Spirit of Rasputin's

Brock Zeman in Concert with special guest Queen Elizabeth II

Hollis Morgan — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:40:50 +0000

Canadians celebrate the Queen’s Official Birthday on the first Monday before May 25 because the weather is better. Really…that’s the official reason. So, since good weather is sufficient for a celebration, let’s celebrate Brock Zeman’s fabulous music this Saturday night. The forecast is promising:

nine albums in his 32 years on the planet…and his own record label (Mud Records)
performed with Steve Earle, Lynn Miles, Fred Eaglesmith, Blue Rodeo, Corb Lund, Toby Keith, Prairie Oyster, the Rodeo Kings…and others
we have beer and wine…and cookies
there’s a portrait of Her Majesty on the east wall at Westboro Masonic Hall

It’s not really Her birthday (real birthday: April 21), so we invited Her Majesty to join us on Saturday for a song or two with Brock before She dashes off to other Commonwealth celebrations later in the weekend. Unfortunately we learned she will be away at Her cottage planting tomatoes.

Nevertheless, please join us and the Queen’s portrait for an evening with Brock Zeman, a rising star from Carleton Place. You may already have heard Brock around town in some noisy bar. But this guy writes songs. Good songs with great lyrics. This is a unique chance to enjoy Brock Zeman in the “Spirit of Rasputin’s Listening Environment” with the fabulous acoustics at Westboro Masonic Hall.

What: Brock Zeman in Concert (more info…)
When: Saturday, May 18, 8:00pm
Where: Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill at Byron (Google map…)
Tickets: $20 at the door or online here…

See you there,

Hollis Morgan
President, Spirit of Rasputin’s Arts Society

April…the remedy for cabin fever!

Hollis Morgan — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:59:29 +0000

Starting this Friday Apr 12th and continuing right up to Wednesday May 1st, many Spirit of Rasputin’s volunteers are working flat out to put on several events in a row. As well as organizing three events of our own, many of us are also volunteering at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival organized by SoR member Bob Nesbitt. April always seems to be our busiest month. It’s a Canadian thing. Having finished chipping away the last of the winter ice, it’s time to go out and celebrate! And what a choice we have in the next few weeks! There’s something for everyone: song writers, entire families, old song buffs, and graduates of the protest generation. Here’s the lineup:

The Great Canadian Song-a-Long

Friday Apr 12 & Saturday Apr 13
NOTE: Start time 7:00pm both nights
Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill at Byron (Map…)
No advance tickets: Pass-the-hat to pay the rent.
Songwriters are invited to compose a song to one of several predefined set of topics. This year’s topics are: a good finish, nice try, fences, crooked line, a nonsense song. More info…

Finest Kind

Saturday Apr 20, 8:00pm
Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill at Byron (Map…)
Tickets: $25 online here and at the Ottawa Folklore Centre.
Finest Kind is the remarkable folk trio from Ottawa whose exquisite harmony singing and brilliant vocal arrangements are bringing a fresh sense of excitement and discovery to the performance of old songs. This show is selling very well in advance and may sell out so get your tickets now.

The Ottawa Grassroots Festival

Saturday Apr 27 & Sunday Apr 28
Rideau Curling Club, 715 Cooper St, corner of Percy. (Map…)
An annual family oriented celebration of folk music, dance, and spoken word. See www.ottawagrassrootsfestival.com/ for the complete schedule (daytime and nighttime events) and to purchase tickets in advance. The daytime is free. Performers for the evening concerts include headliners Wendell Ferguson and Suzie Vinnick on Saturday and Big Soul Project Community Gospel Choir and Band on Sunday.

Gil’s Hootenanny: songs of protest, songs of hope

Wednesday May 1st
NOTE: Start time is 7:30pm.
Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Avenue (Map…)
Tickets $10 online here, at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, and at the door.
Gil’s Hootenanny is a community sing-along event that takes place each year on May 1st, May Day, the international workers’ holiday. Musicians from a range of backgrounds take turns leading the audience to sing songs of protest and songs of hope. Sponsored by CUPE The Canadian Union of Public Employees and PSAC The Public Service Alliance of Canada. A co-production by Spirit of Rasputin’s and the Gil’s Hootenanny Organizing Committee.

I’ll be at the sound board for all these events. Stop by and say howdy.

Cheers,
Hollis Morgan
President, Spirit of Rasputin’s Arts Society

The Pat Moore Trio this Saturday

Hollis Morgan — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:39:31 +0000

I’ve been waiting for this show for a long time. Normally, whenever I get a chance to see The Pat Moore Trio it is in some giant hall as part of a major extravaganza such as The Ottawa Opry or a major festival. Finally I get to be up close in an intimate environment with fabulous acoustics. Click here to buy your tickets for this Saturday’s Featured Artist Concert featuring Pat with her sidekicks Ann Downey and Pat McLaughlin.

