March 1 TORONTO NUFUNK PRES. BONOBO

[hipsterave]

SATURDAY, MARCH 1st

NUFUNK CONCERTS : YOUR ONE STOP FUNK SOURCE ! CHECK OUT TORONTO's TOP CONCERTS, FESTIVALS & EVENTS presents...

GALA NUFUNK FESTIVAL FINALE

BONOBO (NINJA TUNE) - DJ Set

ELIZABETH SHEPERD

& MEDICINEMAN (CIUT 89.5 FM)


REVIVAL (783 College St.)
Revival Bar Home Page
$20 Adv. ($18 + service charges) $25 at the door
Doors 9 PM SHOW 10PM– 4 AM
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NuFunk.ca is STOKED to bring Simon "Bonobo" Green to Toronto to help close off the NuFunk Festival. Bonobo's mixes travel the spectrum from jazzy and funky to ethereal and exotic. His first two albums on the Ninja Tune label received great reviews from fans and critics alike. His most recent release "Days to Come" was voted as the best album of 2006 by BBC dj Giles Peterson and his fans.
http://www.bonobomusic.com
MySpace.com - bonobo - london, UK - www.myspace.com/sibonobo

Setting the scene for Bonobo will be an energetic hometown crew. The beautiful Elizabeth Shepherd has gained acclaim both at home and abroad for her debut album "Start to Move" and the recent "Besides" collection of rarities & remixes (both on DoRight! Records) which have captured the ears of jazz tastemakers around the world including no less than
Gilles Peterson. Elizabeth was nominated for nominated for a Best Vocal Jazz Juno Award in 2007.
Her Trio features her sultry and funky vocal jazz and piano sound backed by the hard-swinging rhythm section of Scott Kemp (bass) and Colin Kingsmore (drums).
MySpace.com - Elizabeth Shepherd - Toronto, CA - Jazz / Soul - www.myspace.com/elizabethshepherd

Richard Martin, aka medicineman, is one of Toronto's most respected global fusion tastemakers. He hosts "No Man's Land", one of the most popular and long-running shows on CIUT 89.5 FM, airing Wednesdays from 12-2 pm. He is also the resident ethnogroovologist for Toronto's premier independent world music presenter Small World Music. Downloads of his show are available at: MySpace.com - medicineman radio - Toronto, CA - www.myspace.com/medicinemanradio

ARTIST BIOS:



Bonobo (Ninja Tune)
www.bonobomusic.com
MySpace.com - bonobo - london, UK - www.myspace.com/sibonobo

It never fails to amaze me how swiftly a moment of fortune can so easily become a noose round the neck. Especially in the oh so fickle world of the music biz. In the case of Bonobo the moment, or perhaps the year, of fortune came when he released his debut album 'Animal Magic', at the precise time that 'chill' was the buzz word on everyone's lips. Never mind the fact that, even on the evidence of those first efforts, he was a truly gifted producer, you can't beat the power of the buzz. As is the way of these things, the buzz became the murmur, and soon became the background hum, as endless chillout comps, ads, and media campaigns swamped the shore of our consciousness.

A young Simon Green (for it is he who is the monkey king) refused to be dragged down by the lazy journalistic prose that labeled him 'chillout' and 'downtempo'. Far from it. He upped the stakes, and indeed, even stuck his neck out, moving from his original label Tru Thoughts to Ninja Tune, and set about taking things to the next level.

Cos it's all about the levels with Bonobo. Not in a techy, studio kinda way, but in the levels of involvement with his music. On the surface there are the organic, pastoral atmospheres, the catchy melodies, the elements that caught people from his first album. You can engage with a Bonobo tune in that way if you wish, and will be well rewarded for it. But it's the deeper, slightly hidden levels that you should investigate, for they bring the greatest prize. It's these elements that he explored on 'Dial M For Monkey', as a greater focus on live instruments, the intricacies of rhythm, the darker shades of the soul, and almost a sleight of hand, that meant that you could be in one mood one minute, and the next you would somewhere different.

'Dial M For Monkey' showed the set of brass balls that Bonobo (like his namesake) had, and these would be tested again as he set about building his live band. He duly found the right musicians, self financing rehearsals, and fine tuning a live show that brought out the elements of his music that had hitherto gone largely unnoticed, as the band swung and rocked their way through shows at Glastonbury, The Big Chill, Jazz Cafe, and internationally exotic settings from Italy to Russia.

He set about building his DJ style in the same way, refusing to conform to the preconceived ideas of a laid back style, and aiming headlong for the dancefloor, with a heavy mixture of hip hop, weighty jazz, broken beats, Latin, funk, and soul, with the occasional cheeky bit of psyche rock and drum and bass thrown in. Just to keep you on yer toes right? Now a DJ of international repute, Bonobo has played all over the world, including playing to huge audiences in the USA and Canada with Amon Tobin, a progress culminating in Ninja Tune asking him to put together a Solid Steel mix album. Bugger the lounge, lets dance.

Now, with the expectations duly dispatched with the good hiding they deserve, the field is wide open for Bonobo to push himself even further, and we await the next album, due late 2005 / early 2006, with our minds well and truly opened to the possibilities.

"Lots of live shit", says Bonobo."Strings, horns, drums and vocals. More energy and a bigger, heavier sound".

Come on then son.



