Ken Whiteley

CONCERT NEWS… This week Ken will be performing at the Union Street Cafe in Berwick (May 24), Le Club de Clare – Le Club social de Clare in Little Brook (May 25) and the Pearl Theatre in Lunenburg (May 26). Kim Wempeis opening in Lunenburg. Click on Shows for more info.

LOCAL 1000 NEWS… This week (May 14th to 17th) is the 2nd annual Local 1000 Retreat at the beautiful Highlander Research & Education Centre in Tennessee. Workshops,singings, breakout sessions, and special events for all Canadian and American members of Local 1000, The Traveling Musicians’ Union, (AFM). See what fun we had last year. Can you spot the Canadian vice president of Local 1000? Ken would be happy to discuss with you anyquestions you may have about joining the musicians’ union.

CONCERT NEWS… This Saturday! May 12, Ken will be accompanying 3 time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Tom Chapin at Hugh’s Room. See if you can find Tom and Ken in the Local 1000 picture below. Click on Shows for more info.

LOCAL 1000 NEWS… May 14th to 17th is the 2nd annual Local 1000 Retreat at the beautiful Highlander Research & Education Centre in Tennessee.

This Friday (May 11th) Ken and his brother Chris will be taking part in The Smales Pace/Change of Pace Folk Reunion Concert. Many old friends, music and memories. And this Saturday (May 12th) Ken will be accompanying 3 time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Tom Chapin at Hugh’s Room. Click on Shows for more info.

CONCERT NEWS… Duende – A Celebration of Life / Billy Bryans. This Sunday, May 6th there will be a memorial concert for our much missed friend Billy Bryans at Lula Lounge. The afternoon begins with a drum procession along Queen Street West starting in Grange Park at 3:30pm. The procession will stop at venues significant to Bryans’ storied career and finish at the Cameron House (408 Queen St W) at 5pm. At 6pm, Duende moves to Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas St W) for a one-hour service followed by a full evening of music. The lineup features many of the top acts associated with Bryans, including The Parachute Club, Downchild, The Original Sloth Band (led by Ken & Chris Whiteley), Molly Johnson, Cameo Blues Band, Morgan Davis, Blue Basin Project (featuring Mojah & Terry Wilkins), Bucky Berger and more. Donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made in Bryans’ memory to the Kensington Hospice, which provided him with exceptional palliative care. http://www.kensingtonhealth.org/index.php?page=hospicecontact

CONCERT NEWS… TONIGHT! Thursday, May 3rd I’ll be Waterloo taking part in The Stars of New Hamburg Live! at the Jazz Room.

GOSPEL MUSIC NEWS… Click on Ken’s Gospel Music page for more info about Ken’s upcoming gospel music summer festival appearances.

CONCERT NEWS… I’m especially looking forward to playing with my ol’ friend Tom Paxton this week. I’ll be accompanying Tom on his April 19th London, April 20th Toronto and April 21st Montreal concerts. We always have a fun time on stage (as shown below) and off stage too. Click on Shows for more info.

STUDIO NEWS… This week we welcome our new friend Marky Weinstock (pictured playing guitar beside me) to Casa Wroxton recording studio. We met and had lots of musical fun at Eaglewood Folk Festival last summer. Last week my engineer Nik Tjelios and I put the finishing touches on Kathy Reid-Naiman and her daughter Hannah Naiman’s recording “Singing Games and Dances”. Kathy’s previous recording which we did together, “Sing The Cold Winter Away” wasnominated for the Children’s Album of the Year at the The CanadianFolk Music Awards (2010). It’s a fabulous collection of wintertime songs for your family to share and it’s available from Kathy’s own label, Merriweather Records. You will also find my “Join The Band” CD available from there too. Coming up at month’s end… the recording sessions for Kim and Reggie Harris‘ “Ressurection Day” CD will resume. We’ll be doing some more sessions at Casa Wroxton studio in Toronto as well as down in New York. The sessions for thisCD were initally delayd due toflooding and damages caused by hurricanes Irene and Lee at Kim and Reggie’s home in New York. You can read all about their hair raising story and pre-buy the”Ressurection Day” CD to help them out at www.kimandreggieharris.com.

CONCERT NEWS…On Friday, April 13th I will be hosting a Share The Music blues music workshop for about 100 Toronto highschool music students prior to Buddy Guy’s concert at Massey Hall. Bassist Victor Bateman will be joining me that day too. On the afternoon of Saturday, April 14th I’ll be in St Catharines playing with Gary Kendall & The Mighty Duck Blues Band. Click on Shows for more info.

CONCERT NEWS… TODAY @ 2PM! My Gospel Matinee Season 9 Finale is Sunday! April 1st at Hugh’s Room in Toronto. Due to a last minute scheduling conflict Chuck Campbell will be unable to join us this weekend. In his stead, Chuck’s sending us his friend and musical peer Lonnie “Big Ben” Bennett from Rochester, NY. So Sunday afternoon we’ll enjoy the Sacred Steel guitar playing of Big Ben along with the vocal stylings of gospel series favourites The Levy Sisters (Ciceal and Amoy pictured below), with Bucky Berger on the drums and my son Ben Whiteley on bass. Tickets are now available from Hugh’s Room by calling (416) 531-6604. Lunch reservations are also available and there are discounts for groups of 10 or more. For information about the musical guests, click on Gospel Shows.