This Week!

SUNDAY, APRIL 1; PLEASE NOTE--THE BRANCH WILL BE CLOSED FOR REGULAR SERVICE AS WE WILL BE HOSTING A PRIVATE EVENT--WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE...

As to the rest of the week...

Wednesday, March 28 will be a farewell show for Wednesday night regulars The Exes (...at least for the Branch...at least for now...), as well as Mike Lyon's Birthday Party, he wants me to let all of you know that you are invited...it's at 8pm and it's free! Cake!

Thursday, March 29, Last Thursday Songwriter's Circle, hosted by Chef Bruce, featuring Terry McLeish, Greg Kelly and Birdie Whyte; I'll be the host, as usual, and I'll be singing my own tunes which range in style from Hank to Lennon to Sufjan and tend to be either goofy or over serious as those are the moods that most often encourage me to write...but worry not, my tunes will be tempered by the presence of these wonderful friends who will bring their own sense of quirk and intensity to this months event...

Greg Kelly says: I’m a bit of a late bloomer. I’ve been writing songs for quite a number of years now, but I’ve never done anything with them. I’ve always been afraid to perform live, but when I get on stage, I’m right at home.
So, at the tender age of @#%, I’m finally ready to take my first steps into the world of music. No sense writing songs for the world and not recording or performing them.
This collection of songs is both old and new. It was tough to choose which ones [...] I do however have a lot more from the old days and a lot more new ones to record. So you haven’t heard the last of me. “Country Mama” and “Pete the Barber” were both written in 1975. The rest were written somewhere between then and 2007.
Some say I procrastinate. I say I’m methodical.

Singer-Songwriter Terry McLeish has been described as:
“a Canadian songwriter whose songs and music poignantly capture the lives of cowboys, loggers, misfits and as well, the trials, humor and pathos of everyday life.”
Raised in a military family, Terry has worked as a grocery boy, farm hand, golf course greens man, forest fire fighter, tree planter, clerk and forest technician.
Major influences in McLeish’s music and writing have been Steve Goodman, Ian Tyson, John Prine, Bob Dylan and Steve Earle. Bluegrass has also been a strong influence which can be heard in many of the songs on his self titled, début album, “Terry McLeish”. His music career has taken him from folk, rock and blues bands tofolk/roots singer-songwriter and performer and his songs have been heard on CJOH television, CBC, CHCR radio, Valley Heritage radio,CKCU radio, other artist’s albums and projects, compilation cd’s and a musical tour of the Upper Ottawa Valley’s Opeongo Line. Over the years, Terry has shared the stage with Colleen Peterson, Valdy, Long John Baldry, Reverend Ken and the Lost Followers, Jack De Keizer,Sneezy Waters, Ian Tamblyn, David Essig, Donnie Walsh ofDownchild Blues Band, Paul Brandt, Ronnie Hawkins, Prairie Oyster,Leahy and many more. He has performed at festivals, clubs, kitchen parties, fairs and events of all kinds.

And, of course, Birdie Whyte is, well, Birdie Whyte...although hardly anonymous, she is at least mysterious--locals know and love her weekly appearances alongsidekicking the equally mysterious Frank Western, but for this show we will hear her banjo and dulcet vocal stylings out and about on their own as she brings her original tunes to the light for this wonderful showcase event. To my ear, most of her songs are simple in a way that decives you into thinking they are not deep, on a closer listen, however, it becomes clear that they are not only deeper than you thought, but crafted with a sense of hope and honesty that is far from simple to convey. Her songs are careful, thoughtful...and, well, real.

