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Smokestack Lightnin' Home Page' -- The Blues Profile Page
Canadian Blues refers to the blues and blues-related music
(e.g., blues rock) performed by blues bands and performers in
Canada. In Canada, there are hundreds of local and
regionally-based Canadian blues bands and performers. As well,
there is a smaller number of bands or performers that have
achieved national or international prominence. These bands and
performers are part of a broader Canadian 'blues scene' that
also includes city or regional blues societies, blues radio
shows, and blues festivals.
Nationally or internationally-prominent artists
A small number of Canadian blues bands and artists have achieved
national or international prominence by touring across Canada,
the US, or Europe, and releasing recordings that have received
critical or audience acclaim in Canada and abroad. The
performers below are listed according to the decade during which
they first achieved national or international prominence.
1950s-70s
In late 1950s, US-born rockabilly pioneer Ronnie Hawkins (born
1935) came to Canada, where he became a key player in the 1960s
rock and blues scene in Toronto. 4 October 2002 was declared
'Ronnie Hawkins Day' by the city of Toronto when Hawkins was
inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame, and he was inducted into
the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame at the Canadian Music
Industry Awards in 2004. His pioneering contribution to
rockabilly has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of
Fame. His 1984 LP, 'Making It Again', earned him a Juno Award
for Country Male Vocalist.
'King Biscuit Boy'
Richard Newell (1944–2003), who performed under the nickname
'King Biscuit Boy', was a vocalist, arranger, songwriter, slide
guitarist, and harmonica player. He released his first solo
recording, 'Official Music', in 1970, and it charted on the US
Billboard album charts. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, he had
learned his craft playing in blues rock bands and backing up
Ronnie Hawkins, who gave him his nickname. In 1980, his release
entitled 'Mouth of Steel' appeared on the 'Red Lightning' record
label from England. In 1987, his recording 'King Biscuit Boy AKA
Richard Newell' was nominated for a Juno Award in the Best Roots
and Traditional category.
In the 1970s, the Downchild Blues Band was formed in Toronto by
Donnie Walsh. The band has released fourteen albums and
performed in thousands of venues over three decades of continual
cross-Canada touring. The Downchild Blues Band still performs
regularly. Another important Canadian bluesman who became
notable during the 1970s was Norman 'Dutch' Mason (born February
19, 1938 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, died December 23, 2006 in
Truro, Nova Scotia). Mason was a Canadian singer, guitarist, and
pianist who was nicknamed the 'Prime Minister of the Blues' in
the 1970s for his prominent role in the Canadian blues scene.
His albums included Dutch Mason Trio at the Candlelight from
1971 (Paragon ALS-263) and Janitor of the Blues from 1977 (Solar
SAR-2020). In 1991 he released I'm Back (Stony Plain SPCD-1169).
He was inducted into the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame,
and in 2005, he became a Member of the Order of Canada. That
same year, son, Garrett Mason, won a Juno Award for Best Blues
album.
1980s-90s
In 1980, the Powder Blues, led by Tom Lavin, had double platinum
sales for their debut album ‘Uncut’, which also had four top ten
songs. The band won a Juno for ‘Best New Group’. The second
album, Thirsty Ears, released on Capital Records had platinum
sales, and a top 5 single. In 1983, Powder Blues played at the
Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and North Sea Jazz
Festival in Holland. In 1986, the band won the W.C. Handy Award
for blues in Memphis, Tennessee for ‘Best Foreign Blues Band’.
Studio albums and touring continued from the 1990s until the
present day. In the early 1980s, David Wilcox became a
well-known songwriter, singer, and guitar player in the blues
and roots scene. His many years of performing have given him
five gold albums and numerous awards. Wilcox played the college
campus circuit in the early 1980s, then signed a recording
contract with EMI Music Canada. Five of his albums with EMI
achieved Gold status.
Johnny V Mills is a Calgary blues guitarist who has been
nominated for several Juno awards, including on collaboration
recordings with Richard Newell and Amos Garrett. In 1986 Elder
Chicago blues performer Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater hired Johnny
as a sideman. In 1989 Johnny released ten original songs titled
Roosters and Hens and won a Juno Award in 1991 for his song 'I
Need A Woman'. In 1998, Johnny toured with Clearwater in the US,
Europe, and South America. In 1999, he joined Billy Branch's
band 'The Sons of Blues'. He released an independent live CD in
2001 titled 'Mustard and Relics' and in 2005 he recorded and
released the CD 'Agonostically Eclectic'. Westcoast Blues Review
stated that '...Johnny V Mills is the true heavyweight champion
of the Great Blues North' and praised him as the '...best blues
songwriter in Canada'.
In the mid-1980s, singer and blues guitarist Jeff Healey caught
the public's attention with his unconventional lap-top style of
playing electric guitar. Healey, who lost his sight to a form of
cancer called retinoblastoma, was praised by B.B. King for “his
virtuoso technique” and by Stevie Ray Vaughan, who said that
Healey would “revolutionize guitar playing.” The Jeff Healey
Band was formed in 1985, and released a debut album that
achieved platinum sales in the US, in part due to the hit single
'Angel Eyes'. The Jeff Healey Band won a Juno Award for Canadian
Entertainer of the Year and two Grammy nominations, and
performed a cameo role in the movie 'Road House'. Healey was a
jazz radio host for the CBC and CJRT-FM, a blues club owner, and
performer (acoustic guitar and trumpet) in traditional jazz
groups. Healey died on March 2, 2008 due to cancer.
