Two legendary figures from a legendary band in the world of roots rock music are headed to the 24th edition of the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival.
Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett belong to Little Feat, a group festival artistic director Peter North says has “quite simply been one of the major forces in Americana and rock and roll music since the late Lowell George put the band together in 1969.”
It’s been a legacy of classic albums, from Sailin’ Shoes and Waiting For Columbus through to recent efforts like Chinese Work Songs and Rooster Rag, for this California-based band that put a whole lot of New Orleans funk into their musical mix as the years progressed.
Barrere was enlisted by Lowell and immediately the guitarist and singer started having an impact on the band, contributing songs like Skin It Back, Fat Man In The Bathtub, All That You Dream, High Roller, Old Folks Boogie and Missin’ You.
While Fred Tackett didn’t officially join Little Feat until 1988 after a nine-year hiatus following Lowell’s death, he had made his mark with the band years earlier, contributing the song Fool Yourself and guitar to the Dixie Chicken album and also playing on the Time Loves A Hero and The Last Record Album sessions.
“Tackett, and this is the short list, has also recorded with the Allman Brothers, Jackson Browne, Glen Campbell, Bob Dylan, Vince Gill, Rickie Lee Jones, Aaron Neville, Van Dyke Parks, Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Ringo Starr, Tom Waits, and the Wallflowers,” says North.
Tackett and Barrere first played together on the album Dixie Chicken some 35 years ago and since then have played together or individually on numerous recording sessions for Little Feat and countless others, including Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Dionne Farris, and the Wallflowers.
Barrere and Tackett will be playing acoustic solo shows and plugging in with their good friends, The New Orleans Suspects, at Roots and Blues 2016.
Other 2016 acts include Delhi to Dublin, Great Lake Swimmers, Whitehorse, Jarekus Singleton, The Bros Landreth, Amy Helm and Digging Roots.
To learn more about the 2016 festival slate and to purchase tickets while early-bird pricing is still in effect, visit www.rootsandblues.ca.
