2008/09 SEASON
October 17/18 - CURLEY BRIDES w/ CHRIS WHITELEY BAND
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| just outside Raleigh. His father,
who was a friend of Fats Waller, worked as a
farmer and musician, and his mother was a church
organist. Early influences included Big Joe
Turner, Louis Jordan and the late, great Billie
Holiday with whom he developed a close friendship.
In the early ‘50’s he tagged up
with the red hot blues/R&B trumpeter Frank
Motley Jr. in Washington D.C. and toured all
over North America for two decades as part of
his band. Toronto was one of the stops and in
1966 the band decided to move there. Shortly
after Curley broke off to form his own band
called The Rounders and they performed throughout
Ontario for years.Curley Bridges plays superb foot-stompin’ boogie woogie
piano blues backed with a deep powerful voice.
He was born on February 7, 1934, in Fuquay Varina,
North Carolina, just outside Raleigh. His father,
who was a friend of Fats Waller, worked as a
farmer and musician, and his mother was a church
organist. Early influences included Big Joe
Turner, Louis Jordan and the late, great Billie
Holiday with whom he developed a close friendship.
In the early ‘50’s he tagged up
with the red hot blues/R&B trumpeter Frank
Motley Jr. in Washington D.C. and toured all
over North America for two decades as part of
his band. Toronto was one of the stops and in
1966 the band decided to move there. Shortly
after Curley broke off to form his own band
called The Rounders and they performed throughout
Ontario for years. In 1981, tired of the big city life he moved
north to Barrie where he largely disappeared,
satisfying himself with small local gigs until
he was rediscovered by ElectroFi Records President
Andrew Galloway in the late ‘90’s.
Andrew got him back into the studio to record
(his first since 1972) with “Keys To The
Blues” in 1998 and “Mr. Rock ‘N
Soul” in 2001 – both featuring true
blues classics arranged and performed in Curley’s
unique style. If you like, rompin’, stompin’
good time piano blues – don’t miss
Curley! Chris Whiteley has backed Curley since appearing on his CD’s.
A member of the famous Whiteley musical family
(brother Ken, daughter Jenni, sons Dan &
Jesse) – Chris is one of Canada’s
most versatile and talented blues/jazz/roots
musicians. He does it all – singer, songwriter,
producer, guitarist, harmonica, trumpet player
& more. Over his 25+ year career he has
appeared on 150 different albums with artists
as diverse as Stompin’ Tom Connors, John
Hammond, Prairie Oyster and David Wilcox as
well as recording several of his own. His most
recent collaboration was with Canadian blues
Diva Diana Braithwaite: “Morning
Sun” – a delightful tribute to the
Bluebird songs of the ‘30’s &
‘40’s. (BOTR was fortunate enough
to have Chris & Diana w. band play here
in March 2007). A 6X Juno Award nominee, multiple
Maple Blues Award and Jazz Report Award winner
- Chris and his great band (Bucky Berger on drums and Victor Bateman on bass) are worth the price of admission just
on their own - having them play with Curley
is a double treat! "Curley Bridges is a true Blues star - a rompin', stompin' blues shoutin' pianist with loads of good-time spirit and a great big voice that's one of a kind." - Real Blues Magazine “ If there is another blues musician out there who can do more things in more ways on more instruments as well as Chris Whiteley please introduce him to me”. James Doran, OBScene Magazine, Ottawa Blues Society Click here for the review of the night |
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November 21 - STEVE STRONGMANOf
The Born in Hamilton, Ontario – the home
of many great Canadian blues artists including
Richard Newell “King Biscuit Boy”,
Daniel Lanois, Rita Chiarelli, Harrison Kennedy
and many more – guitarist/singer Steve
Strongman started his career at the
young age of 16 playing around southern Ontario.
