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.

**

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).

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because I am interested in learning how to dance; I need all the help I can get. I will be enrolling for classes next month — learning various dance genres — in an effort to stay in shape and yes, learn to move. I will trying out ballet, hip hop, jazz, salsa and whatever else suits my fancy. When I was a kid, I used to dream about being a dancer, but never really pursued it. I took tap during my early teen years, but stopped since the dance school had shut down.

I have always been enraptured with great dancers and dance movies. I have seen Saturday Night Fevertoo many times to remember, just to watch John Travolta strut his stuff, albeit to disco. I also love Flashdance, but was sort of disappointed when I heard that Jennifer Beal did not dance her famous dance audition scene. I’ve also loved the dance moves of Fred Astaire, Gregory Hines, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson and Madonna – I don’t know a lot of the new dancers, but will be keeping track of them now.

My father is a great dancer, so was my grandfather - he won many competitions as an amateur ballroom dancer, particularly in waltz and the foxtrot. My dad still jitterbugs to jive - a form of swing - and also ballroom. My parents used to try to get me to dance, but I just never had the moves. Well, I am going to try this time! My mum is a good dancer as well, so I hope some of their swinging hips rub off on me.

So, looking to take dance class, check out these links below:

www.torontodance.com
www.torontodance.ca
www.torontodancesalsa.ca
www.schooloftdt.org
www.dance-classes.ca
www.afrolatinodc.com
www.shawnbyfield.com
www.rhythmandmotion.ca
www.masmambo.com
www.discoverbellydance.com/about.htm
www.arabesquedance.ca
www.arteflamenco.com/about.shtml
www.streetdanceacademy.com

**
Anyway, just thought I would add this tidbit as well. A Montreal-raised woman who was at the John Lennon-Yoko Ono “bed-in for peace” received $840,000 (Cdn.) last Friday, for handwritten lyrics to Lennon’s Give Peace a Chance. The auction was held at Christie’s in London, England.

Gail Renard, who was 16-years-old at the time, had obtained the memento from Lennon himself during the peace demonstration at Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel in May 1969. She had sneaked into the room with her classmate by the fire escape, under the nose of a security guard. Lennon jotted down the lyrics on a piece on cardboard with a black marker and then recorded the tune during the eight-day demonstration for peace.

Although, I wouldn’t have sold such a memento, I can understand why she did. Something like that should belong in a museum or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Beatles will never lose their grip on the music scene - their influence in music and history still resonates today.

If you’re ever in NYC, stop by Strawberry Fields in Central Park - where a tribute to Lennon exists every day. The site is adorned with roses, fans strumming guitars and singing, meditating, etc. Too bad Café la Fortuna, the coffee place that Lennon-Ono used to frequent, near their Dakota home closed this year - it was a great place to hang out and feel the Lennon vibe. I had the chance to have cheesecake and a root-beer float there two years ago — and even though I was too busy inhaling them, I did feel the vibe.

One of the reasons I an a fan of Quentin’s Tarantino’s Kill Bill series was his use of black-and-white imagery. I am not a film expert or critic by any means - there are some movies that I like, which would make a film critic gasp, but I am drawn to certain films and that’s that.

Some of the black-and-white films I’ve seen over and over again are: Roman Holiday, Casablanca, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Philadelphia Story, Arsenic and Old Lace and To Kill a Mockingbird, to name some.

But, so many movies have come since then - a list too long to summarize in this column, but certain ones — both black and white and in colour – stand out in my mind. From Here to Eternity, An Affair to Remember, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Baby Boom, When Harry Met Sally, Mystic Pizza, Chasing Amy, Say Anything, Batman, Goodfellas and Benny & Joon and Ocean’s 11, to name a few.

So what are some of your favourite films — black-and-white films, or in colour?

Speaking of making old things new again, the BBC released an archived interview with John Lennon and Paul McCartney talking about their songwriting process. I can’t wait to listen to the entire interview, being the devout Beatles fan that I am. The most famous and successful pairing in music history is brought back to life, even if for a mere moment. 

I’m hoping that will be one of the topics talked about in the book by Jake Brown, Heart: In the Studio. The book promises to offer fans a “backstage pass” to the writing and recording of Heart’s hit singles and albums, as well as interviews with the Wilson sisters and other band members. It will be added to my reading list, no doubt!

