Maple Blues Revue

The Maple Blues Revue is a first rate Canadian Blues Show available for festivals, concert halls and special events. The revue features some of Canada's finest blues singers backed by The Maple Blues Band. The vocalists and the musicians in the band are all multiple Maple Blues Award winners and nominees. The Maple Blues Awards are Canada's equivalent of The Blues Music Awards (formerly the W.C. Handy Awards) that take place yearly in Memphis. The Maple Blues Band has been the house band at the prestigious awards ceremony in Toronto since 1999. The Maple Blues Revue is presented in association with The Toronto Blues Society.

Booking & Media info:
Bluestime Productions 416-467-1453 gken@look.ca

THE MAPLE BLUES BAND

The Maple Blues Band: left to right-Chris Murphy baritone & tenor sax, Pat Carey tenor sax, Gary Kendall bass, Tom Bona drums, Michael Fonfara keyboards, Chris Whiteley trumpet, harmonica & guitar, Teddy Leonard guitar, Al Lerman harmonica & tenor sax

Photo by Rick Zolkower

The Maple Blues Band was formed in 1999 to be the house band at the annual Maple Blues Awards Ceremony in Toronto, Ontario. In association with The Toronto Blues Society and under the guidance of Musical Director/Band Leader/Bassist, Gary Kendall, the band was put together by choosing musicians from Southern Ontario's “cream of the crop”, the best players that regions Blues Scene had to offer. All members are multiple Maple Blues Award winners and nominees. As well as providing the awards ceremony's musical background and theme, The Maple Blues Band has backed all the special guests who have performed as part of that special night. Sue Foley, Big Dave MacLean, Steve Hill, Harry Manx, Kevin Breit, Dawn Tyler Watson, Colin James, Jackie Richardson, Paul Reddick, Jackie Washington, Ken Whiteley, Mel Brown, Jim Byrnes, Suzie Vinnick, Rick Fines, John Campbelljohn, Diana Braithwaite, Duke Robillard, Colin Linden, Roxanne Potvin, Garrett Mason, Dave Hoerl, Ndidi Onukwulu and Madagascar Slim, Little Miss Higgins, Jack de Keyzer have all appeared with the The Maple Blues Band at The Maple Blues Awards.

The Maple Blues Band began to stretch out by playing a few select shows a year besides the annual Maple Blues Awards ceremony. In 2003 and 2004 they closed Port Credits Southside Shuffle by the hosting The Super Jam that featured Jeff Healey, Kim Simmonds, Murray Porter, Faron Johns, Michael Pickett, Jimmy Bowskill, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, Donnie "Mr. Downchild" Walsh, Chuck Jackson, John Mays and Dawn Tyler Watson. In 2004 The Maple Blues Band formed a permanent union with three of Canada's best blues singers to form The Maple Blues Revue. MBR has performed at The Ottawa Blues Fest, The Wasaga Beach Blues Fest, The Southside Shuffle's Gala, The Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival The Toronto Blues Society's 20th Anniversary Celebration, Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, Festival International Du Blues De Tremblant and Twisted Pines Music & Arts Festival.

Maple Blues Awards

BOOKING & MEDIA CONTACT:
BLUESTIME PRODUCTIONS
416-467-1453 PHONE
416-467-6652 FAX
Email: gken@look.ca

Debut recording "Live At Twisted Pines" now available on Preservation Music www.preservationmusic.com