He caught the eye of legendary Mississippi
blues guitarist Mel Brown (Mel has played
BOTR twice delivering dynamite shows as many
will remember) who tutored and encouraged
him, introducing Steve to many of the blues
greats. He couldn’t have picked a better
teacher - if Mel likes ya, you gotta be good! From there Steve spread out into various
different blues, rock and country bands touring
throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. He
also started his own rock band – Plasticine
- that played around southern Ontario when
he was back home. Steve has played with, or
opened for,
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manywell known artists over his
career including young rockers like Tal Bachman
and Kazzer to blues greats Mel Brown, Kim
Wilson, James Harmon, Luther Tucker, Duke
Robillard, Ronnie Earl, Roy Clark, Otis Clay,
Jeff Healey and Watermelon Slim just to name
a few. Slowly Steve returned to his blues roots
developing a fine acoustic solo act and in
2007, 20 years after he started, he recorded
an excellent CD called “Honey”
with a wonderful mix of rockin’ blues,
back porch acoustic and slow blues. Steve
sings and plays guitar (regular, slide), dobro
and more. 9 of the 11 songs are originals.
Honey helped garner him a Maple Blues Award
nomination for Best New Artist Of The Year
as well as 4 Hamilton Music Awards’
including: Guitarist of the Year, Male Artist
of the Year, Blues Album of the Year and Male
Vocalist of the Year. oards
– to support his extraordinarily powerful
and emotive vocals, guitar and harmonica. Expect
a smorgasbord of everything from ‘70’s
R&B, funk & soul to roots/country blues
for his Show. Steve is backed by one of the best bass players in Canada Alec Fraser (Jeff Healey, Brokenjoe, Jerome Godboo) and drummer Dave King (King Biscuit Boy, T-Bone Burnett). Get ready for a night of high energy blues. Come and see what all the buzz is about! “Honey is as tight a blues guitar album as you’ll find anywhere in this country.” Graham Rockingham, Hamilton Spectator “From the first notes of the first track this album just cries out to be cranked up loud…. altogether a blues history in under a dozen tracks. Not bad for a lad from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. What do those guys from the Great White North know about the blues? Plenty. Want to know how blue you can get? Give Steve Strongman a listen”. David Kidney, Greenmanreview.com, Portland Oregon Click here for the review of the night
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January 16 -ROXANNE POTVIN BLUES BANDI
first saw Roxanne Potvin play
at The Rainbow in Ottawa in 2002 and I knew
then that this young lady had a great future.
She is a powerful singer with great range like
the legendary blues women who inspired her (Ruth
Brown, Diana Washington, Aretha Franklin, Etta
James and more) and she plays excellent guitar.
She is also a great songwriter and both her
albums feature originals that draw from a rich
mixture of styles including Quebec/Cajun roots,
folk, jazz, country, soul, rock ‘n roll
and of course blues – her first love –
which she will focus on for her shows at The
Cove. On top
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of it all she is beautiful with
confidence, stage presence, and style beyond
her years. Born in Regina, Roxanne moved to Gatineau
at age 2 and lived there until two years ago
when she moved to Toronto to further her career.
Since then she has gained national and international
attention and tours extensively. Roxanne grew
up in a musical family and was motivated to
get serious about becoming a full time player
after seeing another young blues artist, Johnny
Lang, perform. Listening to greats like B.B.
