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Blues Notes some news items relating to our guests at the Duck Saturday Matinee |
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From The St. Catharines Standard - Friday, March 26, 2010
Mighty fineThe Mighty Duck Blues Band lays down the groove for a wide array of big-name guests every Saturday afternoon at the Golden Pheasant, a blue-collar bar just down the road from GMBy HANS NIEDERMAIR, SPECIAL TO THE STANDARD
A blues-fuelled party is on tap at The Duck. The Mighty Duck Blues Band will be joined by a trio of special guests at The Golden Pheasant Tavern-- a.k.a. The Duck -- next Thursday night to celebrate five years of the long-standing Ontario Street establishment's current ownership. Blues music has quickly become a tradition at the Duck, which owners Jack and Holli Kizera market as "Niagara's premier blues destination," thanks in large part to their house band. The Mighty Duck Blues Band has been playing regular Saturday matinee gigs at the tavern for "about a year-and-a-half," drummer Jim Casson told The Standard.Casson, of Fonthill, said the band -- which also includes Torontonian Gary Kendall on bass, guitarist Dave Curry of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Garden City's "Canada" Dave Torosian on the keyboard -- comprises "wily veterans as opposed to grizzled veterans," with Casson "the baby of the group at 46," and the rest of the band in their 50s. All of the band members were familiar with one another before they formed the Mighty Duck Blues Band. "There was a previous band and it kind of morphed into this one," said Torosian, who picked up his nickname as the only Canadian in a Buffalo house band several years ago. "The matinees started around '97 or '98 at the Regal Beagle in Fonthill, and after a few successful seasons, we moved it to Arizona's." It was at Arizona's that the current incarnation of the band formed, then called Bluesafire, which also featured harmonica player Bill Wymer, otherwise known as Mojo Willy. The band, minus the harmonica, reformed in 2008 to play at The Duck. "The core of the band had been working a number of years with several blues bands," Casson said, adding that he had played for years with Kendall in the Downchild Blues Band, of which the bassist is still a member. The band's bread and butter is jamming out with special guests who provide the lead vocals and other musical accompaniments. "It's a lot of improvising, which is a challenge. That's why I love it," guitarist Curry said. "We have a couple of songs that (Curry) has written, and we play those often, but mostly we back up our guests," Casson said. "It's usually just right off the cuff , but sometimes the guests have material that they'll e-mail to us so we can learn them. " "For us, (playing without rehearsal) is kind of what we do. People say it's amazing and wonder how we do it, but I think it's amazing that a carpenter can build a house." Casson said that while the band's influences include "all of the blues greats," they also "change from week to week, depending on the guest." "We don't really have a defined sound, but we have a defined attitude," he said. "We get to play a lot of different kinds of music, even though it's 'the blues,'" added Curry. "A lot of people think the blues is just one kind of music, but it includes a lot of different styles." Some of the guests that will join the band in coming weeks include Mr. Conrad, Layla Zoe and Morgan Davis. Past guests have included the likes of Juno Award winner Jack de Keyzer and Downchild Blues Band frontman Chuck Jackson. "(Bassist) Gary Kendall books the Silver Dollar Room, which is probably the premier blues club in Toronto, so he has a lot of connections, and he often can fly musicians in here from the U.S. or elsewhere," Casson said. At the Duck's fifth anniversary show on Thursday, the band will be welcoming Alberto Columbo, David Rotundo and Mike Branton. While Casson said he has never met Columbo, who is visiting from Milan, Italy, and touring with Rotundo, he is well-versed with the other two guests. "I've read that Alberto is a great guitarist. Dave Rotundo is one of the most exciting young blues players that I've met in a long time. Musically he's exciting and the ladies think he's attractive. He's a great high-energy harmonica player," Casson said. "Mike Branton is simply an amazing guitarist. He can just stand there and blow you away with what he's doing musically." The Duck, which has stood as a tavern at its location near the GM plant since 1921, plays host to various types of music most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. "The Duck is an old-time tavern," Casson said. "It has a great blue-collar crowd that really appreciates the music. It's kind of like walking into a time machine; it's been around for a long time. The audience is very knowledgeable and appreciative, especially for the blues stuff ." "It hasn't really changed a whole lot over the years," added Torosian. "(The Kizeras) haven't made a lot of changes since they bought it. It's probably the only local establishment that's like that. It was a GM bar in its heyday, and there's probably a lot of carryover there, but there are a lot of new faces. "We've had a really good response and good attendance at the Duck. (Jack Kizera) wants to keep it going for as long as he's alive. Those are his words." DAVID GOGO ON CTV’S Tune
