Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne is kicking off Jazz in the Vine with a performance at Glasshouse Estates Winery March 19.
Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival is offering up a new set of concerts across the Fraser Valley.
Once a month from March to June, a Campbell Valley winery will host a special ticketed concert featuring an array of musical talents paired alongside food, and of course, wines straight from the region.
At the age of 75, Wayne is a B.C. blues legend with decades of playing, countless globe-trotting tours and a slate of acclaimed, award-winning albums under the belt of his flamboyant zoot suit.
“I was doing a lot of R&B stuff – dance music. So the blues came a little later,” Wayne told the Langley Advance Times. “I was performing a lot of standards at hotel lounges, but there wasn’t an opportunity to record. I took a big interest in the genre and the blues history really got me going.”
The award-winning piano master is known for colourfully energetic shows and his mastery of classic boogie-woogie as well as jump blues and New Orleans jazz.
The March 19th performance will be a tribute to blues legend Fats Domino.
Originally from Spokane, Washington, Wayne has resided in Vancouver since the 1980s.
He takes his nickname “Blues Boss” from an album by one of his biggest influences, Amos Milburn. He said he did so to distinguish himself because “there were a few other Kenny Wayne’s already in the business.”
READ MORE: Pairing jazz music with local wine straight from the source
Glass House Estate Winery is a family-owned vineyard and boutique winery producing hand-selected, single vineyard, low yield artisan wine located in beautiful South Langley along the Campbell Valley wine route – managed and operated by the Joseph Richard Group.
Wayne said he has performed at wineries before and said there is a big difference between the wine drinking crowd and the beer drinking crowd.
“Wine and jazz go together and blues and beer go together. This will be jazzy blues… New Orleans style,” Wayne said. “I’ll have a five peice band with me. I hope to make people feel happy and feel gratified.”
The “Blues Boss” will return to the Fraser Valley for the Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival in July.
More on Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne can be found on his website https://kennybluesboss.com.
Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.ca/e/jazz-in-the-vine-music-series-tickets.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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