John Borra Band feat. Steve Koch @ The Cameron House, Saturday

Guitarist Steve Koch (Demics, Handsome Neds, One-Eyed Jacks) joins John Borra and crew in the front room today from 6-8 pm. 

Get a copy of John Borra's great new album "Last Dance at The E Room" via Bandcamp right here.

Handsome Ned doc "You Left Me Blue" screens at Paradise Theatre, January 10

Chris Terry & Ross Edmunds' 2010 film about T.O. rockabilly icon Handsome Ned gets a rare screening at the Paradise Saturday.

Here's the scoop...

Handsome Ned Masyk (June 4, 1957 – January 10, 1987) was a Canadian country singer and songwriter. Although he only released a small number of singles during his lifetime, he was one of the key figures in the transformation of the city’s Queen Street West district into a cultural hotspot. 

You Left Me Blue is a detailed portrait of an emerging artist and music scene. Ned’s been credited as the catalyst for an early-1980s country music and roots rock revival in Toronto which paved the way for acts such as Blue Rodeo, Skydiggers and Cowboy Junkies. The reverence for Ned held by so many of the musicians interviewed, from Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor to Steve Koch of (The Demics, The Ugly), is clear.  All share a deep admiration for him and an appreciation for what he stood for.On the anniversary of his passing, this screening is a fitting tribute to his legacy. 

You Left Me Blue: The Handsome Ned Story screens at the Paradise Theatre (1006 Bloor St. West) on Saturday (January 10) at 3:00 pm. Doors at 2:15 pm. Get advance tickets right here. Watch the trailer below.

 

Whaddya mean you don't know the One-Eyed Jacks

Forgotten Rebels' bassist Chris Houston joined Demics' guitarist Steve Koch in T.O. rockabilly crew One-Eyed Jacks. 

Here's the scoop...

During the Toronto rockabilly scare of the early 80s – when Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor were done as The Hi Fi's and trying to make it in NYC for three years prior to forming Blue Rodeo – Demics guitar ace Steve Koch formed a short-lived band with Forgotten Rebels bassist Chris Houston called the One-Eyed Jacks which I saw tearin' it up at various clubs on the Queen West circuit like the Beverly Tavern, Cabana Room and the Cameron House. There was one particularly memorable gathering of the tribes at Ontario College of Art  – where Chris was momentarily seeking higher education – involving The Sidewinders (featuring Handsome Ned with pals Ronny Azzopardi of The Next and J. D. Weatherstone of The Demics), The Paladins and The Bopcats with Teddy Fury. 

Check out a rare audio clip of the One-Eyed Jacks' song "24 Hour Cafe" right here. And watch the video for "Someone's Gonna Get Kissed" below. Seems like some sharp archival label owner should get in touch with Steve Koch & Chris Houston about releasing a 4-song EP of One-Eyed Jacks recordings from their 1982 session. 

Writes Chris Houston: "When the One-eyed jacks formed, it was radical statement – a rejection of what was the norm. We felt punk rock was a spent force and we wanted to be what's next. To us that meant clean guitars so you could hear the voicing of the chords. We were picking up on that great swing of the bands of the 1950s. How could you top The Demics, The Viletones, Forgotten Rebels and Crash Kills Five? We had to move ahead in different direction by embracing what had been done by the musical gods who invented this shit called 'rock n' roll.' There were others on the Queen St scene who embraced this too but this would be our own scene because the other scenes were collapsing in their own self-importance. After the original punk explosion, the survival of Queen St scene was tenuous. 

"The One-Eyed Jacks rehearsed continuously in a basement space on Queen St. West near Bellwoods that was so small – about the size of six telephone booths – if I leaned too far forward I would fall into Alex's cymbals. When the new TTC street cars came rolling by, they would rattle our brains but we kept playing. We knew we had to work hard but it was fun learning a whole new style of music. I think what makes '24 Hour Cafe' so great was that it was about a real place on  Peter St. along with our joy in learning to play a classic form of rock 'n' roll.  Steve Koch is a great musician and composer. Each year he's grown better and better. His latest work with He Mistook Her For A Swan is fantastic! 

"The One-Eyed Jacks recorded four songs at studio called The Grange. Back in 1982, it was not cheap to record in a real studio and it was a crap shoot if the engineer got what you're doing. We were lucky it stands the test of time. We played once in London, Ontario opening for Carl Perkins. The guy behind the bar at the venue treated us like shit. This upset Mr. Perkins who demanded we be treated the same as him – right down to making the same dramatic gestures when serving us drinks. If the pour wasn't just right, Mr. Perkins would make him do it again. WOW! I learned a lot being in his presence of Mr. Perkins. His guitar playing was mind blowingly great. I always knew he was a hot picker but seeing him up close was incredible – like the Charlie Parker of rockabilly!  For some reason, each member of the band was wearing a different cologne with a very distinct scent. It seemed kinda odd but when they got on stage, you could easily pinpoint where each player was at any given moment so I guess it worked for them. The next night, Mr. Perkins didn't go to Toronto to play The Horseshoe as scheduled because the paper work for immigration wasn't done properly. Mr. Perkins spent an hour telling us he would never do anything that could put his sons in jail and wanted us to convey that message to the people of Toronto when we got back. 