When: Sat Feb 09, 2013 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Where: Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill at Byron Here’s a map…

Pat Moore’s voice has a warm and expressive quality, as perfectly suited to a rich ballad, as it is to an up-tempo power song. She moves easily from the storytelling of the singer/songwriter genre, to jazz, and to the lonesome sound of traditional country and bluegrass. Whether performing for large audiences or small, Pat creates an intimacy that draws the listener in. This feeling translates to her recordings: “The Time’s Never Been Better” and “Take it to Heart“. Both have received praise from far and wide – Holland, Italy, Australia, the U.S. and across Canada.

The Pat Moore trio enjoys the fine musicianship of Ann Downey on bass and vocals (Finest Kind) and Pat McLaughlin on guitar, mandolin, and vocals (Grievous Angel The Legend of Gram Parsons).

Check out the poster and a longer write-up on Rasputins.ca.

Other Spirit of Rasputin’s News

Announcing Rasputin’s Matinees!!

Le Michel-ange Cafe has moved from 35 Laurel Street into the foyer of the GCTC Theatre. This has disrupted our schedule of events originally planned for the old location. So The Cabaret Concert Series and The Next Stage series will be at Westboro Masonic Hall on Sunday afternoons. Kate, our artistic director, and all the musicians and hosts involved have done a lot of planning to setup the new schedule. Thanks to all.

Please check rasputins.ca for all the changes to dates. Matinees will all run from 3pm to 5pm. This will be a lot of fun and as well as more family friendly. Children 12 and under are free. The kitchen will be serving coffee, tea, soft drinks, juice, cookies and popcorn. Our first matinee is March 3rd for The Next Stage with Ron Mills and Cornflower Blue.

Spirit’s 3rd Annual AGM

Spirit of Rasputin’s Annnual General Meeting of Members will be held on February 17 at 2pm at Whispers Pub and Eatery. This is for members only, but you can buy your membership at the meeting and your vote will still count. If you want more information, please contact me directly at hmorgan@hollismorgan.com.

Thanks for reading,
Hollis Morgan
President, Spirit of Rasputin’s Arts Society

2013 Annual General Meeting of Members

Hollis Morgan — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:19:02 +0000

When: 2pm-5pm February 17 (Sunday), 2013
Where: Upstairs Room, Whispers Pub and Eatery, 249 Richmond Road, Ottawa

Our 3rd AGM is as early as possible this year because so many of our board members and officers have March vacations planned. Treasurer Mark Evenchick has efficiently closed last year’s books to prepare for the required audit. Isabel Bouchard has again graciously agreed to do the audit.

There is much to do and much to discuss. It has been an interesting year. Please plan to participate. You can do so in person or by proxy. You can also buy or renew your membership at the meeting. We need your voice to help us chart our course for the coming year.

Members are invited to stay after the AGM for a jam session. Dinner or refreshments can be purchased from Whispers’ staff.

More information about participating by proxy is available online here: http://rasputins.ca/pdfs/SoR_MemberProxyForm.pdf

Agenda

Call to order and welcome by the president
Officers/Committee Reports:
1. President
2. Auditor
3. Treasurer
4. Membership
5. Artistic Director
Charitable Status Committee Report
By-law Amendment: Change membership renewals to Dues Paid Date
Discussion Items:
1. Recommend charities for future Rasputin’s Beards
2. Venues
  1. Update:What happened with Le Michel-Ange Cafe
  2. Are there additional venue options?
Other Resolutions or discussion items from the floor
Elections for three Board of Director positions
1. 2-year terms expire for Mark Evenchick and Hollis Morgan
2. 1-year term expires for Alrick Huebener
Adjourn

Proposed change to membership renewal process

Existing wording of paragraph 4 (affected text bold):

4. Annual membership dues are $20 Canadian funds payable at the beginning of the Corporate fiscal year. The rights of membership are suspended for any member whose dues remain delinquent for 90 days or more. The board of directors at their sole discretion have the authority to forgive any member’s dues in full or in part and subsequently to restore a member’s rights of membership.

Proposed change:

4. Annual membership dues are $20 Canadian funds. Annual membership is valid for one year following the date the membership was processed by the Corporation. The rights of membership are suspended for any member whose dues remain delinquent for 90 days or more. The board of directors at their sole discretion have the authority to forgive any member’s dues in full or in part and subsequently to restore a member’s rights of membership.

Coming up next

Kate Morgan — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:24:11 +0000

Salton Sea / Lost Colt \ J. P. Ranger Band

7:30 PM Sat Jun 15, 2013

At Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill Ave
There is a map at the bottom of this event.

This is a “Pass The Hat” charitable event.

The charity will be The Ottawa Food Bank.

Doors open at 7:00pm and the show starts at 7:30pm.

