Toronto next week OR In and out of the Big Smoke

**Damon Rondeau** · #1 04-11-2007, 04:09 PM

TB'ers, I've got a request similar to Ed's. I'm in Toronto next week for a business meeting and I'll have Wednesday night (late) to amuse myself. In fairly recent years I'd just walk from the hotel over to Top of The Senator to catch some great tunes -- a few years back I caught George Mraz this way. But I understand the Senator's outta action. So here's the question -- what's happening downtown jazz-wise on a Wednesday night? (That's Wednesday the 18th if you wanna get specific.) Doesn't even have to be jazz, come to think of it...

Aaron Saunders · #2 04-13-2007, 03:15 PM

Hey hey,

You're looking at either the Rex or the Courthouse. The Rex is...well, everybody who goes to Toronto goes to the Rex man. You've probably been there. That night is the Brandi Disterheft Trio (really great local basssist) followed by Jim Hillman's "Merlin Factor" out of Montreal. Two of the guys playing in this -- Dave Restivo and Rich Brown -- are absolute monsters. This'd be a great night. www.therex.ca Unfortunately, as you'll see below, it's pretty much your only option...

The Courthouse is a new one, somewhere downtown -- it's an expensive place too. Pretty good acts I understand 6 nights a week, but you aren't gonna get a $5 pint there that's for damn sure. Unfortunately it's closed for a private party the night you're here. http://www.liveatcourthouse.com/

There's also Trane Studio, which normally has pretty good music on. Strangely enough, I see they're hosting a book launch that night?

Maybe this is something you're interested in. http://www.tranestudio.com/

Other than that, there's always the venues El Mocambo, the Cameron House, Kool Haus...mostly not jazz though. If you're up for comedy, Yuk-Yuk's might not be a bad idea.

Aaron Saunders · #3 04-13-2007, 03:18 PM

PS: The Top O' The Senator isn't the only one to go recently. The Montreal Bistro closed last year, and sometime around November or so the Red Guitar off of Bathurst closed as well. It's been a pretty shaky scene for a while :/.

**Damon Rondeau** · #4 04-13-2007, 04:38 PM

Aaron, you da man! Thanks a bunch...

Aaron Saunders · #5 04-25-2007, 10:19 PM

Hey Damon, how was the visit?

**Damon Rondeau** · #6 04-26-2007, 07:54 AM

Aaron, it turned out to be an old man's business trip: cabs, airplanes, hotel rooms, meeting rooms. That's it.

Didn't get into my room till about 10:30 pm -- the schedule was to meet all the next day and fly out around 6 pm. The problem was the day I had in the Peg on day 1 -- did a gig over lunch, did a major executive presentation in the afternoon, raced to the airport for supper, flew to the Smoke and found myself wondering at 10:30 if I had enough gas to go The Rex (I was at the Delta Chelsea, not far.) Turned out I didn't. I ordered the room service club house sandwich and watched an episode of The Sopranos on my laptop.

Business travel often sucks bigtime. I always say "well, at least I'll get a nice steak on the company dime and maybe catch some good tunes." In this case it was rush, rush, rush, eating airport food and room service.

I could see from my hotel room there's some kind of huge thing being built where The Senator used to be...

Thanks for the research, though, Aaron. If I was just a little less beat I would have been at The Rex in a flash.