Bouncing boogie blues kicks off the New Year with sultry award-winning vocalist Sabrina Weeks and Swing Cat Bounce at the Vernon Jazz Club Saturday.
Swing cats include Mike Hilliard on lead guitar, brother Ed Hilliard on drums, Bill White on rhythm guitar, and Ken Sell on bass.
The band’s high energy repertoire swings into action with a lively range of grooves.
“We play several kinds of swing, from traditional bounce to Texas swing,” said Weeks. “We also play some R&B, some hoppin’ rock ‘n roll, and, of course, some blues – down and dirty.”
Covers include numbers by B.B. King, Little Walter, Aretha Franklin, Koko Taylor, and Weeks’ favourite, Etta James.
The band also plays some original tunes including Bad Boys, which charted at #2 on B.B. King’s Bluesville on Sirius Radio, and Wrath of Mom, about a mother who has come to the end of her rope.
Weeks and Swing Cat Bounce began the year with a nomination for Best New Artist at the 15th annual Maple Blues Awards.
“We’ll be flying down to Toronto on January 16th to attend the award ceremony. This is a national honour and very exciting,” said Weeks.
Receiving raves reviews wherever they play, the band’s 2010 debut CD, Tales from Lenny’s Diner, entered the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart at #1, getting airplay at home and abroad including the U.S., Europe, Australia, South Africa, and South America.
Weeks has more than a decade of performing under her belt, showcasing her considerable vocal talents in bands like The Salmon Armenians and Lava Kazu.
In particular, Weeks found the blues a natural fit for her powerful, expressive voice.
“I was drawn to the power of the music, the emotionality, the realism. You can’t fake a blues song. You either feel it or you don’t,” she said.
Along with Etta James, Weeks cites Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Tina Turner among her musical influences.
“My style, like any good instrumentalist, I tend to morph. If I’m singing jazz, I have a rounding voice. If I’m singing blues, I tend to belt it out,” she explained.
Former member of the Salmon Armenians, Steamer, and the Mobb, lead guitarist Mike Hilliard has appeared with some of Canadian music’s biggest names such as The Guess Who, Steppenwolf, Colin James, Powder Blues Band, and Stonebolt.
He also performs with Weeks’s duo and trio, and the King Pins.
Ed Hillier has been right there with his brother Mike, making music together for more than 40 years. After studying at Humber College in Toronto, they formed the band Steamer, performing from 1976 to 1984.
Ed is the music teacher at Sahali Secondary School and also plays with the Kamloops Big Band.
Guitarist White has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe with various bands, performing for presidents, prime ministers, popes, and royalty. Recently, he spent five years playing bass with Calgary’s Southern Stardust Big Band and the ‘Round Midnight Jazz Quintet.
A first call studio musician, bassist Sell performs with the Kamloops Big Band and the Modern Jazz Quartet.
Sabrina Weeks and Swing Cat Bounce take the stage at the Vernon Jazz Club, 3000-31st St. (upstairs from Nolan’s Pharmacy, downtown Vernon) Saturday. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. Show is at 8 p.m. Get your tickets ($20, $15 VJS members) at the Bean Scene and Bean to Cup.
