****************************
It’s always wise to check with
the venue to confirm the show!
****************************
22nd
MAPLE BLUES AWARDS
****************************
Congratulations
to the winners:
Entertainer of the Year – Colin James
Entertainer of the Year – Colin James
Electric
Act of the Year – Colin James
Acoustic
Act of the Year – Big Dave McLean
Male
Vocalist of the Year – Colin James
Female
Vocalist of the Year – Angel Forrest
New
Artist or Group of the Year – Emily Burgess
Songwriter
of the Year – Colin James
B.B.
King International Artist of the Year – Buddy Guy
Recording/Producer
of the Year – Colin James
Guitarist
of the Year – Sue Foley
Harmonica
Player of the Year – Steve Marriner
Piano/Keyboard
Player of the Year – David Vest
Horn
Player of the Year – Shirley Jackson
Bassist
of the Year – Laura Greenberg
Blues
With A Feeling Award (Lifetime Achievement) – Ellen McIlwaine
Blues
Booster – Hornby Island Blues Society
Cobalt
Prize – 1 Ann Vriend, 2 Son Roberts, 3 Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar
****************************
2019 JUNO
NOMINATIONS
****************************
Congratulations
to this year's nominees for Blues Album of the Year:
"Miles
To Go" – Colin James
"Checkmate"
– Jack de Keyzer
"Myles
Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues" – Myles Goodwyn
"Run
To Me" – Samantha Martin& Delta Sugar
"The
Ice Queen" – Sue Foley
****************************
SPECIAL
EVENTS THIS WEEK
****************************
Wax on Wednesday
Vinyl Listening Party
Pressed, 750
Gladstone Avenue
Wednesday, February 6,
7-10 pm; free
Pressed x The Record Centre present
WAX ON WEDNESDAY VOL.1: Blues
The first Wednesday of the month we are spinning vinyl generously provided by The Record Centre (and you). Each edition will showcase a different genre, so ease into February with us and bring your favourite BLUES record!
The night will end with live performances by the W.O.W house-band, ft. Brad Lapensee, Trevor Lubin, and Pat Gray. Come hang out, socialize, work on that homework, knit, and/or share your fav records!
WAX ON WEDNESDAY VOL.1: Blues
The first Wednesday of the month we are spinning vinyl generously provided by The Record Centre (and you). Each edition will showcase a different genre, so ease into February with us and bring your favourite BLUES record!
The night will end with live performances by the W.O.W house-band, ft. Brad Lapensee, Trevor Lubin, and Pat Gray. Come hang out, socialize, work on that homework, knit, and/or share your fav records!
****************************
LOCAL
HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK
****************************
Red Fox, Five + None,
No Hits
Café Deckuf, 221
Rideau Street
Thursday, February 7;
8-11:30 pm; $10 advance, $12 at the door
Come
out and celebrate the release of RedFox's newest single! With special guests
Quirks and Frankie Wood.
8:30 pm – Five+None
9:30 pm – RedFox
10:30 pm – No Hits
8:30 pm – Five+None
9:30 pm – RedFox
10:30 pm – No Hits
**********
Blues Wind hosts
Larry Wayne Church’s
Birthday Bash
Newfoundland Pub, 940
Montreal Road
Saturday, February 9
@ 9 pm
Blues
Wind is hosting Larry's birthday bash. Let's party and make some cool memories …
there will be some special guests.
**********
3rd Annual
Ottawa Music Maker Fair & Trade Show
Hosted by the
Independent Music Business series and MEGAPHONO
Capital Rehearsal
Studios, 250 City Centre Avenue
Saturday, February 9;
11 am – 4 pm
Do
you have a product or service helping musicians create great music and grow
their career?
Are you a music industry professional looking to expand your national capital music community awareness and network?
MEGAPHONO 2018 Music Showcase Festival is taking place Thursday, February 7 to Saturday, February 9, 2018.
For info on MEGAPHONO, including showcases, panels, delegates and more, visit www.MEGAPHONO.tv and buy your passes.
Passes are not required for this free event
We invite you to join in celebrating the ever-growing local music industry by promoting your products, services and events at this special program, open to the public and music professionals alike.
ALL AGES
There is a small step at the front door, but an alternative entrance is fully accessible. Washrooms are physically accessible and gender neutral.
CONTACT
For more information on MEGAPHONO, visit MEGAPHONO.TV
For more information on the Independent Music Business series, visit www.independentmusicbusiness.ca.
To request assistance accessing alternate entrance, email crsottawa@gmail.com
Are you a music industry professional looking to expand your national capital music community awareness and network?
MEGAPHONO 2018 Music Showcase Festival is taking place Thursday, February 7 to Saturday, February 9, 2018.
For info on MEGAPHONO, including showcases, panels, delegates and more, visit www.MEGAPHONO.tv and buy your passes.
Passes are not required for this free event
We invite you to join in celebrating the ever-growing local music industry by promoting your products, services and events at this special program, open to the public and music professionals alike.
ALL AGES
There is a small step at the front door, but an alternative entrance is fully accessible. Washrooms are physically accessible and gender neutral.
CONTACT
For more information on MEGAPHONO, visit MEGAPHONO.TV
For more information on the Independent Music Business series, visit www.independentmusicbusiness.ca.
To request assistance accessing alternate entrance, email crsottawa@gmail.com
**********
The Back Beat
Barley Mow, 1541
Merivale Road
Saturday, February 9
@ 9:30 pm; no cover
The
Back Beat's next outing is scheduled for Saturday, February 9 at the Barley Mow
located at 1541 Merivale Road. We get underway at 9:30 PM. They have
a nice big room with good sound, lots of free parking, no cover charge and a
great menu with many food and drink choices.
More
info here: https://barleymow.com/merivale-barley-mow-pub-ottawa/
We
hope you can join us. Many thanks,
Tom
Rowe
Bassist
and Band Leader
**********
Big Band Night
With the Stan Clark
Orchestra
Wasabi Japanese Restaurant
& Sushi Bar, 41 Clarence Street
Monday, February 11; 7:30-10:30
pm; $10
Dinner reservations available; 613-241-3636
Live
Big Band! Dining and Dancing at the Wasabi.
Listen to the 17-piece Stan Clark Orchestra featuring guest vocalist Johnny Vegas. All your favourite tunes from the big band era performed live.
Come dance, eat and celebrate with us!
www.stanclarkorchestra.ca
Listen to the 17-piece Stan Clark Orchestra featuring guest vocalist Johnny Vegas. All your favourite tunes from the big band era performed live.
Come dance, eat and celebrate with us!
www.stanclarkorchestra.ca
****************************
AREA
HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK
****************************
****************************
With Respect
Homage à/Tribute to
Aretha Franklin
Bistro Mexicana, 129
rue Principale, Gatineau QC
Wednesday, February 6
@ 7 pm; tickets $23.85
Billets en prévente au Bistro Mexicana 129 et
sur http://gotix.tunestub.com/event.cfm?cart&showTimingID=289581
5$ de plus à la porte, le soir de l’événement
5$ de plus à la porte, le soir de l’événement
Aretha Franklin, la reine du soul, nous a quitté cet année. Son heritage musical est inspirant, gigantesque, et requiert un talent et une puissance vocale hors du commun!