"There was also one freezing night that The One-Eyed Jacks opened for the Legendary Blues Band at the Club Without A Name... and with no heat either! I still remember seeing these Muddy Waters' sidemen in the manager's office all standing around the one heater in the place. They said, 'it gets cold in Chicago too – but not like this! Willie "Big Eyes" Smith drumming that night was pure voodoo with Pinetop Perkins on piano! Yow! – boy, they made us feel very white!"

Those interested in further listening can hear Jim Cuddy discussing The Hi-Fi's, playing ska, reggae and funk in New York and the early 80s Queen West scene on the Turned Out A Punk podcast right here. 

Steve Koch & Colleen Hodgson aka He Mistook Her For A Swan will be playing songs from their latest album Lady Isobel at The Mezz (1546 Queen St. West) on Sunday (January 26) from 3pm to 6 pm. Adds Steve: "We're going to be doing an acoustic set and then we'll be joined by Derrick Brady and Larry Graves Grier Coppins Musica and Brian Stillar for a more electric eclectic set. Come on down for your fill of murder ballads!" 

 

That time Handsome Ned appeared on Capitol City Hayride

Here's some rare footage of Handsome Ned performing "Ain't No Room For Cheatin'" in Ottawa back in the mid 80s. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Johnny "Peanuts" Wilson

Check out the rockabilly classic "Cast Iron Arm" that Johnny "Peanuts" Wilson cut at Norman Petty's Studio in Clovis, NM.

Watch You Left Me Blue: The Handsome Ned Story

Handsome Ned was a Canadian rockabilly pioneer in the late 1970's, early 1980's. He was an electrifying performer who inspired and conspired to transform the Toronto Queen West music scene. In the feature-length documentary You Left Me Blue: The Handsome Ned Story, original performances and interviews from Ned's heyday are complimented by performances of his music and interviews with many of his colleagues and family members.

Among those offering insights are Johnny MacLeod, Greg Keelor, Jim Masyk, Bee Masyk, Mojah, Tony Kenny, Herb Tooky, Steve Koch, Rene Fratura. Handsome Ned's performances include his bands: The Handsome Neds, The Hayseed Hellions, The New Neds, The Sidewinders and the Velours. The Ned Tribute Performances (2008-10) were performed by Cleave Anderson, John Borra, Rene Fratura, Sam Ferrara, Steve Koch, Eddie Kalwa, Johnny MacLeod, Jim Masyk and Frank Navarro. The film was produced and directed by Chris Terry and Ross Edmunds.

On January 29th, Toronto's Legendary Horseshoe Tavern plays host to the release of The Handsome Neds: Live At The Horseshoe, a collection of long thought lost Handsome Ned recordings captured live in 1985. You can read more about the release and the show right here.

Long thought lost Handsome Ned recordings being released

The Handsome Neds: Live At The Horseshoe EP launches at The Horseshoe on Sunday, January 29th. 

If not for some good old fashioned dumb luck, a collection of peak-period live recordings by Toronto roots rock legend Handsome Ned may never have seen the light of day. The forthcoming release of The Handsome Neds: Live At The Horseshoe is actually the result of a serendipitous reunion of former Horseshoe Tavern co-manager X-Ray Macrae and Ned’s brother, Jim Masyk, at a Toronto ATM. Here's the scoop:

Way back in 1985, The Handsome Neds were set to share a bill with fellow roots rock rising stars Blue Rodeo who'd just played their first show at the Rivoli on February 7th of that year. A 24-track mobile recording truck and veteran producer Terry Brown were hired in the hopes that a Blue Rodeo live demo would cement a record deal with Warner Music Canada. Fortunately, the tape was rolling during the Handsome Neds set and some real magic was captured on two-inch tape. Ned, who died tragically on January 10, 1987 at age 29, never got to hear that tape as the recording costs were never paid. As a result the tapes stayed in the possession of X-Ray who stored them in a Napanee farmhouse until the aforementioned ATM encounter. X-Ray generously donated the recording to the Masyks which made the current release possible.

You have to wonder whatever became of the early Blue Rodeo live document made on the same night. There's no question that any pre-Outskirts recording would be of interest to longtime Blue Rodeo fans – especially a professional quality 24-track job overseen by Terry Brown – so some further investigation into the whereabouts and condition of the tapes seems like a worthwhile pursuit.

In any case, Cameron House Records is launching the re-mixed and re-mastered Handsome Neds recording as the six-song Live At The Horseshoe EP – including the previously unissued original “Little Miss Lonely Heart” – at  The Horseshoe Tavern on Sunday January 29th at 8:30 pm. Set to perform songs from the Handsome Ned catalogue on the very same stage where the original performance was captured are:  John Borra (Rattlesnake Choir), Steve Koch (Handsome Neds, One-Eyed Jacks), Cleave Anderson (Blue Rodeo), Screamin' Sam Ferrara (Rattlesnake Choir), Tony Benattar (Rattlesnake Choir), Johnny MacLeod (Johnny & The G-Rays), Tony Kenny (Razorbacks), Devin Cuddy and some special guests.

Watch Handsome Ned performing "No Room For Cheating" on Ottawa's Capital City Hayride followed by the trailer for You Left Me Blue: The Handsome Ned Story below.