Cd Isle...CDs by BC island recording artists

"This 5 song Demo will fast become a sought after collector's item. This girl's star is rising. "

Originally from B.C.'s Interior, this Island artist is currently enrolled in Malaspina's Jazz Music program. Although Andrea has pursued various other careers, music has been a constant in her life. Starting out with talent shows in the early eighties, she eventually got hired to play in a rock band, 'The River City Band' in the mid-eighties and later a country band in the early ninties. She has performed in a Blues Brothers tribute as one of the 'Sisters of Mercy', also lending her talents to many special events and demonstrations. She organized and directed a choir and band in Ontario for her graduating ceremonies from The Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy in the mid-ninties. Around this time she started writing songs and eventually performing her original material. In recent years she has toured throughout the Interior with her own band, 'The Andrea Smith Band', as a duo,' Luna Azule' with guitarist Bruce Campbell, and later with bassist Terry Strudwick as "Smithwick".

"First Tracks" was recorded at Quarter Moon Studio in Cherryville B.C., engineered by Dave Dayer and mastered by Jeff Long at Image Audio Productions in Vernon B.C. The Musicians are: Mike Uzick on drums, Gerry Brunelle on Bass, Bruce Campbell on lead and rhythm guitar, and Andrea Smith on rhythm and electric guitar, and lead and harmony vocals. All songs written and arranged by Andrea.

She recorded her five song demo c.d. in a record breaking three day recording session, in 2000. Her original music has been heard across Europe, the U.K, and the United States as well as Cananda. In 2001 she spent a week honing her skills with songwriters Mae Moore and Ron Hynes at The B.C. Festival of the Arts where she was nominated for the Yamaha Award of Excellence. Andrea is currently making plans to complete her second, full length c.d.

"Snapshots" is Auntie Kate's third CD, and first LIVE CD. It was recorded at the Queen's Hotel in Nanaimo, B.C., Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Johnson is on the move with his 2nd cd release " The Bill Johnson Blues Band 'LIVE' ".

His first cd "Why I Sing the Blues", is a collaboration between Bill and top US and Canadian poets.
Debuting to sold out shows in Vancouver and Victoria, Bill is beginning to be seen by a wider audience.

When the first version of his band debuted, Victoria's Times-Colonist dubbed him "Victoria's Guitar Flame Thrower" after his performance at the International Jazz Festival. The title has stuck even though Johnson's style has matured. While his contemporaries have pursued FM rock's version of the blues, Bill's style is more that of yesteryear, citing his influences as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, Eric Clapton, and BB King.

Previously Bill Johnson has been heard with Vancouver Island's Auntie Kate on her debut CD, and then again on a collaborative blues CD featuring Bill. In 1998 Bill teamed up with Grammy Award Winning Texas Bluesman Don Johnson for the CD "Donald Ray". Songs from that CD are currently play-listed on cable's Galaxy Networks blues channels, and on CBC radio, as well as some US stations.

Bill is very proud of his band. Featuring the multi-talented Gary Preston on harp, piano, and voice, Rick Erickson on acoustic/electric bass, and Paul Nixon on drums. The versatility of this band is amazing and sure to please blues fans everywhere.

Born in rural Eastern Ontario, Rick heard his first country blues circa 1969 via the powerful FM station CHOM, Montreal. The classic Blue Thumb label album "Memphis Swamp Jam" and especially the haunting sound of then 100-year-old Nathan Beauregard doing "Nathan's Bumblebee Blues" was a favourite with  late night DJ's."  The soul-etching had begun.

In 1970 Rick was sent to the University of Hard Knocks at Burritts Rapids, Ontario, for disagreeing with the Queen on which naturally occurring plants are permissible for consumption. There, Rick taught himself guitar, learning to play on an old Hofner archtop salvaged from the trash and Stephan Grossman's first instructional book "Delta Blues Guitar".

After "graduation" in the early 1970's, Rick moved to Ottawa and now reveled in constant jam sessions and  his growing record collection. Influences from Johnny Winter, classic blues artists  Furry Lewis, Bukka White and Fred McDowell, bluegrass wizards Tony Rice and Doc Watson and especially his adopted mentor John Paul Hammond, Jr. were added to the stew. He bought his first good guitar, a Gibson Southern Jumbo. String popping pull-offs and back beat thumb rolls now combined to define the hypnotic grooves that were happening. Rippin' acoustic versions of "Mean Town Blues," "Highway 61," "Mona" and "Who Do You Love?" began to solidify. Delta blues, bluegrass and rock blues combined and morphed into the hard-driving, fast picking tunes that now poured out from under the steel finger pick's and slide tubes.

Fast forward to the late 1990's and Rick, now living on northern Vancouver Island, decides it's time to get a little more serious about his music. After nearly 30 years of playing around street corners, campfires and coffee house's from coast to coast, he starts organizing regular performances in the cozy lodge of the small community ski hill of  Mt.Cain. "Caindawg" is born and the moniker applied to his first independent CD release,  2002's    "at the end of my chain." 

