On April 26, the Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society presents Juno-nominated Newfoundland folk band Rum Ragged for a show that promises to lift your spirits with a contemporary take on traditional East Coast music.

This past weekend, the Thunder Bay Blues Society presented Blues House Party 6 at the Da Vinci Centre with performances by Brother John Trio, James Boraski Trio, K.T. and the Rhythm Aces, Dr. Buck and the Bluesbangers, and Rev and the Vintage Sinners.

Are Beyoncé, Jelly Roll and Post Malone country? This was the seed of the idea that led me to writing this column. Beyonce—Queen B, perhaps the most famous performer in the world—is known for her soul, R&B, and hip hop music, while Jelly Roll and Post Malone are both American singers best known for their hip hop, rap, and R&B offerings. So the question is can a hip hop artist make a country album? Or even a rock or pop singer for that matter? And what makes country music country? Is it that sound of a fiddle, or steel guitar? A twang in your voice? Or where you were born?

Matt Sellick is a flamenco guitar virtuoso, composer, and performer. How did someone from Thunder Bay discover this passionate and intricate art form? We were lucky to have Sellick join us in the studio at Blueprints while in town for a live concert recording with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. We talk dreams coming true and more. 

Once Darren Foley picked up the guitar, he never put it down. Since the age of 15, he's been writing, playing, and performing music of different genres with multiple bands and as a solo artist. He’s toured across Canada, but his latest collaborative project, recorded with his band the Luminescence,  self-titled Darren Foley and the Luminescence, was recorded very close to home—in Albert’s Workshop, his home recording studio.