More Haitian adoptees arrive in Canada


A group of 62 Haitian children whose adoptions have been fast-tracked since the Jan. 12 earthquake struck Haiti arrived in Canada on Saturday to begin new lives.

Khadr repatriation overturned by top court
The Supreme Court of Canada has overturned lower-court orders that the government must try to repatriate Omar Khadr from the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay.

Bringing Jazz Back To The Kids
Is it my imagination, or are more women taking up the bass? Brandi Disterheft, for example, or the bassist featured on tonight’s Canada Live broadcast, Esperanza Spalding. Esperanza means hope, and she had to have a lot, growing up on the proverbial wrong side of the tracks in Portland, in what people euphemistically describe as “economically deprived circumstances.” She was poor. But not in determination. From there to now…at 24 she’s already played with people like Stevie Wonder — and for Barack Obama at the White House. She’s noted both for her bass playing, singing, and as a teacher (at Berklee, no less). As All About Jazz puts it, Spalding “might just be the kind of artist who will help bring jazz back to younger, more mainstream audiences thanks not only to her enormous talent, but also her charm and showmanship.” The performance you’ll hear tonight was recorded at the Ottawa Jazz festival, and according to the Ottawa Sun: “It was clearly a showcase for a new star-in-the-making. Throughout her 75-minute set, Spalding radiated sunny pleasure when performing, while her funky, bass-heavy improvisations kept the band, and the audience, on their toes.”

Fresh CoD
There are a bunch of new Concerts On Demand posted, but before we get to the list, the prize for best performer name goes to…Friendly Rich And The Lollipop People! You probably guessed that’s Friendly R. in the photo.( Not Bruce Cockburn or Angela Hewitt or any of the other musicians recorded by Radio 2 with new CoDs.) Friendly Rich et al perform what’s been described as “experimental cabaret music,” and you know, that’s pretty much exactly what it is. Emphasis on experimental. (So if you were thinking “music for kids,” nope. That said, Friendly Rich, aka Richard Marsalla, is behind a project to get kids involved with music, called Bang The Drum — Loudly!) Here’s where you can hear the Friendly Rich concert. And here’s where you can hear the rest of the recent additions to CoD: