R.I.P. Jamaican reggae and rock steady great Derrick Harriott

Sadly, Jamaican singer/songwriter and producer Derrick Harriott has passed away at 87. He'll be greatly missed. 

Maggie's Wake preview new "Lifelines" album @ Hugh's Room, Oct 25

Maggie's Wake, led byTara Dunphy (of The Rizdales) & Lindsay Schindler, unveil "Lifelines" at Hugh's Room Sunday night at 8 pm. 

Maggies Wake 

Live at Hugh's Room (296 Broadview)

Sunday, October 25

Doors at 7pm, show at 8pm 

$30+ in advance, $37+ at the door

Get tickets right here.

Just having wowed the crowd at Ireland’s premier music industry showcase and UK’s Strada Music signing, London, Ontario's Celtic roots ensemble Maggie’s Wake are back on home soil with a much anticipated CD Release of Lifelines at Toronto’s premier folk/roots destination Hugh’s Room on Sunday, October 25 at 8:00pm.

The forthcoming album is a perfect blend of Canadian folk and Celtic tradition with roots swagger – expect heartfelt story-songs, driving jigs ‘n’ reels, bold whistles, double fiddle, flashes of country twang and global twists, not to mention soaring harmonies that are pure joy, start to finish.

The acclaimed quartet came together in late 2022 and quickly took their home province of Ontario by storm — selling out dates on their very first "Spirit of the Season" holiday tour. Since then, they've showcased at major music conferences across Canada, the US and UK, have whirlwind 2026 & 2027 tours on the books, won the 2025 CFMA for 'New Artist of the Year' for their debut, self-titled CD, launched a Holiday EP, were just signed by UK’s Strada Music International, and of course, are launching Lifelines here at Hugh’s Room … not bad for a band just a few years in!

Their work is 100% original, penned by Tara Dunphy and Lindsay Schindler, backed by powerhouses Andrew Kosty on bass and Kenneth Palmer on guitar.

Their first single, Bridget O’Brien, won the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Songwriting Award. After their NERFA showcase, they were told that if Maggie’s Wake was a soup, it would be a hearty bowl of everyone’s favourite folk styles finished with a dash of Loretta Lynn and a pinch of Nick Lowe. Doesn’t that sound delicious?!

About “Lifelines”

During a visit to a Portland gallery, a painting of a hand with deeply etched lifelines in the palm stopped the band in its tracks. The defining image endured and sparked an album celebrating the constellation of lifelines – from the emotional, creative, to the physical – that shape, connect, and sustain us.

 Across 14 original, new songs, Lifelines brings together some of this country’s finest folk musicians and production talent, creating a recording that honours Maggie’s Wake’s traditional Celtic and Canadian roots while pushing their sound and musical storytelling ever forward. Joining the band are celebrated singer-songwriter and multiple JUNO Award winner David Francey, renowned percussionist Cheryl Prashker, and guests Blair Heddle, Dean Harrison, and Larry Smith. Legendary Canadian producer, engineer, and musician Paul Mills returns to the studio to produce and mix the recording alongside engineer/mixer Adam Plant.

 The album represents an exciting next chapter for Maggie’s Wake, building on the band’s multiple award-winning debut and expanding their musical footprint and evolving sound. Check out "Last First Kiss" below.

Recent Highlights:

•  2026 Your Roots Are Showing Official Showcase Artists – Belfast Ireland

•  2025 Canadian Folk Music Award - New Artist of the Year

•  2025 Forest City London Music Award - World Music Group of the Year

•  2025 Folk Music Ontario Official Showcase Artists (Ottawa ON)

•  2025 Folk Alliance Region Midwest - Official Showcase Artists (Lisle IL)

•  2024 Official Showcase Artists - Folk Alliance International conference (Kansas City MO)

•  2024 Official Showcase Artists - North Eastern Regional Folk Alliance conference (Portland ME)

•  2024 North Eastern Regional Folk Alliance Songwriting Award

•  2023 Forest City London Music Award - Folk/Roots Group of the Year

 

New Orleans guitarist/banjo boss Danny Barker featured on American Routes

New Orleans creole jazz legend Danny Barker and wife Blue Lu Barker get the American Routes spotlight. Check it out below followed by a few clips. 

Here's the scoop...

New Orleans musician and raconteur Danny Barker was a banjo and guitar hero—a major player in New York jazz who never forgot his French Creole roots in song and style. We look back on Danny's career, his life with wife and collaborator, the singer Blue Lu Barker, and his influence sustaining culture in the Crescent City. Then, for the second hour, current guitar and banjo man, Detroit Brooks pays tribute to the Barker legacy with his band the Syncopated Percolators live at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. 

Listen to the Danny Barker special on American Routes right here followed by some bonus interview footage and songs below. 

Remembering blues harp hero Sonny Terry on his birthday

Toasting harp hero Sonny Terry with a couple of rockers cut for Groove with 'Sticks' McGhee, Milt Hinton & Gene Brooks.

Country Flash album launch @ The Bell & Beacon, Monday

Nichol Robertson, Kelly Sloan, Mike Belitsky & Vivienne Wilder unveil their Liminal Monday LP on October 26 at 9:30 pm.

Country Flash – Liminal Monday

 

One For The Weekend: Charlie Halloran & The Tropicales

Charlie Halloran & The Tropicales kick off Putamayo's new Island Hopping 10-track compilation in style with "Gabe's Archipelago" – check it out! 

Here's the scoop from Charlie...

"Island Hopping comes out today (Friday, October 23) from Putumayo! Our song 'Gabe’s Archipelago' kicks the record off on track one! 

"It's an instrumental calypso, in the style of Johnny Gomez or Fitz Vaughan Bryan, and hopefully makes your kitchen feel like the Hotel Normandie in 1957 Port of Spain…. Or the Tijuana Club in 1957 New Orleans. They’re really not that different.

"In the meantime, cheers from Tampico and see ya soon!"

Listen to "Gabe's Achipelago," which originally appeared on Charlie Halloran & The Tropicales' album New Orleans '26. 

Various Artists – Island Hopping

Putamayo's new Island Hopping 10-track collection is a joyful musical voyage celebrating the rhythms and spirit of tropical island life from Cuba to Cabo Verde, Haiti to Hawai’i and beyond! 

Circumnavigating the globe from the Pacific to the Atlantic with stops in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the album features upbeat Polynesian reggae, retro Trinidad-style calypso, danceable Cabo Verdean coladeira, soulful Cuban and Puerto Rican salsa, the infectious sega of Mauritius, and more.

Despite the diverse cultural influences they represent, these celebratory songs fit together naturally on this collection, revealing that the sea that separates these islands has also connected them across time and distance.

Island Hopping is the latest release in the Putumayo Discovery series, which seeks to highlight underrepresented musical talents from across the globe. Every month, Putumayo Discovery releases two 10-song digital albums featuring exceptional songs by artists representing diverse world cultures and traditions.

Get a copy of Putamayo's 10-track Island Hopping compilation from your platform of choice right here. 

Also, if you're interested in hearing more from the fab New Orleans crew Charlie Halloran & The Tropicales, check out their Bandcamp page right here. 

Tone Rangers @ The Local, Monday

Those masked men of bluegrass – Chris Quinn, Andrew Collins, Adam Shier & James McEleney – return to The Local on Monday at 9 pm.