King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Howlin’
Wolf and others further inspired her. Roxanne is a Maple Blues Award Best Female
Vocalist of the Year nominee and has been
part of the prestigious Toronto and Montreal
Women’s Blues Review twice. Her most
recent CD “The Way It Feels” was
produced by well-known Nashville/Toronto Producer Colin Linden (that in itself
is a reflection of her talent since Colin
doesn’t produce just anybody!) and features
a supporting cast that includes some famous
artists including John Hiatt, Daniel Lanois,
Bruce Cockburn and Wayne Jackson of the Memphis
Horns. Roxanne Potvin is a rising star on
the blues scene and we are very pleased and
honoured to have her play Blues On The Rideau
at The Cove. Don’t miss her show! Roxanne Potvin demonstrates all the traits of an up and coming singer/songwriter; lyrical prowess and a stunning vocal range, going from the soft and tender in ‘Hurting Child’ to a Janis Joplin like strength and energy in ‘Caught Up.’ She is equally impressive instrumentally, exhibiting consistently excellent guitar work, although the albums best track comes when Potvin sets down her guitar, pulls up a seat the piano, and goes at it alone. ‘Don’t Pay Attention’ is beautiful in it’s simplicity and puts an exclamation point on the expectation that she will achieve all of the success that “The Way It Feels” proves she deserves”. Trent Depue, Music-critic.ca “Fresh, unique and inspired...three words you can apply to crossover artist Roxanne Potvin. The 23-year-old singer, guitarist and songwriter from Gatineau, Quebec has released her second album “The Way It Feels”. It is a varied and powerful collection of songs, mostly originals, that range from hard-driving horn-laced R&B like “Love That Simple” to the intimate folk duet with Daniel Lanois “La Merveille". This vibrant new CD marks the emergence of a bright new artist on the Canadian scene.” Mariposa Folk Festival 2006 Click here for the review of the night |
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February 20/21 - FATHEADHard to believe that it has
been 3 years since FATHEAD last played BOTR
@ The Cove – it seems like yesterday.
What a hot night that was! Anyone who was
there should certainly be back for their return
engagement. This is one of the best, hardest
working blues bands in Canada - smokin’,
original, infectious, funky, soulful, fun
and full of energy. They have a devoted fan
following not only in Canada but the U.S.
and Europe too. Formed in 1992, FATHEAD has developed a distinctive
& unique sound characterized by solid
grooves, soul-drenched melodies and ace musicianship
- allowing the band to
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pack multiple music
genres into a Blues tour de force. Three of
the five band members have remained constant
over the years; John Mays (lead vocals – John was also here in
June 07 as a Special Guest with the Johnny
Max Band), band leader Al Lerman (harp & tenor saxophone, vocals) and Omar
Tunnoch (bass, vocals). In 2006 Darran Poole
replaced original guitarist Teddy
Leonard, while current drummer Bucky
Berger joined the group in 2007,
succeeding Hayden Vialva (2003-2007), Chuck
Keeping (2001-2003), Ed White (1993-2001)
and Mike Fitzpatrick (1992). Over
the years the band and its members have won
multiple Awards including the 2007 Juno
for Best Blues CD of the Year - Building
Full of Blues www.electrofi.com - their 6th
album (3 of them were nominated for a Juno –
they have won it twice) plus Maple Blues Awards,
Canadian Indie Awards, Jazz Report Magazine
Awards and others. Bring your dancin’ shoes for this Show
– if you can’t get up and boogie
to FATHEAD then you need to see the doctor!
“Long considered one of the hottest Blues bands in Canada …Fathead is one of the best examples of ensemble playing in a Blues band. They are equally talented and each plays his part exceptionally well." Mark Goodman, Blueswax (U.S.) “Fathead is a joyful sounding five-piece blues and R&B band…Lerman's 1950' style Chicago harp was obviously influenced by Carey Bell. The twelve animated songs - 11 are originals - aren't dramatically different from those contained on their pleasurable prior albums. Fathead knows what they do well, and they continue to do it remarkably well. The first time I heard this enchanting ensemble, I thoroughly enjoyed their party blues. BUILDING FULL OF BLUES reinforces how true those initial impressions were”. Blues Beat magazine (U.S.) "The members of Fathead have honed their craft into an art form... they have set the standard for Canadian blues bands." Blues Revue magazine (U.S.) Click here for the review of the night
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Friday March 20
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DELTA BAND playing roots/folk/acoustic blues
as good as it gets. Over his 15 years with this
band they received nominations from both a Juno
and W.C. Handy (USA) Awards. Since then he went
on to form the RICK FINES TRIO (lovely, jazzy,
jump blues) and most recently a superb “off
the grid” solo album entitled “Solar
Powered”. His
song "Riley Wants His Life Back" won
first place in the blues category of 2003 International
Songwriting Competition, with B.B. King one
of the judges! He has been nominated 8X for
the Maple Blues Award for Acoustic Act Of The
Year and won it twice (98, 99). Rick’s
voice, guitar work and songwriting are world
class - truly one of Canada’s blues/folk/roots
musical treasures. So is Suzie. Her voice has
been described as “spun gold and honey”
and that’s a very apt description. She
also plays a mean bass guitar and has terrific
songwriting skills. Both Rick and Suzie have
won numerous national and international songwriting
Awards including the 2006 Maple Blues Award
for Songwriters of the Year. Suzie also won
two more Maple Blues Awards that year for Female
Vocalist and Bass Player of the Year. Rick and Suzie first met back
in the early ‘90’s when he saw her
play at The Rainbow in Ottawa. They hit if off
immediately and have played together and recorded
on each other’s albums over the years
as they each built solid solo careers. Finally,
in 2006 they decided to cut an album together
and “Nothing Halfway” was born.