in on Friday, January 15th
to CTV's JACK
DE KEYZER RELEASES NEW ‘LIVE’ CD Alternately soaring, swinging, and shuffling through a dozen blues and r&b classics, five covers and seven de Keyzer originals, the disc captures one of Canada's finest blues guitarists at the top of his game in front of a very vocal and enthusuastic crowd. The informality of a nightclub setting allowed the band to stretch out yet still burn intensely through the varied repertoire, highlights of which are Robert Johnson's When You Got a Good Friend, Stevie Wonder's Signed Sealed, Delivered and de Keyzer's The Way That I Love You. The conversational aspect evident between the players, all masters of their instruments, with de Keyzer's honeyed vocals, the icing on top, is a highly entertaining lesson in small group, ensemble playing. The Corktown Sessions is a must have CD for fans of blues and guitar. You can order The Corktown Sessions at www.jackdekeyzer.com. DAVID GOGO AND DANNY MARKS HOST ANNUAL BLUES PARTY AT TORONTO'S NEW KOERNER HALL
Performers
from all across
The host band for this remarkable night of music and celebration will be The Maple Blues Band, comprised entirely of multiple Maple Blues Award winners and nominees, including Gary Kendall who has been nominated for Bass Player of the Year, Michael Fonfara who has been nominated for Piano/Keyboard Player of The Year, Tom Bona who has been nominated for Drummer of the Year, Al Lerman, Chris Whiteley, Pat Carey, and Chris Murphy are all nominated for Horn Player of the Year. Maple Blues Band members Chris Whiteley and Michael Fonfara have also been nominated for the Blues With a Feeling Award. What:
The Maple Blues Awards Website: www.torontobluessociety.com 13th ANNUAL MAPLE BLUES NOMINEES
Entertainer Of The Year Downchild Jack de Keyzer Little Miss Higgins Monkey Junk Shakura S’Aida
Electric Act Of The Year David Gogo Garrett Mason Jack de Keyzer Monkey Junk The Twisters
Acoustic Act Of The Year Big Dave McLean Braithwaite & Whiteley Harrison Kennedy Harry Manx Julian Fauth
Male Vocalist Of The Year Harrison Kennedy Jim Byrnes John Mays (Fathead, Maple Blues Revue) Paul Reddick Steve Marriner (Monkey Junk)
Female Vocalist Of The Year Jolene “Little Miss” Higgins Roxanne Potvin Shakura S’Aida Suzie Vinnick Treasa Levasseur
New
Artist/Group Of The Year Blues Delight Clio
& The Ross Neilsen Scott McCord & The Bonafide Truth
Recording Of The Year Come Out Swingin' (NorthernBlues) The Twisters Producers: Chris & Brandon Isaak
One Dog Barkin’ (Electro-Fi) Harrison Kennedy Producer: Harrison Kennedy
Songs From The Road (Stony Plain) Jeff Healey Producer: Alec Fraser
SugarBird (NorthernBlues) Paul Reddick Producer: Colin Linden
Tiger In Your Tank (Beefy) Monkey Junk Producers: Steve Marriner and Monkey Junk
Blues With A Feeling Award (Lifetime Achievement)
Alec Fraser Chris Whiteley Danny Brooks Ellen McIlwaine Joe Murphy Ken Whiteley Michael Fonfara Paul James Terry Wilkins Tom Lavin
BB King International Artist Of The Year John Mayall Maria Muldaur Taj Mahal Tommy Castro Watermelon Slim
Guitarist Of The Year Garrett Mason Jack De Keyzer Steve Dawson (Jim Byrnes) Steve Strongman Tony D (Monkey Junk)
Harmonica Player Of The Year Carlos del Junco David Hoerl (The Twisters) David Rotundo Jerome Godboo Steve Marriner (Monkey Junk)
Piano/Keyboard Player Of The Year Bill Stevenson (Easley Stevenson Arsenault) Julian Fauth Kenny
"Blues Boss" Lance Anderson (Shakura S'Aida and Danny Brooks) Michael Fonfara (Downchild, Maple Blues Revue)
Horn Player Of The Year Al Lerman (Fathead, Maple Blues Revue) Chris Murphy (Maple Blues Revue) Chris Whiteley (Maple Blues Revue) Johnny Ferreira Pat Carey (Downchild, Maple Blues Revue)
Drummer Of The Year Al Cross Bucky Berger (Fathead) Chris Nordquist Geoff Arsenault (Easley Stevenson Arsenault) Tom Bona (Raoul & The Big Time, Maple Blues Revue)
Bassist Of The Year Alan Duffy (Jack De Keyzer) Alec Fraser (Broken Joe, Jeff Healey) Gary Kendall (Downchild, Maple Blues Revue, Gary Kendall Band) Keith Picot (The Twisters) Tom Easley (Easley Stevenson Arsenault)
Songwriter Of The Year Brandon Isaak (The Twisters) Chris Whiteley & Diana Braithwaite Harrison Kennedy Paul Reddick Treasa Levasseur TERRY
BLERSH HONOURED BY JAZZ JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
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