Tuesday Treasures

Tom hosts Tuesday's Treasures.

2013, 2017 and 2025 - Memphis TN

2017
William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was a composer and musician, known as the Father of the Blues. An African American, Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musicians who played the distinctively American blues music, Handy did not create the blues genre and was not the first to publish music in the blues form, but he took the blues from a regional music style (Delta blues) with a limited audience to a new level of popularity.

Handy was an educated musician who used elements of folk music in his compositions. He was scrupulous in documenting the sources of his works, which frequently combined stylistic influences from various performers.

Taken in 2025

W.C. Handy used the cigar counter to write out copies of the Beale Street blues for the band members.

Club Handy and the surrounding Handy Park are named in honor of W.C. Handy (William Christopher Handy).

Taken in 2013

Renamed in 2017

Monday Mural

   I'm linking up at Monday Mural

June 2026 - Toronto ON

In September 2023, a brand new large-scale portrait mural titled "The Blues" was completed on the wall.

The new piece was designed and painted by Toronto realist artist John Nobrega, with assistance from Allan Bender and Haven Hughes.

Moving away from the abstract neon outlines, the new artwork features a detailed, creative realism depiction of legendary blues and jazz musicians deeply tied to the history of Toronto's live music scene.

The project was fully completed in late 2023 with the support of StreetARToronto and the Chinatown BIA.

MURAL UPDATE

Taken 2014. I thought I had posted this, but looking through my posts, nope!

This new mural replaced the classic 1999 neon-style "The Jazz Band" mural on the side of Grossman's Tavern.

Grossman's Tavern is one of the city's oldest live music venues. Founded in the 1940s, it famously secured one of the first liquor licenses in puritanical Toronto, and eventually transformed into a legendary launching pad for Canadian blues, jazz, and rock legends.

A deep dive into the history of this Spadina staple reveals its evolution from a medical dwelling to a beloved cultural pillar.

1884: The original building at the southeast corner of Spadina Ave. and Cecil St. was built as a Second Empire home for Dr. John Ferguson, serving as various private medical practices over the decades.

The Cafeteria Era (1940s–1950s): Opened in the 1940s by the Grossman family—Russian-Jewish immigrants—the location initially operated as a kosher-style cafeteria.

The Liquor License (1957): The venue obtained one of Toronto’s first liquor licenses, expanding into a tavern to sell alcohol, which sparked the introduction of live entertainment like "gypsy violinists" and Dixieland jazz.

The Blues Boom (Late 1960s): A cultural shift occurred when local musicians started asking to perform on stage. This led to long-running staples, notably the Downchild Blues Band, who played some of their earliest shows there.

The Louie Family Takeover (1975): The Grossman family sold the business to Sam Louie, a Chinese immigrant who, alongside his family, ran the tavern for nearly 50 years with a strict dedication to no cover charges, unpretentious vibes, and daily live music.

Cultural Haven: In the 1960s and 70s, it became a famous haunt for hippies, draft dodgers, and musicians. It was also a stopping ground for notable acts before they hit it big, including Blue Rodeo, Jeff Healey, and Carole Pope.

Today, the bar remains fundamentally untouched, adorned with decades of historical photos, and continues its long-running traditions like weekend afternoon Dixieland jazz jams.

31 Days in Canada

 In honour of CANADA DAY  I plan to post a daily image of Canada and a link to a random Canadian location we have visited.

Andrew posted a dance video that reminded me of Gurdeep Pandher, an internationally renowned, Yukon-based author, educator, and Bhangra dance artist. Originally from the Punjab region of India, he moved to Canada in 2006 and later settled in a wilderness cabin in the Yukon.

YUKON

Pandher became a global social media phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic by posting viral videos of himself joyfully performing traditional Punjabi Bhangra dances in the freezing Yukon wilderness.

VIDEO INTERVIEW

Gurdeep Pandher was formally invested with Canada's prestigious Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) at Rideau Hall. 

The national honour recognizes his extraordinary contributions to building cross-cultural bridges, fostering diversity, and spreading positivity and joy across the globe through his traditional Punjabi Bhangra dance videos.

After I got Meritorious Service Medal in Ottawa, Rideau Hall staff invited me to do a move or two!

VICTORIA BC

On Canada Day | Punjabi Celtic Fusion While Paying Respect To The Indigenous Peoples

CN TOWER TORONTO ON

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

CARCROSS YUKON - random post

Monday Mural

 I'm linking up at Monday Mural

April 2026 - Toronto ON Part 3

All these murals were down the same laneway that come out on Ossington, from Dundas W.

Part 2

Part 1

D. Terra

This mural features a portrait of Canadian singer The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye).

D. Terra

 The stencil art features Amália Rodrigues and Mariza, both celebrated figures in the Fado music genre.

The text "Nem às paredes confesso..." translates to "I don't even confess to the walls...", a famous line from a song popularised by Amália Rodrigues.

31 Days in Canada - Music

 

The 100 Best Canadian Songs Ever

Memphis TN

March 2025 - Memphis TN


1992 Memphis Nashville TN

Day 9 Homebound April 2013

April 2015

April 2017

MLK posts

We made a quick "stretch our legs" stop in Memphis this week. It was early, bars were not open.

We visited the Rock 'n Soul Hall of Fame.

When you stroll down Beale Street you can't help but notice a building that is being held up by six steel girders.  As you look closer you then notice it also has no walls and roof.  

What is this building? 

Beale Street had a completely different feel and was still lined with mansions at one end.  A time even before W.C. Handy and the blues were on Beale Street.  

W. C. Handy

In 1891 Memphis had many things to celebrate but the biggest was that they were now a city again. In 1878 Memphis lost two-thirds of it's population as people fled from the yellow fever epidemic. When this happened Memphis lost it's city charter and became a taxing district of the State of Tennessee.  

Memphis was also the home to a thirty-one year old judge and magistrate for Shelby County by the name of Charles Gallina.  Not much is known of Judge Gallina except that he loved horse racing.  The judge must of loved horse racing because he owned up to seventeen racehorses at one time.  He was also a regular at Montgomery Race Track and North Memphis Driving Track.  These were the hottest places in town to bet on horse races.  

By 1891 Judge Gallina must of been making a lot of money from horse racing because he decided to hire local architect B.C Alsup to build The Gallina Exchange Building.  This was not going to be any ordinary building.  He wanted the best establishment on Beale Street.  

By the time it was completed it was a three-story 24/7 saloon complete with a gambling hall with walnut paneling.  This judge had style.  Not only is he involved in race horsing, he now has his hand in a gambling hall.  This guy just keeps getting more interesting.  It also sounds like he was a family man because he decided to move his entire family into the third floor.  I think child services would of had a field day with this guy.  

On the second floor the judge would hold court.  I'm not sure that would be the place I'd want to go if I knew I had to go to court.  At least if you lost your case you could go downstairs and partake in the libations.  

The Gallina Exchange Building was also a hotel with 20 rooms each complete with a marble fireplace.  This is why it was the Pride Of Beale Street.  It was also very popular with the Grand Opera House crowd and many of the traveling actors would stay here.  

The judge would enjoy about 13 years living in this grand palace that he built.  Then in 1914 he passed away.  Over the years it would become the home to a pharmacy, clothing store and dentist's office.  

In 1980 a fire swept through the building and gutted the interior.  Those six steel girders were then placed to hold up the building.  Then a windstorm caused the collapse of the rear and side walls and now you are left with what you see today.  

Sometime in the 1990's Silky O' Sullivan's moved to this location and made the open area their patio.

As we saw it in 2017.