Boxcar's Blues Train Is Bound For MemphisBy Tom Zillich, Surrey NowOn stage, the longtime North Surrey resident is "Boxcar," a handle he's used since his teens.
"I used to play pool in the halls around Whalley, at Gateway and Johnny 5's, and at the Flamingo, too, while listening to the bands there," Gates explained. "I used to write the name 'Boxcar' up on the chalkboard - you know, 'Boxcar, you're up' (to play a game of pool). It was my eight-ball name."
Gates' cool brand of Piedmont-style country blues is played with bottleneck slide and alternate finger-picking - a oneman-band approach that sounds like he's simultaneously playing a bass riff, picking his acoustic guitar, singing and, every so often, blowing on a harmonica attached to a rack he made from bicycle and lamp-shade parts.
He went solo-acoustic with the blues about four years ago. "Playing electric guitar in a blues band is fun and all that, but I just wanted to write my own stuff, do my stuff," Gates said. "I like to play my own drum lines, bass lines and everything else in my guitar style, so that kind of conflicts with everyone around me," he added with a laugh.
Influenced by Robert Johnson and other trailblazers of the genre, Gates' blues has turned heads at many joints around town over the past four years, including the Memphis Blues eatery in South Surrey, where he gigs every Wednesday evening.
Ironically, playing the blues in Memphis is what Gates will be doing early next month.
He'll fly to the big International Blues Challenge (Jan. 31 to Feb. 4) as a solo/duo entry, after winning a contest hosted by White Rock Blues Society last October.
To help get him to Memphis, a send-off/ fundraising concert will feature Gates and guests Sunday night (Jan. 15) at Admiral Pub & Grill in Burnaby - the old NBI, on East Hastings. A $25 ticket gets you in for a burger, beer, blues and the thrill of helping a talented guy get to a place he deserves to experience (call 604-298-7158 or visit tickets.surrey.ca for show info).
"It's a good opportunity, a big cake with many layers," said Gates about his trip to Tennessee.
"I'm excited - never been there. It's going to be another cool thing to do at (age) 30."
Away from the stage, Gates has worked full-time at a Newton iron foundry since age 17, save for some adventures involving music, travel and, yes, trains.
"I've actually hobo'd a couple of times, and jumped some freight trains," he revealed. "I went hitchhiking across northern B.C. with my acoustic guitar in winter before, when I was 18. And then I lived in Nelson on the street for a while - built a house out of duct tape and cardboard and plastic sheets, and lived out in the mountain like that..
That was neat, but I wouldn't do that now. I was young, and I busked over on Baker Street for a couple of months in 1999. It started to snow the day I left."
As a kid, Gates often carried his guitar over his shoulder, like a hobo with a stick and bag knotted at the end - even before he could play the instrument. "It was part of my identity crisis, I guess," he said. "But it's part of my upbringing, too, because my relatives all played guitar and harmonica and stuff. And listening to early Rolling Stones records and that 1956 juke box with all the 45s in it - that helped."
In Memphis, he'll be up against 80 other solo/duo acts in the Blues Challenge. "I anticipate he'll do very well there," said Rod Dranfield, boss of White Rock Blues Society.
"(Gates) is very genuine, a great entertainer," Dranfield added. "It's not an act, he's not a pretender. He truly loves what he does."
Due out this month is a 14-song CD of music Gates is calling The World is a Train Station. Check for song samples online at davidboxcargates.ca.
tzillich@thenownewspaper.com
© Copyright (c) Surrey Now
White Rock Blues Society: Press
‘Boogie’ blues trio returns
One of the White Rock Blues Society’s best-received guest bands is returning for the organization’s 50th show next week.
Ottawa-based MonkeyJunk will be serving up what it calls a “generous helping of swamp rhythm and blues, soul boogie and bedroom funk” Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. at the Rhumba Room, Pacific Inn resort (1160 King George Blvd.).
Steve Marriner (vocals, harmonica, keyboards, guitar), Tony Diteodoro (lead guitar) and Matt Sobb (drums) have only been working together as a band since the spring of 2008, but they’ve already notched up a Blues Music award for best new artist debut, a Canadian Independent Music award for best blues artist and five Maple Blues awards in 2010, as electric act of the year, entertainer of the year, guitar player of the year (Diteodoro), plus vocalist of the year and harmonica player of the year (both for Marriner).
They also made an impressive third-place showing at the International Blues Challenge.
The name derives from a comment made by one of the musicians’ favourite blues artists, Son House (“I’m talkin’ ’bout the blues. I ain’t talkin’ about Monkey Junk”) which stuck with them and seemed to fit their style, which one reviewer has termed a “hot, sticky, greasy, backwoods folk blues sound.”
Even minus a bass player – band members are quick to point out that Hound Dog Taylor didn’t have one either, and Little Walter frequently did without – MonkeyJunk has created a strong reputation for credibility both on disc and in powerhouse, danceable live performances.
Tickets are available at Tapestry Music, Surfside Music, the Pacific Inn or online at tickets.surrey.ca
'Boxcar' Gates off to Memphis for big Blues Challenge
Longtime Whalley-area resident David "Boxcar" Gates is winner of a Blues Challenge contest staged by White Rock Blues Society.
Photograph by: submitted, for Surrey NOW
David "Boxcar" Gates is on his way to Memphis, thanks to a big win at a beachside bar in White Rock.
Gates edged other worthy solo/duo acts Oct. 23 during a contest held by White Rock Blues Society to determine its selection for the 2012 International Blues Challenge, a significant event held in the Tennessee city next February.
"I'm really excited and feel like such a lucky guy," said Gates, who grew up in Whalley and still lives in the area.
Gates' brand of Piedmont-style country blues is played with bottleneck slide and alternate finger-picking, usually backed by his homemade harmonica rack, made of bicycle and lamp-shade parts.
With Gates, others on the contest bill at West Beach Bar & Grill were Blue Voodoo duo, Wes Mackey, and The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer.
Judges at the gig were Glen Page (a blues historian), Robbie Keene (owner of Surfside Music and Vintage Guitars) and Glen Pearson (singer-songwriter who hosts many jams around town).
"David will be a great ambassador for the region's blues music community," said blues society boss Rod Dranfield. "We will be conducting a fundraiser in the coming weeks to help cover the costs for David's travels to, and stay in, Memphis. We wish him the very best in his next great musical adventure."
Blues artist heading south
A Semiahmoo Peninsula musician will represent the White Rock Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis this coming January.
David “Boxcar” Gates, 30, was one of four musicians who performed Sunday night at the West Beach Bar and Grill in White Rock for a panel of judges comprising blues historian Glen Page, retired professional guitarist Robbie Keene and Glen Pearson, a local blues musician.
Gates’ vintage sound – described by WRBS president Rod Dranfield as a trip back to the 1920s and ’30s in Memphis or Mississippi – helped him stand out just enough to win the judges’ favour over Wes Mackey, the Blue Voodoo and the duo, The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer.
