The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a Changing Time

The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a changing time - EP43 - Jeff Jones & Gerry Finn

Jeff Jones -- Ocean, Rush, Lawrence Gowan, Infidels, Red Rider, Tom Cochrane, Burton Cummings, The Carpet Frogs and so much more. Jeff is a Juno award winner with a distinguished 50-plus year career that has focused on lead and background vocals, as well as writing, recording and producing numerous albums and videos. As a member of Red Rider and The Carpet Frogs, Jeff continues to hit the road, year after year, touring throughout North America.

A St. John’s Newfoundland native, Gerry Finn's very first instrument was the ukulele. He quickly focused on guitar, and went on to study both classical and jazz guitar. Well-known for his work with Canadian metal bands Killer Dwarfs and Helix, Gerry's  musical career has seen him either tour, or share the stage, with David Usher, INXS, JD Fortune, Holly McNarland, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Bruce Cockburn and so many more. As a member of The Carpet Frogs, Gerry has been joining Jeff on stage for several years and recently, the two close friends have been performing as a duo.

The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a changing time - EP42_C0ndu1t

I had the pleasure of chatting with Sascha Tukatsch and Brian Hogue of C0ndu1t. A drummer for Platinum Blonde and The Blushing Brides, I met Sascha when he was drumming for The Dave Barrett Trio. Now working with singer/songwriter Brian Hogue, they are currently working on a new album to be released this year. 

The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a changing time - Suzi Kory - EP41

Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Suzi Kory burst on to the music scene in 2017 with a rock EP, entitled 'Spellcasting'. Mixing her passion for all thing Guns 'n Roses and Axel Rose with her love for country music, Suzi has released seven singles in three years (now eight as of this podcast), carved out a career for herself in the country music scene in Canada. Her most recent, A Better Man, follows her wild success with the video for her song I've Got a Feeling featuring her blow-up doll “husband”, Johnny Toronto. Creative, energetic, full of optimism with a HUGE can do/will do attitude, there seems to be nothing holding this country artist back, and only sunshine and opportunities ahead!

The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a changing time - EP 40 - Doug Varty

Doug Varty left home in 1970, at young age of 17, to join a band, and has never looked back. From my home town of London, Ontario, Doug's career path has seen him perform both as a solo act and in many bands, including the one he left home to join.....Sea Dog. A multi-instrumentalist, certified yoga instructor, singer/songwriter and teacher, Doug still lives in London with his family and continues to perform on both sides of the border. He was inducted into Forest City London Music Hall of Fame in 2018, has won four Jack Richardson Music Awards, and he recently collaborated with Gerry Mosby, last week's podcast interviewee. 

The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a changing time - Gerry Mosby & Sil Simone - Ep39

Gerry Mosby and Sil Simone, friends and collaborators. I was initially introduced to Gerry in 1979 when he was the bassist for the band Rhineghold. I met Sil in 2015 when he was performing in the theatre productions of Oh Canada What A Feeling. Gerry eventually turned his focus to producing, session work and jingle writing over the years. Sil currently performs with the Chicago tribute band Brass Transit and has contributed his guitar skills to Pretzel Logic, Tom Cochrane, Liberty Silver and so many more. Both are highly respected musicians and have an extensive list of credits i both performance and writing. 

The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a changing time - Ep38 - Ember Swift

Ember Swift is a Canadian singer/songwriter who has been residing in Beijing, China for 13 years. I met Ember a few years ago when she was back in Canada performing at Hugh’s Room. Ember wrote her first song at the age of nine and has never stopped. She has toured Europe, North America, Australia and of course Asia. She has just released her 13th album, Mid-March Meltdown, which, by the way, has nothing to do with the pandemic but refers to another March years past. Welcome back!

The Pandemic Interviews- Conversations in a changing time - Ep37 - David Celia and Marla

Taking a step back to July 14, 2020, I had the opportunity to chat with Toronto artist David Celia and his partner Marla. 

A highly respected independent guitarist, singer and songwriter. Crisscrossing Canada and Europe since 2005, Celia has built a large fan base across both continents. He was a member of a number of bands before deciding to forge ahead with a solo career.....that is until he met Marla.

Celia has performed with many top name acts and has release a total of eight albums. His most recent album, Indistinct Chatter, is a collaboration with Marla and was released just under three weeks ago.

 

The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a changing time - Ep36 - Dan Clancy Part 2

Part two with Lighthouse lead vocalist Dan Clancy as we delve deeper into the challenges and issues within the music business.....tip jars, the union and paying musicians a fair wage. Producer/engineer John Jamieson joins us for this discussion. Some great new tunes, advice for young musicians and a few fun questions to wrap things up. 

The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a changing time - EP35 - Dan Clancy (Lighthouse)

A synopsis from the Lighthouse website -- Dan Clancy has been the dynamic lead vocalist for the Canadian rock band Lighthouse since 1992. He began singing with the Holy Cross church choir at six years of age and by eleven was fronting his first band. Dan's voice, with its enormous range, is the ideal vehicle to perform the classic Lighthouse hits as well as the new material that has been written specifically with his voice in mind.

Lighthouse is a Canadian rock band formed in 1968 by drummer Skip Prokop and keyboardist Paul Hoffert in Toronto, Canada. The band's repertoire included elements of rock, jazz, classical and swing, featuring horns, string instruments and vibraphone. They won Juno Awards for Best Canadian Group of the year in 1972, 1973 and 1974.

The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a changing time - Ep 34 - Alfie Zappacosta

A familiar and well-known name in Canadian music, Alfie Zappacosta has been singing, songwriting and playing his guitar across Canada for close to 50 years. His first band Surrender was formed in 1978 and went on to sign with Capital records . Zappacosta is a two-time Juno Award winner....his first in 1985 as Most Promising Male Vocalist. He won his second Juno and American Music Award for Overload, used in the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing. The song was co-written with keyboardist Marco Luciani with Zappacosta also providing the vocals. Dirty Dancing happened to end up as one of the biggest selling soundtracks of the 80s. Zappacosta has recorded twelve studio albums, including one with Surrender, two live compilations and a slew of singles. His lates album, Saved, was released ion March of 2021.