Avec sa voix soprano souple et expressive de 3 octaves, DeeDee Butters est la chanteuse tout indiquée pour relever untel défi vocal. Basculant sans effort entre des textures douces délicates, des notes aiguës éclatantes et des riffs agiles, DeeDee Butters rend hommage à l’oeuvre d’Aretha Franklin. Appuyée par quelques uns des meilleurs musiciens dont une section de cuivres, elle rend hommage à la reine incontestée du Soul avec With Respect - hommage à Aretha Franklin.
**********
Ricky Paquette
MEX Poulet BBQ, 839 montee
de la source, Gatineau QC
Thursday, February 7
@ 8 pm; tickets $20
Call the venue to buy tickets & reserve
your table.
Mex - 819-607-1185
Mex - 819-607-1185
Since his debut album “Early for the show” in 2014, he has toured in many cities around Quebec, Canada, USA, Europe. For the last few years, he’s been very busy playing guitar, co-writing, recording and producing music with Martin Deschamps, Breen LeBoeuf and Angel Forrest.
2018 marks his 15th year in music! The show he is currently presenting consists of songs from his 2 first blues albums, his edgier Ricky Laurent rock album from 2010, various other blues/rock classics as well as a few surprises as Ricky’s inspirations constantly evolve through time!
**********
The Dimestore Playboys
Kaffé 1870, Wakefield
QC
Friday, February 8 @
9 pm; $10
Rockin’
in Wakefield … The Playboys return to our favourite Wakefield haunt, Kaffé 1870
for another night of rockabilly mayhem!
**********
Music by The Bay Live
presents
Dylan Wickens &
the Grand Naturals
Avalon Lounge, Port
Whitby Marina, 301 Watson Street West, Whitby ON
Saturday, February 9
@ 8 pm; $45 advance +fees +HST
The
Grand Naturals are Dylan Wickens (vocals and guitars) Mike Rajna (drums and
vocals) and Dennis Napper (bass and vocals). True to the spirit of power trios
of the sixties, Dylan Wickens & The Grand Naturals grab the listener by the
ears with their unapologetic take on the blues, strongly influenced by psychedelic
rock and soul.
https://musicbythebaylive.com/product/dylan-wickens-the-grand-naturdals-feb-9/
https://musicbythebaylive.com/product/dylan-wickens-the-grand-naturdals-feb-9/
**********
Sunday Coffee House
Featuring Al Wood
Vibration Studios, 5488
Osgoode Main Street, Osgoode ON
Sunday, February 10;
12 noon – 4 pm;
"Al Wood is a multi-talented performer and songwriter with a deep reverence for the blues and traditionally based roots music.
As a virtuoso harmonica player, talented guitar stylist with a golden throated voice spanning a career over 20 years, Al Wood's artistry and musicianship are starkly revealed.
Wood's versatility delivers a personal flare by capturing the Chicago style blues traditions and merging a journey of hard core real country, melodic jazz with a diverse array of other influences."
www.alwoodblues.com
**********
Suzie Vinnick
Heartwood Restaurant,
Combermere ON
Sunday, February 10;
7-10 pm; $20
A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Suzie Vinnick is the proud owner of a gorgeous voice, prodigious guitar and bass chops, and an engagingly candid performance style.
Her
career has seen triumph after triumph. Among her most recent successes: being
nominated for a 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award for Producer of
the Year with her co-producer, Mark Lalama. Suzie achieved finalist status
in the Solo/Duo Category at the 2013 International Blues
Challenge in Memphis, TN; received the 2012 CBC Saturday Night
Blues Great Canadian Blues Award and the 2012 Sirius XM Canada Blues
Artist of the Year. Suzie has won 10 Maple Blues Awards (she has been
nominated for 22 so far!), won the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary
Vocalist of the Year and is a 3X Juno Nominee.
In
2018, Suzie released her latest album, a full-band roots and blues extravaganza
entitled “Shake The Love Around”.
Tickets
available at Grandma's Pantry in Killaloe and The Heartwood Restaurant by
calling 613-756-9169. Call to pay for your ticket over the phone and make your
dinner reservation at this great new restaurant featuring local food prepared
with care! We cannot reserve tickets, they must be purchased in advance.
****************************
LOCALS
THIS WEEK
****************************
Wednesday, February 6
Wax
on Wednesday – Blues @ Pressed, 7 pm
With
Respect – Tribute to Aretha Franklin, Bistro Mexicana, Gatineau QC @ 7 pm
The
Prime Rib Big Band @ Irene’s, 8 pm
Thursday, February 7
Ricky
Paquette @ MEX BBQ, Gatineau, 8 pm
Friday, February 8
Brothers
Chaffey @ the Nepean Sailing Club, 7:45 pm
Dimestore
Playboys @ Kaffé 1870, Wakefield, 9 pm
Saturday, February 9
River
Blues @ the Rainbow, 3:30 pm
Erth
Juce @ the Atomic Rooster, 4-8 pm
Blues
Wind @ the Newfoundland Pub, 9 pm
The
Back Beat @ the Barley Mow, Merivale Road, 9:30 pm
Sunday, February 10
Al
Wood @ Vibration Studios, Osgoode, noon-4 pm
Open
Blues Jam @ the Rainbow hosted by Kieran Howes, 3-7:30 pm
****************************
LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS
(almost)
EVERY WEEK
****************************
Robert
Farrell
Daniel
O’Connell’s, 1211 Wellington Street
Mondays,
8:30–10 pm
**********
Mark’s Music
Mondays
Sandy
Hill Lounge & Grill
Mondays
@ 7 pm, starting October 15
**********
Blues
Tuesdaze with Brian Downey
Grace O’Malley’s
Pub, 1151 Ogilvie Road
Tuesdays,
7-11 pm
**********
The Jam
@ Kaffé 1870, Wakefield QC
Every
Wednesday @ 9 pm, no cover
6 rotating hosts, each specializing in a
different genre
**********
Dr Dave
Blues & Jazz
Rainbow
Bistro, 76 Murray Street
Wednesdays,
4-7 pm; no cover
**********
John
Carroll
Chateau
Lafayette (The Laff), 42 York Street
Wednesdays,
8 pm
**********
Irene’s
Blues AllStars
Irene’s
Pub, 885 Bank Street
Thursdays,
9 pm – 1 am; no cover
A bonafide grass roots event that has grown
out of the very floorboards of Irene’s Pub and has become a real crowd pleaser
for musicians and music lovers alike, this weekly Thursday night jam features
Corky Kealey on drums with Vince Halfhide on bass and a host of great local
players who rotate according to availability. Each week the cast is topped up with
a guest host who steers the song selections in whatever way they're inspired
and the jamming begins. It's a great concept and the proof is in its continuing
popularity.