But, classic rock is not my sole indulgence. I’m mad about jazz too! The TD-Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival will ’straighten up and fly right’- I had to use it - from June 19-29, with a special event on July 1. ‘It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing’ … okay, that’s the last of my cliché references to jazz! But, truly both great jazz tunes, sung by various artists over the years.

I am hoping to score tickets to the Al Green concert on June 19, but I may be a little late. If not, I’ll just pop into local venues around town over the festival and sample its offerings. I covered the festival for the Web last year, mainly a preview and then profiles of some artists during the festival - Chris Botti, Lina Allemano and Eliana Cuevas, to name three.

On a completely different note, I so wanted to watch the new CBC show, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, which debuted Sunday night. It’s based on the BBC series by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian - the same producers have teamed up with Mirvish Productions to bring The Sound of Music to the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto this fall. It’s about time that Canadian music reality shows venture beyond the now stale Canadian Idol.

Bathroom Divas on Bravo is another great series, featuring those opera star wannabes who have dreamed of performing with an orchestra, in front of a packed concert hall. The second season ended last year, so I am hoping another one is in the works. I think the show offered insight into the grueling and unappreciated form of music. Most people think that opera is boring or uptight, but it’s actually passionate and raw - especially the arias.

Last, but not least, I am looking forward to the release of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends on June 17. I haven’t really listen to any clips yet from CDUniverse or Amazon, since I want to be surprised. RollingStone magazine gave it 3.5 stars out of 5, which is quite good, so I’m optimistic.

On another note, I got a comment from a reader last week asking my thoughts on the Sex and the City movie as a fan. I saw the movie on Friday, the day it opened. I can’t believe my friends and I got tickets, considering it was already sold out at other theatres the day before. Anyway, I was quiet for a week, since I was waiting for a co-worker to see the flick - she didn’t want to read or see any reviews of the movie, until she saw it. But, now that she’s seen it, all is fair in love and Sex.

For those Sex fans who still haven’t seen it, but plan to, I won’t be revealing much, in terms of spoilers, so not to worry. First off, I went into the movie as a Sex fan, but without the high expectations most people have when they see a highly anticipated movie. I also didn’t go to see the movie as a film buff or critic, waiting to dissect a movie’s flaws, such as character, script, production, direction, etc. - what would be the fun in that? I went into it simply as a fan of the TV show. And well, I loved it! As my co-worker put it, “I laughed and cried throughout.” As did I, as did I.

I went to see it at the Rainbow Cinemas in a theatre that only seated 100 people. It was an intimate gathering of Sex fans and their friends. You could hear bouts of laughter and silent sobs at various scenes. I know, you’re probably thinking, what’s there to cry about? Well, see it, and you’ll find out. You have to also think about this way: The six-year series ended much quicker than most shows do, so fans couldn’t wait to see what their favourite gals were up to after three years. The emotions were a catharsis of sorts, pent up after three years of waiting and hoping for the movie to be made. And, with the series, each half-hour episode led you wanting more and more Sex, so the prospect of two hours was so appealing!

The series ended on a high note - fans still wanted more Sex, and well, let’s just say that with this movie, they got it! While the movie stayed true to the heart of the series, I wasn’t fond of some differences. First, I didn’t like having the designer brand names thrown in my face during the movie. There was more of a subtlety with the series. The music was not as original and unique as with the series. I also saw less of New York City - its people, streets, cafes, restaurants, and architecture, etc., since the movie shifted to Los Angeles at times and to Mexico. There also seemed to be less of Carrie’s narration during the movie.

But, in all honestly, those differences didn’t phase my opinion of the movie. And while I heard some criticism of how old Carrie — a.k.a. Sarah Jessica Parker — seemed in the movie, or distaste for her outrageous outfits and wild hair, I thought see looked great, as usual. I’ve always admired Carrie’s signature carefree personality, funky wardrobe, wavy hair and big style.

So, if you go to see the movie, don’t view it from a film critic’s perspective - just go to the movie for the sake of having fun, for goodness sakes, and you’ll enjoy it. In the end, I got “carried” away with Sex.  Honest.

This year, there’ll be more dance and theatrical exhibits, with a mix of art installations and interactive displays. I remember walking down the lakefront during Luminato’s wrap-up free festivities last year, after taking the L’Art boat cruise that roamed adrift of the Harbourfront area, and was intrigued by these cut-off trailers with arts installations inside. People had to walk into them, one or two at a time, and stare into the abyss, figuratively. Freaky cool. Propped in the middle of Harbourfront was a Mardi Gras party - part of Carnivalissima - I still have my purple beads from that night.

