Though fads come and go The Powder Blues Band has stayed true to its roots for more than 30 years.
“Generally we’ve been playing blues and blues rock … since we started,” said leader Tom Lavin. “We always wanted to have a band that not just ‘you can dance to’ but a band that was difficult not to dance to. I make a distinction between the two.”
Over the years the band has brought that dance hypnosis throughout Canada, the United States and overseas. This weekend they’ll it to the Charlie White Theatre in Sidney.
“When we’re playing a theatre we like to talk a little about the origin of the music,” Lavin said. “We’ve done theatre shows before and we really like it.”
The current Powder Blues line-up includes veterans Mike Kalanj on keyboards and vocals, Tony Marryatt on bass, Jerry Cook on tenor sax, Vince Mai on trumpet and Daryl Bennett on drums.
“I’ve been working with nearly the same group of musicians for nearly the 34 years I’ve been on the road,” Lavin said. That musical communication translates to a good improvisational show.
“We’ll be playing a song and no one will know if I’m going to point at the piano player or the saxophone player for a solo,” he said. “It keeps the music from being routine.”
Lavin has written many of the band’s best-known songs including Doin’ It Right [On the Wrong Side of Town] and Boppin With the Blues. They have appeared in concert with legends like Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, James Brown, Albert Collins, James Cotton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, the Who, ZZ Top and the Doobie Brothers.
The Powder Blues Band performs Sept. 16 and 17 at the Mary Winspear Centre. Tickets available through the box office at 250-656-0275 or online at www.marywinspear.ca.