Hosted
by Corky Kealey and Vince Halfhide.
Special
guests:
February 7 – Lucas Haneman
February
14 – Scott Amey & Special guest
February
21 – Dave Schroeder
February
28 – Clint Everson
March
7 – Al Wood
March
14 – John Yemensky
March
21 – Luke Ambridge
March
28 – Don Cummings
**********
Weekly
jazz jam
Options
Jazz Lounge, Brookstreet Hotel, Kanata
Thursdays,
7-11 pm; no cover
**********
Friday Night Music
Nepean Sailing Club,
3259 Carling Avenue
Fridays in February
& March @ 7:35 pm
February
8 – Brothers Chaffey
February
15 – The Drew Nelson Band
February
22 – Lucas Haneman & Megan Laurence Duo
March
1 – Ty Hall Band
March
8 – Dana-Lee Krieger Band
March
15 – Joe McDonald and the Walkin’ Hawks Trio
March
22 – Blues Wind – Larry Church
**********
Open Jam
Pocketz,
1696 Carling Avenue
Fridays
@ 7:30 pm
Blues
and more … bring your friends, hear some great talent & join in in the fun.
**********
The
Allaire Show
with John Allaire & special guests
Quinn’s
Ale House, 1070 Bank Street
Last
Saturday of the month, 3-5 pm
Songs and stories from around the world.
**********
Sundays at Brothers
Brothers Beer Bistro,
366 Dalhousie Street
Sundays, 11 am – 3 pm
Come
and enjoy brunch prepared by Ottawa favorite Steve Mitton and enjoy the music
of John Carroll. Every Sunday from 11am-3pm.
**********
Jazz
Brunch with Peter Brown
Juke
Joint Soul Kitchen, Carp ON
Sundays,
11 am – 2 pm
Peter
says: “Wonderful food there and our music ain’t bad either.”
**********
Open
Blues Jam
Rainbow
Bistro, 76 Murray Street
Every Sunday,
4-7 pm; cover $3 (jammers free)
The jam is open to all ages. Jammers sign up on
the jam sheet at the door & each jam session lasts for 3 songs. Drums &
amps are provided; you only need to bring your instruments (but you can bring
your amps if you want to).
**********
Southern
Soul Sunday Brunch Buffet, @ 10 am & 2 pm
With Sherri
Harding
Fatboys
Southern Smokehouse, 34 Murray Street
**********
Constant Black’s Jazz
Sundays
Industria Pizza +
Bar, 225 Ch Marché 107, Landsdowne Park
January 20; February
3 & 17; March 3, 17 & 31; 4-7 pm; no cover
We're
really excited to announce our upcoming dates at Industria Pizzeria + Bar in Landsdowne
Park. The food is great and the room is beautiful. Come check us out!
**********
Sunday
Blues, 6-9 pm, no cover
Atomic
Rooster, 303 Bank Street (at MacLaren)
**********
Sunday
Sessions, 9:30 pm, no cover
Irene’s
Pub, 885 Bank Street
FEBRUARY
– Tariq Anwar & Novusolis
****************************
VIRÉE
BLUES MOOSEHEAD
****************************
Virée Blues Moosehead
Le Petit Chicago, 50 promenade
du Portage, Gatineau QC
****************************
AREA
HIGHLIGHTS MONTHLY
****************************
Blues On The Rideau
The Cove Inn, Westport ON
Once a month 7-11 pm; $65 (buffet
dinner, dancing & door prizes included)
Advance
reservations required. Call The Cove 613-273-3636
Dinner & Show Fundraisers
Once a month September through May (December
excluded).
Proceeds from each show support local charities.
Visit www.coveinn.com for info about the Inn
Well-priced accommodation available at The Cove, nearby B&Bs and motel
Westport is a beautiful historic town on the Rideau Waterway - a 90-minute drive from Ottawa, 45 minutes from Kingston.
Visit www.coveinn.com for info about the Inn
Well-priced accommodation available at The Cove, nearby B&Bs and motel
Westport is a beautiful historic town on the Rideau Waterway - a 90-minute drive from Ottawa, 45 minutes from Kingston.
2018-19 LINE-UP:
February 15, 2019 – Dawn Tyler Watson and the Ben
Racine Band
March 22, 2019 – Ria Reece Band
April 19, 2019 – Rick Fines & Suzie Vinnick
Band
May 10, 2019 – Murray Kinsley & Wicked Grin
More info including artists’ Bios, links to their websites and YOU TUBE videos at www.BluesOnTheRideau.ca
BLUES ON THE
RIDEAU is produced by Choose The Blues Productions www.choosetheblues.ca
in cooperation
with The Cove Inn, Westport www.coveinn.com
Perth
Brewery www.perthbrewery.ca
DAWG FM
Ottawa www.dawgfm.com
Ottawa
Blues Society www.ottawabluessociety.com
LAKE 88.1
Perth/Rideau Lakes www.lake88.ca
Please visit and LIKE us on Facebook and Twitter
www.facebook.com/ChooseTheBluesProductions
Please visit and LIKE us on Facebook and Twitter
www.facebook.com/ChooseTheBluesProductions
****************************
MUSIC
BY THE BAY LIVE
AJAX, UXBRIDGE,
PORT PERRY
****************************
Music by The Bay Live
presents
John Primer & the
Real Deal Blues Band
Town Hall 1873 Centre for the Performing Arts, 302 Queen Street, Port Perry ON
Thursday, February 28
@ 8 pm; $68.50 advance including fees & HST
You can’t paint the blues without the Primer.
As
the bandleader and lead guitarist for Muddy Waters,
Willie Dixon, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, John Primer’s
virtuosity as a blues musician was forged by legends. John started playing on
Maxwell Street, the birthplace of Chicago blues and soon became the house bandleader
at the infamous Theresa’s Lounge for seven years alongside Sammy Lawhorn, Junior Wells, James Cotton and others.
John Primer has undisputedly helped build the sound
and style of Chicago blues as we know it today. The echoes of tradition bellowing
from the birthplaces he played such as: Maxwell Street, Theresa’s, Checkerboard
and Rosa’s Lounges, pulse from every chord in his fingers today. Having played
or recorded with a who’s who of blues greats including Gary Clark Jr., Derek Trucks, Johnny Winter, and Buddy Guy to
name a few, John Primer’s personal accolades, including Lifetime Achievement
Awards, reflect his countless contributions to the history of the blues.
There
are very few blues fans, critics or musicians who will deny the fact that John Primer is
the real deal and a Chicago Blues Living Legend.
**********
Music by The Bay Live
presents
Sonny Landreth &
Marcia Ball
Town Hall 1873 Centre for the Performing Arts, 302 Queen Street, Port Perry ON
Friday, March 8 @ 8
pm; $85.00 advance including plus fees & HST
Southwest
Louisiana-based virtuoso slide guitarist, songwriter, and singer Sonny Landreth is
a musician’s musician. The noted slideman cut his musical teeth in The Red Hot Louisiana Band of zydeco king Clifton Chenier,
and has since recorded and toured with artists ranging from John Mayall to John Hiatt.