A superb CD you can expect to hear lots of tracks
from it at their Shows as well as some new ones
and some blues classics. They do it all from
moody and soulful to rockin’ blues and
they do it with style. Rick played BOTR at The Cove
in March 2006 with his Trio and delivered a
superb Show – we are very pleased to have
him back this time with Suzie and band.
"Two of the warmest, most wonderful souls I know. Rick and Suzie are the quintessential Canadian musicians - magnificent songwriting, beautiful harmonies laid over memorable melodies, all delivered with a down-home approach. Their songs invite you into the kitchen of their hearts, and there you'll find both nourishment and pleasure" Brent Staeben, Artistic Director, Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, Fredericton, NB “A gorgeous picker with a down-home voice and attitude, even Rick Fines’ blues can lift your spirits.” Norm Provencher, The Ottawa Citizen "Take an amazing voice, add a pinch of youth, mix slowly with some of the finest writing and instrumental talent around, and the recipe is complete – Suzie Vinnick." Ballyrag, California Click here for the review of the night |
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Saturday March 21 - MONKEY JUNKwww.myspace.com/monkeyjunkottawa This
dynamic trio has only been playing together
for less than a year – their first CD
“Tiger In Your Tank” won’t
even be out until April - but when you hear
them you’ll think they have been at it
for decades. MonkeyJunk (from
a term coined by the great Son House) is a band
that draws heavily on the legends of the blues
and translates that influence into a contemporary
blend of “swamp R&B, soul boogie and
bedroom funk”. This
dynamic trio has only been playing together
for less than a year – their first CD
“Tiger In Your Tank” won’t
even be out until April -but when you hear
them you’ll think they |
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| have been at it
for decades. MonkeyJunk (from
a term coined by the great Son House) is a band
that draws heavily on the legends of the blues
and translates that influence into a contemporary
blend of “swamp R&B, soul boogie and
bedroom funk”. This triple threat trio is comprised of Steve
Marriner (at only age 24 he just
won the 2009 Maple Blues Harmonica Player
of the Year Award) on harp, guitar and vocals, Tony D (a long time mainstay
on the Canadian blues scene) on guitar and
vocals and Matt Sobb (who
has played with the likes of Jeff Healey,
Johnnie Johnson, Kim Wilson, and many more)
on drums. Together they draw on over 56 years
of combined experience playing blues LIVE
and in studio . . . and it shows. MonkeyJunk comes to BOTR
@ The Cove fresh from The International Blues
Challenge held in Memphis where, competing
against over 100 bands from Poland, Croatia,
Norway, Sweden, France, Australia, Canada
and the U.S, they placed third overall!
“Steve Marriner is one of the hottest young harmonica players on the continent...he ripped, roared and shot sparks into a set list that cleverly inserted numerous styles”. Edmonton Journal "Tony D has been a
driving force in Canadian blues for nearly two
decades..." Roots and Blues Magazine Click here for the review of the night |
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Friday April
17
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lyrics
from original compositions. He has an extensive
knowledge and feel for the blues that has earned
him fans across Canada, the U.S. and beyond. Reddick formed the groundbreaking blues band
The Sidemen in Toronto in 1990. They spent a
decade touring across Canada and released 3
albums including the critically acclaimed Rattlebag
in 2001. Produced by roots music authority Colin
Linden, Rattlebag is a masterpiece of “hard
blues for modern times”. Praise came in
from both sides of the border, along with nominations
at the W.C. Handy Awards and the Juno Awards.