Elizabeth Shepherd
MySpace.com - Elizabeth Shepherd - Toronto, CA - Jazz / Soul - www.myspace.com/elizabethshepherd
Do Right Music - Elizabeth Shepherd

Juno Award Nominated "Vocal Jazz Album of the Year" 2007 for Debut Album 'START TO MOVE'

Voted #3 Jazz Album of the Year 2006 on Gilles Peterson's Worldwide BBC Radio 1 London

Imagine a cold winter night in Toronto, walking past a small jazz club, when you catch through the folds of your scarf the warm deep grooves of a jazz trio playing to an intimate crowd. Welcome to the scene a fresh new sound from singer/songwriter Elizabeth Shepherd.

There are times when something new comes along at once familiar and yet completely original. The album 'Start to Move' from the Elizabeth Shepherd Trio is just that. But what's more she has added her own unique blend of jazz-funk, soul, blues, and samba to the fundamentals of Jazz – improvising a deep driving bass from Scott Kemp, the swinging beat of the drum from Colin Kingsmore, and Elizabeth's playful piano and captivating voice to tie it all together. Recorded over the winter of 2005/2006, you can feel yourself with them, locked away in a small studio, protected from the cold winter night, pushing through track after track for that deep warm sound.

Elizabeth strives to push the boundaries of what is considered conventional jazz to create a sound all her own. Raised by ministers of the Salvation Army, an early exposure to the sounds of the Army Band mixed with her love for house, disco, classical and hip hop, to lay the foundations of a soulful musician. Having trained extensively in conservatories from Alberta to France, and completing a degree in music from McGill University in Montreal, Elizabeth has emerged onto the Toronto jazz scene where she has already established herself as someone to be watched. Playing in some of Toronto's most popular spots, the Rex Hotel, the Montreal Bistro, Supermarket, and the Distillery District, and has grace the stages from around the world including London UK's Jazz Cafe twice within one year!. She has also appeared on numerous 'Live in Session' including Gilles Peterson's Worldwide show on BBC Radio 1 UK, and Matt Galloway's Here And Now show on CBC Radio One Toronto. As far as being a "jazz performer", Elizabeth does not count herself as one to be defined by a particular genre; her music comes straight from the soul, and is more than just what she does, but what she loves.

The album, 'Start to Move' is Elizabeth's debut with Do Right Music, a label which seeks out new talent playing music that is out of the ordinary, and marks the inaugural release of the "Do Jazz" series. Co-produced with Do Right's label boss John Kong, Elizabeth has put together a mix of original tracks and timeless classics. Her lyrics sing to us her struggle to find a place in a dynamic yet crowded jazz scene, as well as drawing on stories of love and life. From the jazz funk of 'Reversed' to the samba beats of 'Melon', the hip hop influenced 'George's Dilemma' and the swinging modal of 'Roots', the Elizabeth Shepherd Trio has given us music that seems effortless in its perfection, displaying her talents and the remarkable chemistry she shares with her band to never compromise her style for those seeking tradition.

"Proper vocal Jazz, a name to watch." Straight No Chaser, UK

"This is hard-bopping jazz that commands you to move." NOW Magazine

"Adding to the worldwide roster of new jazz artists who are bringing something fresh to an old blueprint" DJ Mag, UK

"A contemporary jazz artist who isn't afraid to do her thing." Montreal Mirror

"Refreshing in their lack of artifice....righteous grooves." Exclaim!



MEDICINEMAN (CIUT 89.5FM)
MySpace.com - medicineman radio - Toronto, CA - www.myspace.com/medicinemanradio

Following an extended teaching journey in Europe, Richard Martin aka medicineman staked his tent in the studio of CIUT radio in the heart of downtown Toronto. For the past 8 years, I've hosted NO MAN'S LAND and have earned a reputation among a loyal audience for unique, groove-driven explorations into the evolution of world music & global electronica

From Indo-Arabic dub to Afro-Latin funk, sets flow seamlessly from soothing ancient rhythms and textures through rippling primitive & progressive beats, always challenging cultural boundaries and musical traditions. This style of genre-bending mixology continues to win fans over the airwaves and on dancefloors. NO MAN'S LAND is considered by many to be the top world fusion radio show in Canada

Working closely with a number of clubs and promoters on local and international concerts & parties and through consistent work as an educator, radio producer and DJ, I strive to be instrumental in pushing the world music scene forward, and in exposing the international airwaves to the best emerging & established artists in the scene. That was a serious run-on sentence folks. Nevertheless, the recipe is to diligently seek out the finest independent grooves, hook into the leading music labels and spread a weekly healing dose to the masses. Music is indeed our medicine



NUFUNK CONCERTS : YOUR ONE STOP FUNK SOURCE ! CHECK OUT TORONTO's TOP CONCERTS, FESTIVALS & EVENTS is proud to announce the 1st Annual NuFunk Festival a two-week celebration of the local and international flavours of funk - DJs to Live from organic to electronic.

Highlighting an incredible lineup for the first year of what's sure to become a yearly favourite are:

* International heavies such as: one of the world's greatest jazz guitarists Charlie Hunter and downtempo wizard Bonobo

* Local luminaries including Best Vocal Jazz Juno nominee Elizabeth Shepherd; big-band funk swingers King Sunshine; live improv innovators Chameleon Project; and the classic funk vibes of KC Roberts.

* Favourites from around the country such as Whister, BC's Mat the Alien; and world-groove collective High Plains Drifter

The funk hits the fan with our launch party this coming Friday, February 1 @ The Drake Hotel; and we wrap it up in style Saturday, March 1 at Revival with Bonobo and [b]Elizabeth Shepherd[b]. Check NUFUNK CONCERTS : YOUR ONE STOP FUNK SOURCE ! CHECK OUT TORONTO's TOP CONCERTS, FESTIVALS & EVENTS for more information.