Veritable Infusion

Souljazz Orchestra Live at Velvet Underground The Ottawa based Souljazz Orchestra made their way back to town for a rare appearance. Over the last two decades, the band has become a tight funk unit and one of Canada’s better known funk exports. Hot off a successful European tour for their newest offering on British label Strut, “Chaos Theories,” the band kept the crowd on their feet.   The band’s sound is pre-fattened by the punchy horn section of Zakari Frantz, Ray Murray and Steve Patterson. They all join the rhythm section of Philippe LaFreniere and Marielle Rivard with extra percussion as needed. Pierre Chretien leads the charge, with keyboards. The band slid into their set with a brooding instrumental and got right to some Afrobeat vibes with “Slumlord” and “Boat Rockers,” a celebration of activism. Political awareness has been a recurring theme with Souljazz Orchestra’s music through the years. Solid funk jams followed alongside the occasional s...

2018.3.30 Robbie Rox Friday 3.30.2018 Local singer and band leader Robbie Rox played a rare show Friday Night at the Linsmore Tavern on Danforth Avenue. Rox was accompanied by The Power Quintet, one of several local backing bands he uses for his sporadic appearances. The local performer has toured extensively, playing Quebec mining towns in the early 1970s and later touring. His first record, “Construction Site,” was released in 1976. Here in Toronto, he has played just about everywhere from the legendary club The Edge to more recently functioning venues like the El Mocambo and Alberts’ Hall. Robbie Rox’ Danforth digs in more recent years include Dora Keogh, the Black Swan and the Linsmore Tavern. His music has been described as Zappa-like, insofar as Rox retains tight backing bands whom he directs on stage while they play his unusual mix of rude lyrics and complicated music. Rox led The Power Quintet (he is the fifth member) through two sets for the pac...

2019.11.13 Ruby Waters Wednesday November 13, 2019 at The Horseshoe Tavern. Ruby Waters career is taking off. She toured with Classified and appears on his song “10 Years,” which they performed together at the 2019 East Coast Music Awards in Charlottetown. Recently she released an e.p. called “Almost Naked.” She had the idea and title on her mind for years but decided to wait until now to put an album out. Waters brought her 1-man back-up band to the Horseshoe for the first of two nights in her home town. The keyboard player riffed on some soulful slivers between songs, which varied stylistically once they got going. Some of Waters’ material is classic singer-songwriter rustic sounding, while other songs are decidedly poppier. The drum sounds emanating from the keyboard player for some tracks seemed incongruent with Waters’ natural vibe and singing approach. A good live drummer would have pushed the music harder on stage. The keyboardist meandered into th...