Gospel
See Also
Ken's 7th season of afternoon gospel shows at Hugh's Room in Toronto has wrapped up. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the talented vocalists and musicians who shared the stage with Ken; Richard Carson, Holmes Hooke, Colin Puffer, Anthony Ferrando, Ryan Jamieson, Heather Fischer, Oscar Valenzo and all the staff at Hugh's Room; our families and friends who showed up to sing along, clap and share in the musical joy of the afternoon. We hope you enjoy the pictorial highlights from last season's shows. The 8th season of Hugh's Room gospel afternoons kicks off on October 31st with featured guests Linda McRae, Rhonelle Patrick and Pat Patrick.
Ken's next gospel series at Hugh's Room (Toronto, Ontario) kicks off it's 8th season on Sunday, October 31st, 2010.
Ken's popular Sunday afternoon gospel series at Hugh's Room is celebrating it’s 8th season with an amazing selection of both local and international gospel artists. Each show highlights the interaction of award winning guest vocalists and musicians sharing the stage with Ken for a joyous afternoon of uplifting music and magic. Whether you are coming for the spiritual experience, or for the terrific music, or to sing-along, this Gospel series promises to be an accessible and exciting blend of musical styles that is appropriate for music lovers of all ages.
Ken's Gospel Alumni: Bucky Berger, Karen Michelle Bergmann, Gail Berry, Salome Bey, Diana Braithwaite, Danny Brooks, Alphanso Burke Jr., Rebecca Campbell, The Campbell Brothers, Calvin & Grace Cooke, John T. Davis, Melisa Devost, Nicole Edwards, Galitcha, Eve Goldberg, Caitlin Hanford, Kim Harris, Reggie Harris, Ginny Hawker, Kevin Head, Jacob & Lily, Joe Jencks, Tabby Johnson, Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sister Bernice Jones, Hiram Joseph, George Koller, Penny Lang, Jani Lauzon, Amoy Levy, Ciceal Levy, Colin Linden, John Mays, Ellen McIllawaine, Geordie Millar, Linda Morrison, Charlene Nafziger, Helena Nash, Odetta, George Olliver, Ndidi Onukwulu, Original Sloth Band & the Honolulu Heartbreakers, Pat Patrick, Rhonelle Patrick, Fred Penner, Mighty Popo, Betty Richardson, Jackie Richardson, Sharon Riley, Donné Roberts, Uncle Mike Rosteing, Jane Sapp, Jay Sewall, Tannis Slimmon, Vicki St. Pierre, Suzie Vinnick, David Wall, Jackie Washington, and a full compliment of Whiteleys ~ Ben, Chris, Dan, Jenny, Jesse and Ken.
The 2010/2011 Gospel Series Lineup:
Season 8 Opener! October 31/10 ~ Pat Patrick, Rhonelle Patrick & Linda McRae
November 28/10 ~ House of Doc & Juno Award winning Fathead vocalist, John Mays
January 30/11 ~ John Finley
February 27/11 ~ tba
Season 8 Finale! March 27/11 ~ tba
Gospel Tickets available now from Hugh's Room.
Select recordings of Ken's that you will enjoy:
The 2009/2010 Gospel Series Lineup:
Season 7 Opener! October 18/09 ~ Rev. Robert B. Jones & Sister Bernice Jones, Linda Morrison & Ben Whiteley
November 22/09 ~ Jackie Richardson, Vicki St. Pierre, Charlene Nafziger, Bucky Berger & Ben Whiteley
January 31/10 ~ Kim & Reggie Harris, Jenny Whiteley, Dan Whiteley & Ben Whiteley
February 28/10 ~ Sharon Riley, David Wall, Suzie Vinnick, Geordie Millar & Ben Whiteley
Season 7 Finale! March 28/10 ~ Amoy Levy, Ciceal Levy, Pat Patrick, Bucky Berger & Ben Whiteley
Season 7 Finale! March 28/10 ~ Amoy Levy, Ciceal Levy, Pat Patrick, Bucky Berger & Ben Whiteley
Talented, edgy, focused and unique are some of the expressions used to describe the Canadian born singer/songwriter, Amoy Levy. At the young age of six, she discovered her vocal gift singing within Toronto’s gospel community. Since then, her voice has carried her throughout Canada and the United States, where she has performed with several Grammy Award winning artists including Kirk Franklin, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom Cochrane and Celine Dion. Although she has been compared to the great divas Tina Turner and Whitney Houston, Amoy has a uniquely fresh and exciting vocal style of her own. Amoy is a member of Ken Whiteley's Gospel Revue band and she can be heard singing on many of Ken's cds, including Thank You Lord!, Gospel Makes Me Feel Alright!, One World Dance and most recently, she recorded vocals on Ken's forthcoming CD.
Ciceal Levy is the youngest of four
sisters, who was mentored in a family that thrived in music. Surrounded
within the Gospel community, at an early age she became a member of the
Youth Outreach Mass choir; who recorded their debut album in 1996 and
was nominated for a Juno Award. This allowed for international exposure
and extensive travel throughout Canada and the United States. Today she
is one of the most requested background vocalists in Toronto and has
performed with such acclaimed artists as Celine Dion, Michael Bolton,
Tom Cochrane and Carvin Winans. Ciceal's performance style covers many
genres of music from jazz and gospel to rock, country and folk. Her
sultry rich alto tone can be heard of Ken's cd's, including Thank You Lord!, Gospel Makes Me Feel Alright! and One World Dance.
Pat Patrick is "one of Toronto's, and possibly the country's, deepest bass vocalists." He has an incredibly rich bass voice, which is infused with sincerity and musical skills. Whether singing harmonies or a solo, Pat is always an engaging performer and an audience favourite. He is a member of Ken Whiteley's Gospel Revue band and can be heard singing on many of Ken's cds, including Thank You Lord!, Gospel Makes Me Feel Alright! and One World Dance.
The incredibly talented and always strongly in demand Bucky Berger currently drums with Toronto's JUNO award winning blues ensemble Fathead.
Over the years, Bucky's rhythms have backed up, either live or in the
studio, a who's who of Canadian and international artists, such as Tom
Paxton, John Hammond, The Campbell Brothers, Blind John Davis, David
Wilcox, Chiliwack, Rough Trade, Raffi with Ken Whiteley, and Mr
Dressup, to name only a few. Bucky drums with Ken Whiteley’s Gospel Revue band and he can be heard on many of Ken's recordings including Gospel Makes Me Feel Alright!, One World Dance and Ken's forthcoming cd.
Ben Whiteley (Ken's son) is an accomplished bass player, on both upright and electric and has performed with many different artists, performing many different styles. Currently attending University of Toronto's prestigious music faculty, Ben may be found around the city playing with Suzy Wilde, in the group Flashlight Radio. Their sound combines Ben's instrumental talents on standup bass and guitar with Suzy's captivating voice and lyrics. Childhood friends, both have been involved in performing, recording and songwriting since they were very young and have received a first hand education from their respective parents, Ken Whiteley and Nancy White. Together Ben and Suzy have created a brand of roots music that is very much their own. Ben may also be found playing with New Country Rehab at happening clubs around Toronto. Ben is also a member of Ken Whiteley’s Gospel Revue band and he can be heard on many of Ken's recordings including One World Dance and Ken's forthcoming cd.
Ken Whiteley is a prolific songwriter, a gifted and versatile guitarist and mandolinist, and a powerful singer! His musical peers refer to him as a "playing encyclopedia" for his depth and range of styles, covering everything from folk to blues to gospel and children's music. He’s the proud recipient of the Estelle Klein Lifetime Achievement Award, Mariposa Folk Hall of Fame and was recently nominated for another Canadian Folk Music Award and Maple Blues Award. Recorded from Ken's very first gospel series shows in 2003, the Gospel Makes Me Feel Alright! CD continues to be a best seller at the concerts and online.
February 28/10 ~ Sharon Riley, David Wall, Suzie Vinnick, Geordie Millar & Ben Whiteley
Toronto's own international gospel recording artist Sharon Riley has an incredible, rich alto voice, which is infused with musical skills. She is applauded for her GRAMMY and JUNO award-winning work with Faith Chorale (a 35 voice gospel choir). For over a decade Sharon Riley & Faith Chorale has established itself as Canada's premier gospel choir. It's name speaks volumes about a journey which has been characterized by struggle, longevity, and untold blessings, the stuff of unshakable faith. It has graced both the big and small screens, appearing in the blockbuster film "The Blues Brothers 2000" and HBO's "Light to the Power of Two". Working alongside Paul Schaffer, Sharon co-arranged the soundtrack John The Revelator for "The Blues Brothers 2000" movie, and she along with the choir appeared on the Grammy Award nominated soundtrack alongside Aretha Franklin, Erykah Badu, James Brown, and Eric Clapton. Sharon and the Choir have released two groundbreaking cds, Life Is and Caught Up, and await the release of their third cd and companion DVD, The Journey, which was recorded on Jan. 30th at Queensway Cathedral in Toronto.
