Doug Carter

New Blues News

Canal Bank Shuffle

The spring mini-Canal Bank Shuffle is in Thorold is next weekend!  Here's the line up:

FRIDAY APRIL 25 at The Legion Downstairs, it's T&T, at the Summit Tavern, Chuck Jackson and the Allstars and at the Core Downstairs the Chicago blues stylings of Jill West & Blues Attack.

SATURDAY APRIL 26 starts with a matinee at the Moose and Goose featuring Krista Blondin with her Janis Joplin Tribute.  She's a huge favourite with the locals so get there early.  In the evening the Moose and Goose features saxophonist Chris Murphy who has been featured with Jack de Keyser's band the last couple of years while harp player Jerome Godboo is at the Legion Upstairs. Over at the Summit Tavern its 2Blue and the Core Downstairs again features Jill West & Blues Attack.

Check the Canal Bank Shuffle web site for exact locations and time. 
The web site now includes 'find a room'.

De Keyser Wins!
Jack de Keyzer’s song, 'That’s The Only Time' placed first in the blues category in the International Song Writing Competition.  Renowned for its prestigious celebrity judges, ISC received over 15,000 songs from amateur and professional songwriters from 100 countries worldwide making it the leading global songwriting event.   First place winners receive $3000 in cash and prizes. The ISC is based out of Nashville and song judges include jazz guitarist John Scofield, Tom Waits, Jerry Lee Lewis, Loretta Lynn and Rolling Stones producer, Steve Lillywhite.  'That's The Only Time' is on Jack's new  CD, 'Blues Thing'

see you at the Shuffle. 

Jully Black, Soul Rockin' at the Junos

   

Jully Black, Soul Rockin' at the Junos

Who knew?  Jully Black!  Where did she come from?  Sweet soul blues rockin' music.  And those you know whats...look out Tina!  And closin' the TV Juno's...did I say sweet?   Check out her music at jullyblack.com it'll rock your soul.  If you like Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and Amy and Jamie etc. check out this Canadian take.

Well the Hammer didn't win anything this year in my categories...but Fathead got it done!  And there is still a Hammer connection, anytime you hear piano on Fathead's "Building Full Of Blues" it's Jesse O'Brien.
Check 'em out the next time they're in you're neighbourhood or online at fathead.biz

Hey Hey The Blues Is Alright!

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that the Canal Bank Shuffle  group had sponsored Fathead at the 24th International Blues Challenge 2008.  They didn't win but they had a great time and now are getting air play for there new CD all over the States.  The winners in the Best Band Categories were
1st Place -- Trampled Under Foot (Kansas City Blues Society)
2nd Place -- Shakura S'Aida (Toronto Blues Society)
3rd Place -- Lil' Ray Neal Band (Baton Rouge Blues Society)

Way to go Shakura who I've been able to see and enjoy in Niagara several times over the last year or so, don't miss her act if she's in your town..

To find out more about the competition and this years and previous years winners go to
http://tinyurl.com/3axksq  or  http://www.blues.org/

Wow!  Lots of Hammer representation at this years Juno Awards.  As I said hey hey the Blues is alright!
He may not live here now and he may have been born elsewhere but all his formative years of listening and playing happened right here in the Hammer, Jack De Keyser is up for a Juno again (he won in 2003 with "Six String Lover")for his new CD, "Blues Thing" where he gets all jazzed up. I caught Jack a couple of times out here beyond the borders of the H last year and he's added great new jazz techniques to his already flawless blues rock guitar style.  And the Hammer's Chairman of the Board, Harrison Kennedy is on the list for his new CD, "High Country Blues". I've caught Harrison out and about in Niagara playin' the blues festivals and blues joints.  They're up against two of my favourite bands that I caught live last year last year, Fathead for "Building Full Of Blues" and the Johnny Max Band or "A Lesson I've Learned", two more top flight Canadian blues bands that make it to Niagara on a regular basis.  And in this mix check out the country blues singin' Little Miss Higgins'  "Junction   City", could be the wild card. Look out Roxanne!

And the Hammer is represented in the instrumental album category by Bob Lanois' amazing SNAKE ROAD. Bob created this his first solo album with his legendary producer brother Daniel.  I saw Bob back up Tom Wilson on harmonica at the former Readers Cafe, now Flyers, in Dunnville when they were promoting the "Shack Recordings" CD, he blew so cool.  Go Bob Go!

Check out all the nominees in all categories at www.junoawards.ca/08_nominees.php
And it's somewhere on the air on Sunday April 6.  Russell Peters! Russell Peters!

