Music

While they are still in their 20’s, The Abrams have a hard-earned reputation as seasoned touring veterans. They perform with an explosive energy, honed over 20 years of experience. They’ve performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, and embarked on repeated tours across multiple continents. Their touring career has also influenced their songwriting, creating a lasting impact with their fans across many cultural divides, from playing a community hall in Texas, to a world music festival in Israel. With their acceptance of the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin award in 2006, they were recognized as ambassadors for peace in the Middle East through music. All of this took place before they reached legal driving age. The country duo from Kingston Ontario are something of an anomaly, their music is the kind that can’t be whipped up over a few weeks in a rehearsal space, and shows their immense talent and lifelong passion.

4th generation in a line of songwriters, performers and recording artists in their family instilled in them the ability to tell stories that speak to the hearts of their fans. John and James’s most recent songs speak about experiences of love and loss, through good times and tough times, partly drawn from their relationships with their wife and girlfriend respectively, who support them through the successes and difficulties that come with a touring lifestyle. The result is a new album of songs that are both deeply personal, and widely relatable, led by the first single Sounds Good To Me, produced by Matt Rovey (Zac Brown Band, Alan Jackson). “Sounds Good To Me is all about the little things. The real and honest things. The simple moments in life that end up being everything we live for, especially with the people we love.”

While John and James have gone through many different stages of their career,two things have always been true: their deep and intrinsic love of country music,and the fact that they cannot remember life before they started making country music. It has simply always been there. Knowing what they can accomplish in the studio, and how to translate that to the stage, The Abrams are as authentic as it gets. No gimmicks. No smoke and mirrors. No filters. The Abrams just make good honest music.

Career Highlights

• Opened the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood, VA with an exclusive show featuring Ralph Stanley
• Performed on The Grand Ole Opry in 2005, and were among the youngest performers to appear on the show.
• In 2006, The Abrams were awarded the Daniel Pearl Violin, recognizing them as global ambassadors for peace.
• 6 x top billed main stage headliners of the Jacob’s Ladder Festival in Galilee, Israel.
• Have toured the US for 15+ years, headlined 4 UK tours and 2 European tours.
• Top 40 charting at Canadian Country Radio with “Fine”•Top 50 charting at Canadian Country Radio with“Champion”?
• Top 100 charting in the US on Americana Radio with “Northern Redemption”
• Top 60 charting on Alt-Rock/Modern Rock Radio in Canada with “Thirteen.”
• Heavy rotation on CMT in the US and Canada with videos from Northern Redemption album and self-titled EP.
• Have been featured multiple times on NPR, BBC, CBC, Bravo, Cosmopolitan, FOX and NBC.
• Performed on the main stages at Boots and Hearts, Big Valley Jamboree, Cavendish Beach Festival, Dauphin Country Fest, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Hillside Festival and more.
• Opened for The Dixie Chicks, Feist, America, Tom Cochrane, Mickey Hart (The Grateful Dead), John Hammond, Dean Brody, and Tim Hicks, among others.

The Good Brothers have won 8 Juno Awards and are inductees to the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame as well as the North American Country Music Association International Hall of Fame in Tennessee.

Formed in the early 1970s, they toured across Canada on the infamous Festival Express with Janis Joplin, The Band, The Grateful Dead and Ten Years After. They also supported Gordon Lightfoot as his opening act on his North American tour. The Good Brothers achieved eight straight Juno Awards as Best Country Group, as well as headline gigs at Massey Hall, Ontario Place and the National Arts Centre, topped off with gold and platinum album sales awards. The Good Brothers have gained a worldwide audience over the course of their 40 plus year career, and the three Good brothers, Bruce (autoharp), Brian (guitar) and Larry (banjo) continue to tour extensively in Canada, the United States and Europe. They play good time roots music, straight from the heart that encompasses country, bluegrass, folk, Celtic and the occasional taste of rock ‘n’ roll. The Good Brothers live concerts feature their hits “Fox On The Run”, “Alberta Bound” and “The Rabbit” along with numerous other timeless gems. The Good Brothers are Canadian country music royalty, not to be missed when they come to your town!

Singer-songwriter Jessica Mitchell has been lauded as ‘country’s Adele’ and likened to Sheryl Crow, and much like them, her genre-bending vocals and tone are universally appealing. She is, at heart, a storyteller – an open book, inspired by the raw honesty and storytelling nature of the genre.

Mitchell’s much anticipated debut album Heart of Glass, was released May 11, 2018 to much critical acclaim, and inclusion on Hello Magazine’s Most Beautiful Issue. She has spent the last decade travelling between Toronto and Nashville, collaborating with top-notch songwriters, focusing on writing new music and crafting her richly unique sound, culminating in an a raw, relatable record that embodies powerful and soulful melodies and lyrical brilliance. Mitchell has recently toured with the likes of Kiefer Sutherland, Terri Clark, Johnny Reid, Bonnie Raitt, and was recently asked to perform at the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame to honour Neil Young.

Emm Gryner is an acclaimed singer, songwriter, vocal coach and occasional CBC radio host. She has been nominated three times for a Juno Award, twice for Pop Album of The Year. Emm toured the world with David Bowie, and appears on the recordings "Bowie at The Beeb" and "Glastonbury 2000”. In 2013, Emm collaborated with astronaut Chris Hadfield on his version of “Space Oddity” recorded partially aboard the International Space Station. The Hadfield-Gryner version has received over 200 million views worldwide and is celebrated as the first music video recorded in outer space.

Mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah is a singer, actress and broadcaster who dazzles audiences with her engaging personality and her rich, expressive voice. Miss Nesrallah has performed for leading opera companies, symphonies, festivals and chamber music ensembles across Canada and the U.S. and around the world. Julie debuted as Isabella in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri at Pacific Opera Victoria and went on to perform major roles including The Composer in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Cenerentola in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Carmen in Bizet’s Carmen, among others.

