Canadian blues
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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.
, 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 http://www.johnnyv.org 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.
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
.
, 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 http://www.jw-jones.com 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.
, 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.
, 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
, 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.
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).
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and blues-related music (e.g., blues rock) performed by blues bands and performers in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. 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 rockabillyRockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
pioneer Ronnie Hawkins
Ronnie Hawkins
Ronald "Ronnie" Hawkins is a Juno Award-winning rockabilly musician whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas, USA, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario, Canada where he found success and settled for most of his life...
(born 1935) came to Canada, where he became a key player in the 1960s rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and blues scene in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. 4 October 2002 was declared "Ronnie Hawkins Day" by the city of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
when Hawkins was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
, 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
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on the internet on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities involved in this pioneering American music genre....
. His 1984 LP, 'Making It Again', earned him a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for Country Male Vocalist.
Ronnie Hawkins
Ronald "Ronnie" Hawkins is a Juno Award-winning rockabilly musician whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas, USA, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario, Canada where he found success and settled for most of his life...
, 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
Downchild Blues Band
The Downchild Blues Band is a Canadian blues band, described by one reviewer as "the premier blues band in Canada". The band is still commonly known as the Downchild Blues Band, though the actual band name was shortened to "Downchild" as of the early 1980s....
was formed in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
by Donnie Walsh
Donnie Walsh
Joseph Donald Walsh Jr., better known as Donnie Walsh is a former professional basketball coach, and former president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks.-Biography:...
. 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
Dutch Mason
Dutch Mason, CM was a Canadian musician from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was inducted into the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2005.-Career:...
(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 LavinTom Lavin
Tom Lavin is a Chicago-born musician and record producer and founding member of the Juno Award winning Canadian group Powder Blues Band on Warner Brothers Records...
, 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
David Wilcox (Canadian musician)
David Wilcox is a Canadian rock musician.-History:Montreal native, David Wilcox drew inspiration from musician Elvis Presley at the early age of six...
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
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Music Canada. Five of his albums with EMI achieved Gold status.
Eddy Clearwater
Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater is the stage name of Edward Harrington ,) an American Chicago blues musician. Blues Revue said Eddy plays “joyous rave-ups…he testifies with stunning soul fervor and powerful guitar. One of the blues’ finest songwriters.” -Early life:He was born in Macon, Mississippi,...
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
Jeff Healey
Norman Jeffrey "Jeff" Healey was a blind Canadian jazz and blues-rock vocalist and guitarist who attained musical and personal popularity, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
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
Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is a rapidly developing cancer that develops in the cells of retina, the light-detecting tissue of the eye. In the developed world, Rb has one of the best cure rates of all childhood cancers , with more than nine out of every ten sufferers surviving into...
, was praised by B.B. King for “his virtuoso technique” and by Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
, 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
Road House (1989 film)
Road House is a 1989 American action film partially based on the life of Norman "Storm" Cantwell, directed by Rowdy Herrington and starring Patrick Swayze as a bouncer at a newly-refurbished roadside bar who protects a small town in Missouri from a corrupt businessman. Sam Elliot also plays a...
". Healey was a jazz radio host for the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
and CJRT-FM
CJRT-FM
CJRT-FM is a Canadian public radio station, which broadcasts at 91.1 on the FM dial in Toronto, Ontario. CJRT currently operates as JAZZ.FM91.The station transmits at a strength of 40,000 watts; as its transmitter facilities are at the CN Tower...
, a blues club owner, and performer (acoustic guitar and trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
) in traditional jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
groups. Healey died on March 2, 2008 due to cancer.
Colin James
Colin James is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, who plays in the blues, rock, and neo-swing genres. He grew up as a Quaker.-Early years:...
(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
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, 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
National Steel (album)
National Steel is a blues album by Canadian musician Colin James, released in 1997 . The album was recorded at Rat's Ass Studios and Mushroom Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia and mastered at MasterDisk in New York City....
; and 1999 - Best Producer. He was also a guest on the JW-Jones
JW-Jones
JW-Jones is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer and band leader. Jones is signed to the NorthernBlues Music label in Toronto, Canada, CrossCut Records in Europe, and Ruf Records in USA. In the last decade, he has released six albums and played in 17 countries, 4 continents, over 260 cities and...
Blues Band album "My Kind of Evil" produced by Kim Wilson
Kim Wilson
Kim Wilson is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for The Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s; "Tuff Enuff", and "Wrap It Up."-Career:...
of The Fabulous Thunderbirds
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American, Grammy-nominated Blues rock band, formed in 1974.-Career:After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records, and later on signed with Epic Records.Their first two albums,...
