Thunder Bay Blues Sampler 2004
Thunder Bay's Home Grown Blues
( taken from TBBF Blues Sampler Review )
The blues music on this CD is literally as varied, vibrant and as full of personality as Northwestern Ontario"s diverse terrain!
- Natural High - Tara O'Brien's sultry vocals float over a swampy groove laid down by the Tender Mercys R & B Band.
- John Lee Hooker - The Blooz Berries' Wayne Faulconer"s fun and funky encounter with the late great boogie master at the Colonial Club in Toronto.
- Rollin' & Tumblin' - Vesa Peltonen's high octane slide guitar instrumental theme and variations on one of blues music's most seminal rhythmic patterns.
- Movin' on Blues - A slow blues grinder by Markus Potter and the King Lee Band. Chicago blues in your own living room.
- Come Back Home - Larry Breiland's scorching, heartbreaking vocals set over the reverb-drenched, hurting 60's sound of Fabulous Rocker Brothers Band.
- Love Starved Woman - A picking and strumming traditional arrangement by Mama Jake and the Hard Drive. Shelley Jacobson's take on hurt and rejection.
- Mr. Midnight - Freeground's most welcomed injection of youthful enthusiasm into the local blues scene.
- Comin' My Way - Dobro, slide and Thunder Bay's unique Westfort strain of roots music courtesy of Dave Jonasson. Always a treat!
- Back Again - Sass like this would automatically be banned in Boston. Thank goodness Markus Potter and the King Lee Band are Canadian!
- Little Girl Blue/Hurts So Bad - Chrissy Ewacha, Thunder Bay's pre-eminent blues vocalist and Bourbon Haze get a justified two tracks on this CD. Chrissy brings a surprisingly sensuous pleasure to pain here. Hurts So Bad, alone is worth the price of the CD. Outstanding!
- All Kinds of Trouble - A poignant musical snapshot for many, this goes way back to the days of Murray McCullough and the Blue Shadows. Murray passed on shortly after this song was recorded but his fervent vocals and inspirational attitude live on. Keep on tryin'. Keep on pushin'.
- Pay Day Blues - Rough House milk an eternal (lack of) monetary blues theme.Raw, live and all too real!
- Here to Stay - Harp, rock and soaring vocal harmonies, Tom Delgaty and Ordinary Joes drift off into the wild blues yonder.
- Loudon Blues - Ari Lahdekorpi, Thunder Bay's cherished (get possessive here!) blues/jazz guitarist for the past 19 years gets down, dirty and mean on this cut. Fabulous!
As fans of blues music and citizens of Thunder Bay we should all be very proud of the Thunder Bay Blues Festival Association (kudos to Ari Lahdekorpi, Director of Special Promotions), TBayTel, Peter Gleeson (Wave Records Studios) and all of the musicians who donated their time, talent and songs to this excellent CD. Proceeds from the sales of the CD will benefit the United Way of Thunder Bay and the Northern Cancer Research Foundation, the two designated charities of the Thunder Bay Blues Festival.
The CD is only $12 and can be purchased through the Thunder Bay Blues Society, info@thunderbaybluessociety.ca or Bev Fazio 623-846, admin@busetsarvas.com
Christmas isn't that far away and a copy would make a great stocking stuffer for that special blues fan in your life.