Landreth has collaborated with the very top names in guitar over the
years; Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Eric Johnson,
Derek Trucks –
the list goes on.
Marcia Ball is the 2018 Texas State Musician Of The
Year and has won worldwide fame and countless fans for her ability to ignite a
full-scale roadhouse rhythm and blues party every time she takes the stage. Her
rollicking Texas boogies, swampy New Orleans ballads and groove-laden Gulf
Coast blues have made her a one-of-a-kind favorite with music lovers all over
the world. With each new release, her reputation as a profoundly soulful
singer, a boundlessly talented pianist and a courageous, inventive songwriter continues
to grow.
**********
Music by The Bay Live
presents
Duke Robillard
St. Francis Centre; 78 Church Street South, Ajax ON
Saturday, March 9 @ 8
pm; $50 advance plus $4 charge & HST
Duke Robillard is a Grammy nominated blues guitarist
and singer. Robillard was a founding member of blues and swing band
Roomful of Blues, a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds (replacing Jimmie
Vaughan) and has released over 30 albums under his own
moniker. An accomplished bluesman, Robillard has won a handful of Blues
Music Awards over the years, including Best Blues Guitarist four out of five
years (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004) and most recently in 2016 for Best Acoustic
Blues album of the year, The Acoustic Blues of Duke Robillard.
He has also notched two Grammy nominations for
Best Traditional Blues Album, 2006’s Guitar Groove-A-Rama and 2009’s Stomp! The
Blues Tonight. Ever the versatile performer, Robillard has also incorporated
everything from jazz to swing to jump-style R&B Blues into his music and collaborated
with a who’s who of music legends from Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Dr. John, John
Hammond and a host of others. In fall 2017, Robillard released a new album
with a delightful collection of swing tunes from the 20’s and 30’s on MC records
entitled “Duke Robillard and his Dames of Rhythm” featuring special guests
Sonny Crownover, Madeleine Peyroux, Catherine Russell and Maria Muldaur.
**********
Music By The Bay Live
presents
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Uxbridge Music Hall,
Uxbridge ON
RESCHEDULED from Friday,
November 30
Friday, March 15,
2019 @ 8 pm; $95
For
over 30 years, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have been the quintessential American
band. The group's distinctive and powerful sound, influenced by a diversity of
musical styles, manifested itself into a unique musical hybrid via such
barnburners as "Tuff Enuff" and "Wrap It Up." Co-founder
Kim Wilson, the sole original member, still spearheads the group as it evolves
into its newest incarnation.
"We started as a straight blues band," vocalist and harmonica player Wilson says. "We now incorporate a mixture of a lot of different styles. We're an American music band and we're much higher energy than we were before."
"We started as a straight blues band," vocalist and harmonica player Wilson says. "We now incorporate a mixture of a lot of different styles. We're an American music band and we're much higher energy than we were before."
"To
be in the T-Birds, you need to understand the different styles of music and
different ways of playing," Wilson comments. "You have to be willing
to adopt a more contemporary style. The guys we have now are able to do that."
In addition to Wilson, the current Thunderbirds line-up features Jay Moeller on drums, Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller on guitar, and Randy Bermudes on bass.
In addition to Wilson, the current Thunderbirds line-up features Jay Moeller on drums, Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller on guitar, and Randy Bermudes on bass.
**********
Music By The Bay Live
presents
Anthony Gomes
Avalon Lounge, Port
Whitby Marina, 301 Watson Street West, Whitby ON
Saturday, April 6 @ 8
pm; $50 advance plus $4 charge & HST
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Gomes has
taken his blues to 17 countries and performed with luminaries like B.B. King,
Buddy Guy, Robert Plant, Heart, Sammy Hagar, Joe Bonamassa, .38 Special, Jonny
Lang, Robert Cray, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. His high-level guitar, vocal, and
songwriting skills have made him one of the top drawing artists in the
blues/rock world. His 2015 release Electric Field Holler, debuted at Number
Three on the Billboard Blues Chart and he has had five records make the Top Ten
there, including 2008’s “Live”, which debuted at Number One. His song ‘Love Sweet
Love’ has racked up over 3.5 million plays on Spotify and was selected by Relix
Magazine from more than 40,000 submissions to its song competition for its CD
sampler. Clearly, the world is listening.
**********
Alastair Greene
St. Francis Centre; 78 Church Street South, Ajax
Saturday, April 27; 8-11:30 pm; $50 advance plus $4 charge
& HST
Alastair Greene’s
musical journey has been anything but traditional. His combination of Blues,
Southern Rock, and Jam Band sensibilities has been thrilling audiences for
nearly two decades. With recent performances at the Chicago Blues Festival and
the Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas as well as a recent tour filling in on guitar
with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, and many guest appearances with such
luminaries as Eric Burdon, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya, Savoy Brown, John
Nemeth, and Debbie Davies, it’s crystal clear … Alastair Greene’s star is on the
rise.
Alastair recently
plunged headfirst into a full-time solo career, stepping down after 7 years
touring the world as the guitarist for Rock legend, Alan Parsons. Alastair is
philosophical about his time playing with Parsons, saying, “I’ll always be grateful
for the opportunity Alan gave me to handle guitar and vocal duties in his band.
It was an honor to play the music created by the Alan Parsons Project to Alan’s
fans around the world. After 7 years, the time has come for me to truly pursue my own musical dream.”
**********
Music By the Bay Live
presents
Mike Zito
St. Francis Centre;
78 Church Street South, Ajax
Saturday, May 11; 8-11:30
pm; $55 advance plus $4 charge & HST
There
may not be a more honest bluesman than Mike Zito, whose 15th album ‘First Class
Life’ comes out May 11 on RUF Records. The rocking yet poignant title track
explores his journey from addiction to sobriety and then musical recognition;
he is a two-time 2017 Blues Music Award nominee. Zito’s star has been on the
rise of late both solo and as a member of the Royal Southern Brotherhood, with
bandmates Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, Charlie Wooton and Yonrico Scott.
In addition to the press and Blues Music Award love, Zito has earned from fellow artists. Anders Osborne says, "I love Mike Zito! He's got that rare kinda voice that resonates in your soul. All his hardship, life experiences and kind heart oozes out of every note his sings. His guitar playing dances delicately between a contemporary blues virtuoso and an old fashion soul man. Mike continues to impress me with his straightforward and honest songwriting. His joy and grace shine through every record he makes."
In addition to the press and Blues Music Award love, Zito has earned from fellow artists. Anders Osborne says, "I love Mike Zito! He's got that rare kinda voice that resonates in your soul. All his hardship, life experiences and kind heart oozes out of every note his sings. His guitar playing dances delicately between a contemporary blues virtuoso and an old fashion soul man. Mike continues to impress me with his straightforward and honest songwriting. His joy and grace shine through every record he makes."
****************************
SPECIAL
EVENTS COMING UP
****************************
Come See & Hear the World!
