Less than week to go before the Cats play at the Black Swan (July 30, 2016 — 9:30 PM in case you missed earlier notices). Due to last minutes changes in tour and local show commitments, both Paul Brennan AND Jace Traz are unavailable to drum for the Cats this weekend, or the next show in August.

“Well, what can a poor boy do?” to quote Mick Jagger.

Enter connections, the lifeline of all musicians. Thanks to NEMO, we have the awesome Greg Anzelc subbing in for the next two shows. Greg and NEMO have worked together with Carlos Morgan and the Flow. If you want to check them out, they have a residency at Alley Kats (coincidence?) at Yonge and Erskine, just north of Eglinton.

Greg is a highly in-demand sideman in Toronto music scene due to his versatility and skill, and I feel lucky to have him for these gigs. You can catch some videos of him on Youtube and appreciate his versatility (soul, funk, pop, blues, and more) but the best way to judge is to see for yourself by making it down to the show this coming Saturday. I think you’ll be in for a treat!

Being off during the summer has afforded me the chance to not only go to shows and connect with musicians, but in some cases reconnect, as was the case last night at the Linsmore Tavern.

Headlining there to a small but enthusiastic crowd was the Gary Kendall Band. This top-notch band — Gary on bass and vocals, Teddy Leonard on guitar, Shakey Dagenais on keyboards and Tyler Burgess on drums, pumped out the blues like it’s supposed to be done, tight and gritty. Just google their pedigree, starting with the legendary Downchild Blues Band.

Gary, Teddy and I all worked at Yorkville Sound in the mid-eighties, so it was great to catch up on what happened since we left. The thing that struck a chord (ha!) was Gary telling me about when he started feeling the pressure on his day job at Yorkville following the success of the Kendall Wall Band during its residency at the Black Swan.

And so we have come full circle. It’s a small world!

But I wouldn’t want to paint it.