Anna Atkinson concert at Tranzac December 28, 2012

Rising Toronto multi-instrumentalist (viola and violin, banjo, guitar, piano, accordion, saw, ukulele and most recently, yes, electric guitar), Stratford Festival stage performer, singer, sessionist, songwriter Anna Atkinson showcases music from her debut album ‘Mooniture’ (recently re-released on Aporia Records on October 29, 2012) and some brand new songs too. Formerly Ontario, now Nova Scotia jazzy, Americana duo Kate & Rich are set to open.

WHERE: The Tranzac’s Southern Cross Lounge, Toronto (292 Brunswick Ave., south of Bloor St. W. /east of Bathurst St.).

WHEN: Friday, December 28 at 7:30 p.m.

HOW MUCH: Pay What You Can.

QUOTE: Anna Atkinson states, “I am really excited about the re-release of Mooniture. I'm proud of the record and hope that it reaches an even wider audience. In the New Year, I'm going to continue collaborating and playing regularly with other musicians; namely the amazing band I've assembled (George Meanwell on cello, Michael McClennan on bass, Graham Hargrove, percussion and Ian Harper on sax/clarinet). I am also working on new material, and hope to be recording a follow-up album to Mooniture in 2013.”

VIDEO:– “Lucybelle” (track #6). Kate & Rich, http://vimeo.com/49283061.

Atkinson has (both as a live performer and a highly-regarded session player) contributed to dozens of projects including Belle and Sebastian, Saidah Baba Talibah, Andrew Downing, Laila Biali, Chloe Charles, Tucker Finn, Peter Gabriel and Josh Groban.

Enchanting and revelatory, Anna Atkinson’s ‘Mooniture’ (independently released in June 2011) rivets the listener from the opening track (of the same name); an astonishing tale about the collapse of a relationship, which takes place in a garden filled with pieces of exploded moon. With 10 original tracks and one new song (“Wait All Morning”) for the re-release, produced by Andrew Penner of The Sunparlour Players, Atkinson effortlessly displays a command of technique and invention.

The instrumentation of Mooniture – always unexpected (violin, viola, banjo, Wurlitzer piano, trumpet, cello, bass) – recalls the vagabond arrangements of Tom Waits and the lyrical naïveté of Joanna Newsom.

Atkinson’s career continues to evolve. In November 2012, she was cast in ‘BOBLO’; an acclaimed Toronto theatre experience written by Erin Brandenburg and Andrew Penner and directed by Steve McCarthy, that combined a rock concert with a ghost story to explore the evanescent nature of memory. And in the summer of 2013, she will be featured as the eponymous ‘Fiddler on The Roof’ in the Stratford Festival production.

Since 2010, Atkinson is a member of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. She was a featured performer as a violinist and accordionist in 2010's revival of ‘Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris’, in 2011 was a contributing composer and performer in ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ and in 2012 she was a featured performer in late night festival cabarets hosted by the legendary Lucy Peacock.

For more information, visit; www.annaatkinson.ca.

Media Quotes:

“This Toronto-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is the least earthbound artist we’ve heard in ages: fanciful lyrics, soaring vocals, and the only rhythm section within earshot is your own heartbeat.” – Toronto Star.

“Local multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Anna Atkinson is both playful and reflective on her promising Aporia debut. For the best first impression, start with Lucybelle, an invitation to cheer up, perform and flirt to get over the blues.” – NOW Magazine.

“Toronto-based Atkinson is a frequent musical collaborator on the local scene. That's probably because, as a classically-trained musician, she's adept at many instruments. On her new album she manages to do something special, successfully marrying elegant arrangements with the organics sounds of folk music, and tossing in a fling with theatrics as well.” – SnobsMusic.

“Anna’s pure, clear voice delivers the quirky spurts of her stories in the talky style of early Joni Mitchell and Mary Margaret O’Hara... strings skirling and skittering over her accordion, as she sings a kind of Lewis Carroll lunatic ballad with a strong ostinato refrain. Give Anna Atkinson a lift, and yourself.” – Opus One Review.

“Atkinson rings through clearly due to her own omnipresence throughout, requiring only a bass, cello, and percussion in the way of backup... Besides singing and writing everything, the chanteuse plays viola, violin, piano, mini-banjo, and accordion, but she and Andrew Downing constitute a chamber ensemble, supplying a marvelous period sound that blends well with the cabaretic nature of Mooniture, presenting a stage drama sans stage and actors.” – Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange.

Originally, Atkinson springs from an artistic family deep-seeded in Windsor, Ontario. Her mother a visual artist and her father a folk-singing mathematician, jamming erupted regularly in her home. She graduated as a violist with a Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Victoria department of music in 2008.

Official Website: http://www.annaatkinson.ca