David Wall is a Toronto award-winning singer, lyricist and composer. David fronted the rhythm and blues band The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, From Both Ends Of The Earth and currently The Flying Bulgars. He has written a large repertoire of songs in an assortment of genres
from pop and rock to gospel, blues and jazz, many of which appeared on
his two solo
recordings, Lozenge and The Spell I Was Under. He has performed and recorded with an impressive cross-section
of artists including Big Sugar, The Barenaked Ladies, Lorraine Segato,
and is an integral member of Ken Whiteley's Gospel Revue Band. David can be heard on many of Ken's cds, including Thank You Lord!, Listening and Gospel Makes Me Feel Alright!,
and most recently, he recorded vocals on two tracks on Ken's
forthcoming CD. He has also studied Cantorial and traditional Yiddish
music, and has worked extensively with jazz pianist Marilyn Lerner. As
a composer, David has received two GEMINI Award nominations for
best musical scores for the documentaries "Out of Fire" and "Martyr
Street.” He has also worked on many experimental and multi-media
musical
projects in collaboration with designer Bruce Mau and with film maker
John Greyson. This year will see the finishing touches to "Fig Trees,"
a video installation and experimental opera project, co-written and
directed by John Greyson. In TV land, David and Kevin Lacroix provided
music for a spinoff show of The Nature of
Things, “The Suzuki Diaries”, in which David and his youngest daughter
travel across Europe in search of successful green energy solutions.
Suzie Vinnick is an award-winning singer, songwriter and musician. A Saskatoon native living in Toronto, Suzie has a gorgeous, powerful voice. She always performs with a sweet mixture of engaging candidness and unparalleled musicianship on her bass/guitar. She was nominated for a 2009 JUNO in the Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo category for her 3rd album, Happy Here. For the third year, she has received the Canadian Maple Blues Female Vocalist of the Year Award (2009, 2008, 2006). In 2006, she received Bassist of the Year and shared Songwriter of the Year with Rick Fines for their Nothing Halfway cd. She has toured across Canada with Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe, and has performed for Canadian Peacekeepers in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. She contineus to sing with Rick Fines, and is also a member of the groups The Marigolds (with Caitlin Hanford and Gwen Swick), Betty & the Bobs, and the folk-pop trio Vinnick Sheppard Harte.
January 31/10 ~ Reggie & Kim Harris, Jenny Whiteley, Dan Whiteley & Ben Whiteley
Reggie and Kim Harris are fantastic singers, wonderful people and two of the most knowledgeable folks on the entire history of African American spiritual/political music from the Underground Railroad, spirituals right through to civil rights. They have motivated, entertained and inspired audiences for more than 25 years across the US and throughout the world. Interactive, thought provoking and engaging, this husband and wife duo offer audiences a chance to sing, laugh, reflect and enjoy all the best aspects of life, love, diversity and regard for others. Through songs and narrative they touch on the importance of team building as a means to make our work, communities and lives more productive. New heights of motivation are a given after listening to Kim and Reggie. In historical and contemporary stories of working together in the quest for a common goal, Reggie and Kim reveal the hope, power and triumph shared when people attain success together. Audience participation is an important part of their motivating and compelling message.
Jenny Whiteley (Ken's niece) is loved equally for her award winning songwriting and her singing. She won serious critical acclaim and glowing reviews for her 2006 release called Dear. This came on the heels of her winning the 2003 Juno for Best Roots & Traditional Recording for Hopetown, and the same Juno in 2000 for her self-titled debut recording. She is currently recording her fourth CD in Vancouver with long-time producer/collaborator Steve Dawson. Ask Jenny about her music and she'll exclaim, “Nothing makes me happier. I have had the chance to perform all over North America at many venues and festivals, and have shared the stage with countless wonderful musicians and some of my heroes. I also get the chance to make music with my family all the time! I am a lucky girl!" And we are too.
Mandolinist and guitarist Dan Whiteley (Ken's nephew) ranks among the most
compelling and exciting performers of contemporary acoustic music on
the Canadian music scene today. His professional musical résumé began
as a "junior" member of his father Chris and uncle Ken's Junior Jug Band. With his sister Jenny too, the Junior Jug Band earned Dan his first Juno nomination and a gold record at the age of eight. It wasn't long before Dan began to fall in love with bluegrass, and his hard-driving mandolin playing became a force behind Heartbreak Hill (a Toronto based band with his sister Jenny). Their self-titled recording was nominated for a Juno Award in 1998 for best Roots and Traditional album.
Dan’s ability to make the transition from the blues to bluegrass, from
country to swing with such ease and musical honesty has led to credits
on over fifty recordings and subsequent concert tours with alt-country
singer Luther Wright, songwriter Amy Millan and his bluegrass band Leavin’ Train.