Sound of Music

2009 Headliners

Divine Brown

For years, musical powerhouse 2009 Juno Award winner Divine Brown has been quietly carving out her own history on the Canadian R&B and soul circuit. Brown paid her dues on the exhausting Toronto club circuit before she was old enough to legally hang out in bars, then honed her skills as a live performer with stints in musical theatre productions as Ain't Misbehavin' and Rent. Her self-titled debut in 2005 yielded the gorgeous retro single "Old-School Love." Three years later, Brown has returned with a tour-de-force album, a virtual trip through both the last half-century of soul music and the roller-coaster ride of love appropriately dubbed, The Love Chronicles
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Elizabeth Shepard Trio

Elizabeth Shepherd pushes the boundries of what is considered conventional jazz, all the while creating a sound completely her own. Her JUNO Award-nominated debut album, Start To Move, was voted the Top 3 Jazz Albums of the Year in 2006 by listeners of the Gilles Peterson Show on BBC Radio 1 UK. Her latest album, Parkdale, is a mature, wiser Shepherd teamed with her ever-youthful, graceful soul. The album explores what everyone fears the most: complete openness, divulging our innermost humanity. From London to Tokyo, Elizabeth has captivated audiences and critics on both sides of the pond.
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Kim Mitchell

Singer, songwriter, lyricist, guitarist emeritus, and entertainer – that is Kim Mitchell. He has also been called a Canadian rock icon and returns to the Sound of Music Festival as he continues his rockin' journey, paved with gold and platinum records and Juno awards. After three decades on the Canadian music scene, Kim is considered one of the most influential and original members of Canada's rock elite.
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Low Level Flight

Low Level Flight - comprised of Ryan Malcolm, Shaun Noronha, James Rooke, Dave Carter and Brandon Merenick - are stellar songwriters who have created a powerful, hook laden sound with major league production that compliments the bittersweet lyrics and catchy songwriting. Their debut album, Urgency, features the singles Change For Me, which spawned a number 1 video, and Say, which not only had a number 1 video, but also soared into the TOP 30 radio charts.
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Matt Dusk

With impeccable taste to match his formidable talent, Matt Dusk's second album has all the ingredients to catapult the Juno Award nominated singer well into the pop stratosphere: timeless songs, stylish arrangements, cutting-edge production and powerhouse vocals. Quite simply, Dusk has never sounded better. The 27-year-old crooner Dusk knows that style and sophistication—in everything from song selections and studio choices—are important factors that contribute to successful recordings. Matt Dusk has won over audiences worldwide with his rich powerful voice and bold upbeat personality.
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Paul James Band

One of the most exciting and energetic Toronto-based Canadian musicians ... past, present and future. Paul James is a Canadian cultural icon. A veteran entertainer, this player has seen all that this crazy music business has to offer. His talents as a guitarist, vocalist, band leader, stage acrobatic, and songwriter have allowed James to produce the music he loves for over three decades.Paul James is a Juno winner (Canadian music industry award) in the Best Roots and Traditional Music category... not surprizing! And Paul has received two Toronto Music awards for Best Club Band and Best Blues Artistt.
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Robert Michaels

Robert Michaels has earned his reputations as one of Canada’s most accomplished Latin Jazz guitarists. His debut album Paradiso went on to achieve Platinum status in Canada, selling over 100,000 copies – an incredible feat for any artist, but even more so for an instrumental musician. He has also received several Juno nominations, including Instrumental Album of the Year in 2003 for Allegro.
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Ronnie & The Jets

This multi-media spectacle of lights, video, and roaring live sound will take Crocodile Rockers right back to the days of Elton John's peak performing years. Amazing lights & lazers, costumes, and a baby grand piano are employed to recreate the legendary Elton concert experiences of the 70's, with special attention paid to the GYBR album. A mezmerizing performance is sure to leave audiences raving. Don't miss this brilliant trip down memory lane on the Yellow Brick Road!
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Sloan

Sloan makes a triumphant return to the Sound of Music Festival, fresh from a 2009 Juno Best Rock Album nomination for their latest release, “Parallel Play”. Sloan is four distinct songwriting voices that form a cohesive collective. Formed in Halifax in 1991, Sloan are music veterans who, instead of coasting on their reputation, continue to challenge themselves with each record. They are rock-radio regulars who maintain strong ties to their indie roots.
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Tartan Terrors

Taking the Celtic scene by storm, the Tartan Terrors, North America's premiere Celtic Event, features the best in music, comedy and dance. Bolstered by the blistering piping of a Two Time World Champion Bagpiper, the driving tones of drums from around the world, and a guitar played unlike any you've ever heard. Combine this musical prowess with championship calibre Highland Dancers and intentionally recognized comedic performers and this Celtic Group goes beyond the ordinary.
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The Midway State

On Midway State's piano-driven pop/rock debut album, Holes, Gavin Brown was again in the producer's seat. Recorded at Metalworks Studios the album glistens with refined melodies, raw emotion and massive sing-a-long hooks. Perhaps the band's rich pop tapestry has something to do with singer-pianist Nathan Ferraro's synesthesia, a condition roughly defined as an overlapping of the senses. Put simply, Nathan sees distinct colors when hearing sounds and music. What truly sets The Midway State apart from so many other artists is the band's reliance on piano.
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The Sicilian Jazz Project

A 2009 JUNO Award Nominee, Michael Occhipinti’s The Sicilian Jazz Project has been called “a masterpiece of cultural fusion.” The group features some of Canada’s finest musicians, including Roberto Occhipinti, Ernie Tollar, Dominic Mancuso, Kevin Turcotte, Louis Simao, Barry Romberg, and Michael on guitar. In 1954 ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax toured Sicily, recording music performed by assorted workers, peasants and folk entertainers. Lomax’s recordings are brilliantly transformed, and global rhythms, jazz, funk, and chamber music are all represented in the Sicilian Jazz Project's eclecticism. The result is a passionate music that is sure to surprise.
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The Stills

The Stills have an exciting new record, called Oceans Will Rise. It marks not so much a departure for the band as a bold new musical stride forward, taking the distinct sounds of their previous two records, meshing and elaborating and distilling. The music is varied, moving from edgy, hard rock anthems through ambient, tribal sounds and back again, all the while keeping a distinct and consistent feel. Oceans Will Rise considers the frailty of human existence, our place in the larger schemes of the natural world, and the possibility, or lack thereof, for positive change.
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The Wilkinsons

The Wilkinsons make their Sound of Music Festival debut as they approach two decades of performing together. The Ontario-based contemporary country music trio, fronted by Steve Wilkinson, his daughter Amanda and son Tyler, have been honoured with multiple music awards. In late 2008 they released “The Greatest Hits…And Then Some” which is not only a travelogue of the past, but a window to the future.
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Tom Cochrane & Red Rider

Tom Cochrane has received numerous Juno Awards and SOCAN songwriting awards. Last year he was invested as an officer of the Order of Canada, the highest honour a Canadian can receive. He also has an honourary doctorate from the University of Manitoba and is an honourary Colonel in the Canadian Air Force. Cochrane's body of work includes 17 albums and the hits Life Is A Highway, Lunatic Fringe, The Boy Inside The Man, I Wish You Well, No Regrets, White Hot and Sinking Like A Sunset.
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USS

Fronted by master craftsman Ash Boo-Schultz and backed up by turntablist and hype man extraordinaire Human Kebab, this Toronto based duo demonstrate a remarkable proficiency for erupting dancefloors and eliciting widespread audience singalongs. "They are no doubt, 100%, the best kept secret in Canada's independent scene" - Barry Taylor 102.1 The edge (Toronto) DJ
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