Friday, March 30, Chef Bruce and the Burning Sensations, 7pm, free! It turns out that I misread my calendar this month and that next Friday, Frank and Birdie are off again with a nation to protect from evil and what not--so, well, yeah, I just decided to play this one myself. What can I say? The fellas and I love to come out and strut our stuff every now and then, and to be fair, I'm here most of the time anyway, I'm pretty easy to track down when it comes to booking a last minute gig. Fortunately for you, my incredibly talented gang of friends are on hand to help fill out the sound, Jay Williams on double bass, Shawn Yakimovich on fiddle, John Dillabough and possibly even Ben Mullin coming in on guitars...it will be a full and fun night with lots of strings and sings and things to enjoy. Expect a Beatle heavy set of covers that will also range from Hank Williams to the Grateful Dead, from Neil Young to Tom Jones, as well as a handful of my original tunes thrown in for good measure--fun will be the order of the day and we'd love to see you there to share it!

Saturday, March 31, The Bushpilots, unplugged, 9pm, $6. The Bushpilots are a legendary Ottawa Rock and Roll Event; Rob Bennett, the charismatic lead vocalist has already been on the Branch stage twice for our annual Gram Parsons Birthday Tribute, to much acclaim; the following info was cribbed from the band's website: Celebrating a decade together, the Bushpilots formed in 2002 in Ottawa, ON and have been tearing up stages in Eastern Ontario and West Quebec ever since, recently adding intimate acoustic shows to augment their full blown rock extravaganzas. These five veterans of Ottawa's vibrant indie music scene are bent on their mission of keeping the music pure and honest; bottom line: the Bushpilots' have developed an innate understanding of what makes a rock n roll song work. Write a great song and the rest shall follow. The band has a chemistry that has kept it on track and focused with a sense of unifying purpose through all their years of being together, with the same lineup (plus one, keyboardist Tom was added in 2008) through all three of their albums, recorded with Juno nominated producer Dave Draves. Many festival appearances (including two at Ottawa Bluesfest) have honed the band into one helluva rock show that transcends demographics.

...I have a very good feeling about these fellas, at least one person has described them as accurately capturing that 'Exile on Main Street' era Stones vibe--if that is even halfway true, we are going to be in for a very good time. I am really looking forward to a party...you don't want to miss that, do you?

SUNDAY, APRIL 1; PLEASE NOTE--THE BRANCH WILL BE CLOSED FOR REGULAR SERVICE AS WE WILL BE HOSTING A PRIVATE EVENT--WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE...

This Week: Bluegrass! Jazz! Birdie! Graham & Lambert!

We have quite a week lined up for everyone, Tuesday and Wednesday we will be serving our all new Fajita Buffet, with beef and chicken; all you can eat for just $14.99, and...

Tuesday, March 20; Pat Moore and Maple Hill, 8pm, no cover: Pat Moore is a Branch favourite, her honeyed voice and memorable tunes have become part of the landscape around here--her love of old time, traditional, country and especially, Bluegrass music have influenced many through her radio shows on CKCU and her annual 'Ottawa Opry' and 'Christmas Goose' events. Recently, Pat has teamed up with some old pals, the Bluegrass trio Maple Hill to try A new project, specifically, a bluegrass jam right here at the Branch on the 3rd Tuesday evening of every month. Last month, the kick-off show was a big success, pickers joined in and the room was full--and this Tuesday is the second in what we hope is a long-running new tradition. Again, pickers are welcome, the show starts at 8, and we look forward to seeing all of you there!

Thursday, March 22; Peripheral Vision, Toronto Jazz Quartet, 8pm, $8: You keep asking for more Jazz, and we keep bringing it! This Thursday, we are very pleased to host this instrumental Jazz quartet from Toronto: (The following info is provided by the artists...) Peripheral Vision is one of the most exciting and innovative jazz quartets to have recently appeared on the international jazz scene. The creative leaders of the group are long time musical collaborators, guitarist Don Scott and bassist Michael Herring. They have assembled a synergistic musical unit designed to push the boundaries of jazz while engaging the listener with a grooving, toe-tapping immediacy. You can hear the influences of the classic 1960's era of jazz - Wayne Shorter, Booker Little, Charles Mingus - mixed with the modern New York scene - David Binney, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dave Douglas, along with hints of Radiohead, reggae and electronica.

