Here’s a list of new music, primarily by new musicians I’ve discovered or by musicians I’ve known for a while. I’ve also included notable musical events.
- 2026-08-25: Dolly Parton died at 80 after a brief cancer battle, confirmed by her publicist. She was married to Carl Dean for nearly 60 years until his death in 2025. Parton founded the Dollywood Foundation and the Imagination Library to promote education and literacy.
- 2026-08-18: Frank Beard, the drummer of ZZ Top, passed away at the age of 77. His death occurred while he was in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas. Beard had been experiencing health problems for over a year before his passing.
- 2026-08-15: Uncle Strut’s concert at the Shipyards was a blast! The energy was positive, and the band was really fun.
- 2026-07-16: Sue Foley performed at the Rio Theatre, accompanied by a
new band and local blues player Steve Kozak jammed on a few songs. It
was a great show, and she looked slimmer and in great shape.
- 2026-07-14: Discovered Guillaume Poncelet (born in 1978, Grenoble, France) is a composer, trumpet and piano player. Music media characterize him as a minimalist neoclassical musician. His music videos blow us away.
- 2026-06-19: Ndidi O concert at West Van Memorial Library, enjoyed the live performance and her funny demeanour.
- 2026-03-29: Black Keys released four live recordings on YouTube six days ago. The pieces are raw and recorded loud. I quite like them, in particular You Got To Lose and She Does It Right.
- 2026-01-25: Julian Lage quietly released a new album, Scenes From Above, on January 23, 2026.
- 2025-12-22: Chris Rea died (aged 74).
- 2025-09-14: We listened on Tuff Radio, La Favourite, a grand opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti, is based on the play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d’Arnaud. It features the romantic struggles of King Alfonso XI and his mistress Leonora against the backdrop of political intrigue in Spain and the life of the Catholic Church. The opera premiered on December 2, 1840, at the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris.
- 2025-09-07: Tuff Radio played Corb Lund’s interpretation of “I Shall Be Released” by Bob Dylan, an excellent rendition.
- August 23, 2025: I listen to a concert pianist Kazuko Clearly, Thomas Cleary’s wife.
- August 16, 2025: We saw a local band called Uncle Strut at the Shipyards. They had good energy and nice videos.
- 2025-05-31: On Friday, we attended a fantastic jazz concert at the West Vancouver Memorial Library. The Vancouver Jazz Orchestra, a group of talented jazz musicians, performed. I was surprised by Vancouver’s talent in jazz music. The lively atmosphere had the audience tapping their feet and clapping along. It was a vibrant evening that left everyone in high spirits.
- 2025-05-26: We went to a Paul Pigat concert last night. It was a great show, and he played a lot of songs from his last record, Plays the Blues Vol 1 (February 28, 2025). The venue was packed, and the energy in the room was electric. Overall, it was an amazing night filled with great music and good vibes!
- 2025-04-25: Brent Cobb: I discovered this musician on the radio; for some reason, he reminded me of Dylan. I was surprised to learn that he was a country artist. I love the way he sings. He has a unique style that I find very appealing. Down In The Gulley.
- 2025-03-14: We attended a West Van Library concert. A wonderful performance by Penderecki String Quartet. Haydn and Brahms were the highlights.
Joseph Haydn
String Quartet in C major, Op. 20, “Sun”, no 2
I. Moderat
Johannes Brahms
String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 67
I. Vivace
II. Andante
Peter Hatch
Tidal Changes (2024)
Claude Debussy
String Quartet G minor Op. 10
II. Assez vif et bien rythmé
IV. Très modéré – En animant peu à peu – Très mouvementé et avec passion- 2025-02-17: Rei, what an incredible performer, see TED NYC and 2025-02-17: Rei
- 2025-01-30: Marianne Faithfull died in London at the age of 78. I’ve been listening to As Tears Go By.
- 2024-12-28: I’m listening to Live at Winterland ’68 by Janis Joplin. This live recording perfectly captures the raw energy Joplin brings to the stage, along with the laid-back vibe of her band.
- 2024-12-17: Jim Hall
- 2024-09-30: Blue Moon Marquee released a new album: New Orleans Sessions. Bought tickets for their concert in West Vancouver (2024-11-02). Paul Pigat is opening the show.
- 2024-09-06: Daryl Chonka. We discovered this talented multi instrumentalist on Saltspring Island.
- 2024-09-11: John Hiatt. I’d never heard this musician, he appeared in Spotify!
- 2024-05-18: The Ballad of Hotspur, an excellent guitar album released in 2024 by Molly Miller Trio.
- 2024-04-28: Blue Moon Marquee, another great band found in 2024.
- 2024-04-15: Paul Desmond
- 2024-03-10: Sue Foley
- 2024-03-09: Julian Lage, Norah Jones, wonderful new music in 2024.
- 2024-03-09: Diyet & the Love Soldiers
- 2024-01-20: Muireann Bradley, her youtube channel and wikipedia page
- 2024-01-01: Eddie 9V
- 2023-11-13: Big Lazy and All About Jazz
- 2023-11-02: Muse
- 2023-11-01: Karsu: I discovered this artist on a plane flying to Istanbul.