• Rik Emmett & Dave Dunlop
• 7:20pm Seating / 8:00pm Show

SPECIAL RIK EMMETT WINE OFFER - CLICK FOR DETAILS

Special Announcement -- Rik will be signing autographs and hanging around to chat with his fans after the show.

ABOUT RIK EMMETT

Rik Emmett has his fair share of gold and platinum hanging on the wall after surviving three decades in the music biz.

Awards from Best Guitarist at the ‘81 Junos to Best Smooth Jazz Guitarist in 2005, along with induction into the Canadian Rock Hall of Fame in ‘93, the Music Industry Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Junos Hall of Fame in 2008 highlight an ever-evolving career. The multi-dimensional singer/songwriter at the heart of it has nothing to prove except the dignity and maturity of his continuing commitment to great music.

“My career now runs from jazz festivals to soft-seater concerts to giant outdoor rock band shows to orchestra gigs to folk clubs as an acoustic duo,” says Emmett, “and I love the challenging range of it all.”

Audiences marvel at the versatility of the tenor as he continues his prolific run of solo indie CDs, from classical to jazz to acoustic pop & folk vocal stylings through to the hard rock that made his reputation in the first place. His wide catalogue of songs garners radio airplay on easy-listening, smooth jazz, and CBC formats, while the heritage classic rock stuff rolls right along. A dozen years as a writer for Guitar Player Magazine and his continuing endorsement relationships with several music retail companies have kept his international profile & reputation as a musician alive and well. A former VP of the Songwriter’s Association of Canada, and the Artistic Director of the SongStudio Songwriting Workshop, Rik helped to develop the Music Business and Songwriting courses in the Humber Music program, and currently teaches several courses there.

A guitar magazine once wrote that Rik Emmett was “… his own worst enemy. He’s one of the only guitarists out there who may be too talented for his own damn good”. In a tabloid/sound bite world, the comment offers insight on a 21-year solo career, recognizing a unique artist still going strong based on being a loyal friend to his gifts instead of a slave to fashion with luggage to match.

Ever-evolving, he managed to snag the Canadian Best Smooth Jazz Duo and Album Of The Year awards in '06 for his role in the Strung-Out Troubadours (a.k.a. "Troubs") with guitarist Dave Dunlop. The Troubs writing/recording project arose in 2006 from the public response to Rik's instrumental duo performances together with Dave Dunlop during Rik's live gigs. The two first played together during a master class session at the National Summer Guitar Workshop in 1990. Much of their material originates from their acoustic guitars, with Rik singing lead vocal on some selections. But their latest album, "PUSH & PULL," also features Dave’s stunning debut as a lead vocalist on the powerful ballad, "Only Time Will Tell."

In 2007, the Troubs self-titled album "Strung-Out Troubadours" won "Album of the Year" and "Group/Duo Of The Year" at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, where they were the most heavily-nominated act. Both Rik and Dave were also nominated for "Best Guitarist," a category that Emmett had captured back in 2005. Rik and Dave will be touring the U.S. this fall in support of "PUSH & PULL."

Rik holds true to his dreams of the magic power of the music, and shares that with every audience, of every stripe, every night that he performs.

ABOUT DAVE DUNLOP

Dave Dunlop has been a pro guitarist/songwriter/singer/educator for the past 20 years, and is currently a member of the award-winning ‘Strung-Out Troubadours’, as well as the ‘Rik Emmett Band’, the’ Allen Frew Trio’ and ‘Jeans ‘n Classics’. Dave was also lead guitarist and writer in ‘The Full Nine’, signed with Disney’s Mammoth Records.

In 2005, he put ‘Room 9’ studio together in his Toronto home, where he has been busy recording and producing projects non-stop ever since. The studio also drew him into the jingle world, writing the music for an American Budweiser radio campaign. He has been a faculty member at the National Summer Guitar Workshop, and has done sideman stints with Bo Diddley, Mike Reno (of Loverboy fame), Ron Sexsmith, and others. The same year Dave was also fortunate enough to hook up with ‘Jeans ‘n Classics’, which is a group of musicians who travel around North America playing live shows with Orchestras. Dave has won rave reviews for his handiwork in various shows, featuring the music of Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Queen, and many others.

His working relationship with Hall of Famer Rik Emmett had grown to the point that they released a duo project called ‘Strung-Out Troubadours’, with Dave co-writing, recording, co-producing, mixing and performing, all in his Room 9 studio. The strength of the duo’s chemistry led to their winning ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Best Group/Duo’ at the 2007 Canadian Smooth Jazz awards, where they were the most heavily nominated act. Each of the ‘Troubs’ was also up for “best guitarist”. Far from resting on their laurels, they recorded their follow-up CD entitled “Live at Hugh’s Room” [produced and mixed by Dave], showcasing the acoustic duo in a magical evening captured just before Christmas 2006 at the fabled “Hugh’s Room” in Toronto.

In 2008, Dave joined the re-formed Hall of Famers, ‘Truimph’, supporting the original line-up of Rik Emmett, Gil Moore and Mike Levine.

The ‘Troubs’ have since followed up the “ Hugh’s Room” disc with the 2009 critically acclaimed release “ Push & Pull”, again produced at Room 9.

Currently, Dave continues to balance his studio work with touring. Dave is an endorser of Gibson guitars, Dean guitars, and Traynor amplifiers.