Aboriginal musicians a strong presence in Toronto

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On April 19, the Aboriginal Voices Radio 106.5 FM showcase at Healey's drew a packed house and alerted Torontonians to a few of the many talented Aboriginal musicians currently plying their trade.

Raven Polson and Shoshona Kish opened with their brand of soft folk music. Polson and Kish both played acoustic guitar, with Kish handling lead vocals. Polson, a graduate of Boston's Berklee College of Music, sometimes accompanied Kish's upper-register alto voice with slide guitar, lending the material a tinge of the blues. Both Polson and Kish are competent musicians, but their subdued style and stage presence prevented them from delivering a standout performance.

The second set featured Jani Lauzon and Arthur Renwick. Lauzon, from B.C.'s East Kootenays, and Renwick, a Haisla from Kitimaat, B.C., played original compositions in a folky-funky blues style. Lauzon handled vocals and flute, accompanied by drummer Matthew Shawn Fleming and Renwick on acoustic guitar and dobro.

"The dobro has a warmer sound," Renwick said. "I use my fingers to pluck it, so it's not too high-pitched."

Healey's is a basement venue, but it's not claustrophobic. Owned by musician Jeff Healey, it boasts a spectacular sound system and two distinct spaces. The first has a pool table, couch, comfy chairs, and bright lighting. The second is more intimate, with subdued lighting, tables, and a small stage.

That intimate space was packed for the final two acts.

Singer-songwriter Lucie Idlout delivered a tight set that was described by two audience members as "sizzling" and "fantastic." Idlout, who calls her music "electric chunk folk," played rhythm guitar and sang lead vocals. Her atonal voice isn't very subtle or emotive, but it does have power and strength. Idlout can wail, and she writes material that matches her voice. Live versions of songs such as Big Red Chair, from her first EP, and E5-770 My Mother's Name, the title track of her new CD, highlighted the Inuk singer's darkly poetic lyrics and large voice.

Idlout was accompanied by Trent Carr on lead guitar, Tim White on bass, and Sean Kilbride on drums. Both Carr and White are members of the Toronto band the Headstones, and both contributed immensely to the success of Idlout's set. Carr's blistering guitar solos practically lit the stage on fire.

The last set of the night only fed the flames. Blues guitarist Derek Miller, who won a 2003 Juno Award in the Best Music of Aboriginal Canada category for his album Music Is the Medicine, started his set with a surfy instrumental number. But he proved a musical chameleon, crooning love songs in a smooth tenor voice and ending the night with straight-ahead blues-rock that would satisfy fans of the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin.

Miller, a Mohawk from Six Nations, was joined by Kenny Hoover on bass and Sean Kilbride on drums. Miller and Hoover have been playing together for nine years. They grew up together, and that connection came across loud and clear on stage. These guys are serious musicians, but they were also having a lot of fun.

People might be surprised to find out that Miller-who refuses to reveal his exact age but admits to being in his early 20s-didn't pick up a guitar until he was 14. And that he's never had a guitar lesson.

"I'm completely self-taught," Miller said. "I don't think you can really teach music. You can teach music theory, but not music. I've been blessed with a gift."

He plays Fender Stratocaster and Les Paul guitars now, but his first guitar was a 1966 SG Gibson, which came to him via his friend Jody Hill.

"Jody's grandma had a guitar, and she gave it to Jody. I traded Jody my mountain bike for the guitar. It was a great guitar, and I made a few records with it. But a Strat is more expressive. Now I want colors and tones."

The April 19 showcase was the first in a series of events featuring Aboriginal musicians. "It's a fantastic opportunity," Lauzon said. "It's the beginning of something good."