Friday & Saturday, February 15-16
Brought to you by
The Team Behind Bluesfest, this festival will take place February 15 & 16,
during Winterlude, and will focus on celebrating Canadian diversity through
music! Featured artists include William Prince, Gabrielle Shonk, Tanya Tagaq,
Antibalas, Sudan Archives, Manx Marriner Mainline, Fateh, and more.
William
Prince
Southminster
United Church
Friday,
February 15 @ 8 pm; $30
The
Commotions
Industria
Pizzeria
Friday,
February 15 @ 10 pm; free
Manx
Marriner Mainline
(Harry
Manx & Steve Marriner) with Crystal Shawanda
Fourth
Avenue Baptist Church,
Saturday,
February 16 @ 7:30 pm; $35
Venues include
Southminster United Church, Fourth Avenue Baptist Church, Craft Beer Market ad Industria
Pizzeria & Bar.
Check out the full
details at: www.comeseeandheartheworld.ca
**********
Crunchy Flower &
River City Junction
Live Filming Show
Rainbow Bistro, 76
Murray Street
Saturday, February 16
@ 9 pm
Two
live performances from Crunchy Flower and River City Junction; each band will
be filming & recording their shows for future video releases.
We need all you movie stars to come and fill out the crowd but more importantly appear in the videos.
We need all you movie stars to come and fill out the crowd but more importantly appear in the videos.
**********
HOROJO Trio House Concert
Clyde River
Productions, Aylmer QC
Sunday, February 17;
6-8 pm; $20 advance (OBS members $15)
The
newly formed power trio, HOROJO, will be bringing their unique style to Aylmer
for an intimate and interactive performance.
Not to be missed.
Limited tickets available.
For more information and tickets, contact dave@clyderiverproductions.com
Not to be missed.
Limited tickets available.
For more information and tickets, contact dave@clyderiverproductions.com
**********
CKCU Johnny Cash Bash
Rainbow Bistro, 76
Murray Street
Saturday, February 23
@ 9 pm; $12 advance, $15 at the door
The 9th annual Johnny Cash Birthday Bash is upon us again! Join Ray and Lefty from Friday Nite Truck Stop, with their friends The Whiskey Standards and a slew of special guests, celebrating the life and music of The Man In Black, all night long!! Proceeds go to CKCU 93.1FM, Ottawa's longest-running community radio station. Special guests include Slo' Tom, Pat Moore, Steve Stacey, Mabel Beggs, Ashley Newall, Jon Laurie-Beaumont, Howie Hooper, Maria Hawkins. The Whiskey Standards will be slogging away all night, show them lots of love too, Ray Harris/Lefty McRighty - hosting, guitars, etc, John Cormier - electric guitar, Steve Donnelly - upright bass, Ian Cook – drums, Jim McDowell – keyboards, Gary Schertzer - harmonica/percussion. Bring some cash for raffle prizes, including prize packs from The Record Centre, and customized Johnny Cash Guitarwork from Hipcrank.
Big
thanks to our sponsors The Record Centre, Hipcrank and The Rainbow Bistro!
Tickets:
https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/-ckcu-johnny-cash-rainbow-bistro-tickets/9105635?REFERRAL_ID=twfb
Tickets:
https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/-ckcu-johnny-cash-rainbow-bistro-tickets/9105635?REFERRAL_ID=twfb
**********
John Primer
Rainbow Bistro, 76 Murray Street
Friday, March 1 @ 9 pm; $25
John Primer has undisputedly helped build the sound and style of Chicago blues as we know it today. The echoes of tradition bellowing from the birthplaces he played such as: Maxwell Street, Theresa's, Checkerboard and Rosa's Lounges, pulse from every chord in his fingers today. John Primer is a Chicago Blues Living Legend.
Over his amazing
career, John has recorded with, opened for or played with a who's who of other
great bands and artists. Two-time Grammy nominated artist, he was the
bandleader and guitarist for Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Magic Slim &
The Teardrops. His personal accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award,
reflect his countless contributions to the history of Chicago blues.
There are very few fans, critics or musicians who will deny the fact that John Primer is the real deal.
There are very few fans, critics or musicians who will deny the fact that John Primer is the real deal.
Rocksnake with special
guest BONECAT
Irene’s Pub, 885 Bank
Street
Saturday, March 2; 9
pm
The
Snakes are back. Let's kick it!
Special guests Bonecat.
Special guests Bonecat.
**********
Mardi Gras Matinee Party
With Ball and Chain
and the Wreckers
And the Vanier
Playboys
Irene’s Pub, 885 Bank
Street
Sunday, March 3 @ 3
pm; $10
Featuring
dancing … and red beans & rice!
**********
Jumpin’ with the
Dimestore Duo
Juke Joint Soul Kitchen,
3740 Carp Road, Carp ON
Saturday, March 9;
7-10 pm
Ian
and Ian, return to the thriving metropolis of Carp for another rare Dimestore
Duo appearance. Always a fun time, the boys can't wait to bring their unique
brand of rockabilly/swing/classic country to the grooviest little spot in the
valley. No cover. Reservations are recommended.
**********
Michael Jerome Browne
with Harrison Kennedy
Irene’s Pub, 885 Bank
Street
Wednesday, March 13 @
8 pm; $20
Special
guest Harrison Kennedy. John McColgan on drums.
**********
Tony D Band
Rainbow Bistro, 76
Murray Street
Saturday, March 16 @
9 pm
Tony
D … long time Ottawa Blues performer.
1/3 of the JUNO Winning act MonkeyJunk.
1/3 of the JUNO Winning act MonkeyJunk.
Early
bird tickets are only $10. They go up to $15 after Feb 15. $20 at the door.
Tickets:
https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/the-tony-d-band-rainbow-bistro-tickets/9090255?REFERRAL_ID=twfb
Tickets:
https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/the-tony-d-band-rainbow-bistro-tickets/9090255?REFERRAL_ID=twfb
**********
JW-Jones
LIVE! on Elgin, 220 Elgin
Street
Saturday, March 30;
doors @ 7 pm, show @ 7:30 pm; $19.99 + tax
The
improv magic you hear on JW-Jones’ 10th album, “Live”, is the spark that has
awakened new sonic frontiers for the veteran Maple Blues Award-winning Ottawa
bluesman.
As
he continues to evolve as one of Canada’s most versatile bluesmen, with one
foot in the terra firma of the traditional blues espoused by the likes of
Howlin’ Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin and harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite
(who both guested on Jones’ memorable Midnight Memphis Sun, recorded at the
historic Sun Studio) and blues contemporaries Robert Cray, for whom the
JW-Jones band has occasionally opened, he continues to challenge and raise his
standards through his recordings and the 130 dates on average yearly that he
clocks in on the road.
An
additional highlight is the inclusion of the JW-Jones showstopper – the 17-song
medley that rifles through snippets of classic guitar riffs backed by the
energetic support of 2018 Maple Blues Award Bassist of the Year Laura Greenberg
and the inimitable Will Laurin on drums. “It’s been a staple of our live
show for years,” says Jones. “People have been asking us to record it forever,
so now we’ve finally captured it for everyone to enjoy!”