.
2000s
In the 2000s, Canadian blues performers with international blues careers included singer-guitarists Jack de KeyzerJack de Keyzer
Jack de Keyzer is a two-time Juno Award winner and a seven-time Maple Blues award winning artist, blues guitarist, singer, song writer and producer. Jack has received numerous awards including Maple Blues Awards for Best Blues Album, and the 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award...
, Sue Foley
Sue Foley
Sue Foley is a Canadian blues singer and guitarist.-Career:Foley has been writing and playing professionally since 1984. She has recorded ten albums, for both Antone's Records and Shanachie Records. She has spent over fourteen years on the road as a bandleader, lead vocalist, guitarist and...
, and JW-Jones
JW-Jones
JW-Jones is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer and band leader. Jones is signed to the NorthernBlues Music label in Toronto, Canada, CrossCut Records in Europe, and Ruf Records in USA. In the last decade, he has released six albums and played in 17 countries, 4 continents, over 260 cities and...
. Jack de Keyzer
Jack de Keyzer
Jack de Keyzer is a two-time Juno Award winner and a seven-time Maple Blues award winning artist, blues guitarist, singer, song writer and producer. Jack has received numerous awards including Maple Blues Awards for Best Blues Album, and the 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award...
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
Sue Foley
Sue Foley is a Canadian blues singer and guitarist.-Career:Foley has been writing and playing professionally since 1984. She has recorded ten albums, for both Antone's Records and Shanachie Records. She has spent over fourteen years on the road as a bandleader, lead vocalist, guitarist and...
is a blues/roots rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
guitarist, songwriter and vocalist. She has ten studio CDs, five from Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
-based blues label Antone’s, three from the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
independent Shanachie and a live CD on Ruf Records
Ruf Records
The motto of the blues label is "Where Blues Crosses Over". The company's office is located in Lindewerra, Germany. As of 2008 Ruf has produced 120 releases, sold over 1 million albums, received two Grammy nominations and ten Blues Music Award nominations....
from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Justin Time in Canada. In 2000 she won a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
, 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
JW-Jones
JW-Jones is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer and band leader. Jones is signed to the NorthernBlues Music label in Toronto, Canada, CrossCut Records in Europe, and Ruf Records in USA. In the last decade, he has released six albums and played in 17 countries, 4 continents, over 260 cities and...
is a blues guitarist, singer, and bandleader born in 1980 who is signed to the Canadian NorthernBlues Music
NorthernBlues Music
NorthernBlues Music is a Canadian independent record label, which specializes in blues music. The label was established in 2001, and a number of its artists and albums have since been nominated for and won Blues Music Awards...
label. His band, the JW-Jones Blues Band http://www.jw-jones.com 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
Kim Wilson
Kim Wilson is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for The Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s; "Tuff Enuff", and "Wrap It Up."-Career:...
(singer for The Fabulous Thunderbirds
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American, Grammy-nominated Blues rock band, formed in 1974.-Career:After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records, and later on signed with Epic Records.Their first two albums,...
), and features fellow Canadian Colin James
Colin James
Colin James is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, who plays in the blues, rock, and neo-swing genres. He grew up as a Quaker.-Early years:...
on two tracks. In 2006, the band had their fourth release with NorthernBlues Music
NorthernBlues Music
NorthernBlues Music is a Canadian independent record label, which specializes in blues music. The label was established in 2001, and a number of its artists and albums have since been nominated for and won Blues Music Awards...
, 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
Junior Watson
Junior Watson is an American jump blues guitarist and singer.-Career:Watson is regarded as an influential West Coast blues player. He was a founding member of the blues band The Mighty Flyers and, starting in the early 1980s, he performed with the band for a decade. He also performed with Canned...
, Richard Innes
Richard Innes
Richard Innes was a Scottish cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler who played for Norfolk...
, and Larry Taylor
Larry Taylor
Larry Taylor is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis...
. The liner notes were written by blues radio show host and actor Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
.
Several other performers who garnered attention in the 2000s are David Rotundo a Toronto-based blues vocalist, songwriter and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player who the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
/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
Steve Strongman
Steve Strongman is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer and songwriter originally from Kitchener, Ontario. He has released two full length blues albums, Honey and Blues in Colour.-Career:...
