Top Blues – October 2017
This month’s recommended listening by Brad Wheeler, music writer for the Globe and Mail
Maple Blues Archive
John’s Blues Pick October 2017 – Downchild
Published October 1, 2017 in John's Blues Picks, News
That Downchild is still with us and sounding so good is one of the wonders of our world. From those early days at Grossman’s to their concert hall & festival appearances today, the quality of those eighteen albums over fifty years is truly remarkable. A band that was (in)famous for lineup changes has now had the same one for some twenty years.
Loose Blues News – October 2017
Published October 1, 2017 in Loose Blues News, News
Western Canadian Music Awards: Congratulations to Winnipeg bluesman Big Dave McLean who picked up the Blues Artist of the Year.award at this year’s Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA) in Edmonton. Celebrating the accomplishments of some of Western Canada’s best and brightest, the envelopes were opened at a concert on September 14 that kicked off a professional development-focused conference and export development showcase festival and also drew a protest by several established artists who wanted to bring attention to the fact that the only people who weren’t being paid were the musicians.
John’s Blues Pick October 2017 – Jimmy Zee
Published October 1, 2017 in John's Blues Picks, News
It’s been a while between albums for showman/entrepreneur Jimmy Zee. He has assembled a fine cast for his new songs, but, as usual, the gravelly-voiced Jimmy Zee is what you get and what you want. He delivers a hard-driving blues-rock set. The title song is a fine opener, imploring you to be yourself. Annabelle Chvostek is on background vocals on this one but Nadine States adds her wonderfully effective background vocals to almost every other song.
John’s Blues Pick September 2017 – Daniel Cross
Published September 1, 2017 in John's Blues Picks, News
This award-winning documentary has been making its way through the cinemas and is now available on DVD. Daniel Cross, the noted Montreal filmmaker, asked Bobby Rush to take him and his crew on a tour of the current blues scene in rural Louisiana and various parts of Mississippi beginning in 2013 and that might well be the most important part of the documentary as his connections and integrity opened doors.
John’s Blues Pick September 2017 – Julian Fauth
Published September 1, 2017 in John's Blues Picks, News
The subtitle, The Hard and the Strong, completes a title that fits in well with the opening press release quote from Mojo magazine that Julian Fauth ‘practically redefines eclectic’. Aside from a couple of originals, Fauth embarks on a journey through Anglo-American folk & blues standards re-imagined as only he can.
John’s Blues Picks September 2017 – Sunday Wilde & Reno Jack
Published September 1, 2017 in John's Blues Picks, News
The blues will be alive and well in Atikoken, ON as long as these two stay there. They record there and sometimes they go to Clarksdale MS to record but this time they came here. And it’s a full band album, with Queen Street scene veterans and friends of Reno Jack’s from his days at the Cameron House coming on board.
John’s Blues Picks September 2017 – Best of Jack de Keyzer Volume One
Published September 1, 2017 in John's Blues Picks, News
Jack de Keyzer returns to Hugh’s Room Live on September 23rd with this wonderful compilation in hand. Drawn from throughout his storied, twenty-four-year career this immediately becomes a ‘must have’. For this set, he has re-mastered and re-mixed the songs and added one from his side-career as a first call guitarist for Electro-Fi Records plus three previously unreleased tunes.
Top Blues – September 2017
This month’s recommended listening by John Valenteyn, host of John Valenteyn’s Blues on ciut.fm, 89.5 and CD reviewer for Maple Blues.
September 2017 – Andria Simone
Published August 31, 2017 in Maple Blues Newsletter, News
Andria Simone will perform at the TBS Women’s Blues Revue