And
everyone will enjoy “Live”, an album for the ages that captures the JW-Jones
lightning in a bottle.
–
Excerpts from a review by Nick Krewen, freelance contributor for Toronto Star,
Globe & Mail, Grammy.com, and Billboard
**********
A Night of Chicago
Blues, with
Maurice
John Vaughn
Joseph Morganfield (son of Muddy Waters)
Freddie Dixon (son of Willie Dixon)
Joseph Morganfield (son of Muddy Waters)
Freddie Dixon (son of Willie Dixon)
Shirley
Johnson
Rainbow Bistro, 76
Murray Street
Saturday, April 6 @ 8:30
pm; $30
So
much Chicago blues/ history, all in one night!
MAURICE JOHN VAUGHN
Maurice John Vaughn is a true blues original. A triple threat on guitar, saxophone and vocals, Vaughn writes powerful, innovative and often humorous songs that spring directly from his vast musical experience. His soulful and passionate vocals are convincing because they are earned – Vaughn means what he sings. Coming out of the streets of Chicago, Vaughn was raised on Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, black Top 40 and James Brown. Like the greats who have come before him, he has incorporated his various influences into a blues and R&B style that is completely his own.
https://www.alligator.com/artists/Maurice-John-Vaughn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_John_Vaughn
http://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/featured-interview-maurice-john-vaughn
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maurice-john-vaughnn0000392421/biography
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-esETp_0qzI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL7EsIBaBR0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zCkFUFrgvo
FREDDIE DIXON
Son of Willie Dixon, whose 500+ songs include "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You", "Little Red Rooster", "My Babe", "Spoonful", and "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover.”
https://www.bassplayer.com/lessons/freddie-dixon-son-of-the-blues
https://www.earwigmusic.com/earwig-artists/freddie-dixon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj_gs3V5N2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQZOfluwPD4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lwmka9Z0LE
JOSEPH MORGANFIELD
Born April 14, 1964, in Chicago Illinois, Joseph is the youngest son of the world-famous Muddy Waters.
https://www.ormanmusicmedia.com/joseph-mojo-morganfield/
https://www.lakeshorepublicradio.org/post/mojo-morganfield-youngest-son-muddy-waters-carries-family-business-blues#stream/0
https://www.livefromtheheartland.com/shows/2018/5/21/joseph-morganfield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewO3Pxf8naw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ebxj70jhXk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKcGrsvHJnw
SHIRLEY JOHNSON
MAURICE JOHN VAUGHN
Maurice John Vaughn is a true blues original. A triple threat on guitar, saxophone and vocals, Vaughn writes powerful, innovative and often humorous songs that spring directly from his vast musical experience. His soulful and passionate vocals are convincing because they are earned – Vaughn means what he sings. Coming out of the streets of Chicago, Vaughn was raised on Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, black Top 40 and James Brown. Like the greats who have come before him, he has incorporated his various influences into a blues and R&B style that is completely his own.
https://www.alligator.com/artists/Maurice-John-Vaughn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_John_Vaughn
http://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/featured-interview-maurice-john-vaughn
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maurice-john-vaughnn0000392421/biography
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-esETp_0qzI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL7EsIBaBR0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zCkFUFrgvo
FREDDIE DIXON
Son of Willie Dixon, whose 500+ songs include "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You", "Little Red Rooster", "My Babe", "Spoonful", and "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover.”
https://www.bassplayer.com/lessons/freddie-dixon-son-of-the-blues
https://www.earwigmusic.com/earwig-artists/freddie-dixon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj_gs3V5N2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQZOfluwPD4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lwmka9Z0LE
JOSEPH MORGANFIELD
Born April 14, 1964, in Chicago Illinois, Joseph is the youngest son of the world-famous Muddy Waters.
https://www.ormanmusicmedia.com/joseph-mojo-morganfield/
https://www.lakeshorepublicradio.org/post/mojo-morganfield-youngest-son-muddy-waters-carries-family-business-blues#stream/0
https://www.livefromtheheartland.com/shows/2018/5/21/joseph-morganfield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewO3Pxf8naw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ebxj70jhXk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKcGrsvHJnw
SHIRLEY JOHNSON
Like
so many African-American vocalists, Shirley Johnson started out singing in
church and then went on to embrace secular music. The Chicago resident, whose
influences range from Mahalia Jackson to Koko Taylor, Etta James, and Ruth
Brown, is a gritty, big-voiced blues singer who can also handle soul and
gospel. Although Johnson has spent much of her adult life in Chicago, the Windy
City is not her hometown; she was born in Franklin, VA and raised in Norfolk,
VA. Shirley came from a very religious family and was only six when she started
singing gospel in a church choir.
http://www.bluechicago.com/shirley-johnson
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/shirley-johnson-mn0000030078/biography
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF_SB3-4Uw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFJYubVljNM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucubHl06ARk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1yrqIP4BCg
**********
http://www.bluechicago.com/shirley-johnson
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/shirley-johnson-mn0000030078/biography
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF_SB3-4Uw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFJYubVljNM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucubHl06ARk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1yrqIP4BCg
**********
Jackson Delta
Bringing It All Back
Home
Market Hall
Performing Arts Centre, 140 Charlotte Street, Peterborough ON
Saturday, April 20,
8-10:30 pm; $35 general admission, $45 assigned cabaret table seat
Tickets available in person at the Market
Hall Box Office,
by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org
Celebrated
by critics as Canada's best acoustic blues band Rick Fines, Alan Black and Gary Peeples have
garnered a list of awards and accolades over the years including 2 Juno
Nominations, runner up in the prestigious Handy New Talent Awards (The first entry
from outside of the United States), 2 Peterborough Pathway of Fame Inductions,
Maple Blues award (Rick Fines), and Wire Magazine awards winners in blues
category. They have toured extensively across North America and the U.K.
performing at every major Folk, Blues and Jazz festival and along the way
providing back up for Colleen Peterson, Ann Rabson and Pinetop Perkins as well
as many others. Each member is a force in their own right but together as
Jackson Delta they serve up a potent gumbo of the best acoustic blues north of
the Mason/Dixon Line.
**********
NAC Presents
Suzie Vinnick
National Arts Centre
4th Stage, 1 Elgin Street
Thursday, April 25 @ 8:30
pm; $20
Earnest,
and with a touch of heart-felt twang, Suzie Vinnick is a prodigious
singer-songwriter, and veteran of the Canadian roots scene. A Saskatoon native
transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, she’s the proud owner of a
gorgeous voice, serious guitar chops, and an engagingly candid performance
style.
Among her most recent successes: being nominated for a 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award for Producer of the Year with her co-producer, Mark Lalama. Suzie has won 10 Maple Blues Awards (she has been nominated for 22 so far!), won the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Vocalist of the Year and is a 3X Juno Nominee.