Co-produced with Ken Hamm, the CD was recorded in three sessions at Raincoast Studios in Nanaimo in the spring of 2001. Session players were Todd Sacrety on bass, Billy Hicks on drums, and Gerry Barnum on harp and electric slide guitar. Ken drops in the mandolin on "Untrue Blues" and long time Ontario buddy John Little adds the electric solos to "I'm A Man."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fingerstyle blues guitarist Dan Livingstone has been receiving acclaim from musicians and audiences alike as an exceptional guitar player and an engaging performer. Whether playing rags, blues or spirituals, his expressive style marks him as a performer with “big ears” and a passion for the authentic. In separate concerts last year, Livingstone opened for international legends Duke Robillard and Buckwheat Zydeco. Audiences at the 16th annual Islands Folk Festival ranked him as one of the top performers of the weekend, alongside such world class players as Carlos del Junco.

Livingstone is inspired by the magic of the Piedmont, Delta and Texas blues traditions, and one of his aims as a musician is to immerse his audience in the music of Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, Fred McDowell, and Robert Johnson. Livingstone’s originals – very popular with his fans – reflect a mix of these influences as well as a highly developed, lyrical style.

Now living in Montréal, Livingstone is a regular performer in the clubs around that city and toured Quebec this year to play various festivals, including Carleton International Maximum blues festival and Rimouski en blues. Over the past few years, Livingstone performed in different cities across Canada, including festivals and clubs in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto. A cross-country tour this year took him from Va ncouver Island to the Magdalens. Born and raised on the west coast, Livingstone developed his early musical awareness through exposure to the music of John Fahey, Ken Hamm, and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Livingstone has spent the last few years travelling and performing in different cities across Canada, including festivals and clubs in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Quebec City. At the 1999 Pan Am Games he performed with Winnipeg guitar wizard Tim Butler; he has also shared the stage in other events with wel-known Canadian musicians Dave Gogo, Ken Hamm, Dave McLean and Rick Fines.

Livingstone’s debut CD was released in June 2000 and is entitled, Dan Livingstone. A new CD highlighting his original songs will be released later this year.

To celebrate 35 years of songwriting, recording and performing, DAVID invited OLIVER SCHROER (violin) and TOBIN FRANK (bass) into his Watershed Studio on Thetis Island, BC. Together, the trio arranged and recorded brand new versions of 30 of David's original songs - from She Burned Up in the Footlights, written in the late 60's, to the title track, A Stone in My Pocket, composed by David just before the recording sessions.

Here's what DAVID has to say about A STONE IN MY POCKET:

We went through all of the songs that I'd recorded since my career in Canada started in 1971 and picked 30 pieces that have a contemporary ring to them and that, most of all, express a sense of hope and human compassion. It was great to go back and visit some of these old songs again, especially with Oliver and Tobin along for the ride.
Once the trio sessions were completed, I went back into the studio on my own for a couple of months and added over 100 additional parts - mostly on slide guitar and steel. I finally got a chance to lay down some of the tasty licks that I'd been hearing in my head over the years. I'm really pleased with the way that I could 'weave' my parts in around Oliver's fiddle and Tobin's bass. I think we got this one right.

Until recently, David was signed to a European label with his CDs available in Canada as direct imports only. A STONE IN MY POCKET marks David's first made-in-Canada release in over a decade. David adds: We really wanted this CD project to come out in Canada first, to reflect how central this country has been to my songwriting over the years. Working with the Europeans was great, but it's exciting to be on home ground again with this new CD.

David Gogo has been called one of Canada's hottest blues players. On Bare Bones he explores the acoustic roots of the music that he loves - the blues. Consider this as the definative David Gogo 'Unplugged' release.

Genre - Acoustic Blues

Track Listing:

1. Halfway to Memphis
2. Fine Young Thing
3. Aberdeen Mississippi Blues
4. Western Coast
5. All Over Town
6. Shooting Star
7. Dallas
8. San Diego Serenade
9. Crazy Little Thing
10. In My Time of Dying

Stay Lazy is a stunning collection of thoughtful songwriting, virtuoso playing, and brilliant arranging. Although it is essentially a compilation, the CD has an exquisitely sequenced flow that mirrors the care and craft evident in each of Cox's elegant dobro and slide guitar solos. Recent Grammy Awards for the O' Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack and the Foggy Bottom Boys' Man of Constant Sorrow have introduced the general public to the dobro's haunting, expressive sound. They're going to love the magic Doug Cox conjures-up on Stay Lazy.

Elly Parker...and then some! Singer, songwriter, entertainer, storyteller, author, humanitarian and poet, Elly Parker has a natural talent for reaching into your soul and singing your song. Her love of family and zest for life is more than apparent in her songwriting. Elly’s self-titled CD offers the listener an amazing palette of musical stylings from blues, jazz, and gospel to hints of folk, country, and Celtic. Served up on one hot compact disc that only this woman can spin. Her radiant smile, playful nature, and sense of humor, has brought her audiences from Sheffield, England to New Orleans, Louisiana. Her powerful voice has been heard in night clubs, festivals and theatre productions. Elly is currently working on her second album entitled “Lavender Blue.”