, a Kitchener native now living in Hamilton, Ontario who opened for Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
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 RecordsStony Plain Records
Stony Plain Records is a major Canadian independent record label, which specializes in roots music genres such as country, folk and blues. The label was the recipient of a 2003 Western Canadian Music Award for "Independent Record Label/Distributor of the Year"....
, a record company based in Edmonton, Alberta which was established in 1976 by Holger Petersen
Holger Petersen
Holger Petersen, CM is a Canadian businessman, record producer and radio broadcaster. He owns and operates the independent roots music label Stony Plain Records, and hosts the programs Saturday Night Blues on CBC Radio One and Natch'l Blues on the CKUA Radio Network. Petersen was a founder of the...
. 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
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, 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
Harmonica Shah
Harmonica Shah is an American Detroit and electric blues harmonicist and singer. His playing was influenced by Junior Wells, Jimmy Reed, Little Walter, Lazy Lester, and Little Sonny.-Biography:...
, 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
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne is an American blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist, singer and songwriter...
. Juke Blues
Juke Blues
Juke Blues is a British magazine covering blues, R&B, gospel, soul, zydeco and jazz. It was established in 1985 in London by Cilla Huggins, John Broven and Bez Turner, and is now published at least twice a year in Bath, Somerset, England...
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
NorthernBlues Music
NorthernBlues Music is a Canadian independent record label, which specializes in blues music. The label was established in 2001, and a number of its artists and albums have since been nominated for and won Blues Music Awards...
, 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 AwardsMaple Blues Awards
The Maple Blues Awards are Canada’s blues awards, "honouring the finest in Canadian blues". They are the only comprehensive national best in blues awards program. The program's goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outstanding achievement...
, 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 BluesfestOttawa Bluesfest
The Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest is an annual outdoor music festival that takes place each July in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. While ostensibly focused on blues, the festival has increasingly showcased mainstream pop and rock acts in recent years...
, 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
Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival
The Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival is an annual blues music festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada first held in 1999...
.
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
Jeff Healey
Norman Jeffrey "Jeff" Healey was a blind Canadian jazz and blues-rock vocalist and guitarist who attained musical and personal popularity, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
) 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
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
's Saturday Night Blues
Saturday Night Blues
Saturday Night Blues is a Canadian radio program, which airs Saturday nights on CBC Radio One. Hosted by Holger Petersen, the program airs a mix of blues concerts, recordings and interviews with blues musicians. SNB first broadcast in 1986....
, with Holger Petersen
Holger Petersen
Holger Petersen, CM is a Canadian businessman, record producer and radio broadcaster. He owns and operates the independent roots music label Stony Plain Records, and hosts the programs Saturday Night Blues on CBC Radio One and Natch'l Blues on the CKUA Radio Network. Petersen was a founder of the...
and Toronto's JAZZ.FM
CJRT-FM
CJRT-FM is a Canadian public radio station, which broadcasts at 91.1 on the FM dial in Toronto, Ontario. CJRT currently operates as JAZZ.FM91.The station transmits at a strength of 40,000 watts; as its transmitter facilities are at the CN Tower...
(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
Edward Bear
Edward Bear was a Toronto based Canadian pop-rock group, formed originally in 1966 by Larry Evoy and Craig Hemming. The third member to join was Paul Weldon. The band signed with Capitol Records in 1969. Most of their chart successes were in the early 1970s before disbanding in 1974. Their band...
. The community radio station CKUA
CKUA
CKUA is a Canadian radio station. Originally located at the University of Alberta in Edmonton , it now broadcasts from studios in downtown Edmonton and south Calgary. CKUA was created in 1927 through a provincial grant which allowed the University of Alberta's Extension Department to purchase the...
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).
See also
- Music of CanadaMusic of CanadaThe music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
- Canadian rockCanadian rockCanadian rock describes a wide and diverse variety of music produced by Canadians, beginning with American style rock 'n' roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern popular music called rock...
- Canadian music genresCanadian music genresCanadian music genres identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music made by Canadians. The music of Canada has reflected the multi-cultural influences that have shaped the country...
- Music of Canadian CulturesMusic of Canadian culturesMusic of Canadian Cultures is a wide and divers accumulation of music from many different individual communities all across Canada. With Canada being vast in size, the country throughout its history has had regional music scenes. The music of Canada has reflected the multi-cultural influences...
External links
- http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/cmpi-ipmc/index-e.htmlCanadian music periodicals. CMPI Library and Archives CanadaLibrary and Archives CanadaLibrary and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
] - http://www.canadianblues.ca