“The panel of judges had their work cut out for them,” Dranfield told Peace Arch News this week. “All four blues acts were worthy of the honour.”
Even Gates, who has been working on his music since he was a teenager, is reluctant to call himself the winner.
“No, no, it was not a contest. I can’t stand it being called a contest. Give me a break. There was so much talent in the room,” Gates said. “All of us were hugging, we’re all really happy.”
While in Tennessee, Gates will perform in front of blues lovers and people in the music industry, making contacts and getting exposure – both of which are crucial to a lesser-known artist.
“All the acts get a good bit of opportunity to be seen and to make connections that help in developing their career,” said Dranfield. “Each year they pick the top three bands or artists, but from what I’ve learned, it’s not about winning, or getting the cherry on top of the cake, it’s about the cake.”
Receiving this opportunity is just the most recent layer on Gates’ cake. The last two months have been a whirlwind experience for the musician, who was also featured in a video series created by Jonathan Fluevog – son of the acclaimed shoe designer.
As for the cherry on top, right before being chosen to go to the IBC, Gates’ 59-year-old father, Ed, who was diagnosed with cancer, was given the OK to be released from the hospital.
“He’s my landmark, he’s always supported me and he always said, ‘David, I knew you would do something,’” Gates said. “The last few weeks have been like a dream. I can’t believe it.”
Gates – who grew up in Whalley and got his nickname from his teenage hobby of hopping onto freight trains – said that if anything comes from the festival and he has the funds to do so, he plans to build a homeless shelter in his old neighbourhood.
“If I ever make any money, that’s what I will do. Getting into this band stuff helped me out. I was growing up in a rough neighbourhood, and I was able to break the mold and get to do this,” he said.
For more on the WRBS, go to www.whiterockblues.com
'Blues by the Sea' Saturday
The "full spectrum of blues" will be covered during the latest outdoor show at the Semiahmoo Nation bandshell, this Saturday, Aug. 13.Busy party band Brickhouse headlines the "Blues by the Sea" shindig, co-staged by White Rock Blues Society and Phil Davey's Q Sound. Also on the afternoon/evening bill are the rockabilly-minded Butch Murphy & the Bloody Miracles, blues/ swing vets Harpdog Brown & the Original Bloodhounds, David "Boxcar" Gates and the electric Blues Puppy.
Admission at the gate is $10 (by "donation), or free for kids 13 and under, starting at 2: 30 p.m.
"It's a great chance for kids to hear some great blues," raved the blues society's Rod Dranfield. "This is a first-time effort and if it works out we will do it annually."
For this one, bring lawn chairs, a picnic basket and blanket. Info is online at whiterockblues.com.
'TALENTS FOR A CURE' AUG. 20
Many local young musicians, dancers and comedians will gather at South Surrey's Wheelhouse Theatre Aug. 20 for a Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser dubbed "Talents for a Cure." Those on the bill include Their There, Tommy Alto, Brett McCrady, Adam Olgui, Paula Cooper, Julia Han, Hamza Zain and Samantha Andrews, the event's primary organizer and who is in remission from cancer (acute promyelocytic leukemia). Tickets for the gig are $15/12 via 6046190236 or talents.for.a.cure@gmail.com.
SONG SEARCH CONTEST WINNER
Randy Ponzio's reggae-influenced "For the People" won the latest Song Search contest staged by The Shore radio station. The announcement was made Saturday (Aug. 6) during the Celebration of Light fireworks event in Vancouver.
tzillich@thenownewspaper.com
twitter.com@tomzillich
© Copyright (c) Surrey Now
The new blues brothers
CLUB GIG
Sam and Luke
Where: The Media Club, 695 Cambie St.
When: Friday at 9 p.m.
Tickets: $8
They're young and restless and taken their own route around the Vancouver
music industry, which is why Sam and Luke bear watching.
Sam just turned 20 while his brother, Luke, is 16. Through a combination of
talent searches and naïveté, Sam and Luke are better known on stages in
Nashville, Memphis, San Francisco or Los Angeles than in their White Rock
home, although it must be said that White Rock has supported them. Sam and
Luke have stick handled around Vancouver convention. If the Remedios brothers
are successful, it won't be because they courted the local music biz.
They have made their own opportunities, one of the first of which was
entering and winning the White Rock Blues Society's Roots and Blues Talent
Search in 2008. With their parents' blessings and support -they've bought
them their instruments, hauled their gear, been chaperones to the underage
Luke -the duo has made remarkable progress in an equally remarkable short
time.
Sam and Luke made a pleasant but hardly earthshaking EP, First 4, in 2009
then quickly won a spot opening for Downchild in Nanaimo, at which time they
met Colin Linden, who also was opening for Downchild. A few months later,
they met Linden again, who agreed to produce their first album. Linden, a
solo guitarist, as well as a sideman who has worked for Bruce Cockburn, a
one-time member of the later configuration of The Band and a current member
of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, also had a respectable reputation as a
producer. He had Sam and Luke record last spring in flood-swollen Nashville.
"He's got all his contacts there," explains Luke. "All the musicians he
liked were down there."
"We didn't realized Nashville was flooding," notes Sam.
"Mixed with the tornado warnings, it was really frightening," adds Luke.
With songwriting and trying out different methods in the studio from
separate tracking to playing with a band "live," the recording took two and
a half months. By the time Standing in a Room was completed, Sam and Luke
had rubbed shoulders with Bob Babbitt, an original Motown bassist, and
written with Tom Hambridge, who drummed on the LP and won a Grammy for his
work on Buddy Guy's Living Proof.
It was obvious they weren't fooling around but, in hindsight, not yet
certain of where they were heading.
"It felt really fast once we got to the studio and we got right to
recording," remembers Sam. "It was very organic."
Luke figures that the direction of the album (not pure blues and with an
edge softened by lighter rock) took shape as the brothers were recording.
"I think we're still trying to find our sound," Sam says. "We're learning as
we go along.
"The credibility we earn will come from making good music. As long as we
focus on making better music. We always want to move up."
"Colin said, 'the more records you make, the better the records you'll
make,'" Luke notes.
"That's why we're so serious about it," stresses Sam.
"I don't think I could do anything but music," adds Luke.
tharrison@theprovince.com
© Copyright (c) The Province
Cuba in 1958 was bristling with revolution. Fidel Castro was encamped in the Sierra Maestra Mountains directing his guerrilla takeover of the country with his band of rebels, Che Guevara included.
By the end of the year Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista would board a plane full of cash and his closest family and cronies and fly to the Dominican Republic as crowds of looters wandered the city, breaking into the American mob-owned casinos and making off with whatever they could.
Into all that year’s chaos one Carlos del Junco was born in Havana and, as Castro marched on Santiago de Cuba to the south, was almost immediately flown out with his family to staid, grey and decidedly peaceful Toronto. He’s been back to Cuba once, in 1991, but otherwise grew up Canadian as snow.
