Jason Bajada might soon be adding the likes of Tom Waits and Brian Wilson to his fan club; the Montrealer made the finals of the potentially lucrative International Songwriting Competition, being judged by a blue-ribbon panel. Hear one of the city's most underrated singer-songwriters channel the ghost of Elliott Smith tomorrow at 9 p.m.
at La Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent Blvd. Tickets cost $8 at the door.
Call 514-284-0122. (Jordan Zivitz)
The High Dials. Remember that Rogers cellphone ad you just saw three times in the last 10 minutes?
That's Montreal's greatest psychedelic-pop minstrels providing the soundtrack. You could hear it again in around 90 seconds, or for a change of scenery you could leave your couch and hear it tonight at 9 at Le Divan Orange, 4234 St. Laurent Blvd.
Founding member Rishi Dhir left the group late last year, so let's mourn the passing of the Dials' sitar mania before embracing new bassist Chris McAllen. Reliable sources say the set will be heavy on as-yet-unreleased material. Cost: $7.
514-840-9090. (JZ)
Gym Class Heroes. On the list of hip-hop samples that inflate your street cred, Supertramp ranks somewhere below the Mini Pops and those Christmas-carolling cats - enough reason to give Gym Class Heroes some perverse respect for their single Cupid's Chokehold.
Maybe next time they'll sample Gentle Giant. Sing along ironically tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
at Le National, 1220 Ste. Catherine St. E.
Tickets cost $17 through Admission. Call 514-790-1245. (JZ)
Great Lake Swimmers.
If you love Canada's wide-open spaces, odds are you'll love Tony Dekker's songs. The Torontonian's windswept country-folk would make the perfect soundtrack for your next rural road trip; until then, get a teaser of the Swimmers' third album, Ongiara (in stores March 27), Thursday at 9 p.m.
at the not-so-wide-open Casa del Popolo, 4873 St. Laurent Blvd. Admission costs $12, at the door or at www.
blueskiesturnblack.com. 514-284-3804.
(JZ)
Quatuor Molinari. Tonight, the plucky contemporary string quartet unveils the four laureates of its latest international new-music competition. The concert starts at 8 in the pleasant surroundings of Redpath Hall, 3461 McTavish St.
Tickets cost $25, or $20 for students and seniors, at the door. (Arthur Kaptainis)
Gerald Finley. The Montreal-born bass-baritone sings Schumann (Dicheterliebe Op.
48) and an American sample (Ives, Rorem, Barber) for the Andre Turp Musical Society, Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Redpath Hall, 3461 McTavish St.
Tickets costs $40, $34 for seniors, $32 for $22 for those 22 or under. Julius Drake is the pianist. There is a lecture at 7.
Call 514-397-0068. (AK)
The Montreal Symphony Orchestra. James Ehnes plays Mendelssohn's familiar Violin Concerto and the Polish-born conductor Marek Janowski leads Schumann's Manfred Overture and Brahms's Third Symphony.
The concerts, Tuesday and Wednesday, start at 8 p.m. and the tickets range from $15 to $58.
Call 514-842-9951 or 514-842-2112. (AK)
Bass guitarist Chris Tarry, a founding member of the fusion group Metalwood, is guesting tonight and tomorrow starting at 8:30 p.m.
at Upstairs Jazz Bar Grill, 1254 Mackay St. He's got quite the band with him, including three Americans Henry Hey, Peter McCann and Dan Weiss and fellow Canuck Kelly Jefferson. Tickets cost $17.
50. Call 514-931-6808. (Irwin Block)
The annual Jazz en Rafale series kicks off Thursday with the first of six concert evenings at the wonderful Espace Dell'Arte, 40 Jean Talon St.
E. At 7:30 p.m.
the NDE Quartet, winner of a competition for best new group, performs, followed at 9:30 p.m. by the JazzLab Ensemble, playing the music of Francois Theberge, who directs.
Tickets cost $20, and you get a free Effendi CD, which is a co-sponsor. Call 514-490-9613, Local 101.
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