Jennifer Gillmor

The new Jennis album is now in the hands of our esteemed mixer, Dean Drouillard. We’ve had some great guests including Oisin Hannigan (bodhran, riq & daf), Tom Wolf (drums & percussion), Chris Dahmer (accordion & organ) and a kick ass lead guitar track by the incomparable Cécile Doo-Kingué. Several songs also benefit from back-up vocals by Shannon Kingsbury and Tannis Slimmon (AKA Shannis).

We have decided to hold off till fall for the official launch. We are learning more about the whole 21st-century marketing game and realize a spring launch would be too rushed, especially with Dennis heading to Costa Rica for the winter and I head to Gibraltar Point Artscape on Toronto Island for a Canada Council funded composing retreat (toward a 2nd solo album!).

We are in discussions publicity and marketing specialists to help us do it right. We are giving it the time and attention it needs and think it will be worth the wait!

Just a quick note to update that Jennis now has cello, didgeridoo, banjitar, resonator guitar and electric guitar parts recorded for 6 songs toward the new album. We’ll be heading to Escarpment Sound at the end of August to lay down 5 more songs. These ones will include Tom Wolf on drum kit and other percussion!

 We are super excited about this weekend — we have 3 shows at the Kitchener Bluesfest! Other than Rik Emmet‘s festival kick-off concert on Thursday night, everything else is FREE! So come have a blast of summer fun with us! We’re rocking things up a bit for part of our Saturday 1:30 main stage appearance. We’ve got the indomitable Tom Wolf drumming with us!

Most exciting for us is that Malian Tuareg band Tinariwen are playing at 5pm on Sunday right after our 4pm set. If you’ve not seen them, believe me, they’re worth a drive to Kitchener!

Saturday, August 11, 1:30pm Downtown BIA Outdoor Stage, 32 King St E
Saturday, August 11, 11pm B @ The Museum, 10 King St W
Sunday, August 12, 4pm (with Blackcat Bone) Bobby O”Brien’s, 125 King St W

It’s official! I’ve just signed the contract to secure one of the composer studios at Artscape Gibraltar Point on Toronto Island. I’ll be there from January to the end of March 2019, exploring themes relating to my “urban-rural halfbreed” identity with a large palette of sounds. What better place for such investigations where the beauty of nature nestles up to Canada’s largest city!

I am honoured, grateful and even a bit sheepish to announce that I have been invited yet again to be the musician to play the Saturday night event at this year’s Ontario Regional Contact Jam! I can’t say I ever have more fun than when dialoguing with dancers using my wide array of sounds. The gorgeous studio at the National Ballet School makes it doubly delicious!

I am off to Gibraltar Point on Toronto Island today to look at one of the composer’s studios. This is a step toward a retreat next winter to compose and record a second solo album. I’m itching to delve deep into creation and explore the theme of my “urban-rural half-breed” identity. Now that I have the experiment of the first solo album under my belt, I am ready to make a better one!

Saturday, December 16, 2017

A creative community gathering to acknowledge and celebrate the turning of the seasons. Connecting our urban feet mindfully to the natural forces that influence us at the solstices and equinoxes. Joining our voices, hearts and minds in a safe, sacred space to soulfully meditate, move and play

This ecstatic dance event that celebrates each season with DJ Michael P and me. I’ll be playing cello, didge, flute, and who knows what else, solo and with Michael. He and I are cooking up ideas as to how we can interactively honour the sun’s station in Sagittarius and the element of WATER.

Join us as we creatively acknowledge our connection to nature, even in the big city. We’ll enjoy 2 hours of dancing followed by some social time at beautiful Temple 23  in Liberty Village, Toronto. This groovy venue is one of the last of its kind in Toronto. Sadly, this will be the last opportunity to enjoy dancing there before it falls to the developer’s axe in 2018.

A barefoot, alcohol-free, non-verbal dance event.

An ecstatic dance event that celebrates each quarter season with DJ Michael P and me. I’ll be playing cello, didge, flute, and who knows what else, solo and with Michael. He and I are cooking up ideas as to how we can interactively honour Gemini’s ruling element of AIR and the FIRE of Summer Solstice.

Get ready for a facilitated breath rhythm jam and more, as well as over 2 hours of dancing followed by some social time at beautiful Temple 23  in Liberty Village, Toronto. This groovy venue is one of the last of its kind in Toronto. We’ll have the Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice editions of Solar Rhythms there before it falls to the developer’s axe in 2018.
Tickets and further info: Solar Rhythms.

The 2nd Western-Canada Tour for Jennis is all sewn up!

Sat, Jul 29 The Foundry, Thunder Bay, ON
Wed, Aug 2 House Concert, Calgary, AB
Thu, Aug 3 The Hive, Canoe, BC (Salmon Arm)
Fri, Aug 4 House Concert, Bowen Island, BC
Sat, Aug 5 Stoney Pocket Music Festival, Pender Island, BC
Sun, Aug 6 Treehouse Café, Salt Spring Island, BC
Thu, Aug 10 House Concert, Smithers, BC
Aug 11-13 Robson Valley Festival, Dunster, BC
Wed, Aug 16 House Concert, Saskatoon, SK
Fri, Aug 18 Ship & Plough, Gimli, MB
Sat, Aug 19 The Foundry, Thunder Bay, ON

It’s official. I’ll be the musician for the Saturday night dance at this largest contact jam in North America on April 15th! This is one of my favourite creative opportunities as it allows me the pleasure of making big sound in a beautiful room as my eyes and heart take in the sight of a few hundred passionate dancers busting loose in front of me. Amazing! More info: http://contactimprov.ca/on/ontario/2017/