In a big turning point of del Junco’s own, one day at 14 he was listening to a friend play harmonica and artfully bend a sweet, bluesy note. Young Carlos thought it was the coolest damned thing he’d ever heard and there and then was snared. It was on to learning from the masters.
“First record I bought was Paul Butterfield,” says del Junco. “The very first Paul Butterfield Blues Band, which I still think is the best playing that he did. Innovative. Then Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williams but I wasn’t as much into the traditional guys. At the same time growing up listening to blues records I was also into progressive rock and jazz/rock fusion. I had pretty eclectic tastes and I think it’s really carried over into what I put on my records.”
And the live show.
Backed by his trio — Eric St. Laurent on guitar, Henry Heillig on bass and drummer Mark Mariash — del Junco plays blues style only about half the set list, about half the show with vocals and the other half instrumentals.
He’s renowned for his amazingly pure, controlled tone and has been asked a million times what he thinks of the Bob Dylan/Neil Young method of screeching harmonica playing. Not too much.
“Those are the guys that have given the instrument a bad name,” says del Junco. “And the only reason I say that, brilliant songwriters that they are, is that those are the guys you hear on the radio. You never really hear harmonica as a featured instrument, there’s a stigma that it’s not a serious, lead instrument.”
That, plus everybody thinks they can play a harp. Hell, all you do is blow. It’s a thinking man’s kazoo.
In fact, playing harmonica correctly is surprisingly technical and difficult, using the tongue, over blowing, over drawing, bending. Del Junco plays your regular 10-hole diatonic harmonica — he carries about 30 on stage — and manages to finesse three octaves out of any one of them. “Old McDonald” this ain’t.
“But ultimately it comes down to music that sounds good, right?”
Right.
© Copyright (c) The Province
Harpdog Brown marking milestone in a big way
Few have tackled the smoky magic of the blues quite like Harpdog Brown.
The engaging, accomplished and Lacombe-based musician (singer and harmonica player) is throwing a birthday party Jan. 29 at Wild Bill’s.
He’s turning 49 (that’s seven in dog years he’s quick to point out) and he’s promising a night of rollicking tunes with his bandmates the Bloodhounds. Rounding out the band are pianist Graham Guest, ‘Charlie’ Ben Sure on guitar, Kenny Chalmers on tubs and Chris Chris Brzezicki on bass.
“It will be over the top, no doubt,” he laughs during a recent chat.
Brown has been carving out his own musical niche for decades now, and was pretty much born for life on the road. “Even as a toddler, I was always venturing off somewhere,” he says, recalling his childhood in Edmonton, his hometown.
He also started playing instruments before he even really knew what they were. As a youngster, his mom would plunk him down with a lap steel guitar and he would come up with all kinds of stuff. That curiosity and attraction to creating only grew stronger as the years passed.
In his late teens he landed his first gig as a guitarist with a singer. The guys would open for comedians, and although it wasn’t exactly where his heart was it was during times like this Brown really began to see his ability to connect with audiences.
Next up he joined a rock band which further solidified his love for touring. Although things were hardly glamorous to start with. Brown remembers an early gig up in Fairview, and how the guys wound up in a less-than-stellar motel room with a mattress on the floor and a clothes hanger on the TV acting as a makeshift antenna.
“I thought, it’s only going to get better,” he says with a chuckle.
And it did. Brown eventually settled into the genre that would truly fit – the blues. It’s heartfelt nature, rife with honesty and gritty authenticity, is what has been so compelling to him over the years.
“It’s all about the truth.”
Finding music was and is his key way to express what he’s about. “Before blues was labeled the blues, it was known as black folk music – it was the music of the people.
“Blues is the ideal vehicle for the message of life.”
These days, he’s been teaming up with the aforementioned Graham Guest for the bulk of his shows. As to the birthday bash, he’s also excited to be hitting the stage with the Bloodhounds for the complete sonic experience.
And yes, it’s going to be an explosive show – a special one for a meaningful day. “It’s my last year before I join the ‘50’ club,” he laughs.
But really, when you’re lucky enough to be doing what you love to do, getting the chance to perform is a gift in itself. The gratitude in this man’s voice is unmistakable. “Every day is a special day.”
Cost for the show is $10 per person. There is also a special rate at the hotel for out-of-town guests. For more information, check out www.harpdogbrown.com.
mweber@reddeerexpress.com
Janis Warren
Black Press
Last summer, at around 4 a.m. on Aug. 28, Steve Sainas came home after a gig at the Yale Hotel in Vancouver, sat down in front of the computer and read.
The White Rock Blues Society had sent out an email, asking blues musicians around the province to enter a talent search in October.
Sainas, fine arts department head at Port Coquitlam’s Terry Fox Secondary, compiled some information about his band, Mud Dog, and pressed send.
A month and a half later, on Oct. 17, Sainas and harmonica player Christopher Allen were on stage at the Rhumba Room of the Pacific Inn, competing against six other shortlisted acts – including White Rock-South Surrey luminaries Kathy Frank and James Shepherd – for the showdown title in the society’s Solo/Duo Blues Challenge.
Winner would represent B.C. and Canada at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn., which happens Feb. 1 to 5. Last year, the event was won by a Canadian, a first.
Mud Dog played four original Delta Blues songs – Three Good Reasons, Step Into The Light, Gastown Blues and Train – and won rave reviews.
Trouble was, they were three minutes and 10 seconds over the limit and the judges knocked off a point for every 10 seconds they went over their allotted time.
Sainas and Allen didn’t know about the regulation so, as the featured band from Seattle – Becki Sue and her Big Rockin’ Daddies – performed during the next two hours, they fretted about the penalties.
Then lead singer Becki Sue spoke to the crowd. “Is Mud Dog in the house?” she asked. “You guys are going to Memphis!”
Mud Dog had won the competition by a single point. They would be joined in Memphis by Peninsula favourites Sam and Luke, already chosen by the society to carry the flag in the youth category.
Sainas was overjoyed. But he and Allen soon decided they had to make the most of their time in the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll and the blues.
They contacted a representative from the legendary Sun Studios and booked a time to record some tracks. And, as luck would have it, they managed to get four hours the night before the 27th annual festival starts, with engineer/producer Matt Ross-Spang at the controls. (Ross-Spang worked on John Mellencamp’s No Better Than This album in 2009).
Sainas said they plan to lay down 11 songs – an ambitious task, to be sure.
“If we do it in one take each, just like we do it live, then it can be done,” the Coquitlam resident said. “But if we have difficulty getting that stage energy in the studio then it could be hard. Sometimes, you get into the studio and it just rolls but sometimes you are chopping wood and it takes everything out of you.”
Still, Sainas is no stranger to cutting tracks.
