Those who love the blues will get a high dose of Mississippi Delta, Chicago-style, 12-bar and classic blues when Back Door Blues brings the third annual Winter Carnival Blues Festival back to the Vernon Recreation Centre, Saturday.
“This year we are presenting five quality bands from the Okanagan area,” said Gord Wade, who along with Michele Peterson is helping organize the festival while regular organizer Cathy-Ann Wells is away.
“Michele and I were asked to coordinate the festival as Cat is stuck on a cruise ship. We are endeavoring to do the job as well as Cathy-Ann has. In Cathy-Ann’s stead, we hope to maintain the quality of this award winning event. Come and join us, a good time will be had by all,” said Wade who will be playing harmonica in the Linda-Sue Wilson Band.
A powerhouse vocalist, Wilson performed all over Canada, opening for the likes of Dr. Hook and the Powder Blues Band, before hanging her hat in Vernon 16 years ago.
Besides Wade, Wilson’s band also includes guitarist Billy Haner, drummer Darcy Ross, and Gord Kaine on bass.
Another blues band known to locals which will be performing at the festival is The Dan Engelland Band.
The hosts of the weekly jam at the Armstrong Hotel, the band features Engelland, a Shuswap-based blues guitarist, formerly of the Hoodoos, and drummer Duris Maxwell, a former Motown song-writer and session player who has performed with some of the industries best from Stevie Wonder, Heart, David Foster, and the Powder Blues Band.
“I’m very happy and very lucky to have Duris on board along with the very skilled Pedro Allen August on the sideways bass, and lil’ ol’ me on the guitar and vocals,” said Engelland. “(We) will aim to ‘bluzifye’ the audience with renditions of great kickin’ tunes and originals.”
Celebrated Vernon guitarist Les Copeland needs little introduction.
A guitarist extraordinaire, who can play many different styles as heard at many venues and events around town, Copeland has worked with some of the biggest blues artists around, including the late Dave “Honeyboy” Edwards.
Before Edwards’ death last fall, Copeland toured with the last living Delta bluesman and Grammy award winner all over Canada as well as in Europe and Britain.
Edwards can also be heard on Copeland’s much revered 2010 album, Don’t Let the Devil In, which received favourable reviews from publications around the world.
Festival headliner Downhome Dave and the Dynamite have become a highly sought after party and dance band.
With their roots in the blues, this five-piece group delivers with contagious energy, as heard on their CD release of originals, Dangerous Curves. The album has received international radio play and has been sold to fans in nine countries.
Downhome Dave leads the group with an expressive harmonica and smooth, but gritty-when-needed vocals. Steady grooves come in the form of the rhythm section, Brian Maguire on drums and Jeremy St. Pierre on bass, complimented with smoking keys from Don Muir and stinging guitar from Chris Parr.
Opening the festival is brand new Okanagan collaboration Space Monkey, who blend funk, soul, blues and rock into a thick and gooey stew.
Featuring multi-instrumentalists Randle Fox, Mark Cam Johnson and Michael Hesauf, with special guest Tanya Lipscomb, whose strong vocals can power out everything from blues, jazz, and folk, the band’s sound has shades of Little Feat mixed with some Van Morrison soul and punched up with a little Stones.
The Vernon Winter Carnival is an adults-only event, and food and beverages will be available onsite as well as numerous artisan vendors.
Tickets are $28 each and are available at the Winter Carnival office, the Eastside Liquor Company, and at the door. Reserve tickets online at www.vernonwintercarnival.com, or by phone at 250-545-2236.