	GARY KENDALL: Musical Director/Band Leader/Bassist www.garykendall.com Gary Kendall is probably the best known bass player in Canadian Blues, having toured and recorded with the legendary Downchild Blues Band twice, 1979-83 and currently since 1995. He has won the Maple Blues Award for Bassist of the Year six times and received ten nominations. In 1993 Gary received the prestigious “Blues With A Feeling Award”. The city of Thunder Bay presented him with the “Thunder Blues Award”, along with The Thunder Bay Blues Society`s “Keeping The Blues Alive Award”, in 2002. Gary Kendall has performed with Snooky Pryor, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Big Jay McNeeley, Bob Margolin, Big Dave MacLean, Duke Robillard, Morgan Davis, Zora Young and Phil Guy, to name only a few. Besides Downchild, he has recorded with Chris Murphy, Little Bobby & The Jumpstarts, Peter Schmidt & Shane Scott, Brian Blain and Maria Aurigema. He released his first solo CD, “Dusty & Pearl” on his own 47 Records label in late 2004. When not with Downchild or The Maple Blues Band, Kendall fills his insatiable need to play the Blues by performing with The Gary Kendall Band.
	TEDDY LEONARD: LEAD GUITAR Teddy Leonard has won The Maple Blues Award for Guitarist of The Year once and been nominated in that category twice. He was a member of the Juno Award winning band Fathead when they received that honour and also when they won The Maple Blues Award for Electric Act of The Year twice. A guitarist who is known for his own original blues sound, Teddy has recorded with Fathead, Little Mack Simmons, Big Daddy G and Rita Chiarelli. He currently plays in The Johnny Max Band as well as with Paul Reddick, Pork Belly Futures, The Gary Kendall Band and The Maple Blues Band.
	MICHAEL FONFARA: HAMMOND ORGAN & ELECTRIC PIANO www.iridescentmusic.ca Long known as one of the busiest, most versatile keyboard players in North America, Michael Fonfara has added immeasurably to hundreds of recording sessions in a career that began in the 60s when he was a member of Mike Bloomfield's, Electric Flag and the supergroup, Rhinoceros. Since then he has played with artist's as varied as Lou Reed and Solomon Burke. A member of The Downchild Blues Band since 1992, Fonfara has won The Maple Blues Award for Keyboard Player of The Year three times and has be nominated in that category seven times.
	CHRIS MURPHY: TENOR, BARITONE AND ALTO SAXOPHONES www.chrismurphysax.com Blues Saxophonist, Chris Murphy has been a full-time musician since 1978. He was the first recipient of London, Ontario's Lifetime of Blues Award. Murphy has eight Maple Blues Award nominations and two London Music Award nominations. Chris has recorded two CD's for his own Speakeasy label, “Blowin' The Horn” and “I'm A Happy Guy”. The second and most recent recording was produced by the legendary, Jack Richardson. He has toured and recorded with Juno Award winning guitarist, Jack de Keyzer and Detroit Blues Legend's, Chicago Pete and Alberta Adams. Chris Murphy has lead the horn section for many touring artist’s performing in his home town of London, Ontario, including Aretha Franklin and Natalie Cole.
	AL LERMAN: HARMONICA & TENOR SAXOPHONE www.fathead.biz www.myspace.com/allerman For well over thirty years Al Lerman has made his living playing the blues. His harp playing has been nominated for ten Maple Blues Awards and he has previously been nominated in the Horn Player and Songwriter of The Year categories. As leader of the Toronto-based band FATHEAD, Al has received a Juno Award, Canadian Indie Award, a pair of Jazz Report Awards for Blues Group Of The Year as well as two Maple Blues Awards for Electric Act of The Year. He has produced and appeared on numerous internationally acclaimed recordings including blues legends Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Mel Brown.
	PAT CAREY: TENOR SAXOPHONE www.patcarey.ca Pat Carey has been the saxophone player with The Downchild Blues Band since 1985. He's received six Maple Blues Awards for Horn Player of The Year and has been nominated eleven times in that category. A very busy freelance musician, Pat has appeared on recordings by Sam Myers, Jack de Keyzer, Rita Chiarelli, Curley Bridges, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, Downchild and many others. He also leads and records with his own jazz group, Pat Carey's Jazz Navigators and is the President of Iridescent Music.
	CHRIS WHITELEY: TRUMPET, GUITAR, HARMONICA www.chriswhiteley.com Chris Whiteley has been performing, recording and composing blues and roots music for over 30 years. He has received numerous awards, including Maple Blues Awards for Horn Player of The Year and Songwriter of The Year, a Jazz Report Award for Blues Album of The Year, and six Juno Award nominations. He has performed on Saturday Night Live with Leon Redbone and with his brother Ken at the Chicago Blues Festival. He has appeared on over 150 recordings and his compositions have been recorded by Amos Garrret, Fathead, Cindy Church, Penny Lang and Quartette. His most recent recording "Morning Sun" is a collaboration with Diana Braithwaite on Electro-fi Records.
	TOM BONA: DRUMS www.tombona.com Tom Bona is a four time Maple Blues Award winner for Drummer of the year. A long time member of the award winning band Raoul & The Big Time, he is also a member of Roxanne Potvin's touring band and Wickens-Knight. Tom has performed with a variety of national and international artists including Sue Foley, Junior Watson, Duke Robillard, Mark Hummell, Jack de Keyzer, Colin James and The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir. Playing drums for Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (Muddy Water's long-time drummer) is one of Tom Bona's favourite musical moments.