Salton Sea… and The Noisy Locomotive

Born of backyards and late-night suburban walkabouts, Ottawa duo Salton Sea (Trevor Pool and Nik Field) blends tweed-folk and broken blues with that somehow-nostalgic feeling found in thumbing thru old record collections. Moving to the city, the corner café, a quiet apartment overlooking a busy street, beer bottles on the balcony, a hint of jazz—these are the memories brought to life through their music.After several years of writing music and laying low, Salton Sea have come down the mountain with a whole new sound, and an earful to share. Their debut album, “This Boat Ain’t Big Enough For The Two Of Us,” was released to a sold out crowd on September 1st, 2012. Since then, the two singer-songwriters have moved their act to Montreal. Along the way they picked up a couple stragglers and strung together a band—The Noisy Locomotive. With some fire in the belly and the improvised clamour of their straight forward twang, the Locomotive is hitting the road. Stay tuned…

J. P. Ranger Band

The JP Ranger Band — Ottawa-based — is made up of veteran musicians who have mastered various music styles ranging from: country, folk, Americana, blues, R&B, classic and prog-rock. Their ‘cool’ is how they will turn on a dime and swing into yet another music genre. As one fan wrote: “You just never know what they’re going to play next, or where they’re going to take you musically. You’re into every moment, and you enjoy each song to the last drop”.

Songwriter J.P. Ranger — native of Hull, Québec — started singing and playing guitar at age 9. By age 13, he had formed a band and was writing originals. His songs tell stories of romance won and lost, travel many roads of life, and speak to our times. His bandmates: Rey “the Rey Man” Cote (from Grand Falls New Brunswick) on saxophone, lead guitar and mandolin; Gilles Cholette plays kit and sings back-up; DOn Prince lays down fluid and punchy bass lines.

In 2009, JP released the album titled JP Ranger ‘Living Here’, and is now working a new CD to be released in 2013. Be ready for rich vocals, great melodies and raw energy!

Lost Colt

This alt-country/folk band is Influenced by the renaissance in country music, both commercial and alternative, and with three songwriters in the band, alt-country rockers Lost Colt evoke Roy Orbison, the Cars, Blue Rodeo and Canada’s legendary Blue Shadows. Rick Fry writes clever, pop-inflected country, rock and folk songs. Dan Jetté is a versatile and prodigious writer of melodic and infectious songs. Conrad “rad” White started drumming on cardboard boxes after seeing Ringo Starr on the Ed Sullivan Show, then switched to drums thanks to his grandad’s generosity. Bruce “woz” Wozny gained his chops in West Coast folk and country bands, releasing two original albums prior to joining Lost Colt.

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Wow! Terry Sells Out!

Hollis Morgan — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:45:01 +0000

Yes, the headline above could be taken two ways, but those who know guitar wizard Terry Tufts and the strong life-affirming, healthy planet values he holds dear know I’m talking about a packed house at the Westboro Masonic Hall. No one was turned away and every seat was filled. That’s the kind of magic that Terry brings to his shows. We missed Kathryn Briggs who stayed home with the flu but Terry (also suffering but persevering) along with Ken Workman (bass and guitar) put on two great sets that earned a standing ovation and encore. Click on over to the Spirit of Rasputin’s Facebook page to check out Kate’s photos and leave your comments. Don’t forget to Like us while you are there.

Terry Tufts

Hollis Morgan — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:01:29 +0000

with Kathryn Briggs and Ken Workman

When: 8:00 PM Sat Jan 19, 2013

Where: Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill Ave. Google Map…

Tickets: $20. Buy online now…

Terry Tufts is a finger-style guitarist who has been playing music for enjoyment since 1963 and as a professional since 1974.

His father’s job with the Canadian Government moved the family to Denver, Colorado in the U.S. in the 1960′s at a time when the folk and rock music genres were influencing opinion everywhere. In 1974 he moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick, to begin pursuing his own musical career as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, as well as working as a session musician and sideman for a variety of artists including: Tom Paxton, Kathryn Briggs, David Francey, Colleen Peterson, Laura Smith, Laura Bird, Ian Tamblyn, Bill Garrett & Sue Lothrop, Charlie Sohmer, The Arrogant Worms, Wayne Rostad, Susan Aglukark, Tracey Brown, and George Fox.

He has 7 albums to his credit.

Performing with Kathryn Briggs and Ken Workman, Terry will be putting on an amazing show not to be missed!. Doors open at 7:30pm.

See you there!

Hollis Morgan
President, Spirit of Rasputin’s Arts Society

Coming up soon!!

Hollis Morgan — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:14:37 +0000

Call Me Katie

3:00 PM Sun Jun 23, 2013

At Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill Ave
There is a map at the bottom of this event.

Show starts at 3pm. Doors open at 2:30pm.Door fee is $7.

Children 14 and under are free.

Call Me Katie is an Ottawa-based acoustic trio with roots in bluegrass, blues, and rockabilly but with a sound all its own.

Featuring the dynamic voice of Sarah Hill, a veteran of bands in Ontario and the Maritimes, the group swings from sweet ballads to driving up-tempo pieces. Hill contributes fiddle as well, while award-winning poet Monty Reid sings and plays guitar and mandolin. Mike Rivoche, with groups such as the Howlin C’s and the Black Donnellys in his twangy past, holds everything together with rock-solid bass lines and chips in with harmony vocals.

Reid and Hill write most of the tunes, ranging from murder in Luskville to talking dirty with Human Resources, but the band isn’t averse to stealing songs from acts as diverse as Chuck Berry, The Little Willies or facebook. It’s a heady concoction, with a unique sound, a loyal following, with songs that make you laugh, and laugh some more, and then cry.

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