Suzie has toured nationally with Stuart McLean’s The Vinyl Café and the John McDermott Band, and performed for Canadian Peacekeepers in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. She was also the voice of Tim Horton’s for 5 years. Suzie’s latest album, “Shake The Love Around”, is a full-band roots and blues extravaganza!
Among her most recent successes: being nominated for a 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award for Producer of the Year with her co-producer, Mark Lalama. Suzie has won 10 Maple Blues Awards (she has been nominated for 22 so far!), won the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Vocalist of the Year and is a 3X Juno Nominee.
Suzie has toured nationally with Stuart McLean’s The Vinyl Café and the John McDermott Band, and performed for Canadian Peacekeepers in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. She was also the voice of Tim Horton’s for 5 years. Suzie’s latest album, “Shake The Love Around”, is a full-band roots and blues extravaganza!
**********
Jack de Keyzer
Rainbow Bistro, 76 Murray
Street
Friday, April 26 @ 9
pm; $20
Jack
de Keyzer is a British-born Canadian blues guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and
producer. He has twice won the Juno Award, Canada's highest musical honour, and
seven times received Maple Blues Awards, including for Blues Album of the Year
in 2000 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. Real Blues Magazine crowned
him Live Act Of The Year in 2001, and has twice named him Guitarist of the
Year.
Tickets:
https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/jack-de-keyzer-rainbow-bistro-tickets/9102515?REFERRAL_ID=twfb
Tickets:
https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/jack-de-keyzer-rainbow-bistro-tickets/9102515?REFERRAL_ID=twfb
****************************
CITY OF GATINEAU EVENTS
in 2019
****************************
120 Principale Street, Gatineau QC
Adam Karch,
Friday, March 1
Ghost Town Blues Band
Saturday, March 16
Mississippi Heat
Saturday, April 27
Blackburn
Friday, May 31
**********
Salle Jean-Desprez
25 rue Laurier, Gatineau
QC
Steve Hill
Friday, February 22
****************************
KINGSTON
SPECIAL EVENTS
****************************
Kim Pollard Band
RCHA Club, 193
Ontario Street, Kingston ON
Saturday, February 9 @
9 pm; $15
The
wonderful singer/songwriter Kim Pollard returns to the RCHA with some new songs
and an eye on polishing them for a new recording in the spring. Her awesome
band - Alec Barken (bass), Paul Stacey (alto sax), Ian Kojima (tenor sax and
guitar), Paul David (drums) and Greg Law (guitar) - will be cooking some mean
grooves. Always an exceptional night of music and a fabulous audience.
**********
Raoul & the Big
Time
RCHA Club, 193
Ontario Street, Kingston ON
Saturday, March 2 @ 9
pm; $20
**********
The Dimestore Playboys
Little Texas
Roadhouse Bar & Grill, 515 Days Road, Kingston ON
Sunday, March 24, 3-6
pm
The
Dimestore Playboys invite you to a rare, Sunday afternoon performance, at
Little Texas Roadhouse Bar & Grill in beautiful, Kingston, Ontario. Stop by
for a few drinks and fill up on Rockabilly, Blues, Classic Country, and Swing
favourites. It's never too early to cut a rug!!
**********
JW-Jones
RCHA Club, 193
Ontario Street, Kingston ON
Friday, March 29 @ 9
pm; $20
**********
Smoke Wagon Blues
Band
RCHA Club, 193 Ontario
Street, Kingston ON
Saturday, April 6 @ 9
pm; $15
**********
Colin James
“Miles To Go” Tour
Grand Theatre, 218
Princess Street, Kingston ON
Wednesday, April 10 @
7:30 pm; tickets $64.64 + HST & handling
With
his 19th album, “Miles to Go”, Colin James is getting back to the
blues. Wait a minute, you ask: hasn’t Colin James always played the blues?
Well, yes, but back when he was signed to his first record deal in 1988, his
producer—who’d worked with Ray Charles and Derek and the Dominoes—explicitly
told him not to play any blues, because the label expected a pop hit. When
James later made one of the biggest albums of his career—1993’s “Colin James
and the Little Big Band”, released years before the so-called “swing revival”—his
label hated it, as did critics and many fans before it went on to go triple
platinum in Canada. Then there was the acoustic blues album “National Stee”l in
1997, made with Colin Linden, which was the first time James made a full-on blues
album, which landed him on folk festival bills alongside the likes of John
Prine and John Hiatt. It was an explicit embrace of the blues James had loved
since the Regina-born guitarist was 16 years old and was blown away by James
Cotton at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. A song that Cotton played that night,
“One More Mile,” became the title track to the new album: bookending it in
electric and acoustic versions.
It wasn’t until 2016’s “Blue Highways” that James found himself on a blues chart: the album spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart. It also landed him one of his biggest hits: “Riding in the Moonlight,” a Willie Dixon song that James once covered when busking in the streets and subways of Toronto and Montreal, landed on a Spotify playlist and garnered millions of streams.
When James set out to make “Blue Highways”, an album of blues covers recorded with his touring band, he always intended it to be the first of two installments. Now we have “Miles to Go”, in which James records nine new covers of his favourite artists (Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Little Willie John, Robert Johnson, etc.) and adds two originals, ‘I Will Remain’ and ‘40 Light Years’. “Blues has always been a pass-it-forward kind of thing,” says James.
“It’s also surprisingly hard to write. You have to be careful how modern you get in your phrasing. Certain writers can write a song that sounds like it was done 40 years ago, but it’s deceptively hard.”
To be a blues musician is to always have a dialogue with the past. As with much blues music, it’s the performances on the original versions rather than the actual song that drew James to them. That said, what could he possibly bring to them in 2018? “You bring what you can,” he says. “If I feel like I’ve brought enough, then I put it out. I knocked a bunch of songs off this record when I realized that I can’t bring anything to them that isn’t there already. All my life I’ve tried to bring vitality to older songs. Hopefully, my dedication to it is what floats it over the mark. That’s a subjective thing; some people will always prefer the original. However, there’s always a group of people coming up to see me after a show who might say, “Oh, I never would have heard ‘One More Mile’ by James Cotton—nothing in my life would have pointed me there.”
So much of Colin James’s career has pointed him to this moment: joyfully tangled up in the blues, which, as he notes, “is the only genre where you can maintain a young profile at the age of 53.”
It wasn’t until 2016’s “Blue Highways” that James found himself on a blues chart: the album spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart. It also landed him one of his biggest hits: “Riding in the Moonlight,” a Willie Dixon song that James once covered when busking in the streets and subways of Toronto and Montreal, landed on a Spotify playlist and garnered millions of streams.
When James set out to make “Blue Highways”, an album of blues covers recorded with his touring band, he always intended it to be the first of two installments. Now we have “Miles to Go”, in which James records nine new covers of his favourite artists (Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Little Willie John, Robert Johnson, etc.) and adds two originals, ‘I Will Remain’ and ‘40 Light Years’. “Blues has always been a pass-it-forward kind of thing,” says James.
“It’s also surprisingly hard to write. You have to be careful how modern you get in your phrasing. Certain writers can write a song that sounds like it was done 40 years ago, but it’s deceptively hard.”
