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Maple Blues Archive


April 2021 – Chris Cain

What I love most about the blues is that every performer has a unique story – a story usually woven into their life’s work. Cain, from San Jose, grew up in a musical family with blues-loving parents and a Dad who encouraged him to play his guitar from age 8. The household was filled with the sounds of Albert and BB King, Ray Charles and Big Joe Williams. It stuck. Further schooling opened his eyes to jazz sounds and, after mastering the guitar, Cain experimented, learning tenor sax, piano, clarinet and bass. This may account for the full rich sound he brings forward in his brand of the blues, given the added sax (Michael Peloquin, tenor & Doug Rowan, baritone), trombone (Mike Rinta) and trumpet (Jeff Lewis) on half of the tracks.

April 2021 – Alec Fraser Jr.

Alec Fraser is no stranger to the Blues Scene in Canada, and yet, this album is only his first solo project.
To my ear, it is one of the purest and most diverse projects I have heard this year. Alec’s distinctive voice is perfectly suited to the simple truth he sings of in these twelve songs.

April 2021 – Mr. C. & The C-Notes

This album is one of those marvelous moments in history that come about purely by chance, only every now and then. The live show was recorded at Wally’s Tavern, in Guelph, Ontario, sometime in the late 1990’s. (The actual date cannot be confirmed.) The recording was lost for almost a quarter century until Mike McDonald found it, and passed it on to Jim Casson, who cleaned it up and prepared it for release.

April 2021 – Top Blues

This month’s recommended listening by Brad Wheeler, music writer for the Globe and Mail Twitter: @bwheelerglobe

April 2021 – Loose Blues News

CIUT FM Honours the Legacy of Late John Valenteyn: After the upsetting passing of John Valenteyn last year, CIUT FM is preparing to honour his legacy with Andrew Galloway, Brooke Blackburn, Dr. Julie Hill, and Sugar Brown (aka Ken Kawashima) hosting the show on a rotating schedule and keeping Valenteyn’s and Blues spirit glowing up at the station. More details to be announced by CIUT FM.

April 2021 – Jodie Drake

Jodie Drake is this month’s Pioneer Profile, taking place April 25th on the TBS Facebook page.

March 2021 – Maria Muldaur with Tuba Skinny

With nearly sixty years in the biz and 42 albums released to date, Maria Muldaur has once again created a show stopper album, in which the veteran singer is perfectly paired with the youthful Tuba Skinny ensemble. Let’s Get Happy Together, to be released on the Stony Plan Records label on May 7, 2021, once again reminds us of the greatness that is Maria Muldaur, and her penchant for seeking the exact right musicians to bring her musical vision to life.

March 2021 – Curtis Salgado

The best – if not most intense – blues seem to originate from having endured real pain and suffering, helping to build an honest connection with others. While the 67-year old Washington native may hide it well, the colourful, soul-blues veteran with the big voice has come up on the other side of every medical affliction the gods can throw at him – emerging more energized, if not stronger, than ever.

March 2021 – A.J. Fullerton

A gifted singer, guitarist and songwriter in his early twenties, A.J. Fullerton possesses a talent that belies his age. The Colorado native grew up steeped in blues, and since 2016 has won a remarkable sixteen awards from the Colorado Blues Society. In The Forgiver and the Runaway — his third album — he teams up with Canadian producer Steve Marriner —also a singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and frontman for the band MonkeyJunk — and some stellar supporting musicians that include harmonica players Paul Reddick and Jake Friel.

March 2021 – Top Blues

This month’s recommended listening by Brant Zwicker, host/executive producer of At the Crossroads syndicated blues radio. Website: atcblues.ca

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