Oh yeah, the Canal Bank Spring Shuffle is coming, April 25th & 26th. Plan to get on down to

Thorold, you never know who is going to show up at the Shuffle. And it’s all for charity.

Oh oh! I missed Biscuit's birthday again, March 9...so don't forget it's King Biscuit month...take a little Biscuit with your tea...I said hey hey...

Folk Roots Legend Willie P. Bennett Dies

by patti stirling

Canadian folk music legend Willie P. Bennett died Friday Feb. 15 2008 at his home in Peterborough Ontario at the age of 56.

Willie, who played mandolin and harmonica, performed regularly on his own and with the Fred Eaglesmith Band but it was his amazing talent as a songwriter and wordsmith that will live on in our memories.

Get out your old folk music vinyl, cassettes and CD's  and have a Willie Fest today.

Put on your Blackie and the Rodeo Kings cover tunes and raise a glass to an extraordinary man with an extraordinary talent.

You will be greatly missed Willie but your songs will live on; your music represents a generation of Canadians who found their identity and their voice through your music.  Rest in Peace .

Doug Lang of Better Days Radio has posted a musical tribute to Willie P. on his page…. www.myspace.com/betterdaysradio

Fellow Canadian Scot Nolan was a wonderful tribute to the spirit of Willie P. in a song he wrote titled: Drive Day. You can find the song on Scott’s myspace page: www.myspace.com/thescottnolanband

Sweet Soul Music

Sweet Soul Music

Early 60's soul music continues to be resurrected by the Brits...I'm talkin' Jamie Lidell!
I just love the voice & the sweet soul grooves...yeah I know he's got related personas too, but the soul!.  His sound encompasses everything early funky from Ska to Stax, from Herbie Hancock in his Headhunters era to Jimmy Reed's "Shame, Shame, Shame" but he adds a nice contemporary feel.  The man goes upside my head and the cat can dance!  Check out his videos.  I see a lot of another old favourite of mine, David Byrne, in his visual presentation.  Leg wigglin' music.  Anyone who got into James Hunter's 2006 offering, "People Gonna' Talk" are gonna' love Jamie's style.   Check Jamie out at jamielidell.com, I can't get enough of the tune on his homepage in the video showing Lidell and the band working on a new song. 

And in related blues music news Fathead has again been nominated for a JUNO award,
for their latest disc "Building Full Of Blues", for "Blues Recording Of The Year". It is the band's third nomination. They had previously won the coveted award in 1999 for "Blues Weather". The Junos take place this year in Calgary on Sunday April 6.

And it's great my old 'soul' mate Guitar Mikey's got a new CD out...check it out Jam Zero 1 at
therealthing.com/jamZero1/

talk to you soon,  d

International Blues Challenge

Back Down In Thorold With The Blues Again / the International Blues Challenge

Last Saturday night we were down in Thorold where the Canal Bank Shuffle people were putting on a special fund raising concert to held defray the costs of "Fathead's" trip to Memphis, Tennessee to compete in the THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE.  As their web site sez' "The goal of the Challenge is to seek out the best-undiscovered Blues band and the best-undiscovered solo/duo Blues performer in the United States and beyond. To maintain this focus, IBC includes entry restrictions designed to afford the opportunity for discovery to musicians that are truly unknown and unsigned".  Wicked & Fathead's goin'...I got to go help out. What a great idea to help keep the Blues alive.

Off we go to the Moose & Goose in Thorold where Krista Blondin is the concert with her amazing recreation of Janis Joplin.  I'm no fan of clone bands and I was skeptical.  Krista cooked, the band cooked.  Close your eyes pretend you've dropped a tab or two & head on back...just another little piece of my heart now...

Krista played at the last Canal Bank Shuffle back in October 2007 and wowed the audience and the word spread and when it came to a choice for the act to hang the fund raiser around...well...check out the music on her website and the pix.

http://www.kristablondinband.com/

The last Shuffle was a blast and there is  going to be another soon, the Spring Shuffle is coming
April 25th & 26th.  Check out their website for the lineup.

http://www.canalbankshuffle.com/ 

For more information about the International Blues Challenge go to

http://www.blues.org/ibc/

...take it where you find it...

...you take it where you find it...

