CONGRATS! 2019 Hamilton Spectator Readers' Choice Awards

The 2019 Hamilton Spectator Readers' Choice Awards were recently unveiled. The special supplemental section featured the best that Hammertown has to offer, including our wonderful music community. 

Here's a list of all the music-related winners.

D = Diamond (1st place)

P = Platinum (2nd place)

G = Gold

Everything else is in the top ten.

Local Musician or Band

• D: The Beelays
  
  
  
  Links: The Beelays, More Beelays Stories, Video above courtesy of The Beelays
  
  
• P: Freedom Train
  
  
  
  Links: Freedom Train, More Freedom Train Stories, More Beatles Covers/Stories, Video above courtesy of Freedom Train 
  
  
• G: John Atlee
  
  
  
  Links: John Atlee, More John Atlee Stories, Video above courtesy of John Atlee

Concert Venue

• D: FirstOntario Concert Hall
• P: This Ain't Hollywood
• G: FirstOntario Centre 

Festival

• D: Supercrawl
• P: Winona Peach Festival
• G: Dundas Cactus Festival / Burlington Sound of Music

Live Entertainment Facility

• D: Hamilton Theatre Inc.
• P: FirstOntario Concert Hall
• G: This Ain't Hollywood

Live Jazz Club

• D: Cat N Fiddle / Artword Artbar / Doors Pub
• P: Mulberry Street Cafe
• G: Zyla's / This Ain't Hollywood

Live Music Bar/Lounge

• D: Tracie's Place
• P: Come by Chance /  Casbah / Lionshead Pub / Stonewalls
• G: Coach and Lantern

Music Instructor

• D: Adam Scott
• P: Michael Cuthbert
• G: Mikayla Boccalon

Musical Instrument Store

• D: Pick N Sticks
• P: Long and McQuade
• G: M Gear Design / Crash Landing Music Store

Music School

• D: Hamilton School of Music
• P: Mr. Ben's Open Door Music
• G: Hamilton Suzuki School of Music

Radio Station

• D: K-Lite FM 102.9
• P: KX94.7 New Country
• G: 92.9 The Grand

Recording Studio

• D: Halo
• P: Blue Tilt Studio / Grant Avenue Studio
• G: QED Media / BOXO Studio / Catherine North Studios / Studio 410 Sound Productions / Downtown Sound Recording Studios

A special congrats to one of our sponsors, Picks N Sticks, who won Diamond for Musical Instrument Store.

CONGRATS EVERYONE!

Blast from the Past: Last Year's Winners

Links: Readers' Choice Awards, More Spec Readers' Choice Awards Stories

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Previous  (Waterloo Region Record Readers Choice Awards) - - - Next (Hamilton Musicans' Guild Honourees)

Pearl Bailey's 100th Birthday

Today (Thursday, March 29) would have been actress and singer Pearl Bailey's 100th Birthday.

Biography highlights (from Wikipedia)

• Born (March 29, 1918)
• Began singing in clubs (1930s)
• Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman (1946)
• First film: Variety Girl (1947)
• Her version of Takes Two to Tango hits top ten (1952)
• Wrote The Raw Pearl (1968)
• Wrote Talking to Myself (1971)
• Hosted The Pearl Bailey Show (1971)
• Wrote Pearl's Kitchen (1973)
• Wrote Hurry Up America and Spit (1976)
• Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award (1976)
• Presidential Medal of Freedom (1988)
• Passed away (August 17, 1990)

We asked for comments about Pearl from local musicians, here is what we got:

Tom Altobelli (Altobeelays)

A very happy 100th to the late, great, Pearl Bailey. Her contribution to music, without a doubt, shall be forever remembered for years to come!

Here are a few videos from the lady herself

Video above courtesy of TheJazzStreet



Video above courtesy of YJD67



Video above courtesy of George Luis

Links: Pearl Bailey, More 100th Birthdays

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Hamilton's Tom Altobelli Delivers a Funky, Soulful Instrumental Debut EP!

With only 4 songs, Hamilton bassman Tom Altobelli  and his band show a tremendous amount of variety on his debut EP, The HAVN Sessions.  This incredible instrumental jazz collection runs the style gamut.

From the gypsy infused kick-off track, the gang veer into funk and soul with smooth delivery and vigor.  These guys are definitely skilled and will astound you on each song.

Tom has called upon his partners from the Altobeelays to help him out: Andrew King (Sax), Chris Bruder (keys), Scott McIntosh (guitar) and Jordan Snider (drums).

If you'd like a CD (and why wouldn't you) you can contact Tom at tomaltobellibass@gmail.com or download it via his Bandcamp page.

Stream the album below

Links: Tom Altobelli, More Releases

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