The Maple Blues Revue is an assembly of Canadian blues veterans and award winners pieced together as the house band for the 2000 Canadian Maple Blues Awards ceremony. Collectively they are the recipients of over thirty Maple Blues Awards and countless nominations.

The Maple Blues Band was formed by its musical director and Downchild Blues Band’s bassist Gary Kendall in association with The Toronto Blues Society to be the house band at the 2000 Canadian “Maple Blues Awards” ceremony. To this day they continue to be part of that annual event. In 2004 they decided to branch out and perform at festivals and concerts as The Maple Blues Revue, adding vocalists Dawn Tyler Watson (2005 and 2007 Female Vocalist of the year), John Mays (2001, 2002 and 2004 Male Vocalist of the Year) and Chuck Jackson (1999 and 2007 Male Vocalist of the Year). The Maple Blues Revue hosts other Downchild veterans such as Michael Fonfara on piano and organ, Pat Kerry on tenor sax as well as front man Chuck Jackson. 2007 Juno award winner and multiple Maple Blues Award winner Fathead is represented by vocalist John Mays and sax man Al Lerman. Blues veterans Chris Murphy on baritone sax and Chris Whitely on trumpet round off the powerful horn section. Guitarist Teddy Leonard and Tom Bona on drums join Gary Kendall to complete the rhythm section.

The Maple Blues Awards have been recognizing achievements in blues music across Canada since 1999. Jeff Healey was a recipient of a Maple Blues life time achievement in 2001.

Dedicated to Canadian jazz blues and rock legend Jeff Healey, 1967 to 2008, sales of the CD will benefit the charity that Healey supported for years, The Daisy’s Eyes Cancer Fund.

The show was recorded May 19th, 2008 at the Twisted Pines Music and Arts Festival in Penetanguishene, Ontario. The CD and performance captures Canada’s finest blues vocalists driven by one of the strongest blues bands the country has to offer.

Material provided by the artists in support of the charity is a blend of power jump blues and funk with straight up blues, roots, R&B and a tint of gospel.

The Maple Blues Revue
Live at Twisted Pines

1. Open Up
2. Let The Good Times Roll
3. Hard Times
4. Stay On The Ride
5. I Just Think Of You
6. Blue Water
7. One Day At A Time
8. Shame On Ya
9. Changed My Ways
10. Up To The Mountain
11. Angel In My Bed
12. Give It Up

13. Wang Dang Doodle

Preservation Music
released 2008

purchase "Live At Twisted Pines online

at Preservation Music

	CHUCK JACKSON: www.chuckjackson.com Chuck Jackson began his singing career applying his versatile voice to a wide range of musical styles. It was in 1979 when he joined The Cameo Blues Band that he really began to shape the distinctive rhythm and blues style. Armed with a hot blues harmonica, Chuck has been featured on many television and movie projects as well as working with Bo Diddley, James Cotton and Georgie Fame. Chuck Jackson has been the vocalist with the legendary Downchild Blues Band since 1990. He has been nominated three times for The Maple Blues Award for Male Vocalist of The Year and won the award in 2000 and 2007. In 2001 he was presented with the lifetime achievement, Blues With A Feeling Award.
	JOHN MAYS: www.fathead.biz John Mays has been the lead vocalist for the Juno and multiple Maple Blues Award winning band, Fathead, since 1992. He has won The Maple Blues Award for Male Vocalist of The Year three times and has been nominated in that category often. As a member of The Insiders, he toured with James Brown in the seventies. Prior to joining Fathead he was a co-founder of The Bleecker St. Band.
	DAWN TYLER WATSON: www.dawntylerwatson.com Multi-talented vocalist and songwriter, Dawn Tyler Watson gained international attention in 1997 with three songs on a Preservation Records compilation CD. In 2001 she released her own much anticipated and critically acclaimed “Ten Dollar Dress” on that label. Dawn has sixteen Maple Blues Award nominations in the Vocalist, New Artist, Album, Entertainer and Producer categories. Dawn Tyler Watson has received The Maple Blues Award for Female Vocalist of the Year 2005 and 2007. She also hosted the 11th annual Maple Blues Awards ceremony in 2008. Besides doing her own concerts she has shared the stage with Colin James, Sonny Landreth, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Jeff Healey, Big Time Sarah, Sue Foley, Rita Chiarelli, Harry Manx, Mel Brown, Jimmy Bowskill and Ray Bonneville.