Twelve years ago, he met a mentor named Donn Tarris, a folk/rock musician who was doing open mic at the now-defunct Johnny’s Place. Sainas was temporarily filling in for the regular act at the Port Moody eatery, plucking up enough courage to perform solo, when the two struck up a friendship. At that time, Sainas was an English and special education teacher at Fox, struggling to make ends meet: He had a young family, his wife was out of work and budget cuts loomed for the special ed. department.
Tired and frustrated, Sainas found solace in his nighttime gigs, and Tarris offered to help by showing him how to record music. One day, Tarris invited Sainas over to his home, plugged in a couple of microphones and hooked them up to his Mac Book G3.
Sainas liked the results and started tinkering around. The next year, Sainas felt he had enough confidence to pitch a new department at Fox called digital recording arts “and that was the beginning of what I’m doing now,” he said. “I look back and think, ‘What would have happened if Donn hadn’t tugged my arm and said, try this?’”
Today, Sainas’ recording arts and Rock School programs are among the most popular courses at Fox, with some Grade 9 to 12 students taking them more than once a year (his Grade 9 son and Grade 11 daughter are also involved).
He sometimes puts his recording arts classes on “auto pilot,” giving them the independence and ability to work on their projects, using Mac Logic Studio software, at their own speed because “in this business, you need to be able to do it yourself. That’s how you get ahead,” Sainas said, noting he recorded half of Mud Dog’s 2003 CD, titled Devil’s Road, in the Fox studio.
During his trip to Memphis — what he calls “professional development” — Sainas plans to document the sights and sounds for his students so they, too, can get a feel of the history of The River City.
The fact that he’s heading there seems surreal. “It’s a dream come true,” he said.
But he’s been too busy to think about it, juggling his teaching duties, Mud Dog gigs, coming to terms with the loss last week of his good friend, Fox football coach Carey Lapa, and the three Rock the Fox shows, put on by his Rock School students.
It doesn’t faze him that he’s competing against 82 other solo/duo acts from around the world, nor that he’s playing in venues on the iconic Beale Street in Memphis.
Rather, he’s nervous about the details of the trip: the safety of his beloved Dobro guitar on the plane, the cleanliness of the hotel.
And he’s concentrating on the set, the same winning one that Mud Dog played at the Rhumba Room three months ago.
“This time,” he promised, “we won’t go over the time limit.”
• The Mud Dog in Memphis fundraiser takes place Jan. 26 from 9 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. at the Yale Hotel (1300 Granville St., Vancouver). Admission is $10 at the door and includes performances by Fandangozz (a ZZ Top tribute band) and popular Peninsula band Blue Voodoo.
SAM & LUKE SHORE UP MORE FANS
White Rock-ing brothers Sam & Luke Remedios had an amazing experience performing live on the Shore 104 FM station last week, an event that served to kick-start a U.S. tour in support of the album Standing in a Room. DJ Jody Vance heard and loved the boys when they played the Blues For Christmas charity gig at the Commodore Ballroom last month, spreading the gospel via the radio waves.
Sam & Luke's stateside tour starts in Memphis, where they will represent Canada at the International Blues Challenge Youth Showcase (under 21 years), the siblings told me. "Then we're off to Nashville for a show at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe and another at the Bunganut Bistro in Franklin (near Nashville)."
Heading back to Memphis, the guitar-slinging singers will then play Huey's Midtown, a well-known Southern-music venue.
"By mid-February, we'll be up in northern California appearing at Sacramento's hot spot, Marilyn's on K. Plus we've got a show booked at Red Rock, a very cool coffee house in the San Francisco Bay area.... We close out the tour in Los Angeles, where we're booked at Whisky A Go Go, Trip Nightclub, The Cat Club and the infamous Viper Room."
Considering the names of places on the tour itinerary, the talented teens are "totally stoked and looking forward to an absolutely killer tour!"
Follow Sam & Luke's progress -- on tour, and otherwise -- on their Facebook page.
- Speaking of the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis early next month, Mud Dog is representing White Rock Blues Society at the event. To get there, the duo is playing a "Memphis Fundraiser" concert Wednesday, Jan. 26 at The Yale bar in Vancouver, with guests Fandangozz (yes, a tribute to ZZ Top) and The Blue Voodoo. Tickets are $10, a fee that will include an emailed MP3 song file from Mud Dog's recording session at famed Sun Studio. Sounds pretty cool.
Alto sings for charity
Tommy Alto (aka Tom Vander Kam) sure can make his acoustic guitar ring while singing up a storm. The local high-schooler was a highlight of last Saturday's fun Toy Jam, a Jason Buie-organized gig at Crescent Beach Legion that collected close to 100 toys for kids in need.
The following night, the annual Yuletide Blues benefit concert staged by White Rock Blues Society raised $2,040 and 467 pounds of food for the food bank operated by the local Sources organization. Nice.
FEAR NOT, FATHEAD IS HERE
Fathead is considered one of the best blues bands working Canadian tundra
these days, so it's a big deal for White Rock Blues Society to book the
Toronto-based band for a Saturday-nighter (May 1) at Pacific Inn's Rhumba
Room bar.
The gig probably wouldn't have happened here without some luck of the
logistical kind, reports the society's Rod Dranfield. "Because Fathead are
in B.C. to play at a festival (in Harrison Hot Springs, among other places),
we were approached by their management to see if we could put on a show,"
Dranfield told me. "Over the past three years, we (the blues society) have
garnered a solid reputation back east, and the word is out that we can
deliver.... As you can no doubt appreciate, there would be no way we could
fly (Fathead) in ourselves."
It's a similar tag-along scenario for the society's Friday, June 4 show at
the same venue, featuring L.A. blues-harmonica veteran James Harman.
The five guys of Fathead, meanwhile, are on a high following the spring
release of Where's The Blues Taking Me, which could give the band even more
attention from the Juno Awards caretakers next year. The band's sound has
evolved over the past couple of decades to include straight-up blues,
'50s-framed rock 'n' roll, funk, gospel and even some cabaret-style soul.
"We rarely play a song the same way twice, so we kind of keep our crowds
guessing," Fathead bandleader Al Lerman told me this week.
In this quintet, Lerman plays harmonica, tenor sax and vocally backs up lead
singer John Mays. Original guitarist Teddy Leonard last year returned to the
fold, with Omar Tunoch on bass and drummer Bucky Berger.
Tickets are $25 at the door for Fathead's dance party Saturday at the Rhumba
Room, 1160 King George Blvd. Call 604-542-6515 for info, or browse
www.whiterockblues.com.
tzillich@thenownewspaper.com
It is called the “music business.” Music & Business a convergence that if done correctly can almost certainly guarantee musical success.
Most people though have a CD they tirelessly try to turn their friends on to, because no one seemingly heard of the artist or the band. The usual suspect for such failure is the lack of “business” associated with “the music.”
Meet White Rock’s BLUES BROTHERS Jason Buie & Rod Dranfield. A perfect example of each other’s talents complementing the other. Sometimes like an old couple that has been together for years, Rod & Jason seamlessly finish each other’s sentences.
