Ottawa buzz:  Starlingology

Fresh from a showcase with Starling at last weekend's CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, the Manx's Sunday night maestro is coming into his own.

Danny Michel is set to celebrate the release of a 12-track CD, Clear: a Collection of Home Recordings, this Friday at Lucky Ron's, 207 Rideau St. The album was recorded before the musician left Kitchener for the greener pastures of Capital City, and features Michel on a number of instruments offering a relaxed set of jazzy pop ditties.

Meanwhile, Michel's Starling bandmates are busy with their Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli inspired side-project.

What started as a two-piece exploration of swinging sounds recalling the heydey of the Hot Club of France -- the sort of music which might have had Josephine Baker dancing on table-tops -- has become the six-piece Slowpoke & Shaft.

For four months, guitarist (and self-professed snappy dresser) Cameron Terrill, guitarist Ian LeFeuvre, drummer Peter Von Althen, accordion player Mick Vallee, fiddler James Stephens, and bassist Mike Bann have been valiantly striving towards shuffling their other music commitments so they could perform as an ensemble. Finally, the decks are clear and they'll be getting together this Tuesday to perform at Babylon, 317 Bank St., where it's hoped their performances will become a regular occurence.

Admission for this evening of jump'n'jive costs three sawbucks.