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The Kruger Brothers: Sunday August 14: 8:00pm. $25 advance/$30 door : Wow. The world-renowned Krugers are coming to The Pearl! Some call it jazz. Some call it classical. Some call it bluegrass. Certainly, the music of the Kruger Brothers is all of that and more. In an ever expanding body of work, Jens Kruger (banjo, vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar, lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass, vocals) personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition. The quality of their writing, and their remarkable facility with their instruments, have made the Kruger Brothers a fixture within the world of acoustic music. From Traditional to New the Kruger Brothers’ powerful artistic statement inspires and enlightens; their song writing is distinguished by rich detail, honesty, and a unique insight into the beauty and complexity of everyday life. The result is unpretentious, cultivated, and delightfully fresh. www.krugerbrothers.com This concert will sell out.  Order your tickets soon!

Scott Nolan with special guest Chris Carmichael: Thursday August 11, 8 p.m: $15 door. $10 students/artists: Armed with a guitar and harmonica, and joined by drummer/singer Joanna Miller, Winnipeg’s Scott Nolan will give Hamilton music fans a real treat when he plays his infectious form of country, rock ‘n blues.  Showcasing his tunes about life on the road, good friends, “bad livers” and broken hearts, his speak-easy form of songwriting has earned Nolan two Western Canadian Music Awards nominations (Best Songwriter and Best Roots Album), and an honourable mention at the 2011 International Songwriting Competition (ISC).
Fellow Winnipegger and well-known alt-rocker Chris Carmichael will open the show which Nolan says is never formulaic or predictable. “Every night there’s a real freewheeling aspect. I don’t go by a set list, so every evening is pretty unique.”  www.scottnolan.ca (more…)

Casual Classics at the Pearl: August 6 / August 12. 8 p.m.  $20 (adults) and $15 (seniors/students). August 6 – piano soloist Matthew Li,  August 12 – piano soloist Rudin Lengo.
This summer marks the first season of the Casual Classics concerts at The Pearl Company. Classical pianists Matthew Li and Rudin Lengo will be taking the stage for a casual night of classical music on a grand piano provided by Merriam pianos of Oakville for the occasion.
Pianist Matthew Li has performed across Canada as well as in United States, Austria, China, and Hong Kong and is currently enrolled on scholarship in the Artist Diploma Program at The Glenn Gould School under the aegis of Marietta Orlov. He made his concerto debut in China with the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra; he has played at various summer music festivals, including the Mozarteum Sommerakademie in Salzburg, Austria, and the Toronto Summer Music Festival. http://matthewlipiano.com
The rising concert pianist and chamber musician Rudin Lengo takes the stage on the 12th with that same grand piano from Merriam Pianos of Oakville. He began his piano studies at the age of seven at “Servete Maçi” School of Music in Tiranë, Albania and is the Winner of numerous piano awards including UWO London Music Scholarship Foundation, as well as the Grand Prize at the Rotary Music Festival in Burlington. www.rudinlengo.com See “read the rest…” for the Recital Programs: (more…)

Rosie Burgess Trio: Friday August 5. 8:00pm.  $15 at the door, $10 artist/student: This Australian group crosses borders armed with music, love, and a wicked sense of humor.
The Rosie Burgess Trio are a Melbourne based band, one of the many Australian groups crossing the Pacific to bring their brand of musical magic to North American audiences. The music is a blend of blues/ folk and gypsy styles, but it is their remarkable passion, love for their craft and incredible sense of humor that have ignited audiences from Wagga Wagga to Tacoma, from Adelaide to Philadelphia, from Alice Springs to Kansas City and Umundi to Ontario.
Quirky, lovable songs with grooving rhythms, infectious vocals and an electric violin that will have audiences erupting with delight. “When you have heard Rosie perform, you’re sure to be tongue-tied trying to tell people how good she is…” says Dave Ritter, organizer of the Bruthen Festival of Blues and Arts. www.rosieburgess.com

The ƒ Holes: Thursday, August 4. 8:00. 15$ at the door.10$ students/artists: An impeccably authentic, raucously entertaining blend of gypsy jazz, zippy Dixieland, viper blues and roots from this Winnipeg creative hybrid that is rewriting the definition of roots music. Over-the-top vocals meet pedal steel, blistering horns, banjo and fiddle to create this campy, slightly twisted take on country, blues, dixieland, klezmer and anything that piques their interest, apparently. With music that would be at home on an off-Broadway stage, this musical conglomerate swirls around the hell-fired vocals of Patrick Alexandre Leclerc and a group of talented musicians who throw caution to the wind in their bid to make a distinctive mark. (The F refers to the holes in acoustic guitars and standup basses…) www.thefholes.ca

LEHERA with Sarah Buechi: Friday, July 29: 8:00 pm. $15 advance / $20 door.  Gary Santucci opens for this remarkable fusion band. Lehera brings to the table a unique sound born out of a confluence of Hindustani, Western and Carnatic music styles creating a genre-tripping vibe that is both energetic and contemplative. Sarah Buechi is a highly skilled jazz vocalist who has immersed herself in South Indian classical music. The results are apparent in her use of its demanding rhythmic and vocal techniques in a jazz context. www.sarahbuechi.com Vocals in English and Classical Indian styles intertwine with Hindustani slide guitar, violin, bamboo flutes and vocal harmonics, driven by exciting Ghatam (Clay pot drum), Konnakol (Carnatic drum language) and world percussion peppered with funky and bluesy guitar. Lehera is: Hindustani slide guitarist, Prakash Sontakke, Percussionist Karthik Mani, and multi-instrumentalist Prashand Michael John. http://lehera.net (more…)