Peripheral Vision has just released their second album, Spectacle: Live!, and they maintain a busy touring schedule to support this new album, as well as their eponymous debut. Scott and Herring are joined by saxophonist Trevor Hogg and drummer Nick Fraser. While the compositions are Herring and Scott's, Peripheral Vision is defined by its group rapport. Bringing back the anything-is-possible democratic approach of both 1960's jazz and garage bands, the music takes shape as a collective process. This no-holds-barred philosophy is at the root of Peripheral Vision's explosive performances.

Top Ten Canadian Jazz Albums 2010 & 2011:
"Peripheral Vision are making exacting but emotional music that nimbly relays complexity in a
heady but appealing way, and with Spectacle: Live!, they demonstrate that they can pull off
their magic in real-time."
– Peter Hum, The Ottawa Citizen
“This outfit produces jazz for this century… all the material has something to say, propelled with
elegant momentum and hearty rations of dynamic interplay.”
- Geoff Chapman, The Wholenote
★★★★ - The Globe and Mail

Friday; March 23, Birdie Whyte and Friends, 7pm, free! While Frank Western is off slaying dragons, wrestling bears and shearing sheep, Birdie Whyte will be iin this Friday to fly solo...or will she? Nope! In fact, our favourite pale avian is bringing in a flock of friends to help her line the nest, ruffle some feathers, egg us on...pecking order to be determined later, of course, but some Mad Peasants will likely appear, and, who knows? It's Friday night, anything can happen!

Saturday; March 24, Graham & Lambert, local talent--8pm, free! Besides parenting a generation of musical kids (including Branch favourite Christo Graham...), Tom Graham and Jeanne Lambert have been performing folk, pop, jazz and well, good songs, as a duo, as a family and as part of other collectives, for long enough that, well, let's just say that they know exactly what they are doing. Tom and Jeanne are the hosts of this event, and the main attraction, of course, but we are all also very excited that it will be the premiere of a new local ladies group; Bella Borealis, a vocal collective featuring darn near every great local lady singer I could name: Jeanne Lambert, Katie Nolan, Lisa Poushinsky, Polly Beach and Amanda Giles! It is rumoured that even Birdie Whyte may be involved at some point, which, I guess, would make it the North Grenville musical equivalent of a straight royal flush or something...(although, I should point out, there are definitely lots more totally awesome local lady singers, but even they would admit that this is certainly a fine collection of some of our very best!) So THAT is certainly reason enough to come out this Saturday--and did I mention that it is free? That's right, see you there!

Sunday; March 25, Open Stage and Rubber Boots Buffet; 3-6pm and 2-8pm respectively. The patio was open this past Sunday, what a treat! Who knew?

This Week:

Locals, take heart! This week is all for you! Tuesday and Wednesday we will be premiering our Fajita Buffet, All you can eat for 14.99! Music on Thursday and Saturday will be with some of our most lovable local talent and, I might add, free! let's pull up the drawbridge this week and have a North Grenville party to remember...

Thursday, March 15, George Buys, rhythm and blues, 7pm, free! Last month Mr. Buys brought his bluesy guitar, harmonica and vocal style-ings in through the front door; then, when he thought no-one was looking, he managed to sneak his Jazz trio in through the back...What a treat! Don't miss this music scholar as he treats us to an evening of fun, good times and smiles!

Friday: March 16th: PLEASE NOTE: The Branch will be closed for regular service as we are hosting a private event. We apologize for any inconvenience...

Saturday; March 17th, St. Patrick's Day!David Shanahan and Friends, a Celtic Session; 7pm, free: Dr. Shanahan is the perennial 'Host for Life' of our annual St. Patrick's Day celebration. This Is Real Irish Music--David is an Irish National and the heart and soul of this event; expect an authentic Session with some wonderful players, some honest Irish music and experience to remember. Oh, and of course, there will be a big pot of Irish Stew with Soda Bread as well as plenty of stout beer and whiskey to wash it all down with! Come one and all to join in the fun and sing till yer hoarse...We'll see you there!

Sunday, March 18th: Come out for the Open Stage (3-6pm) and our ever popular Rubber Boots Buffet (2-8)...Still the best community day around!

