In our tour this week through the CanCult magazine racks, I've left the best for last ... and I bet you've never even heard of Mix magazine.

The spring 2000 issue of this "Independent Art & Culture" magazine features mainstream MuchMusic veejay Sook-Yin Lee on the cover, and the accompanying article focuses on the pop star's life away from the cameras as a multidisciplinary artist. The layout is a visual feast of pictures, art and typography -- all of which make the article a wee bit difficult to read, but a lot of fun to browse.

Again, you get articles on fascinating topics that seem to evade the mainstream media. "Til the Bars Break" is an edgy piece on an up-and-coming Toronto rap star, Ebony, who was convicted 10 years ago at the age of 19, of second-degree murder. Now, hoping to get paroled in a few years, he is trying to re-establish his recording career from the shabby studios of Collins Bay Penitentiary. The Globe and Mail can keep publishing Stephen Reid's controversial articles from prison, all they want, but I hope to hear more about Ebony, who's renamed himself Manifest and hopes to be on the charts some day soon.

The main focus of Mix is on "artist-run culture," and there's an article on SOF Art House, which is in the business of providing cost-efficient studio and darkroom space to photographers. One of the most valuable articles is by Barbara Gilbert, who explains the artist-dealer relationship, spelling out the benefits and pitfalls to aspiring artists hoping to get in with a gallery.

At the back of the magazine is an excellent listing of artist-run galleries and centres across the country. Throughout the magazine are some wonderful ads and announcements that make this a valuable resource and a pleasurable read. To get a sense of this lively publication, check out the Mix website

I hoped you've enjoyed this look at some of the more interesting Canadian arts mags .. you can look back on my earlier columns, and join the discussion forum and let us all know if you have any tips on up-and-coming publications ...

Earlier:
Monday This Magazine
Tuesday Canadian Forum
Wednesday Geist
Thursday Fuse
Discussion: Do you know of any good Canadian literary mags?

Next week I'll be back with a review of a new book by an up-and-coming Canadian humourist, who writes elegantly about some of the 'Zine and alternative culture we've been covering in this magazine review.

Don't Worry Get Classical?
I have to admit, I was somewhat sceptical when I heard that jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin was coming to Toronto to conduct Prokofiev and Beethoven. After all, this IS the same guy who was singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" about a decade ago? Well, I visited the TSO site and have been listening to McFerrin's classical improv with great delight. In fact the same song has been on my Real Audio player for about an hour. It's mesmerizing and astonishingly calming and beautiful. I wasn't expecting that. McFerrin approaches Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 and follows it with his own brand of surprising solo improvisation -- combining elements of pops, jazz, blues and classical music. Beethoven's Seventh Symphony is the grand finale to a programme like no other. Indeed, I've bought my tickets. That's tonight at Roy Thomson Hall.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Much More Music
This Saturday night Via Salzburg presents its spectacular season finale at the Glenn Gould Theatre in Toronto. The Seiler String Quartet, composed of Mayumi Seiler and her three sisters; Midori on violin, Naomi on viola and Yuri on cello. The Quartet will perform Haydn's Quartet Op.71, Dvorak's Quartet Op.10 in A flat and Webern's 5 Pieces for String.

Glenn Gould Studio

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