Tonight I put Blues Street on the TV & before you know it they were playin' Harrison Kennedy's "The Jones", great tune with a distinct Hammer style & sound & apparently off his recent CD.
I've had to spend some nothing-to-do time in a hotel room a couple of times lately & there was no radio reception even if I could find a station with something tolerable to listen to ...nothing on the tube but then I remember to check out the music channels somewhere in the higher numbers of your on-line TV-guide so I do it & there I am listening to John Mayall (who is 70 something & still giving back to his roots) channeling Shelter Freddie King, living in the palace of the king...help me make it thru the nite..check out the original Freddie King cuts...if you ain't got it go out & get it...and then up next the Hammer's Richard Newell aka King Biscuit Boy, wailin' Hiway 61, what wonderful tempo & the awesome harp solo!!!.... & then up next my new favourite Canadian blues song writer extraordinare & a damn good harp player, Paul Reddick doin' "I'm A Criminal"...& a few tunes later Sue Foley's doin' 'New Used Car"', turned me into a dancin' fool... talkin' 'bout Galaxy satellite & digital cable blues radio & it seems to have something to do with the CBC...the music gods at work bless them...all the blues all the time & a great mix of new, less new, old, older & really older blues & a ton of Canadian talent too...I hope the boys are gettin' their royalties off this satellite /cable play?...later I'm listening to Carlos del Junco's wonderful harp solo on 'Heaven's Where I Dwell' from the CD 'Big Boy'...I'm talkin' 'bout Blues Street...check your TV guide(s) for the digital channel to tune to...& for me the best part...they tell you who & what the song is your listening to & what CD it's off of...brilliant...now I can google or social network the performer...like I did with Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings & if you like the funky blues a'la Memphis style you should too!...& hey if you're not into the blues they got music channels for every taste & I mean every taste even disco stuff & nature sounds too sort of so if you need to you can hear & get to know what nature sounds like even if you don't get out much...p.s. don't try this at that downtown Hammer hotel they want $10 to access Blues Street!  Holy Chagall!

(artwork by Doug Carter: Dancin' Fools. Depicts King Biscuit Boy (Richard Newell) and Kelly Jay of Crowbar at the International House, James Street North at Barton Street, Hamilton, Ontario)

The Jimmy Reed Highway

The

Jimmy

Reed

Highway

…that’s where I play…

A tribute to the blues genius of Jimmy Reed at last!

PBS…Austin City Limits…Friday nights at 11:30 pm on normal TV WNED (it’s on WNED-HD Saturdays nights)…the November 2 show …Jimmy Vaughn & Omar Kent Dykes...a tribute to Jimmy Reed…what a treat for an old Jimmy Reed fan like me…the people’s choice…he influenced so many of his contemporaries as well as generations to come.

What a trio of harp players doin’ the Jimmy Reed harmonica stuff…Kim Wilson, Delbert McClinton & the still totally awesome James Cotton…he can’t sing no more but he sure can still play.

The drummer Wes Star was blues old school perfect…no over playing…not a beat out of place…& lots of the right kind of ‘tin’ when it was needed.

…you got me runnin’ you got me hidin’…bright lights big city…take out some insurance…you got me dizzy… natural born lover…I ain’t got you…come love …cowboys did Jimmy Reed…soul guys did Jimmy Reed…Brit-rockers did Jimmy Reed…Elvis did Jimmy Reed…everybody did Jimmy Reed maybe even Wayne Newton who knows!…big boss man!

Vaughn was playing two real old early 50’s guitars…one was a Kay & the other who knows…Gary Clark Jr. who did a nice version of Shame Shame Shame was also playing something real old & early electric. Vaughn pays big tribute to the fabulous guitar behind Reed, Eddie Taylor, who taught Jimmy Reed to play…& I guess Mr. Bob Dylan must’ve dug the harmonica in the holder style Mr. Reed popularized.

Vaughn says on a short interview during the program that the first thing he learned to play was the basic Jimmy Reed groove…didn’t we all…& that he was still playing that groove to this day…yeah me too, it’s still the best groove to make you get up & dance.

Somewhere out there there’s a tribute to Jimmy Reed by Vaughn & Dykes CD…I went to jimmievaughn.com & the CD, the Jimmy Reed Highway, is featured on the home page but it fails to mention what label it’s on.

To get a taste of the show go to PBS.org  & search ‘programs’ in the upper task bar & scroll down to Austin City Limits…at the moment there’s a video clip from the show on the Austin City Limits home page that says it all & when the home page changes it looks like they archive all their video clips…& you can go to YouTube  & see some live clips some dude made that are pretty good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJz_UNYf6io

…keep on dancin’ to the blues…

 

Friday Night At The Canal Bank Shuffle

October 19

Jill West & Blues Attack @ the Holy Rosary Hall

Started the night out with Pittsburgh's Jill West jumpin' the blues at the HRH...I believe I'm havin' another blues attack...a groovin' opening set for Sugar Ray.