The people I went with, including me, all thought we were in “bizarro world” or something, at “the nexus of the universe” - to use some Superman and Seinfeld lingo - a riddle wrapped up around a mystery. It was a mysterious night for sure and we had a hoot, even though it was damp and rainy. There’s nothing like venturing around the city in the rain, everything seems to look so different. Just be sure to carry a sweater, since the cool lakefront air could leave you wanting to run inside for warmth, and what would be the point in that?

So, are you planning to check out Luminato this year? Did you last year? Feel free to share your Luminato stories here.

**
I never had a chance to comment on last week’s Rolling Stonemagazine’s list of the best 100 guitar rock songs of all time. Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode was ranked as number, with good reason. Do you agree with it? I do - it was one of those songs that just had the punch and rhythm to get you off your feel and practice some air guitar! It was one the first songs I listened to as a kid that got me hooked to rock ‘n’ roll.

Of course, the list wouldn’t be complete without some Beatles tunes, Led Zep, Jimi, Elvis, the Who, Queen, Clapton, Springsteen, U2, AC/DC, etc. I was surprised to see Prince’s Purple Rain on the list of guitar rock songs, but who doesn’t love Prince? He should be on every “best of” list! To check out the Rolling Stone article, click here.

 **

On Monday, I will have my take on the Sex and the City movie — I’ve just been waiting for a colleague (That’s me! And I’m seeing it tonight, pre-purchased tickets!!! — Ed.) to finish seeing it, who doesn’t want to read or hear anything about the movie until she’s seen it. She’s a Sex fan too — who can blame her? All I’ll say is that if you go to see the movie as a fan, without any pre-conceived expectations, then you’ll enjoy it for sure!

The show did not set fashion trends, in my opinion, but rather, created pieces of fashion art with each item of clothing, shoe, accessory, etc., and styles unique to each character. A trend is just a phase that is soon forgotten, but who can forget what Carrie wore and when? What she wore became immortalized in the fashion hall of fame. I am sure the movie will have the same impact. I can’t wait to see it!

There was also great music featured in Sex and the City, from lesser-known artists to well-known ones as well. HBO’s website has a list of music featured on each episode since season four. Carrie also happened to date a musician, who introduced her to jazz, and of course, visual artist Aleksandr Petrovsky, who she leaves for Big in the series finale.

I love NYC, so I was thrilled each week to see what “New York” restaurant, event, music club, café, etc. would be featured each week. I even went to couple when I was there, in particular Magnolia Bakery! Scenes of NYC’s architecture, old and new and its museums, from MoMA to the Met, also drew my attention.

I just read a comment written by a priest in a Toronto newspaper who dissected the show excessively, criticizing the four women’s “adolescent” behaviour and the “emptiness” of the show. But, come one, what we loved about the television series was that the women didn’t take themselves so seriously. But more so, the fact that the women relied on each when things were in the pits — these were the relationships they came to depend on in the end, so that’s hardly empty or adolescent.

So, here’s to Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte - the gals of Sex and the City who lived live large and to the fullest. And now…I sip my Cosmo.

If I had lived through the band’s peak years, I’d no doubt be a crazed disciple - although I would rather be the teen in Almost Famous, who follows a band on their tour for a feature story in RollingStone magazine. Tickets to the show will most likely be hard to come by, but I’ve been waiting for this moment since the first time I heard a Led Zep tune as a pre-teen. I was hooked from the first coda.

But, this may be just a dream on everyone’s part. The National Post, The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star talked to concert promoters and a spokesperson at the Rogers Centre, who suggested this was not the case, although they wouldn’t rule anything out. So is this just a dazed and confused fantasy on our parts? Or a communication breakdown? Let me know your thoughts.

After the band reunited for a one-time concert at London, England’s O2 arena in December 2007, fans and the media have been drooling over the possibility of a tour. I know I have. Those who saw the band perform before their break up in 1980, they’d relieve the good times, bad times of their past through the music. Others like me - who was only two-years-old in 1980 - would be able to witness rock royalty.

