News

Buddy Guy plays Massey Hall on April 22 and Kitchener’s Centre In The Square on April 20

Kitchener’s vocalist/harpist Jordan Patterson released a very good CD in 1996 on the JSP label called Give Me A Chance featuring guest spots from Bobby Rush and Bobby Parker. We learn from the press release that he then went into artist tour management & promotion. He returned to his first love last year with a four song EP that did so well he’s here with an exciting full album and a major label distribution deal. He released two singles from the album before its official release February 19.

Port Credit’s Sean Pinchin returns following his breakthrough Rustbucket CD of a couple of years ago. That album led to an MBA nomination, excellent reviews and much work, as he played most of the major festivals across the country. He also played on Dione Taylor‘s recent CD, Born Free. We learn this time from his press release that he has been suffering from severe bouts of depression for years. He realized he could write about this and perhaps help himself as he did so. The result is a stunning new album, produced once again by Rob Szabo, the JUNO-winning producer for Steve Strongman, who also supplies keyboards and backing vocals.

For someone who tours as much as this man, it’s a wonder he has time to record a new album at all, let alone one that involves a fair amount of production time. He went to New York to record with Commissioner Gordon, who has worked with many of the greatest in the pop music business. MattAndersen writes in the press release that he was very happy with the new ideas that Gordon brought to the sessions. To Gordon”s great credit, he has made sure that that great voice was front and centre. That voice is in the service of some excellent new songs, all co-writes once again, that while aimed squarely at the mainstream has more than enough to delight all his fans.

Christopher Darton is the filmmaker but the prime mover behind this project is Gary Kendall. Cash Wall was a fellow Downchild alumnus and the matinee they began at the Black Swan every Saturday afternoon on the Danforth became a Toronto blues institution. The documentary tells that story and it is now available for all to see on YouTube. As the documentary shows, the special guest concept proved to be the biggest piece of the puzzle. Darton found an amazing amount of footage of the band performing at the Swan and footage of a remarkable number of the guests.

“Fresh Baked Blues” Compilation CD launch March 16 at the Jazz Bistro

Triple MBA winner Steve Hill congratulates Conor Gains on his Cobalt Prize win

It’s been a while between albums for this Halifax area player but you’ll be pleased to know he still has the blues-rock chops you remember from his first album. Since that disc, he’s been to Afghanistan to entertain our troops there, among his regular festival & club dates mostly in the Maritimes.

Rooster Davis is David ‘Rooster Davis‘ Aide on keyboards & vocals with a second vocalist & partner, Ann Vriend; drums, Peter Hendrickson; and trombone, Brad Shigeta. If with this lineup you’re thinking New Orleans you’re on the money.

This Edmonton-based group of veterans grew out of a revue called Up On Cripple Creek, which as you may have guessed performed the music of The Band in the Edmonton area, much like Lance Anderson’s revues do here. And equally successfully, it seems. The four who form the core of the new group are Ron Rault on bass & acoustic guitars, David ‘Crawdad’ Cantera on harp, Gord Matthews on guitar and drummer Thom Moon. All but Moon write & sing.