Sugar Ray Norica & the Bluetones @ the Holy Rosary Hall

...smokin' dynamite...willie johnson...willie steel...step on it, step on it, play that guitar till it smokes...house rockin' boogie...early 50's Chicago blues a'la Walter & Wolf plus Lazy Lester Excello & a smattering of rock-a-billy...stand-up bass...official guitar parts...& the harp!...if the Chessmen were together still today?...you women heard of jalopies you heard the noise they make...I couldn't believe it...I couldn't sit still...get on up & dance!...but time to move on...

Paul Reddick & the Sidemen @ Castaways

...down the street & around the corner to see Paul Reddick...Paul is the total opposite of Sugar Ray when it comes to material but when they both pay tribute to Chicago style harp they both know what it's all about...Paul reinterprets the Blues & pulls it off & as Holger Peterson sez' " Paul's a blues poet"...later walkin' down Thorold's Front street coming back from seeing Harrison Kennedy @ the Brownstone  Pub  Paul's  harp is wailin' out the front door of Castaways & rockin' up all up & down the block...people on the streets being pulled this way & that by the sounds coming out of club doorways...& next block up Steve Strongman has just started his set at the Summit & his sound is pourin' out the door & onto Front Street...& all in the name of local charities...

...as much as I like blues guitar both harp players I heard Friday night have what it takes to make my legs shake & heart skip a beat....just gotta' dance!


Harrison Kennedy @ the Brownstone Pub

...meanwhile down at the bottom of Front Street Harrison Kennedy is doin' his 'thang'...jammin' the blues... stretchin' it out...austere but right on guitar parts...a little Sonny Terry style harmonica...& Keith Lindsay's organ & keyboard sounds provide perfect accompaniment...& in some songs Keith swtiches to
his squeeze box & I get goose bumps from the sounds...& a special treat tonight Hamilton's Danny Lockwood on drums layin' down the beat...it's my thing do what ya' wanna' do...great funky blues sounds from the Hammer!

WSNB, upstairs at the Canadian Corps

...we play some nasty blues...& they do...

that's as far as I got... bunch of young dudes strivin' to keep the 'blues' alive...
satisfied & filled to the brim with the blues I headed back home!

I say Hey! Hey! The Blues Is Alright!

Canal Bank Shuffle

Gettin' The Blues In Niagara! Again!


The Canal Bank Shuffle returns to downtown Thorold Thursday, October 18 with a kick off concert at the Holy Rosary Hall featuring three great acts: 

• Jill West & Blues Attack @ 7pm
• Fathead @ 8:45
• Big Stuff featuring Chuck Jackson & Chris Kenny @ 9:30

One $10 ticket gets you into all 12 venues over the 3 nights of the festival with all ticket proceeds going to local charities.

Highlighting the Friday night events are Sugar Ray Norica again at the Holy Rosary Hall starting at 7 pm
Cleveland Fats is at the Legion upstairs, 8:30 pm, Harrison Kennedy at the Brownstone Pub, 9:15 pm & Paul Reddick & the Sidemen play Castaways starting at 9:30 pm.  Also playing around the other downtown Thorold venues Friday evening are Steve Strongman, Brother Bob, the Odyssey Blues Band, WSNB, Harmonica Shah, Jerome Gobboo  & the Rod Nickson Project.

Jack de Keyser kicks off Saturday evening with a 6 pm show at the Holy Rosary Hall followed by David Gogo at 9:30.  Johnny Max is at the Legion Upstairs at 8:45 and the not to be missed if you haven't seen her Shakura S'Aida at the Canadian Corps downstairs, .  Also playing around town Saturday night are Michael Keys & Company, Coupe de Ville, Maria Aurigema, Alfie Smith & the Hardcases, the Bill  Durst Band,Rich & the Poor Boys, Wild T's Jimmi Hendrix Tribute, Douglas Watson,  John Findlay, Brother Bob & Gatorbait.

More than enough acts to satisfy the most ardent blues fan & all in a good cause.  Check out the web site at www.canalbankshuffle.com for up to date information.  See you there!

Canal Bank Shuffle Blue Festival, October 18, 19 & 20
Downtown Thorold Ontario

go to http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=43 for directions