The beginning of the White Rock Blues Society stretches back to late 1999/2000. “I was living in Vancouver on the east side and I got my first introduction to White Rock when I started playing at Iguanas on the beach” says Jason Buie. “I met Rodney when I started gigging out here, and what impressed me was he was so passionate about music. We started kicking around the idea of setting up a Blues Society and before we knew it, the White Rock Blues Society was formed it has now been a reality for over a year.”
Rodney Dranfiield with an extensive business marketing background takes care of the business but is quick to point out why the situation works so well “I think a real key for the quick success of our blues society is the fact, Jason is on the Board of Directors. Having an artist with the talent of Jason immediately gave us credibility in the music community.”
Rewinding to their first show brings back fond memories for Jason & Rodney. “Our very first show was May 17, 2007 at the now defunct Camp Kwomais in Ocean Park” says Dranfield “Jason and Harp Dog played on a Wednesday evening. We served coffee and cookies and popcorn and the place was packed.” Jason chimes in with a funny anecdote about the show “ An article appeared in the local paper and they mentioned it was coffee and cookies, no alcohol and as a result of it people thought we were in recovery and as a result we got a couple of gigs at rehab centres.”
The stories pour out of Dranfield and Buie as they with great recall list the numerous shows the White Rock Blues Society has created over the past 18 months locally. The conversation though quickly jumps from the past to the present. “We have the second annual Yuletide Blues show this Sunday at The Rhumba Room in the Aston Pacific Hotel” says Buie. “The lineup this year is incredible.” Local musicians BLUE VOODOO, SAM & LUKE, LEANNE COLEMAN, MUD DOG, MUD BAY BLUES BAND, ELLIE JOHNSON the late addition JERRY DOUCETTE and Vancouver’s JOHNNY FERREIRA.
The show will be hosted by JASON BUIE and his house band of Mark, Brian & Zig will supply back up for some of the artists appearing. The music begins around 5 o’clock this Sunday and lord knows when it will end. The whole event is in support of the Peace Arch Community Services Food Bank. “There will be $15 admission charge and we are asking everyone to bring two healthy non-perishable items for the food bank” says Dranfield. “Last year we collected over 500 pounds of food for the food bank. We also have an anonymous donor who has funded the show so unlike a lot of other so called benefits, every cent raised will go directly to the food bank.”
Representatives from the food bank will be on hand helping to collect the food and ensuring the show is a great time for everyone. Dranfield and Buie have set the show in such a manner, anyone wishing to support the food bank and digging some great music, it will be possible to drop in at any point for a couple of hours and hear some incredible music. Yuletide Blues – 2nd Annual Christmas Blues Benefit. Helping to ensure some of our neighbours don’t have a blue Christmas.
Let those guitars ring!
The Scene
Fathead
Tickets are available now for a show by Canada’s blues “all-star team,” Fathead, which comes to the Rhumba Room at the Pacific Inn, 1160 King George Blvd., May 1 at 8 p.m. in a CD release party show presented by the White Rock Blues Society.
Featuring John Mays (lead vocals), Al Lerman (harp, tenor sax, vocals), Teddy Leonard (guitar, vocals), Omar Tunnoch (bass, vocals) and Bucky Berger, drums, percussion, vocals), Fathead has just released a much-anticipated follow-up to the Juno award-winning Building Full Of Blues.
Where’s The Blues Taking Me? takes the band’s sound to a new level with the group’s most fully-realized recording to date, produced by B3 master Lance Anderson.
Stories woven into song by the band’s long-time tunesmiths Lerman and Tunnoch, soul-baring vocals, sterling musicianship and superior production values highlight Fathead’s constantly-evolving sound, which encompasses everything from straight-up blues, to R & B, ’50s-style rock ‘n’ roll, funk, gospel and even torch/cabaret-style soul and blues.
The Pacific Inn gig is a welcome stop-off during extensive touring in support of the current album, giving local audiences a chance to hear a stellar Canadian band in their own backyard.
For tickets ($20 advance, $25 at the door) and information, call 604-542-6515.
Fundraising Event Helps Group Attend Maple Blues Awards
The White Rock Blues Society is presenting a fundraiser on Monday, Jan 1 at the Yale Hotel in support of blues band The Twisters, who’ll use the proceeds to cover travel costs they’ll incur getting to a couple of prestigious gigs.
The Twisters, who are five-time nominees for the 2010 Maple Blues Awards, will head for Toronto to participate in and perform for the annual awards ceremony on January 18th. The group is slated to perform during the 13th annual gala event at Koerner Hall.
From Ontario the group heads for Tennessee, where they’ll attend the International Blues Challenge Jan 20-23 in Memphis.
The Twisters are David “Hurricane” Hoerl (vocals, harmonica), Brandon “Yukon Slim” Isaak (guitar, vocals), Keith Picot (bass) and Chip Hart (drums).
Admission to the quartet’s show at the Yale is $10, 7:30 p.m.
for more info visit www.twisters.ca
Beat Goes On For Blues Musician
Lloyd Jones plays the Rhumba Room June 20.
Published: June 11, 2009 12:00 PM
Updated: June 11, 2009 12:03 PM
When singer and blues guitarist Lloyd Jones was leading Brown Sugar, most popular blues band in Portland, Ore. in the early `70s, he had the opportunity to work with many of the touring blues greats.
One of them, S.P. Leary – who had worked with Muddy Waters and was playing drums with Big Walter Horton at the time – leaned over to Jones as he was about to leave town and confided in the younger musician.
“Man,” he said, “I’m getting old. You gotta keep it alive. It’s a struggle sometimes, but if you love it, you keep on struggling.”
Leary’s words have been adopted as a mantra by the versatile Jones, who bills his current band The Lloyd Jones Struggle.
The band will make its Semiahmoo Peninsula debut June 20, 8 p.m. at the Rhumba Room (Pacific Inn), 1160 King George Hwy., featuring sidemen Mike Klobas (drums), Willie Barber (bass), Glen Holstrom (keys), Robbie Jordon (tenor and baritone sax) and Terry Townson (trumpet).
Jones, who describes his music as “storytelling with a Memphis groove,” was born in Seattle to a musical family which moved to Portland soon afterward. He grew up hearing his father’s Dixieland jazz records and being taught to play drums by his older brother, also a musician, who took his sibling to band rehearsals and started him playing gigs at the tender age of 13. Before he graduated high school, he had seen, and been mesmerized, by such artists as James Brown, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.
After starting Brown Sugar, Jones was privileged to work with such musicians as Charlie Musselwhite, George ‘Harmonica’ Smith, the Johnny Otis Show and Big Mama Thornton.
“That’s how we learned, and that’s really when I first picked up the guitar,” he recalled.
“A lot of times these people would stay at our homes and teach us music and history. Some of them have passed, now, so I cherish those memories.”
Over the years, Jones also played with such legendary figures as Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, John Hammond, Etta James and Junior Wells; and even his earlier idols Guy and King. In the `80s he joined former Cray singer and harp-player Curtis Salgado in a band named In Yo’ Face.
Tickets ($25 in advance, $30 at the door) are available from 604-542-6515, Tapestry Music, North Bluff Music and the Pacific Inn.
Monday » April 27 » 2009
Blown away by the blues
Tom Zillich
Surrey Now
Friday, April 24, 2009
Rod Dranfield, a co-founder of the White Rock Blues Society, responds to Tom Zillich's 10 questions:
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONCERT-GOING EXPERIENCE?
"Summer of 1966 in Dorval, Quebec, a local promoter by the name of Donald K. Donald brought in The Shadows Of Night, who had a major hit with Van Morrison's 'Gloria.' There were a couple thousand people, all standing and cheering. The crowd encouraged them to play the song three times that night.... I realized nothing beats the real thing, live music. I think it was the only hit they ever had. Someone recently posted the tune on YouTube with a picture of the album cover. I still own the album."
WHEN DID YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH BLUES MUSIC?
"In the summer of 1968 I attended an evening outdoor concert. The Paul Butterfield Band opened the show for James Cotton. I and my buddy Norm were taken by the music, as were the thousands in attendance. Everyone was dancing up a storm.... Montreal fans have always had a soft spot for the blues. I was hooked on the sound of the harp (harmonica) after that, and migrated to Slim Harpo and Jimmy Reed. Lately, it's been Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Williamson and Watermelon Slim."
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE ERA OF THE BLUES?
"The man that really turned my ear to the blues Texas-style was Johnny Winter. Our university student council booked Johnny into Place des Arts for our winter carnival. What a night. Johnny was guitar-dueling with Rick Derringer all night. I was captivated by the energy coming from the stage -- all that talent and incredible sound. The 3,000 audience members' response was deafening. Suddenly, blues was front and centre, with my generation's spin and energy added. But where was all this music coming from? Who was Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf? No one was telling us the history; there was no internet, no books and no first-hand information, but there was Rolling Stone magazine and its interviews with the likes of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, who referred to the original blues greats. They kept telling us to listen to the originators, the creators of the blues and to go to their shows, buy their records and experience what excited them when they first heard the music, on records carried into the U.K. by merchant seaman or purchased in France, where the first European blues records were produced. God bless the French for their early appreciation and passion for the blues in the 1950s; they helped stimulate the British music invasion."
WITH THE SOCIETY, WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE GIG SO FAR?
"It's hard for me to pick one because I enjoyed each one so much for what they bring to the audience. I have but one measure of success: How many people are on the dance floor? We've had some amazing players perform for us. The 20-year-old Hank Shreve from Eugene, Oregon, was mesmerizing on the harp and vocals earlier this month at our first International Harmonica Showcase.... It was his first international gig, (on) our humble stage, and he really appreciated the response he received from the audience."
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE RHUMBA ROOM THAT MAKES IT WORK AS THE SOCIETY'S HOME BAR/CONCERT VENUE?
"It has the biggest dance floor in White Rock/South Surrey and our blues fans love to dance. It also has a Yale Hotel feel to it, long bar down the left side, some elevated seating at the back, elbow room for 250 people and it is attached to the Pacific Inn Hotel, which has two restaurants and reasonably priced rooms. We have people coming from Chilliwack, the North Shore and as far as Seattle, so they like to get a room for the night. Eric Steiner, the president of the Washington Blues Society, came up for a show in support of our society and he promotes our events below the 49th parallel."
DO YOU EVER GET THE ITCH TO GET UP THERE AND JAM WITH THE MUSICIANS?
"Yes, but fortunately I know my limits as a harp player and reserve such behaviour for local blues jams and house parties. I have yet to play on the Rhumba Room stage. I do get a kick out of shooting some video of each show and have about 35 videos up on YouTube."
Finish this sentence: I'd rather stick a tuning fork in my ear than listen to...
"Rap music, and more than one Bluegrass tune."
WHAT'S THE MOST RECENT CD YOU BOUGHT (OR DOWNLOADED)?
"Floyd Jones' Trouble Monkey, from 1995, because he and his six-piece band are coming to town in June and I was told this was his breakthrough album. I always like to hear the bands we are booking, to become familiar with their sound."
CAN YOU DESCRIBE TROUBLE MONKEY HERE, IN 10 WORDS OR LESS?
"Driving, dancing beat, mellow ballads, clear vocals and a story to tell about love and life, because the blues, as Willie Dixon said, 'are the facts of life put to music'."
WHAT'S NEXT ON THE CALENDAR FOR WHITE ROCK BLUES SOCIETY?
"In Memphis, I was a proud Canadian watching MonkeyJunk, from Ottawa, perform as one of the final 10 bands in the 25th Annual International Blues Challenge at the famed Orpheum Theatre on Front Street, one block from B.B. King's club on Beale Street.... The band plays the Rhumba Room on Friday, May 22 (and they) will blow you away."
© Surrey Now 2009
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Blues musician has impressive resume
By Alex Browne - Peace Arch News
Published: December 20, 2008 10:00 AM
Updated: December 22, 2008 6:50 AM
A master of blues bass is heading to the Semiahmoo Peninsula.
Russell Jackson and his band will headline the last dance/show of the year for the White Rock Blues Society at the Rhumba Room, 1160 King George Hwy., Saturday Dec. 27 at 8 p.m.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
The stage will also be shared by local legends, The Mud Bay Blues Band, who are currently celebrating their 30th year as a group.
The evening follows up the society’s successful second annual Yuletide Blues Benefit bash at the Rhumba Room, which raised $3,755 for Peace Arch Community Services Food Bank.
That gig also included The Mud Bay Blues Band, along with such luminaries as Jerry Doucette, Johnny Ferreira, Mud Dog and such local performers as Jason Buie, artistic director of the society’s program, Leanne Coleman, Blue Voodoo, Yukon Slim, Glen Pearson, Sam & Luke, David ‘Boxcar’ Gates, Ellie Johnson and the James Shepherd Band.
The next show should gain added sizzle from the presence of Vancouver-based Jackson, who describes his music as “honouring the tradition of the blues with a contemporary twist.”
Equally adept at both electric and acoustic (stand up) bass, Jackson has been known for years as a monster player who can stir up any room with his slap-string style, powerful sense of rhythm and innate showmanship.
His history is inextricably linked with one of the all-time blues greats, guitarist B.B. King.
In 1979, at the age of only 25, Jackson was invited to join King’s orchestra. He stayed for the next seven years, absorbing a thorough education in both the substance and style of the blues, as well as playing on two of King’s albums.
Born in Memphis, Tenn., Jackson did most of his growing up in Wichita, Kan.
With relatively little formal musical education, but plenty of playing experience, he had already acquired a strong reputation as a bassist by the time he got the call to join King.
But after leaving King in 1986, Jackson knew he wanted to develop his knowledge and technique even further.