The late Canadian Bluesman Jeff Healey playing at a 2002
festival; note his unconventional lap-top style of playing the
electric guitar.
In the late 1980s, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Colin
James (whose full name is Colin James Munn) (born in 1964) first
attracted attention with his blues-rock songs. He has released
nine studio albums that blend the blues, rock, and swing genres.
As well, he has won six Juno Awards: 1989 - Most Promising Male
Vocalist of the Year; 1991 - Single of the Year ('Just Came
Back'); 1991 and 1996 - Male Vocalist of the Year; 1998 - 'Best
Blues Album' for National Steel; and 1999 - Best Producer. He
was also a guest on the JW-Jones Blues Band album 'My Kind of
Evil' produced by Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
2000s
In the 2000s, Canadian blues performers with international blues
careers included singer-guitarists Jack de Keyzer, Sue Foley,
and JW-Jones. Jack de Keyzer is a blues guitarist, singer and
songwriter who has performed at many major blues festivals and
is a winner of Canada’s Juno award in 2003 for his album '6
String Lover' and again in 2010 for his album 'The Corktown
Sessions'. His band has toured throughout Canada, the US, Mexico
and Europe including events such as the BB King Blues Festival.
Other awards include a 2001 award from Jazz Report magazine; a
'Live Act of the Year' award in 2001 from Real Blues magazine;
and Guitarist of the Year awards in 1999 & 2002.
Sue Foley is a blues/roots rock guitarist, songwriter and
vocalist. She has ten studio CDs, five from Austin-based blues
label Antone’s, three from the New York independent Shanachie
and a live CD on Ruf Records from Germany and Justin Time in
Canada. In 2000 she won a Juno Award, the Canadian equivalent to
the Grammy for Best Blues Album for her CD “Love Comin’ Down”,
and in 2002 she was the SOCAN songwriter of the year. In
addition, she was awarded the Trophée de blues de France in 2000
(Best female Guitarist), 2001 (Best Female Guitarist), and 2003
(Best Female Guitarist).
JW-Jones is a blues guitarist, singer, and bandleader born in
1980 who is signed to the Canadian NorthernBlues Music label.
His band, the JW-Jones Blues Band has recorded five albums.
Known as 'Canada's Top Touring Blues Act', he has played at
blues festivals and clubs in 13 countries and 4 continents
including Canada, US, Europe, Australia, and Brazil. His band's
third album, My Kind Of Evil (2004), was produced by
multi-Grammy nominee Kim Wilson (singer for The Fabulous
Thunderbirds), and features fellow Canadian Colin James on two
tracks. In 2006, the band had their fourth release with
NorthernBlues Music, Kissing in 29 Days with saxophonist David
'Fathead' Newman (who played with Ray Charles for 12 years). The
2008 album Bluelisted included guests Little Charlie Baty,
Junior Watson, Richard Innes, and Larry Taylor. The liner notes
were written by blues radio show host and actor Dan Aykroyd.
Several other performers who garnered attention in the 2000s are
David Rotundo a Toronto-based blues vocalist, songwriter and
harmonica player who the CBC/Galaxie 'Rising Star' award from
Canada's national public broadcaster for his second CD, 'Blues
Ignited'; James King and the Jackhammer Blues Band who have
reformed and are to be featured at numerous Blues festivals in
Canada and the US in 2009-2010; Richard Carr, a French-Canadian
singer-guitarist who has performed at a number of Blues
festivals in Canada and Blues venues in the US; Richard Carr
signed to Iguane Records of Montreal Quebec in 2011 and Steve
Strongman, a Kitchener native now living in Hamilton, Ontario
who opened for Buddy Guy on his Canadian tour dates.
Blues labels
Canadian blues records have been made on a number of labels,
including mainstream labels that are mainly associated with pop
or jazz music, and smaller independent labels that specialize in
acoustic or roots music. One of the oldest Canadian labels which
specializes in blues and related musics is Stony Plain Records,
a record company based in Edmonton, Alberta which was
established in 1976 by Holger Petersen. The label has released
over 300 albums of “roots” music styles, such as blues, classic
R&B, folk, country, bluegrass, and rock and roll. Jerry Wexler,
one of the founders of Atlantic Records, states that “Stony
Plain, as an independent company, is an endangered species in a
dangerous world – and a source of wonderful music.”