The band also won three Maple Blues Awards in
early 2002, including Songwriter of the Year
and Album of the Year.
Reddick
is a master a combining the mystery of the blues
art form with the powerful spell cast by poetry.
A musician who loses himself in performance,
he lures the audience into that half-lit blue
world he knows so well. A storyteller, innovator
and highly original harmonica-player/vocalist,
his performances are unforgettable. Paul teamed up once again with
Colin Linden to release Villanelle in autumn
2004. This widely acclaimed album continues
the Rattlebag journey towards re-styling the
traditional; sidestepping convention it searches
further for new possibilities in blues music. "With Rattlebag, their fourth album, this highly underrated blues outfit manages to incorporate damn near the entire history of the blues into sixteen rollicking songs. Reddick and the Sidemen have enough rock chops to boogie with the best of them but they also have a firm grasp on the artistic demons that drove hundreds of young men out of the Mississippi Delta and north towards the promise of a better life. The sixteen songs mix rural blues, the Chicago sound, Texas six-string wizardry and New Orleans R&B into a thick musical gumbo that will satisfy your soul while tickling your lobes." Rev. Keith A. Gordon, The View, Long Beach, California "Their sound is big, gutsy, and mean and has, at times, a raw energy that whips across the room like a downed power line on wet highway." Doug Gallant, The Guardian, Charlottetown PEI "Paul Reddick is one of the most inventive and passionate bluesmen working today. His uncanny ability to bring the feel of the pre-war masters to life and transplant them into a contemporary setting guarantees he'll be a force in the blues nation for years to come. Check out "Villanelle" and get acquainted with Paul Reddick, truly a Renaissance man of the blues!!" Sheryl and Don Crow, Music City Blues Society, Nashville Click here for the review of the night |
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Saturday April 18
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the biggest blues artists out
there including Dan Aykroyd, The Fabulous
Thunderbirds, Junior Watson, Little Charlie
& The Nightcats, Rusty Zinn, Rick Holmstrom,
Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, Anson
Funderburgh & The Rockets, The Mannish
Boys, the legendary Hubert Sumlin (before
he passed), Gene Taylor, Colin Linden, Colin
James, Roxanne Potvin and many more. Many
of them appear on his albums. He already has
5 CD’s to his credit (all on NorthernBlues.com):
Defibrillatin’, Bogart’s Bounce,
My Kind of Evil, Kissing In 29 Days and his
newest, Blueslisted – which is getting
major airplay on blues stations across North
Amercica.JW on guitar and vocals is joined by Jeff Asselin on drums and Martin Régimbald
on bass. As tight a blues power trio as you
will find anywhere. Bring your boogie shoes
for this night! "This is an amazing blues band, and I've played with the best!" Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues) after a special appearance with the band. "JW Jones is one of the best guitar players I've heard in a long time. He and his band do great tunes with cool arrangements and I love listening to them. They play with taste and fire at the same time." Charlie Musselwhite Click here for the review of the night |
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May 14/15
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His trademark deep,
gravelly soulful voice is perfect for the
gritty subject matter of his original songs
and he backs it with excellent guitar and
harmonica. "In 30 years in this business,"
says Brooks' bass player, Dennis Pinhorn,
"I've never met anyone like him. He's
incredibly hard working and considerate. His
songs light a fire. I'm no Christian, but
Danny's an original. He walks the walk". The
Memphis Brothers are a seasoned, talented,
tight band featuring Dennis Pinhorn on bass, Bucky Berger on drums, Papa
John King on guitar and Ed
Zankowski on sax. When Danny &
the boys kick in you would think you were
listening to a band from Tennessee or Alabama
rather than Milton/Toronto. At last year’s
Show they hit the first note of the first
song in full stride bringing instant electricity
into the room and they stayed in that groove
all night. I’m sure it will be the same
this year. Grab this opportunity to see Danny
while he is still in the country. Rumour has
it that he will be moving to Nashville soon
(where he already has a strong following)
to further his career. Danny has 6 great CD’s
to his credit with his most recent one “No
Way Out” arguably his best. Bring lots
of $20 bills to pick up some at the Show.