Concerts and festivals include engagements in Paris, Vienna, Hong Kong, Jordan, Macau, Columbia and Brazil. In 2015, Miss Nesrallah performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and sang God Save the Queen for Will and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on their first visit to Canada on Parliament Hill in a performance that was viewed by millions. Miss Nesrallah was the sole vocalist in An Evening for Peace for Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan in Montreal.

Currently, Miss Nesrallah is the host of Tempo on CBC Music, Canada’s national classical music program, and is also the executive producer and star of Carmen on Tap, a company she created that performs Bizet’s opera Carmen as dinner theatre. Miss Nesrallah has been the recipient of several distinguished awards including the Canada Council for the Arts Emerging Artist Award and Mid-Career Grant, and most recently the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her cultural contribution to Canada’s performing arts.

Pianist Robert Kortgaard was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and grew up in Calgary, Alberta.  He completed his Bachelor and Master’s degrees at the Juilliard School in New York City.  As a recipient of arts awards from the Canada Council, he furthered his musical studies in Italy and England.

Mr. Kortgaard has performed as a soloist with major Canadian orchestras and has given recitals throughout Canada and the United States, as well as in England, Finland, Portugal, Italy, Indonesia, the Czech Republic, China and Japan.  He is a favorite collaborator of many of Canada’s finest instrumental soloists,  vocalists and chamber groups.  His performances are frequently heard on CBC Radio, and he has recorded for the Centrediscs, Marquis Classics/EMI, CBC Records, Teldec and ATMA Classique labels.

Mr. Kortgaard is Artistic Director of the Indian River Festival on Prince Edward Island (recently nominated “Event of the Year”  by the East Coast Music Awards), and the Leith Summer Music Festival in Ontario.  He was musician-in-residence at the University of New Brunswick from l993-l998, and has given piano masterclasses at Universities and festivals in Canada, Indonesia and China and served as an adjudicator at many national music competitions.

Mr. Kortgaard has performed with sopranos Isabel Bayrakdarian, Sumi Jo, Jane Archibald, Adrianne Pieczonka and Erin Wall, mezzo soprano Susan Platts, violinist Joshua Bell,  and with prima ballerina Veronica Tennant on a production entitled “Invitation to the Dance”. He has recorded French and German Cabaret programmes with mezzo-soprano Jean Stilwell for CBC Records.  His CD with soprano Wendy Nielsen was nominated for both Juno and East Coast Music Awards. Mr. Kortgaard tours with flutist Susan Hoeppner, cabaret artist Patricia O’Callaghan. baritone Brett Polegato, mezzo soprano Julie Nesrallah, renowned music theatre actress/singer Rebecca Caine and with piano duo partner Peter Tiefenbach.  A CD of the music of Olivier Messiaen, recorded with soprano Suzie LeBlanc, was released on the ATMA Classiques label and has received an Opus  Award for best recording of 20th century music.

Hailed by the original Beatles promoter as 'THE BEST ON THE SCENE', The McCartney Years is a period-true, technically stunning and explosive live concert show that performs the music of Paul McCartney spanning two decades from The Beatles to Wings. Songs include hits like Hey Jude, Jet, Let It Be, Band On The Run, The Long And Winding Road, Live And Let Die, Lady Madonna and many, many more, plus some of the deep cuts that McCartney wrote during the 1960's and 1970's; all performed to their original arrangements by a band that has entertained audiences worldwide and even has a personal accolade from former Wings guitarist Denny Laine.

Guaranteed that you will jump out of your seat to clap, sing and dance to the music by one of the most prolific artists of all time in this authentic, timeless live concert experience!

Fortunate Ones is Newfoundland’s JUNO-nominated duo Catherine Allan and Andrew James O’Brien. Known for dynamic live performances, effortless union of voices in harmony, and anthemic melodies – they embody a wide-eyed energy, deliver messages of reflection and optimism, have an earnest mission for connection, and are endearing audiences across Canada and beyond. Their songs celebrate coming of age, ambition, decisions we make to persevere, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Their sophomore album, HOLD FAST, is a study in resilience and community and sees the duo stretching their musical muscles into new, fully realized sonic territory. Filled with the familiar and effortless harmony, boundless energy and optimism that has gained the duo thousands of fans, HOLD FAST, produced by ECMA award winning producer, Daniel Ledwell, is a collective effort that has yielded songs from a pair whose humility and quiet dignity belies a roaring artistic heart.

The title track “Hold Fast” hit #1 on the CBC Music Top 20 Chart and remained in the Top 20 for 10 weeks. The album also took home three Music NL Awards in 2018: Pop Artist of the Year, Video of the Year for Northern Star (directed by Jason Levangie) and Album of the Year. HOLD FAST was recently nominated for four East Coast Music Awards: Album, Group Recording, Songwriter, and Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year.

Their 2015 debut album, The Bliss was nominated for a JUNO Award, garnered two #1 singles on CBC Radio 2’s Top 20, won the 2016 “Rising Star” ECMA, the 2015 “Vocal Group” Canadian Folk Music Award, and four 2015 Music Newfoundland and Labrador Awards.

Come join Coco Love Alcorn “legendary soul-folk singer-songwriter” (The Coast, Halifax) as she celebrates the release of her latest album Rebirth. This new album features a collection of songs that will captivate audiences and showcase her dynamic vocals. With soulful melodies, heartbeat grooves, and lyrics that come from a personal place yet speak to the listener on a universal level, Rebirth is her bravest and most vulnerable album to date.

 
Coco’s career has spanned over 25 years, 10 albums, cross-Canada tours, collaborations, festival appearances and award nominations including Contemporary Singer of the Year at the 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards.