John’s Blues Picks is the monthly album review column originally launched by the late Toronto-based blues historian and broadcaster, John Valenteyn. Submission can be sent to the TBS office for consideration and will be circulated to a pool of journalists and others for review in the monthly Maple Blues newsletter and placed at the Spotify playlist.
Terry Whalen and Friends There Ain’t Nothing in this World
Probably the only good thing to come out of the pandemic is the growing list of albums where artists team up remotely. It is an indication of just how strong the Canadian blues village is.
Eddie 9v Little Black Flie
The opening of the liner notes for this album reads; “The best blues records feel like a party going off in your speakers.” This is a completely accurate summation of this album
Colin James Open Road True North Records
It’s reassuring, if not beyond pride-swelling, to watch a true Canadian talent getting better and better at their craft with each successive release. And, as popular as his Little Big Band was to so many, this writer never felt that James has ever truly maximized his definitive guitar talents, as readily identified by once-mentor, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Yet, here’s another strong release that moves him ever closer to doing so.
Denis Parker Country Blue
Blues fans in St. John’s, Newfoundland are well aware of Denis Parker. He has been a cornerstone of the local blues scene ever since he arrived in the city of legends back in the early 70’s, bringing blues to the rock. With a pedigree that includes his work with Panama Limited, and their recording done at the legendary Abbey Road Studios,
David Vest Live In Calgary Cordova Bay Records
Picking up where Gary Kendall’s review of Vest’s Live at Hermann’s left off, Live In Calgary continues to celebrate the venerable blues pianist’s joy of playing live. Armed with his long-time band (Tom Bowler, guitar; Ryan Tandy, bass; Damian Graham, drums) , with longtime Portland, Oregon blues guitarist, Peter Dammann, sitting in, Vest & Co. lay down their love for piano-based blues on fans at the 2019 Calgary International Blues Festival.
The latest release from ECMA award winning singer / songwriter Charlie A’Court sees the Atlantic Canadian blues powerhouse teaming up with country rocker outlaws “Witchitaw” for a brand-new Live album, but it is more than just a one-off live album. They have joined forces to create an exciting new touring show that will cover all three Atlantic provinces in the wake of the album’s release.
Long based in Nashville, Colin Linden is recognised as a true renaissance man of roots music and the blues. As well as his solo recording career, he is a member of Canadian roots supergroup Blackie and the Rodeo Kings (alongside Tom Wilson and Stephen Fearing) and an in-demand guitarist, producer, and music director for other artists.
Prolific blues guitarist and singer/songwriter Sue Foley has at times been undervalued over the course of a career now spanning over 30 years and 15 albums. It was gratifying, then, to observe her 2018 album The Ice Queen fare so well. Arguably her strongest yet, it earned a Juno nomination, and helped her win another Maple Blues Award as Best Guitar Player and take home the coveted Best Traditional Female (Koko Taylor Award)” at the 2020 Blues Music Awards in Memphis.
Acoustic-blues veteran David Gogo used the pandemic as an opportunity to rediscover his musical roots. The result is Silver Cup, his sixteenth album, in which the Vancouver Island resident — three-time winner of the Maple Blues Guitarist of the Year Award — displays his impressive talent as a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter (he wrote or co-wrote all but one song on this recording). The CD was produced by Steve Marriner, who also plays a dizzying array of instruments here, including guitar, piano, drums and harmonica. In fact, one outstanding feature of this album is the interplay of instrumental excellence between Gogo and Marriner.
It makes sense that if David Vest decided to release two live recordings at the same time one of them would be recorded at his home base in Victoria B.C. Hermann’s Jazz Club has been part of the Canadian live music landscape since 1981. David Vest and his band have been performing there regularly since 2012. The room has the right piano and the right vibe.
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The Toronto Blues Society acknowledges the annual support of the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council and the Department of Canadian Heritage, and project support from FACTOR< and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s Private Broadcasters, The Canada Council for the Arts, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