Tonight:

Sustainable North Grenville will be looking ahead to Spring with a talk and discussion with Telsing Andrews from Canadian Organic Growers. Come learn tips and tricks for starting and maintaining an organic vegetable garden. Beginners to experts… all are welcome to what promises to be a fun and informative evening!

Sustainable North Grenville is open to everyone... no membership required. An optional buffet and coffee, tea and sweets are available by donation, plus a cash bar. We look forward to seeing you tonight

This Week:

Thursday, March 8, our dear old friend Pat Johnson is back playing fingerstyle and Delta Blues and singing an eclectic mix of covers and originals; it’s been too long since we’ve had this Brock-’villain’ in the house, lets welcome him back with a fun night and the party that an old friend deserves. 9pm, $5

Here's a video:



Friday, March 9, we’ve given Frank and Birdie the night off because, well, holy crap, Cuff the Duke wanted a gig. Wow! (9pm, $25). Yes, you know those guys who were the 'Friday Live' guests on CBC Radio’s show ‘Q’ a couple of weeks back? Basically one of the hottest names we’ve booked in here at our little venue yet? By way of description (for the uninitiated...), to my ears, these up and comers take a page each from Blue Rodeo, Wilco and Mumford and Sons,(with, perhaps, a few paragraphs from the Fleet Foxes thrown in for good measure) but then go on to write the rest of the book themselves...it's country enough for the country, and it's folk enough and rock enough for the country too... Here’s a bit of the back story (as told by Wikipedia):

“Cuff the Duke is a Canadian band from Oshawa, Ontario. They play a blend of traditional country and folk music with indie rock influences, and can be categorized as an alt-country group.

In 2002 they released their first album, Life Stories for Minimum Wage on Three Gut Records. They spent the next few years touring with Hayden, acting as his backing band. In 2005 they released their second album, Cuff the Duke on Hardwood Records.

The line-up for Cuff the Duke has evolved, with the consistent members thus far being Wayne Petti and Paul Lowman. With Dale Murray (Nephew to Anne Murray) now in Cuff the Duke, the band has taken on a more polished tone, due to his pedal steel and guitar playing. Patrick Conan (who temporarily filled in for Matt Faris who has been side-lined from playing live due to wrist surgery) has been a steady drummer and has filled Matt Faris' shoes well. Paul Aucoin of the Hylozoists also occasionally performs live with Cuff the Duke playing vibraphone, glockenspiel and percussion. Paul also produced Cuff the Duke's self-titled album in 2005. Since June 2007, Corey Wood has taken on the role of Cuff the Duke's drummer, and is now an official member of the band.

Cuff the Duke utilizes a wide range of instruments, of these the more notable instruments are bells, Moog synthesizers, wind organs, Hammond organs and lap steel.”

What that doesn’t say, following this link and listening to a few of their tunes will: Check it out here.

Or watch this:



Suffice it to say that if you like country, or rock, or music, or things that are good, you’ll probably want a ticket to this show. We’ll see you there Friday.

Saturday, March 10th (9pm, $6) we are happy to host a buzzy little Ottawa tunesmith, ‘Jack Pine,’ this fella has been making waves in Ottawa as of late with his recently released record, Jack Pine + The Fire—come to think of it, maybe you should just pop over and give him a listen as well. Check it out here. I do think you have to be a face-bookster to use that link, but it’s well worth a visit, I promise! Here's a vid for that as well!



Sunday, March 11; Join us for Chef Bruce's Loose and Juicy Acoustic Jam: This event is what we do on the second Sunday of every month and is a variation on our usual open stage format--for this Sunday, pickers, grinners, singers, tambourinists, Balalakains, banjo-vists, pipers, whistlers and toe-tappers (etc.) are invited one and the same to join in to a rousing 'electricity free zone' of acoustic goodness. It's a jam session, folks, a kitchen party...an old fashioned porch session... And YOU are invited to play..along! Jam starts at 3; Rubber Boots Buffet is served from 2-8pm.