To be a blues musician is to always have a dialogue with the past. As with much blues music, it’s the performances on the original versions rather than the actual song that drew James to them. That said, what could he possibly bring to them in 2018? “You bring what you can,” he says. “If I feel like I’ve brought enough, then I put it out. I knocked a bunch of songs off this record when I realized that I can’t bring anything to them that isn’t there already. All my life I’ve tried to bring vitality to older songs. Hopefully, my dedication to it is what floats it over the mark. That’s a subjective thing; some people will always prefer the original. However, there’s always a group of people coming up to see me after a show who might say, “Oh, I never would have heard ‘One More Mile’ by James Cotton—nothing in my life would have pointed me there.”
So much of Colin James’s career has pointed him to this moment: joyfully tangled up in the blues, which, as he notes, “is the only genre where you can maintain a young profile at the age of 53.”
****************************
KINGSTON
& AREA
REGULAR
EVENTS
****************************
KBS
Monthly Jam
The
Standeasy
RCHA Club,
193 Ontario Street, Kingston ON
Third
Saturday each month @ 8:30 pm, $3 at the door
The KBS monthly jam is always full and both
the musicians and the audience always have a great time. Always one of the best
nights of entertainment Kingston has to offer – come early as seating is limited.
Sponsored by the Kingston Arts Council and the City of Kingston.
***************
For
more info, please contact Kingston Blues Society
****************************
BLUES
ON THE RADIO
****************************
DAWGFM.com Blues 24/7 on the internet
Streaming at http://www.dawgfm.com/
**********
On
CKCU-FM 93.1
The
Mighty 93.1
Community
Radio serving the Ottawa Carleton Region
Sundays:
9-11 pm
Black
and Blues
with John
Tackaberry
The show features a heavy dose of electric
blues and rhythm and blues, with the occasional selection of sixties soul. The first
hour is dedicated to artist profiles and reviews of recordings on particular
labels. In the second hour there is a blues calendar, a rundown of events in
Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, and interviews
with “new and reissued blues and rhythm and blues tracks on wax”, alternating
with “live blues and R&B for a Sunday night” in the last half hour of the
show.
**********
Wednesdays:
9-11 pm
In A
Mellow Tone
Hosted
by Bernard Stepien, Ron Steeds, Allan Wigney, Jean-Michel Labatut and Aidian
Thomas, ‘In A Mellow Tone’ introduces listeners to the entire history of jazz,
from its beginnings to the latest innovations. Every program has a focus; on a
musician, a city, a festival, an instrument, a record label or on recent releases.
The hosts draw on their large personal CD and LP collections to supplement
CKCU's extensive resources.
**********
On CBC
Radio Two 103.3 FM
Saturdays:
6-8 pm
On CBC
Radio One 91.5 FM
Saturdays:
9-11 pm
Saturday
Night Blues
Host Holger Petersen has been a broadcaster,
record producer, album collector, and serious blues fan for over 40 years. His collection of blues records numbers in
the thousands. On Saturday Night Blues each
week you’ll hear a mix of classic blues from the ‘Petersen Vaults’, concerts,
interviews, artist features, new releases, plus anything that boogies, jumps,
or swings, plus your requests from the Bluesline.
And check out SNB videos here http://www.cbc.ca/snb/video/
**********
On CJHR
98.7 Valley Heritage Radio
Thursdays,
8-10 pm
Got The
Blues
Pat Watters is your host for this blues only
radio show, now in its 9th year.
It can be heard throughout the Ottawa Valley and streaming on the
internet at valleyheritageradio.ca.
**********
NPR from
Canton NY
For those who live south of the city, OBS
member Bob Cavan notes that the National Public Radio (NPR) radio signal at
89.5 FM in Canton NY comes in pretty strong in Manotick. Bob recommends two shows
in particular. Bob says “The Blue Note” Tuesdays 3 pm-5 pm, and “The Radio
Bob Show” Wednesdays 3 pm-5 pm are both excellent shows – blues, ‘50s
& ‘60s, rock & roll, R&B.
**********
Unsung
and On The Side
With Carolyn
Fe
Tuesdays,
7-9 pm
Re-broadcast Saturday 10 am – noon &
Sunday 2-4 pm (all times EST)
It’s all about the Blues, Jazz and its derivatives
from around the globe and just around the corner. Songs rarely heard, from the
very first recordings all the way to indie artists who consciously push the
envelope to the next generation sounds of the genre; some older releases will be
spun - just because the album in old, doesn't mean it's forgotten, thus the
"On The Side" part of the show's title.
**********
Streaming great Blues, Roots, Soul, R&B,
Folk, East Coast and Celtic music across Canada and around the world 24/7/365.
Check out their Canadian Blues shows and
hosts, including James Doran’s ‘Inside The Blues’, Brant Zwicker’s ‘At The
Crossroads’, along with Mark Stenzler's ‘Blues Zeppelin’ from Switzerland … and
lots more Canadian and international Blues shows.
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LOCALS
LOOK AHEAD
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Friday, February 15
Lucas
Haneman Express @ Brookstreet Hotel Options Bar, 8 pm - midnight
Sunday, February 17
Open
Blues Jam @ the Rainbow hosted by Kieran Howes, 3-7:30 pm
HOROJO
Trio House Concert @ Clyde River Productions, 6-8 pm
Friday, February 22
Lucas
Haneman & Megan Lawrence Acoustic Duo @ Nepean Sailing Club, 8 pm
Sunday, February 24
Lucas
Haneman @ Brookstreet Hotel’s Perspectives Sunday Brunch, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Open
Blues Jam @ the Rainbow hosted by Kieran Howes, 3-7:30 pm
Saturday, March 2
Rocksnake
& BONECAT @ Irene’s Pub, 9 pm
Sunday, March 3
Open
Blues Jam @ the Rainbow hosted by Kieran Howes, 3-7:30 pm
Wednesday, March 6
The
Prime Rib Big Band @ Irene’s, 8 pm
Saturday, March 9
Dimestore
Duo @ the Juke Joint Soul Kitchen, Carp, 7-10 pm
Sunday, March 10
Open
Blues Jam @ the Rainbow hosted by Kieran Howes, 3-7:30 pm
Saturday, March 16
Clint
Everson @ the Atomic Rooster, 4-8 pm
Tony
D Band @ the Rainbow Bistro, 9 pm
Sunday, March 17
Open
Blues Jam @ the Rainbow hosted by Kieran Howes, 3-7:30 pm
Saturday, March 23
River
Blues @ the Rainbow Bistro, 3:30 pm
Barry
& the Blasters @ the Rainbow Bistro, 9 pm
Sunday, March 24
Open
Blues Jam @ the Rainbow hosted by Kieran Howes, 3-7:30 pm
Sunday, March 31
Open
Blues Jam @ the Rainbow hosted by Kieran Howes, 3-7:30 pm
Rod
Williams Band @ the Atomic Rooster, 6-9 pm
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