Blues harpist revved up for Saturday

Never mind the February chill, the room will be hot when electrifying harmonica bluesman Sherman “Tank” Doucette returns to the Vernon Jazz Club Saturday.

Sherman “Tank” Doucette (bottom right) pays his harmonica with his Tankful of Blues, guitarist Rick  “Poppa Dawg” Halisheff, left, drummer Brian Maguire, and bassist Grant Jones at the Vernon Jazz Club Saturday.

Sherman “Tank” Doucette (bottom right) pays his harmonica with his Tankful of Blues, guitarist Rick “Poppa Dawg” Halisheff, left, drummer Brian Maguire, and bassist Grant Jones at the Vernon Jazz Club Saturday.

Never mind the February chill, the room will be hot when electrifying harmonica bluesman Sherman “Tank” Doucette returns to the Vernon Jazz Club Saturday.

Doucette will be accompanied by his band Tankful of Blues.

“We’ll play mainly Chicago blues, but we’ll be mixing up the feels – blues, swing, big band, Latin, straight shuffles, and a few  heartbreakers so couples have a change to snuggle on the dance floor,” said Doucette. 

Doucette’s gigs are always a blast of high energy.

“I’d call my musical style blues on fire because we love to boogie.  It’s not sleepy blues – it’s big-city blues!”

Doucette’s repertoire will include original music from his last two CDs, Blowin’ Through Town and Harp & Soul, as well new compositions. Fans can also expect to hear fabulous blues tunes from artists such as Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, and Louis Jordan.

“I wear the blues band banner proudly,” stated Doucette. “I know what I am – I’m a bluesman!”

Doucette is pretty busy these days, playing most weekends, writing new material, and planning a spring recording.  

His prediction for the Vernon gig includes, “a whole bunch of smiling faces having a really good time.”

Born into a musical family in North Battleford, Sask. in 1953, Doucette has been playing music since he was a young boy.  By age 15, he was on the road, harmonica in hand, headed for Vancouver. 

It was there that he discovered the Chicago blues style as expressed by legendary blues musicians Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, and James Cotton.

Inspired, Doucette began singing and playing in a variety of local blues and rock bands.  Over time, he developed his own particular brand of playing, greatly influenced by the late, great Paul Butterfield.

In 1977, Doucette survived a massive explosion in a lumber mill that left him with burns to more than 50 per cent of his body.  He spent the next six months recovering in hospital. More determined than ever, Doucette focused his time and energy on his music.

Three years later, Doucette formed his own blues band, Incognito. The band was at the forefront of the Vancouver music scene, recording three independent CDs and touring extensively across Canada.

Over the years, Doucette has shared the stage with a legendary cast of musicians, including John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Sunnyland Slim, Pinetop Perkins, and Long John Baldry.

Besides a passion for playing harmonica, Doucette also collects them.  He has more than 700 harmonicas, many of which date back to circa 1910. Some of these treasures can be viewed at his online harmonica museum.

The band features a great lineup of musicians, including Rick “Poppa Dawg” Halisheff on guitar, Grant Jones on bass, and Brian Maguire on drums. 

Halisheff is a solid bluesman in his own right, leading his own band. Jones has been performing with Doucette for almost 12 years now and co-writes with him.  Maguire has been playing the blues all his life, performing with artists such as John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy.

Sherman “Tank” Doucette and his Tankful of Blues take the stage at the Vernon Jazz Club, 3000-31st St., Saturday at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $20 ($15 for jazz society members) at the Bean Scene and Bean to Cup coffee houses.

Vernon Morning Star