Even from my far-flung corner of the country, I had long heard of Lisa Particelli’s amazing weekly “Girls Night Out” jazz jam (where gentlemen are welcome, too!), which has now been running for 11 years. I had long ago determined that I would someday attend GNO, so it was high on my list of “must-do” items when I arrived in Toronto in August 2015 for a 10-week stint of intensive music biz immersion.

Another “must-do” item on my list for Toronto was a recording day, and I had written a vocal duet that required a male singer. I had a particular quality of voice in mind, but some perfunctory research into Toronto singers hadn't yet revealed who possessed that voice.

Although the regular GNO nights were on Tuesdays at 120 Diner, there’s also a once-a-month “GNO East” at Morgan’s on the Danforth that turned out to be my first opportunity to attend.

Despite intentions to arrive early, I came in partway through the proceedings and had to sneak past the performers just inside the door. The place was fairly packed and I scoped out a seat at the bar rather than barge in on anyone’s table. But GNO is such a fun and laid-back affair that I was soon chatting with other patrons and fellow singers.

Sometime during the second set, the charming fellow a few seats away from me at the bar had his turn at the mic. As soon as he did, I felt a thrill of recognition. Steve Amirault had the voice I was looking for.

Steve has had a long and successful career as a jazz pianist (and he has the Juno to prove it!), so he more than had the required jazz chops when he branched out into singing less than a decade ago.

The duet I wrote, Make It a Double, is a fun, swingy tune that starts with a woman walking into a bar and ordering a stiff drink. She’s also looking for a willing ear to discuss her romantic troubles. The bartender is warmly sympathetic, which she finds comforting. Well, I won’t tell you how it all ends, but isn’t it fun when a song tells a story?

Steve dove into the story of the song and gave a beautiful performance in the studio on recording day. I did have to convince him to turn up the kitsch a bit – it’s just that kind of tune – which made for a very fun session with lots of laughs.

I can’t wait to share the whole song with you. By the way, in CD production news, Pairings is about to go into manufacturing! Hurray!