WCRA

Introducing The Sean Stanley Trio to our Live Music in the Park series! This marvellous group play a mix of Jazz, Swing and the Blues. Be prepared to hear the likes of Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Ray Charles as well as some original compositions.

Featuring Juno winner Kyle Tarder-Stoll on the tenor-sax, Gram Whitty on the bass, and Sean Stanley on the keys and vocal.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and take in the show or have a seat at the Amphitheatre. These outdoor events are a great opportunity to enjoy the park as it was meant to be!

The Five and Tens is a diverse instrumental band with music steeped in heavy bass, funk breaks, melodic guitar and ambient keyboards. They fuse their original music with psych soul, funk, hip-hop and jazz. Members of the band are Ray Vidal (guitar), Sean Jackson(Bass), Anthony Vidal(Keyboards) and Nick Vidal (Drums). The Five and Tens enliven the feel of any event with stylish creativity and warm feelings of the familiar, blended tastefully while featuring virtuoso musicianship to create a delightfully engaged atmosphere, that elevates any occasion.

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Kings of Our Kin

Powerful vocals, atmospheric guitars, melodic bass lines, and dynamic drumming come together effortlessly in Kings of Our Kin. Known for their engaging live shows, the Toronto-based band showcases a signature sound of pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, folk, and more.

Their latest album, "10:45", features the singles Right or Wrong (Closer) and The Middle. 10:45 has received rave reviews in trusted Canadian music press such as DOMINIONATED and Canadian Beats.

Kings of Our Kin are pleased to be performing acoustic renditions of their original catalogue with stripped-down instrumentation for an intimate musical experience as part of the Willowdale Concert in the Park Series!

2023 ALGM award winner, Wayling James create and perform high energy, original feel good music and cover all genres from R&B and Reggae to Blues and Classic Rock. Their Soul intent is to fully entertain their audience, get people dancing and connect on a personal level with everyone who attend their performances.

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Eunice Keitan is a Malaysian/Canadian singer-songwriter whose music reflects her diverse international background and eclectic influences. With a captivating blend of Neo-Soul and World Folk styles, Eunice creates a unique sonic landscape that is both soulful and innovative.

Her latest EP, supported by The Toronto Arts Council, showcases Eunice's talent for reimagining traditional soundscapes in a modern context. Her music has been featured on CBC music, The Toronto Guardian, Exclaim Magazine, Stereofox, Now magazine, and Canadian Beats. Her previous work has also been nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award.

John McMillian

Listening to John play live is like watching someone paint with sound. Broad strokes of light, airy pastels that make you lean back and contemplate the space, defined by darker, urgent, quicksilver accents that make you lean in to pay attention to detail. John achieves such tonal variety in his work, due in part to his use of a variety of instruments, including Harp, Tenor and Baritone guitars, as well as the (Spanish) Laud.

John is comfortable ripping into a face-melting blues solo or blazing on his vintage lap steel, but he is at his essential best when painting the lush soundscapes that one hears in his acoustic Works.

Winner - 2020 International Acoustic Music Awards (Instrumental)

Finalist - 2018 and 2019 International Acoustic Music Awards

Honourable Mention - 2020 USA Songwriters Competition

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MINT

MINT is a groove-based hybrid-guitar (Richard Dao) and drum (Emree Wilson) duo who bring a blend of melodic and rhythmic elements of R&B, soul, hip hop, funk and jazz while adding their individual inspiration to the mix. MINT creates a chill, vibey, head bobbing atmosphere which encompasses dreamy reflection and storytelling.

“David Barrett is the leader of DB3, an instrumental band. Making a success out of an instrumental group is not easy, but David has a knack of writing very memorable progressive rock tunes. He is also blessed with the ability to deliver these tunes in a unique way using his collection of electric and acoustic instruments. Couple this with an impressive collection of amps & effects David manages to colour and texture his compositions with lasting impact. David is a rare combination of imagination, dedication and raw talent.” – Terry Brown, producer.

In 2010, guitarist David Barrett founded the David Barrett Trio, an instrumental progressive rock power trio. DB3 has been produced by Terry Brown, Alex Lifeson, Alan Parsons, and Richard Chycki, and they’ve collaborated with Michael Sadler (Saga), Jacob Moon, and Crown Lands. They’ve shared the stage with Marillion, Carl Palmer, and Saga, and headlined the Canadian Guitar Festival. DB3 is now rocking with Paul DeLong on drums and Scott Matthews on bass and they played their first gig at this years guitar summit. The new record Infinito, produced by Terry Brown, will be released later this year and the boys are really excited about it.

In addition to DB3, DB has released many solo albums, featuring acoustic, electric, classical, mandolin, laud, and steel guitar. DB performs solo concerts and conducts guitar retreats in Canada and Mexico. DB has been featured in international magazines including Guitar Player, Premier Guitar, and Vintage Guitar, and is an endorsing artist for innovative companies such as D’Angelico Guitars, Pigtronix Futuristic Audio Technology, Mack Guitar Amplifiers, and D’Addario Canada. Please tune in to David’s live broadcasts every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on the David Barrett Trio YouTube Channel!