He was admitted to the prestigious Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles, where he studied both electric and acoustic bass with world-renowned tutor Joel DiBartlo.
In 1987, he became part of famed rhythm section Silent Partners, and wrote the title track on their critically acclaimed debut album, If It’s All Night, It’s All Right, released on the Antones label in 1989.
Jackson has also toured and recorded as a sideman with such blues greats as Charlie Muselwhite, Katie Webster, Matt Murphy, Kenny Neal and Roy Gaines, Luther Tucker, Frankie Lee and Long John Baldry.
After he left Silent Partners in 1990, Jackson relocated to Vancouver where he formed his own band.
In 1994, it recorded its debut album, The Alley Man, on the StoneBluz label, and in 1996, it was featured in the music video Show Me The Door, which received heavy play on the Bravo! network in the U.S. and Canada.
Jackson has also continued to compose, refining his own distinct brand of blues that was showcased on his album Becoming The Blues. His band continues to tour across North America.
Current band members include drummer Ivan Duben Jr. and guitarist James Rogers.
His list of musical heroes includes B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Major Holley, Ray Brown, Marcus Miller, Jerry Jemmott, James Jamieson and Larry Graham.
Jackson can be seen in the YouTube videos Kenny Wayne at the Yale featuring Russell Jackson, and Gangster Of Love - Russell Jackson Chicago Blues Festival 2007 on tour.
Events generate cash and food for charity
Surrey Now
Published: Friday, December 12, 2008
Sunday's second annual Yuletide Blues benefit in South Surrey raised $3,755 in cash and 701 pounds of food for charity.
The White Rock Blues Society-hosted event was organized to give a hand to the Peace Arch Community Services (PACS) food bank.
Jerry Doucette, Johnny Ferreira and many others played to a packed house at the Pacific Inn hotel's Rhumba Room,
"Jason Buie did a masterful job putting on the greatest blues shows in the history of White Rock/South Surrey," raved the blues society's Rod Dranfield.
"Many thanks to Anthony Intas, a driving force in promoting this wonderful community event. Congratulations to Ruth Chitty and her band of volunteers for handling the door and donations. A warm thanks to all the musicians who donated their talents and time to make the evening a resounding success."
November 7, 2008
White Rock Blues Society Presents Jerry Doucette
Written by
cindy mcleod
Jerry Doucette
Saturday, November 8
Rhumba Room
White Rock, BC
Doucette set to rock Rhumba Room
The White Rock Blues Society presents Canadian guitar great Jerry Doucette on Saturday, November 8th at The Rhumba Room in White Rock. Doucette will be backed for the performance by The Jason Buie Band, with Marko Ibara (drums), Brian Scott (bass) and Sig (keyboards). Opening the show is Mud Dog with Steve Sainus and Christopher Allen.
Vancouver based guitarist and composer Jerry Doucette is described as one of Canada’s most influential and under-rated performers. Over the last thirty-plus years he has carved his name in the music industry as a pop-rock giant. Best known for his monumental hit record Mama Let Him Play (1977), which saw him touring North America opening for the likes of Bob Welch and Meatloaf, Doucette has gone on to release a handful of records that showcase his guitar prowess and a keen pop sense, as well as doing session work with the likes of Aldo Nova and Prism, and live performances opening for the likes of The Atlanta Rhythm Section, The Doobie Brothers and The Beach Boys.
Ongoing legal battles over control of Doucette’s music were finally laid to rest in the early ’90’s and he re-emerged from the experience with the Price of an Education (1995). His most recent release is his Vintage CDRom featuring a collection of 17 of his best tunes re-mastered, 3 live cuts, and a rare audio interview accompanied by a slide show featuring over 60 photos, promotional items, billboard charts and more.
for more info visit www.jerrydoucette.ca
December 9 Blues Benefit for the PACS Food Bank Surpasses All Expectations
On Sunday December 9 2007 at the Rumba Room of the Aston Pacific Inn, the White Rock Blues Society held its First Annual Yuletide Blues Benefit Concert for the Peace Arch Community Services (PACS) Food Bank.
Over 525 pounds of food and $3,400 in donations were collected on behalf of the 2,000 clients, 1/3 of whom are children, in White Rock and South Surrey who the Food Bank serves each month.
Throughout the course of the night, hundreds of people came to support those in need and enjoy the wonderful performances of the Mud Bay Blues Band, Dave 'Hurricane' Hoerl and Brandon Issak of the Twisters, Al Webster from the Jeff Healey and Colin James bands, Glen and Gordon Pearson, Jason Buie, Leanne Coleman, Dave Webb, Rodney Senft, Brian Scott and others. Sound and lighting were generously supplied by Gordon Brown, James Wahl and John Laird of Brown Sound.
'All of these individuals came together for a common cause', said Rod Dranfield, President of the White Rock Blues Society. 'There is something about the Blues and hunger, not just about food but about suffering in life. There are not too many Blues musicians out there who have not been hungry at some point. These guys have good hearts'.
Jason Buie, Artistic Director of the White Rock Blues Society, who performed that evening and was instrumental in getting his friends to join him said, 'The Blues is a Universal language. Everyone has had the blues at some point in there life -if they know it or not. Blues music is a healing form of music....when we're down it can lift us up, make us feel like everything is gonna be all right....it can renew our hope at the end of a bad day. Blues music is timeless.....it is not a fad...it is here to stay. Everyone from 18 to 88 can relate to this music...it will always be 'cool'. Musicians and folk that are involved in the blues community/world are generally a caring, understanding, soulful group of people. With this being said it is inevitable that a function such as 'Yuletide Blues' would not be a great success. It's all about brotherly love.'
'I am overwhelmed by the generosity in this community', said Anthony Intas, Community Relations Coordinator at Peace Arch Community Services. 'The musicians, the organizers, the volunteers and the public all came together for a truly magical event'.
The White Rock Blues Society was established this year to promote, share and advance blues and related music in the community. It puts on a number of concerts throughout the year. Its next one will be held on Saturday December 27 at the same venue and will feature many of the artists who donated their time for the Food Bank Benefit Concert. For more information contact Rod Dranfield, Society President at 604 542-6515 or www.myspace.com/whiterockbluessociety
Added Wednesday, December 12th 2007
Another Success for White Rock Blues Society and the Traveling Performer Rob Lutes; 'Ride The Shadows' New CD
March 1, 2008 - 20:34 — Johan Sandstrom
Friday night February 29th the White Rock Blues Society put on distinctive "roots" music show that was a departure from the format of past events.
Instead of a Saturday night and a two to three month interval between events this show was on a Friday and only 13 days since the sell out "Lady Sings The Blues" Valentines tribute show starring Cat Wells.
The featured artist was award winning singer songwriter Rob Lutes from Montreal. Rob is just beginning his national tour to promote his third CD, "Shadows Across Canada".
