to jail for dealing weed on March 6, 1973--exactly 53 years before this unique appearance, with veteran collaborator Dave VanDebogart on second lilting guitar. Read the Toneglow interview with Gary Higgins right here. Listen to Gary's classic "Red Hash" album below. 

Anna Johnson's unique and soaring blend of experimental electronics, Celtic folk, and psyche textures have her playing all over the world. This set will be aided by the local supergroup of Paige Naylor (synth/vox), Ben Baker Billington (drums), and Andrew Scott Young (bass).

The Singleman Affair has been bringing his pastoral take on loner acoustics to recordings and stages since thee early aughts, and he will return to his ele-mental roots with this special set of early material—augmented by double-duty-ing Andrew Scott Young-bass, Don Ogilvie-percussion/vocal duties, and Beth Yates-flute.

DJ Psychedalex Kerner simply has the best astral folkin' stash in Chi-towne, and will keep the dreamy vinyl vibes tight all night.

Saturday March 7

Natural Information Society's revolutionary grooves need little introduction, as they have been on the vanguard of ecstatic minimalism, earthen rhythms, and avant freak-funk since 2010. The longtime quartet of devotional bassist/Guimbri player Joshua Abrams, harmonia-sorceress Lisa Alvarado, percussion wizard Mikel Patrick Avery, and bass-clarinetist Jason Stein will vibrationally transport, ala their latest sidelong-voyage LP, Perseverance Flow. 

Glyders also need no intro, as they have been brandishing their dusty, motorik, groove-laments since 2014. They've brought their live energy and cowgirl in the sands boogie to Drag City as well, for their space-chooglin' LP, Forever.

Shravan Raghuram has been tearing up the regional exploratory music scene on a near sonic pilgrimage level, jamming in a plethora of far-out configurations that range from cosmic jazz, rockist rumble, to honed trances. He'll be appearing in a duo with woodwindist Kevin King, in a setting of drums and flute.

Check out a few clips below. 

Shadowy Man Don Pyle previews new memoir Rough Description out May 26

Toronto-based drummer/photographer Don Pyle shares tales from the tour van and beyond in Rough Description due May 26th.

Here's the scoop from Don Pyle...

"At last, cover art for my new book Rough Description: Love Letters and Ghost Stories from a Life in Music is here! The cover was designed by Dave Gee with front cover photo by Heather Cameron and back cover by me. Presale from my website for Canada/Europe/Mexico is available through this link. Same page has link to publisher ECW Press site to pre-order in US or anywhere else. Eek! Book out May 26/26. Rough Description was supported by grants from Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council."

ROUGH DESCRIPTION 

LOVE LETTERS AND GHOST STORIES FROM A LIFE IN MUSIC

Published May 26, 2026 by ECW Press. $24.99. Pre-sale live now.

Rough Description: Love Letters and Ghost Stories from a Life in Music is Don Pyle’s tantalizing memoir, recalling first bands, the absurdity and incredible rewards of touring, and reflections on groups and situations he’s been in, most prominently as drummer and co-founder of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. He recounts friend and work relationships with musician Dallas Good, venerable producer/engineer Steve Albini, comedy troupe Kids In The Hall, whose series and theme music his group created, and more.

He describes experiences attending hair school, his evolving relationship with his mother, how the Ramones affected his young teen brain, a life-changing car accident, and other situations from a creative life lived fully, with a bit of dish. Hear how a punk rock penpal lead to a career in showbiz, and how to put out the same record over and over again.

To order from ECW press, or another retailer outside of Canada, go here. Please click SHOP LOCAL tab on ECW site to order from your favourite bookstore. 

Please note that due to unwieldy tariffs, I do not ship to the US.

Remembering Mark E. Smith of The Fall on his birthday

Raising a glass to Mark E. Smith on his birthday with a couple of vintage clips of The Fall in action and more. 

Alejandro Escovedo rocks Longboat Hall, March 7

Alejandro Escovedo performs songs from his lengthy career at Longboat Hall on Saturday night. Get tickets here. Check the clips.

Long overdue sampler of Charles Stepney's dazzling productions issued by Ace/BGP

The boffo 20-track Charles Stepney comp Eternal Journey – put together by Dean Rudland – has been in the works since 2017. 

Here's the scoop...

"Eternal Journey – The Arrangements And Productions Of Charles Stepney" a compilation we started work on back in 2017 will finally be released tomorrow (Friday, March 5). One not to miss, particularly for fans of Terry Callier, Rotary Connection, The Dells, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Ramsey Lewis, Phil Upchurch, Marlena Shaw and Buddy Guy!

Charles Stepney gained worldwide success as the producer for Earth Wind & Fire and Deniece Williams but the producer and arranger’s earlier work at Chess is now regarded as some of the most original ever laid to tape, and in the past 20 years has become a primary influence on scores of producers and arrangers, with his records being sought after by DJs and collectors. Despite a couple of attempts, his most important work has never been compiled on one volume until now. This compilation gathers up his most famous productions for the likes of Rotary Connection - and their singer Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, Terry Callier, Marlena Shaw and the Dells.

An influence on everyone from Masters At Work to Radiohead, Charles Stepney’s production for the Chess labels captured the spirit of the era by mixing soul, jazz, electronics, composed music and a touch of psychedelia, all arranged brilliantly and produced to an incredibly high standard. Shockingly there has never been a compilation dedicated to this area of his work, something that we are rectifying with “Eternal Journey.”