The Evelynne Ross Band are a 3-piece Canadian pop/rock trio from Toronto, Canada. The ban has played together for over 20 years and is the core trio from the full band that was put together to showcase Evelynne Ross for her most recent EP release show in January 2023. Her EP titled Against the Fence; a six song EP was released in December 2022. The band is comprised of multi-talented and well-established professional musicians who have played together and in different bands within the local GTA music scene for well over 20 years. The talented musicians, which include Howard Rabkin on guitar and backing vocals and Henry Lees on backing vocals and percussion come together to bring Evelynne Ross’ original songs to life. Their unique brand of entertainment fuses her memorable hooks with tight harmonies, air tight musicianship and high energy and will make you want to sing along. Evelynne Ross, hailed as a rock luminary by Canadian Beats, writes relatable songs that evoke an emotional response and leave an indelible impression on the listener. She consistently makes fans wherever she plays.

Hailing from Prince Edward County and based in Toronto, Miles Cakebread-Kraus is a 21-year-old guitarist, currently studying in the Humber College Bachelor of Music Program.

A passionate and creative musician, Miles’ music uniquely blends jazz and improvised music with other genres, such as country, folk, and different types of popular music.

He has studied with the likes of Toronto guitarists Trevor Giancola, Jocelyn Gould, and Kim Ratcliffe, as well as renowned Richmond VA saxophonist Charles Owens.

Miles has a unique vision of melody and harmony that brings about captivating and distinctive compositions. He is a creative guitarist and his work is always infused with his passion for music.

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Two-time Mississauga Music Award nominated indie-folk trio Wilson & The Cast Aways share stories in song. Warm vocal harmonies sit atop arrangements built with a variety of acoustic instruments. The trio trade vocal and instrumental duties back and forth as the songs come together; sharing a moment in time, connecting folks. From their original tunes to their unique arrangements of well loved songs, live on stage or on their YouTube channel, the band strives to share stories that ring true, even when they're completely made up.

With two recent home recording projects out on streaming ('Tunes From Our Rooms, Vol. I; At Last We’re Ready For Christmas) a third in the works along with long planned studio projects on the near horizon The Cast Aways eagerly anticipate performing on stages large and small throughout 2023 and beyond.

The event will include a one-night-only presentation of a new choreographic work-in-progress by local dance artists, exploring intercultural relationships between sound and movement across multiple forms of artistic expression. Then, Eunice Keitan and her band will take the stage with their soulful and innovative tunes, animated in physical form by improvised movement duets featuring Common Ground Dance Festival artists. Don’t miss this unique and powerful gathering of creative expression!

Common Ground Dance Festival presented by TOES FOR DANCE is a free, inclusive, participatory celebration of movement and community that includes performances, workshops, and artist chats at Lee Lifeson Art Park and other public spaces around Willowdale. More information and an RSVP link will be available mid-August at: www.toesfordance.ca/common-ground .

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Eunice Keitan is a Malaysian/Canadian singer-songwriter whose music reflects her diverse international background and eclectic influences. With a captivating blend of Neo-Soul and World Folk styles, Eunice creates a unique sonic landscape that is both soulful and innovative.

Her latest EP, supported by The Toronto Arts Council, showcases Eunice's talent for reimagining traditional soundscapes in a modern context. Her music has been featured on CBC music, The Toronto Guardian, Exclaim Magazine, Stereofox, Now magazine, and Canadian Beats. Her previous work has also been nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award.

Pioneering a new age of the singer/songwriter, Toronto Alt-Rock band SOUVENIR is providing a fresh take on the intimacy of acoustic folk music and colliding it head on with the fire and edge of alternative rock. Lyricist and front man Evan Denley channels his heros Dallas Green, Bob Dylan and Neil Young in his unabashed approach to writing and composition, a straight shooter in the most vulnerable way. Sonically,

Souvenir’s palette is a blend of alternative rock, 60s style folk and contemporary country music that serves as the foundation of the band’s earthy, melodic sound. Unpolished and unique, it’s a vibe thats been crafted in rehearsal, at gigs and in studio by Denley, drummer/guitarist Noah Mroueh and bassist Graham Bieri.

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Seu is a Mexican singer-songwriter who currently lives in the city of Toronto. He has been performing around and outside Mexico for the past 5 years, at venues such as festivals, private events, and concerts, and in different countries like Germany, Spain, Ireland, and Canada, reviving the "bolero" genre with contemporary arrangements like reggae, funk, soul, dub, and gipsy jazz.

In recent years, he has been performing in important festivals around Mexico and Canada, such as the Festival Alternativo (MX), the National Cheese and Wine Fair (MX), the Winter Song Music Fest (CA), Markham Village Music Festival (CA) and Bloom Fest (CA), to name a few. His most recent project is the single "La luna y yo”, focused on one of the most important genres of Brazil, bossa nova.