The CD was one of the top-10 in Canada last year. The Pacific Inn Rhumba Room was his second stop on his western leg that will see him playing Victoria, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg before returning to Ontario and then on to the Maritime provinces.
Rob MacDonald who accompanied Lutes is an excellent guitar player who played a Dobro throughout the two sets to open the evening’s night of Blues/Roots music.
Both sets were a series of poetic lyrical journeys of song and rhythm. Each song told a story by taking you to places and reminding you of feelings that we all share.
From the start with the warm White Rock welcome the audience was attentive and reacted enthusiastically to every song.
If CD sales are a good measure of the audience reaction it is clear that Rob developed a number of new fans.
There were two couples in the audience who first saw him in Powel River at a 2001 festival that just had to see him perform again.
Between songs Rob shared with the audience something about the origins of the song he was about to perform. One story was particularly memorable.
A few years back Rob was doing research for a book he was writing about the professional golf association caddies of the 50’s and 60s’. Years ago the Ben Hogans of the world tended to have African Americans from the southern states as caddies.
Itinerate workers they were paid very little money. One gentleman Rob interviewed was named Dolfus "Golf Ball" Hull from Jackson Mississippi. He worked for Raymond Floyd, Jack Nicholas and Calvin Pete among others.
He was well on in his years and had difficulty walking do to arthritic pain and poor eyesight. When Rob asked him what it was like not being able to walk the course any longer Dolfus passionately stressed to Rob not to count him out.
He was confident he would return to the course next year. Rob wrote a song about him and called it "Jackson" and introduced it as a "blues song about golf". That got quite a reaction from the audience. It seems many have experienced some kind of woes on a golf course.
The chorus of the song, which follows his description of Dolfus’ refusal to accept that he would no longer caddy, goes something like this.
"Is it bravery or the vestiges of slavery or just his style?"
"Is it hopefulness, or just the fear of loneliness, or just his style?
"Was it confidence he saw some would call a fallacy, or bravery?"
"He said, I will see you next year."
To this, on Dobro guitar Rob MacDonald added one of his many scintillating solos of the night with ear catching licks that complimented the sound and mood of the piece.
After two forty minute sets it was time for the Jason Buie Blues Band to take the stage and rip into some driving dance music.
Dave Webb on piano, Chris Nordquist on Drums, and Brian Scott on base joined Jason on stage.
After a about 20 minutes, Rob MacDonald joined the band on stage and went through a series of guitar screaming tunes with Jason to the delight of the crowd.
Once again there was a lively group of dancers taking it all in at arms length to the stage as these to talented musicians stretched their talents to the limit, sounding as if they had played together for years rather than for the first time.
At one point, as they traded licks back and forth I was reminded of a 1971 Johnny Winter concert at Montreal’s Place des Art with him and Rick Derringer ripping it up to the delight of the screaming audience.
And I got it all on video.
Annual Yuletide Blues bash returns Dec. 7
By Alex Browne - Peace Arch News
Published: December 04, 2008 4:00 PM
Updated: December 04, 2008 4:33 PM
If the lineup of talent participating in the the White Rock Blues Society’s second annual Yuletide Blues is any measure, the society – now a year and a half old – is doing well indeed.
This Sunday (Dec. 7) from 6:30 p.m. the Rhumba Room at the Pacific Inn, 1160 George Hwy., will be rocking to the music of such luminaries as Jerry Doucette, Johnny Ferreira and Mud Dog, plus such well-known local performers as Leanne Coleman, Blue Voodoo, Yukon Slim, Jason Buie, the Mud Bay Blues Band, Glen Pearson, Sam & Luke, David ‘Boxcar’ Gates, Ellie Johnson and the James Shepherd Band.
For such an array of talent, admission is a low $15 – plus two non-perishable healthy food items – and every dime of it is going to a worthy cause, the Peace Arch Community Services Food Bank, which serves the community of South Surrey and White Rock.
“The lineup is great,” said guitarist-vocalist Buie, who is also the society’s artistic director.
“Originally, when we started the society, one of our concepts was to accomplish the same thing that they have at the Commodore with Music For Christmas. We wanted to put together a similar production, and a lot of the artists who play at our events are more than happy to support the cause.”
“It was Jason’s idea and Harpdog Brown’s that we should do something for the food bank,” said society president Rod Dranfield.
“What better association is there than people in need and the blues? The blues has always been the song of downtrodden people and hunger.”
Dranfield noted the event is further evidence of the organizations’ mandate to promote local blues talent. Two of the acts were the top two finishers in the society’s 2008 Roots and Blues Talent Search – winners Sam & Luke and runners up the James Shepherd Band.
“We know that Sam & Luke are playing a lot of gigs now, and a lot of house parties,” he said.
Buie pointed out that the Mud Bay Blues Band is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, making it one of the longest-running bands in the country.
“At our year-end Blues Bash on Dec. 27, they will be opening for the headliner, Russell Jackson.”
Doucette, who played for the society last month, was one of the most popular acts presented by the organization, Dranfield said.
“Once he heard we were doing this, he jumped on board.”
Dranfield also described jump blues saxophonist Ferreira as “a true entertainer,” and recalled an earlier blues society show featuring the Blue Voodoo that was a high water mark of energetic riffing.
“When they were playing at the end of the night and Jason was with them, it was just unbelievable.”
“Brandon Isaak, who is known as Yukon Slim and plays with the Twisters, graduated from Semiahmoo Secondary,” Buie added.
“He played with us at this event last year.”
Another local name is Johnson who, Dranfield said, “can really play that ‘geetar’ great – and she’s got a good voice, too.”
Coleman, who sings at the Sandpiper, has developed a strong following in the community in the eight years she has been here, while the also popular Pearson will perform several songs with his dad, Gordon to open the show, before he has to race off to another gig, Buie and Dranfield said.
The Dobro-harmonica duo Mud Dog – who played the same show as Doucette – have also amply demonstrated their talent, winning a Western Canadian Music Award for best new CD.
“David Gates is an excellent Piedmont-style, Delta blues, Dobro finger picker,” said Buie.
“He also plays great harp, too,” said Dranfield.
Good attendance at the society’s monthly shows has indicated it is filling a need in the community, and fulfilling its mandate, Dranfield added.
The society has kept things running on a break-even basis, and has paid all of the acts for the shows, he said – which has probably served it better than putting all its eggs in one basket by organizing an annual festival.
“People across the country have heard about us now,” he said.
“We get a lot of inquiries from acts that are going to be touring out west, seeing whether they can hook up a gig with us.
“We’ve done 11 shows now and it’s become virtually a turnkey operation,” Dranfield said.
“Our technical people can set it up and take it down really smoothly.”
Buie said he and one of his musical partners are going to record this year’s show with the hope of producing a compilation album, Live at the Rhumba Room.
“Part proceeds could go to PACS year-round,” Dranfield said.
“And part will go back to the society so we can eventually get to the point where we’re presenting someone of the caliber of a Buddy Guy or a B.B. King.”