Billy Bryans @ Lula

"Billy Bryans is in the House!" DJ Radames hollered out. Lula burst into applause as a very shy Billy Bryans acknowledged the crowd from his table mid-way along the side of the house.

A dark cloud hung over Toronto's music community through the spring and summer as word of musician, promoter, DJ, fixer commentator and blogger Billy Bryans' cancer spread.

The surgeons at Toronto East Hospital finally got in there and fixed it, and when Billy posted, "Dr Carmine Simone, surgeon extraordinaire with the big reputation - who knows how to live up to it," a huge sigh of relief echoed from one end of Canada to another. And the sun was finally shining Sunday night at Lula for Billy Bryans.

A benefit is as much for the people in the audience and on the stage as it is for the person. Life snatched from the jaws of cancer touches a primal nerve so strongly that that energy, that emotion has to find a release. And release it did!

Musicians and friends came from all over Ontario and other parts of Canada to celebrate life and Billy Bryans. The play order changed almost continuously as some had to go to play dates later in the evening.

Some were coming in from Owen Sound, Georgetown and other parts of Ontario - Cimmaron and CBC Global VIllage Host and MC Jowi's last known locations were being called out between the two song sets of the performers already in the house. Despite the apparent confusion, not a note was lost, not one moment was wasted, life now too precious to waste time.

Amanda Martinez started the evening with selections from her CD, Sola, music that embraces and celebrate life.

And it continued with Diego Marulanda, Molly Johnson, Cimmaron, Glenda De Monte, Aaron Davis, with Parachute Club closing out the first set. Set Two celebrated the latin element of Billy's music with Son Ache and Ache and Juan Carlos Bulne's quickie dance with not one, but two beautiful women.

More than Music

Fun and life are inseperable parts of Billy Bryans and that goes way back. Ex-Montrealer NDP Leader Jack Layton and MP Olivia Chow took the stage where Jack reminisced on how he ran for High School student VP and lost on a serious ticket, ran into Billy Bryans who said you had to make it fun. He ran again the next year for President and won on a promise of bringing either the Rolling Stones or MG & The Escorts to the Christmas Dance. Billy's fun got him in.

Parachute Club, Lorraine Segato's and Billy Bryans' creation brought the evening to a climax when when percussionist Leon Chendy said, "Billy normally plays drums and tonight it takes ten drummers to replace him!" referring to Rick Lazar and Samba Squad's gang that put a whole new meaning to 70s and 80s anthems "Magic Carpet Ride" and "Rise Up."

A very shy Billy Bryans, pale in body but glowing in spirit, joined his kindred souls Parachute Club and embraced them all.

Impressions

Somehow always on the edge of music, Billy Bryans put a spin on Cuban Music's Toronto sound that is playing its way around the globe. Somehow Billy is always on the cutting edge of music, the cutting edge of life. Chendy Leon summed up one part of Billy's spirit when he said, "His heart belongs to the earth. He appreciates music and culture from all over the world. He has no frontier."

Making It Happen

Howard Laurie, sound engineer / artist brought out the best of all the different music on the stage, while Robin Eastman managed an unbelievably busy stage. Lula's Tracy Jenkins kept the place almost like a big warm and happy house party. And Planet3's Joanne Smale brought them all together.