Following the success of their sold-out encore collaboration with jazz songstress Madeleine Peyroux, Art of Time Ensemble takes on the music of a legendary songwriter in Magic and Loss: A Tribute to Lou Reed. Canadian pop and rock stars will perform a broad sampling of Lou Reed's music, backed by peers from the jazz and classical world at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre (231 Queen's Quay W.) this weekend, Feb. 27 and 28.
Among the performers are long-standing Art of Time collaborators
Sarah Slean and
John Southworth, with singers
Tom Wilson, Shakura S'Aida and Jessica Leung making their Art of Time debut. Margo and Michael Timmins (members of the 2015 Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame inductee, The Cowboy Junkies) round out a stellar line-up of Canadian talent.
Throughout a long career, from recordings with his band The Velvet
Underground to work as a solo artist, Reed has influenced music of all genres. In Magic and Loss, Art of Time's artistic director Andrew Burashko has programmed a diverse retrospective of Reed's discography, assembling a set list that goes beyond the obvious choices and reflects the varied nature of Reed's work.
"When I first encountered
Lou Reed as a teenager, I really admired his disregard for the path well-traveled. He was never one to follow a trend, always one to set it. I have such respect for his unwillingness to compromise as an artist; he embodied integrity," said Burashko. "In Magic and Loss I've created a program that strives to show as many facets of Reed as possible, and paired the songs with performers who embody the songs' spirit."
In Magic and Loss, Art of Time's penchant for making well-known music feel surprising and new will be in full effect. Burashko has employed the talents of several Canadian composers to create original arrangements of Reed's work for an ensemble of top musicians from jazz and classical backgrounds. In addition to the re-imagined tunes, each performer will share a solo that stays true to Reed's original sound. This includes Margo and Michael Timmins' rendition of Sweet Jane. Originally written by Reed for The Velvet Underground, their cover of the song propelled the siblings (and The Cowboy Junkies) to Canadian stardom.
Magic and Loss: A Tribute to
Lou Reed will be on stage for two nights only at the
Harbourfront Centre Theatre (formerly the Enwave Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West). Tickets from $25 to $59 are available online at
artoftimeensemble.com, by phone at
416.973.4000 or in-person at the
Harbourfront Centre box office.
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