In 1997, Andrew Galloway launched Electro-Fi Records, which has
both international blues performers such as Mel Brown, Mark
Hummel, Harmonica Shah, Fruteland Jackson, and Snooky Pryor; and
Canadian musicians such as Julian Fauth, Diana Braithwaite &
Chris Whiteley, Harrison Kennedy and Juno Award-winner Kenny
'Blues Boss' Wayne. Juke Blues Magazine from the UK called
Electro-Fi 'Canada's Top Blues Outlet' in 2005. The most recent
addition to the family of Canadian blues labels is NorthernBlues
Music, a blues label that was launched in 2001 by Fred Litwin,
who aims to 'add substantially to the blues repertoire' with
interesting, original music. In 2011 Nicky Estor launced Iguane
Records specializing in roots music (blues, swing, jazz, soul,
funk, reggae, etc.) which includes Nicky Estor, Nico Wayne
Toussaint, Natalie Byrns, Ben Racine Band and Richard Carr.
Blues societies
Canadian blues societies help to promote the appreciation and
performance of blues music. Blues societies are often involved
in the organization or promotion of local blues festivals and
educational activities. Blues society educational activities
include presentations on blues history, elementary school
'outreach' activities, and workshops. Some blues societies
organize awards for blues musicians. For example, the Toronto
Blues Society has organized the Maple Blues Awards, an awards
show for all Canadian blues musicians that has an annual gala.
Blues societies such as the Loyal Blues Fellowship in
Belleville, east of Toronto, encourage local blues musicians,
run educational programs, and organize blues events. The Loyal
Blues Fellowship also collaborates with the Loyalist College's
Hospitality and Tourism program to give students practical work
experience with the running of the Fellowship's annual blues
festival. East coast-area blues societies include the East Coast
Blues Society and the / Tantramarsh Blues Society from New
Brunswick.
Central Canadian blues societies include the Ottawa Blues
Society, the Toronto Blues Society, and the Canada South Blues
Society, which has members from a large area of Southern
Ontario. Western Canadian blues societies include the Saskatoon
Blues Society, the Edmonton Blues Society, the Blues Music
Association, the Prince George Chapter of the 'Blues Underground
Network', and the Nanaimo Blues Society. Nicky Estor founder of
Iguane Records of Montreal Quebec 2011. Iguane Records Recording
Artists : Nicky Estor, Nico Wayne Toussaint, Ben Racine, Richard
Carr, Natalie Byrns. http://www.iguanerecords.com
Blues venues and festivals
Canada has a number of blues festivals, ranging from small,
community-based festivals that feature mostly local performers
to major corporate-sponsored festivals that draw nationally- and
internationally-prominent blues bands and huge crowds. Some of
the large festivals include the Ottawa Bluesfest, the
Fredericton Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in New Brunswick,
The Dutch Mason Blues Festival in Nova Scotia, The Hamilton
Blues & Roots Festival in Ontario, and the Edmonton's Labatt
Blues Festival.
In addition to blues festivals, Canadian blues bands also appear
at a range of other venues, including bars, taverns, lounges,
and community centre concert series. Only a small number of
these venues specialize in blues music; in most cases, venues
will have a 'blues night' or an occasional blues series. Some of
the best-known blues venues in Toronto are Healey's (named for
former owner, the late Canadian blues guitarist Jeff Healey) and
The Silver Dollar Room. Other well-known Canadian blues venues
include 'Café Campus' in Montreal, Blues at the Bow Live in
Alberta, 'Blues On Whyte' in Edmonton, 'The Shamrock Hotel' in
Calgary, 'The Blues Can' in Calgary, and 'The Yale' in
Vancouver. One of the newest clubs is in Hamilton, Ontario and
is gaining favor due to it's small size and true Blues Joint
feel, Boon's House : Rockin' Blues Lounge. For more information
on Canadian blues performance locations, see the List of
Canadian Blues festivals and venues.
Blues radio shows
A number of Canadian radio stations, including public,
commercial, and community/campus stations, have blues radio
shows. Some Canadian blues radio shows include CBC Radio One's
Saturday Night Blues, with Holger Petersen and Toronto's JAZZ.FM
(91.1) has a blues show entitled Bluz FM which is hosted by
Danny Marks, who is one of the original members of the Canadian
band Edward Bear. The community radio station CKUA radio network
(throughout Alberta on AM and FM and is available in the
internet at http://www.ckua.org/) has two blues programs: The
Friday Night Blues Party hosted by Cam Hayden on Friday nights
from 9:00 to midnight and Natch'l Blues has been hosted by
Holger Petersen for over 30 years and plays Saturdays from 3:30
to 5:30. CJAI Amherst Island Public Radio (92.1FM and with
streaming audio at http://www.cjai.ca ) hosts 'Uncle Barry's
Blues Hour', which runs 2 hours Tuesday through Thursday 8 to
10PM plus Sunday 1:30 to 3PM local time (EST/EDT). In British
Columbia's Vancouver Island town of Nanaimo, CHLY, 101.7FM
(http://www.chly.ca) has a 'Blue Plate Special', hosted by
'Billieboy' Lucas, airing Saturday from 7 to 9pm. In Northern
Ontario, every Thursday at 7pm plus Sunday at 3pm, the Polar
Bear Blues show hosted by Leon Bass, a member of Hurtin Blues
Band, features Canadian Blues with audio streaming at
www.cpbr.com (Cochrane local radio 104.7 fm). In Winnipeg
CKUW-FM's Bluesday with Rockin' Ronnie celebrated 25 years in
2011.
This section was created from www.wikipedia.com