> CONCERT SAMPLER
Live music highlights from Dec. 10 to 16:
Thursday The Bros. Landreth, “I Am the Fool” No hitch in the giddy-up of this Winnipeg foursome, in the midst of an ascent that locally has them coming off a Rivoli set in the spring into this, their biggest show in Toronto yet. Highlighted by the guitar of Joey Landreth, they’re a tight bunch that roll confidently through the gears, going from a bluesy lope to a fine southern-fried groove. Last year’s LP Let it Lie won them a Juno and recently earned them a nomination for a U.K. Americana Award up against Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson, so they’re keeping pretty good company. (Great Hall, doors 7 p.m.)
Friday Oliver Jones, “Falling in Love” The pianist’s finesse and command of the keyboard is a wonderful thing to hear and see, and given his oftcited roots growing up a few doors away from Oscar Peterson, he’s a natural for this show celebrating Peterson’s life and work and launching the new Oscar, With Love CD on the 90th anniversary of the Canadian jazz legend’s birth. Jones is scheduled to be among the seven pianists taking turns at the Peterson songbook with ace Toronto bass player Dave Young, a veteran who brings experience playing with the trios of both Peterson and Jones. (This one’s a sellout, but not a shutout — it’ll be streamed live at rcmusic.ca/livestream.) (Koerner Hall, 8 p.m.)
Saturday Nicole Dollanganger, “Observatory Mansions” Stouffville native pens compelling tales of desolation on Natural Born Losers, an album that’s started to pop up among Best of 2015 listers, but it’s live where she really does shine — though that might be the wrong descriptive for such glowering, burning stuff. As support for the sparkly Grimes a couple of weeks back, she came out accompanied by a pair of pals from local sludge metal band Acid Priest and set a nice grim table. She’ll try to do something of the same here, warming for headliners Single Mothers, and looks like one to watch in the year ahead and beyond. (Lee’s Palace, doors 9 p.m.)
Sunday The Tallis Scholars, “Magnificat” “A sound world of profound beauty,” says Gramophone of the sacred and austere combination that director Peter Phillips and the 10 voices bring to the hall. As much a celebration of Advent as the big day, the program matches contemporary composer Arvo Part’s spare chorals with English Renaissance masters John Sheppard and Thomas Tallis, from whom the group took its name. At 61 records and more than 2,000 concerts deep in their four-decade career, you could say they’ve lived up to it. (Koerner Hall, 3 p.m.)
Monday Joanna Newsom, “Leaving the City” Under the radar and up in the clouds is where Newsom flies, and for this first appearance here in nearly six years she brings three bandmates along to put on a show built around her fourth LP, Divers.
The record’s drawn well-deserved raves for its baroque turn on pop — it really is quite gorgeous (though don’t expect to find it on iTunes or Spotify, where all that comes up is a Muppets turn).
Jumping off from her folk-based compositions and singing and classical background, she flits between the piano and harp to create sonic minimasterpieces.
Pick of the week, though it’s a sellout so good luck. (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, doors 7 p.m.)
Tuesday Sultans of String, “Auyuittuq Sunrise” Toronto merrymakers draw from a worldly palette built around founding members Chris McKhool on violin and Kevin Laliberté’s guitar (Anwar Khurshid’s sitar won’t be along for this one, unfortunately).
They’re a top bet anytime they play, but this one is as much about venue as band with the Free Times, with its open-mics and Jewish and Middle Eastern musical focus, celebrating its 35th anniversary under the ownership of Judy Perly.
The McKhool-Laliberté pairing and a host of others got their first break at the club.
(Free Times Cafe, dinner 6 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. — reservations recommended at 416-967-1078.)
Wednesday Ian Fletcher Thornley, “Secrets” The Big Wreck frontman is on furlough and dialing it back, with a solo LP out and tour dates that find him chasing a more acoustically inclined muse. “Big Wreck is still very much alive, but I’ve always sort of collected these kind of songs and carried them around like seeds,” he says. In less capable hands it sounds worrisome, but with familiar mates helping out in BW’s Dave McMillan on bass, Blue Rodeo drummer Glenn Milchem and producer Mark Howard to help layer it up, it’s actually quite good. In McMaster’s digital music laboratory, the audience was hooked up to instruments measuring sweat level, heart rate and head-bobs. This place ought to be a snap, then. (Mod Club, doors 7 p.m.)