“His strength is his simplicity and sincerity, the power of which comes from his ability to inspire belief, and to compel every member of his audience to believe that he is singing to him or her alone. Brooks is, according to friend and producer, Johnny Sandlin, “The genuine article,” and his authenticity comes from a deep well of conviction and purity that most singer/songwriters can only pretend to understand—and pretend to convey.” Bill Thames, Swampland.com “A heartfelt mixture of bone-shaking Gospel, Blues, Soul, and Country …that ranks with the best in North America. Every note sung is touched by a palpable sense of passion and conviction. To those not privy to Danny Brook’s voice, it’s been compared to Eddie Hinton, Ted Hawkins, Taj Mahal, and Hank Williams - guaranteed to raise a crowd off their chairs. Gary Tate, Livin’Blues “Rock This House is a blazing hot record, loaded with deep and joyful grooves, propelled by an irresistible pulse, heated by Muscle Shoals and Delta sweat, and bursting with songs that unfold compelling yarns of faith, trial, sorrow, peace, redemption and above all, love. Brooks' fierce growl had never sounded more real than it does on this stunning recording, easily his finest effort, and deserving of Big Time attention”. Greg Quill Toronto Star Click here for the review of the night |
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June 19
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| blues and have
lived in Quebec over the past four decades
you know the Stephen Barry Band. From their
first gig at the old Montreal Rainbow Bar
& Grill in 1975 Stephen has been bringing
his driving bass guitar and vocals, swing
style blues to every corner of the province
- from major festivals like the Montreal Festival
International de Jazz to small bistros &
clubs in places like La Malbaie and Chicoutimi
– establishing himself as “le
pere du blues quebecois”. Unfortunately,
like so many other things in Quebec, those
of us living outside may have never heard
of him. We want to help change that. Stephen’s blues pedigree
is top shelf – over his career he and
his band have played with many legends including
John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley, Big Moose Walker,
Pinetop Perkins, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin,
Magic Slim, Eddie Kirkland, Nappy Brown, John
Hammond Jr., and Big Mama Thornton, whom he
toured with for three plus years. Think he
knows his blues? You bet he does!
I became familiar with the band when I was living in Quebec in the late ‘80’s/early ‘90’s hiring them on a number of occasions and they ALWAYS laid down a great show. At that time Michael Jerome Browne was lead singer playing guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle as well. Born in South Bend, Indiana he became an adopted Montrealer after his parents moved there. Michael left the band in the late ‘90’s and has gone on to build a strong solo career traveling extensively across Canada and the U.S., U.K., Europe and Australia with his unique blend of acoustic roots, blues, country and soul. It is a real treat to have him return to join his old group as a Special Guest for this night.There have been a few changes in personnel over 30+ years but the band remains amazingly intact with Andrew Cowan on guitar and vocals (he has been with Stephen from the very start), Gordon Adamson (the accountant) on drums & vocals (replacing John McColgan) and Jody Golick on sax. Those of you who attended the Terry Gillespie BOTR @ The Cove Show October 2007 will remember these guys (aka The Granary Blues Band) who backed him. You already know how good they are. The rest of you need to come and find out for yourselves. Vive le Quebec blues – Stephen Barry style! The Stephen Barry Band is the best group in Montréal, in Québec and probably in Canada. The tightest, the hottest, the most spectacular and above all the most under-estimated and unrecognized." Nathalie Petrowski, La Presse Montréal "The Stephen Barry Band plays a whole range of styles - some blusey, some that swing - songs performed with such outstanding musicianship you can't imagine them done any better." Montreal International Jazz Festival "Michael Jerome Browne gives a powerhouse display of stunning vocal, songwriting and multi-instrumental talents" The Winnipeg Sun "Michael Jerome Browne is a country blues master" Holger Petersen, CBC Radio Click here for the review of the night |
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