**
While we wait in anticipation of possible tour dates in Toronto, there are a few things to do in the city this weekend and into early next week that will engage your interest:

Doors Open: This ninth annual event opens doors to architecture, history and culture in the city.
www.toronto.ca/doorsopen

Green Toronto Festival: The city’s annual mayhem of all things green, for two days only - May 23-24.
www.toronto.ca/greentorontofestival

Streetsville Arts Collective: Over 85 artists will be on-hand at the first annual two-week Streetsville Arts Fest. Opening night is on May 23.
www.streetsvillearts.com/artsfest.html

De Colores Festival of New Works: On May 25-26, explore works by Latin-Canadian/American playwrights.
www.alamedatheatre.com/decolores.htm

Okay, so I can’t get enough of books on musicians and music. But, I also drown my thoughts in classic literature, books on the Elizabethan reign, mystery novels, first-person journalism, etc. I used to read a lot of fiction, but have been on a non-fiction path over the past couple of years — not self-help or celebrity biographies - but anything on history, war, stories on heroic struggles, and so on.

I am completely enraptured by the book I am reading now, the biography of Led Zeppelin — one of my favourite bands. It’s not just a regular bio of who did what and when, but a fascinating tale filled with scrumptious details and musical notes. I like biographies that are interwoven with stories, anecdotes and dialogue, such as Bob Dylan’s Chronicles Volume I, which also has some riveting time shifts — no doubt Dylan is great writer.

Is there a biography you’ve read that you enjoyed, or maybe one you want to read? What other books are on your read and readings lists? Let me share some of my other favourite reads:

-The Face of War, by Martha Gelhorn
-The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup, by Susan Orlean
-The Hours, by Michael Cunningham
-Iran Awakening, by Shirin Ebadi
-The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence
-The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
-Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
-All the President’s Men, by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

They are a couple of books on my to-read list: Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, Best American Travel Writing, by various authors, and I’m sure more will be added on. Lately, I’ve become interested in books on Arthurian legends and medieval history. If you have suggestions for possible reads, please do send them my way.

If you’re looking for next reads and book events, check out these sites:

-Chapters-Indigo community zone

-Toronto Public Library book:
Events
Recommendations

-TorontoOnline.org (by the Toronto Arts Council)

-New York Times book lists

-The Globe and Mail book lists

If you’re staying in town, the city has an array of music, theatre, gallery and literary offerings that will tickle your creative palate. In the mood for a day trip, the Stratford Festival may be an option. But, even venturing down to your neighbourhood watering hole, coffeehouse or bookstore might offer up some pleasers as well.

For those eager cottage-trekkers, a song or two around a campfire can bring out artsy side in just about anyone, even if there is no one plays the guitar. Although this may sound corny, try out your silent acting skills with a little charades. Check out the nearby town as well or any local arts events as well.

If you have an arts event that people should check out this long weekend, please feel free share!

**

So, if you’re staying in the city, below are just a few of the possible escapades:

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-Drake Hotel-

In Support of Living + Picturesound - electro/indie group, In Support of Living, perform soundscapes that evoke emotive music. Picturesound draw on inspiration from Brit pop of the mid-’90s, the mod ’60s and other pop sounds to create melodic music.

Get Riddim — Get connected with the roots of urban music, as Get Riddim’ DJs spin reggae, dub, and favourites.

For more go to: www.thedrakehotel.ca/events

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-Gladstone Hotel-

I am Elvis Exhibition - the collection features intimate portraits of Elvis impersonators who were part of the 2007 Collingwood Elvis Festival.

Exposed: Depictions, Discoverines, Discussions and Debate - the exhibit features the work of 39 contemporary photographers who focus on personal or social history, as well as personal and collective memory.
 
For more, go to:

www.gladstonehotel.com/events

www.gladstonehotel.com/exhibitions.cfm

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-Royal Ontario Museum-

The Black Star Sapphire of Queensland - the largest sapphires in the world will be on display, as well as a six-point black star sapphire.

Early Typewriters - the exhibit will showcase 20 antique typewriters and their unique designs.

For more go to: www.rom.on.ca/exhibitions/current.php

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-The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar-

If you’re in the mood for all that jazz, head down to the Rex, where the Dave Young Quintet, Abbey’s Meltdown Gypsy-Swing Jazz, the Laura Hubert Band and the New Excelsior Traditional Dixieland Band, among others, will dazzle the stage.

For more go to: www.jazzintoronto.com

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-Toronto Hispano-American Film Festival-

Indulge in some Hispanic-American cinema, at Canada’s well-known and longest-running Spanish language film festival, which will feature film dramas, comedies, and documentaries.
 
For more go to: www.thaff.com