Stepney was a jobbing arranger when Marshall Chess recruited him to co-produce his new project Rotary Connection, which allowed him to realise his symphonic productions. With the success of their debut album, Stepney was recruited to work on many of the labels most important artists including Ramsey Lewis, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and The Dells. He also took on his own projects working with Phil Upchurch, Terry Callier and others.

Beautifully remastered and housed in a sleeve based on a 1960s Rotary Connection Billboard Magazine advert, this is 16 tracks of Chicago brilliance. Compilation producer Dean Rudland has told the story of Stepney's emergence through his most dazzling work and also their building blocks in the day to day arrangements from R&B and soul stars such as Little Milton and Buddy Guy. His in depth sleeve note includes interview with many of those who worked with Stepney including the author's conversations with both Terry Callier and Marshall Chess. 

Get a copy of "Eternal Journey" directly from Ace/BGP UK right here. Check out the tracklisting followed by a few audio clips below. 

Eternal Journey – The Arrangements and Productions of Charles Stepney

1. DEAR PRUDENCE - RAMSEY LEWIS

2. LES FLEUR - MINNIE RIPERTON

3. IT'S ALL UP TO YOU - THE DELLS

4. BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX - BILLY STEWART

5. STAND UP AND BE COUNTED - MEDITATION SINGERS

6. LOVE HAS FALLEN ON ME - THE NEW ROTARY CONNECTION

7. WHAT COLOR IS LOVE - TERRY CALLIER

8. BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU - MARLENA SHAW

9. MORE AND MORE - LITTLE MILTON

10. ETERNAL JOURNEY - RAMSEY LEWIS

11. CALIFORNIA SOUL - MARLENA SHAW

12. CAN'T CATCH THE TRANE - TERRY CALLIER

13. THE LOVE WE HAD (STAYS ON MY MIND) - THE DELLS

14. TEACH ME HOW TO FLY - ROTARY CONNECTION

15. MORE AND MORE - PHIL UPCHURCH

16. I'M HIGH AGAIN - BO DIDDLEY

17. LET'S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER - MUDDY WATERS

18. SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING (1969 version) - HOWLIN' WOLF

19. GIRL YOU LIT MY FIRE - JUNIOR WELLS

20. I'M GONNA KEEP IT TO MYSELF - BUDDY GUY

Happy Birthday Catherine Irwin!

Raising a glass to the amazing Catherine Irwin with a few stellar performances you may have missed.

Bill Charlap & Renee Rosnes @ Hugh's Room, Thursday

Husband and wife jazz duo Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes make a rare Toronto appearance at Hugh's Room on Thursday night.

Bill Charlap & Renee Rosnes 

Live in Hugh's Room's Green Sanderson Hall

296 Broadview Avenue

Doors at 6:30 pm, Show at 7:30 pm, 

$60+ in advance, $67+ at the door.

Get tickets here. 

It is with no small dosage of irony that highly acclaimed jazz pianists Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes close their dynamic new duo piano album with the timeless standard “Never Will I Marry.” Marry, they have, and happily marry, they do, in musical terms on Double Portrait, a high point in their respective careers, and the first recorded example of what must be considered one of the finest and most empathetic piano duos in jazz history. Double Portrait is a work of significance and depth, but also flows with the casual and organic quality of musicians with an uncommon simpatico, in life as well as in art. 

Double Portrait is the latest, and another proud entry, in a series of stellar projects on Blue Note for Charlap in the past decade, including readings of music by Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin, and another special family project, with his mother, singer Sandy Stewart. In another musical family tree link, the pianist’s father was famed Broadway composer Moose Charlap. Charlap the Younger has earned the respect of critics and discerning listeners, and the praise of musicians such as Tony Bennett, whom the pianist has also worked with.

Rosnes, who originally hails from Vancouver, has been a prominent figure in NYC and the international jazz scene for many years. She has recorded fourteen fine albums as a leader, nine of them for Blue Note, and has been the pianist of choice for such artists as Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, JJ Johnson and Bobby Hutcherson. Rosnes is also a founding member of the dynamic SFJAZZ Collective, with whom she performed and recorded for six years. Renee's latest album, Crossing Paths (Smoke Sessions Records) is a salute to the music, composers and artists of Brazil and features contributions from Edu Lobo and Joyce Moreno. Crossing Paths has been nominated for a Juno Award for "Jazz Album Of The Year (Solo)." The ceremony takes place on March 29th in Hamilton.  

Both pianists have been praised for representing the upper echelon of contemporary jazz piano aesthetics. Fittingly, TIME magazine once noted in a review that Charlap “approaches a song the way a lover approaches his beloved. He wants to view it from every angle – melody, harmony, lyrics, verse.” Rosnes was cited by the New York Times as “a virtuoso,” also noting that, in a concert, “no rhythmic inflection went unexplored.”

After marrying in 2007, the couple has subsequently performed live in duo format, and with Double Portrait, says Charlap, “finally, the time came that we were able to set it down for posterity. Itʼs a natural for us, both being admirers of each otherʼs work. The chemistry we have as husband and wife is naturally reflected in our music, and likewise, the chemistry we have as musicians is a part of our lives together.”

Double Portrait winds up being a unique expression of the artistry of each player, and an added third persona rises out of the interactive blend of the two players. For repertoire, the couple selected a diverse yet perfectly coherent range of material to explore and find mutual expression on. While both musicians continue to tend to their personal musical lives and projects, the Charlap Rosnes piano duo persona is now officially an ongoing venture, documented for the first time and for the ages. You can get a copy of Double Portrait from Renee's site right here while her Crossing Paths album is available here. 

Watch a Bill & Renee duo performance from July 2025 along with a couple of selections from Double Portrait and a clip related to Renee's Crossing Paths album below.