Not so abstract

Hugh’s Room in Toronto has always been a hub for this city’s musicians; a place to try out new material, play stuff from their current album, share stories and song, play music to an appreciative and cozy audience, and to just play music, without worrying about industry hype.

The mood at Hugh’s is always warm and inviting — one thing everyone in the room has in common is listening to music — jazz, folk, acoustic, singer-songwriter and other music styles. It’s often a place frequented by CD launches, with the artist doing a show and then mingling with the audience.

If you’ve never been to Hugh’s or haven’t been back in a while, you might like to on Thursday, Aug. 21, from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. A bunch of vocalists and musicians will be performing in the Firefly Cabaret, proceeds of which will go to Camp Quality Canada. There will be a silent auction as well.

One of the musicians who will be there, whom I am a fan of, is Lori Cullen — I talked about her on this blog before. But, others — including pianist Tyler Yarema, jazz singer June Garber, Latin music sensation Jorge Luis Rojas, as well as Alex Pangman and Colonel Tom Parker, who will be playing bluegrass and country duets.

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If you are into independent film, check out the premiere of An Independent Mind, co-sponsored by Hot Docs and The Walrus, and presented by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). The film looks at people around the world who have faced oppression and censorship.

The film will be shown at Innis Hall, at the University of Toronto, on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets run between $8-$10 at the door or by calling (416) 515-9622 (x231).