Alex Radeff and Donkey

Alex Radeff is a Toronto based singer/songwriter/guitarist who is best known for fronting the eclectic, original project Donkey, which has been a consistent fixture live and in the studio in Toronto since the mid 90’s. Pop, rock, jazz and blues influenced, each song is distinct from what follows or precedes it and often involves improvisation.
The project first gathered public and critical praise with independent releases in the mid 90’s and has released 5 full length albums of original material to date. High profile media figures such as Gary Topp, Al Joynes, Lenny Stoute, Gino Empry and Moses Znaimer have all at various times supported the group’s musical and artistic direction.

Live
The College Music reviewed Radeff as a “something of a guitar genius” and Donkey as a band that is “all about music, not about attitude”. Building a loyal following as a trio in Toronto’s live music scene, Radeff & Donkey have maintained a consistent stream of showcase dates in established Toronto venues such as The Horseshoe, The Rivoli, El Mocambo, Lee’s Palace, and the Opera House among others.
The trio performs a musically engaging combination of Radeff’s time tested originals and covers by Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Beatles, Robert Johnson and many more as well as improvisational jazz gems.
The band performed two successful nights at the original, historic Hard Rock Cafe courtesy of Gino Empry. The release of “Nodding At The Universe” CD kept the band gigging for over 120 one night stands till the end of 2009. The band played 11 consecutive Saturdays at Hoop’s in the heart of downtown Toronto and at Lula Lounge as a solo opening slot for British rock legend Arthur Brown who praised Radeff’s lyrics. In 2000, Radeff also began to do 2 hour solo shows Our Place on Yonge St. a busy shelter for marginalized persons in the downtown Toronto core. He played for a span of 10 years (120+ nights) until the shelter closed in 2010. In 2017 Alex Radeff & Donkey were acknowledged as “one of Toronto’s most eclectic bands” by Gary Topp and were honored to share the stage at The Rivoli with legendary Toronto first wave original music pioneers Johnny & The G-Rays and The Mods.
The Queen’s Legs, Eastcoaster’s, Dora Keogh, Vapor Central and Performance Arts Lodge have all been regular repeat engagements in recent times. The ratio of original to cover material is dependent on the audience and/or event. Since March 2022 the band has played over 20 one night stands in Toronto and several festivals including the Taste Of Regent Park and Leslieville Festivals, as well as a residency spanning 14 Saturdays at Frisaca at Queen/Bathurst in downtown Toronto.

Alex Radeff: vocal/guitar Terry Kavanagh: vocal/drums Wes Tanney: bass

Discography

What Happened In The Night…
(2022)

Furthermore…
(2017)
.

The Calling Of The Streets
(2009)

Nodding At The Universe
(2003)

Kickback
(1999)

The release of the debut CD “Kickback” in 1999 featured the rocking anthem “Wartime”, a hit in Romania where it lodged in the Top 20 for 14 weeks. “Nodding At The Universe” was released in 2003. The album which at that time served as the project’s only official demo kept the band gigging as a trio for over 120 one night stands until 2009. “The Calling Of The Streets” full length CD was released in 2009 to enthusiastic reviews and was based mostly on street life experiences and a long residency at the Grasshopper Bar at Carlton & Parliament and the neighbourhood was wild. In 2017 Alex Radeff & Donkey released “Furthermore” a diverse 10 song album signalling production advances that received positive reviews and considerable airplay and support in Ireland and western Europe. In 2020 two well received collaborations with writer Lenny Stoute were released as online singles. “Outside Of Hope” captured the mood of the pandemic and “We’re Coming For You” addressed corruption and fascism.
In mid 2021 Alex Radeff released the YouTube video single “Cry,Cry Baby” which has quickly become the most popular release to date. In the spring of 2022, Alex Radeff & Donkey release a new album of 9 original songs titled “What Happened In The Night…” Several new songs have been in collaboration and show the project evolving creatively and breaking new ground.

CDs are shipped by mail. The cost including shipping is as follows:
Canadian residents $12.00 CAD, US residents $12.00 USD  International residents $14.00 USD

e-transfers: alexradeff@pathcom.com
1395 Lawrence Ave West, Box 20033, Toronto, ON, M6L 1A7 Canada (437) 247-0078