Maple Blues Revue

The Maple Blues Revue is a first rate Canadian Blues Show featuring three dynamic vocalists with an outstanding eight piece band. All members of the Revue are multiple Maple Blues Award winners and nominees. They represent the cream of the crop in this country's Blues elite, drawn from legendary acts like Downchild, Fathead, The Jack de Keyzer Band, The Whiteley Bros., The Johnny Max Band and Raoul & The Big Time. The Maple Blues Revue has been honoured with performances at The Ottawa Blues Fest, The Southside Shuffle, The Wasaga Beach Blues Fest, The Toronto Jazz Festival, The Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, Omaha's Playing with Fire Festival, The Twisted Pines Music & Arts Festival and Festival International Du Blues De Tremblant to name a few. MBR consists of Dawn Tyler Watson (vocals), Chuck Jackson (vocals), John Mays (vocals), Gary Kendall (bass), Michael Fonfara (organ/piano), Teddy Leonard (guitar), Tom Bona (drums), Al Lerman (harmonica/tenor sax), Chris Whiteley (trumpet), Pat Carey (tenor sax), Chris Murphy (baritone sax). The Maple Blues Revue released it's debut recording, Live at Twisted Pines on the Preservation Music label in 2009.

Booking & Media info:
Bluestime Productions 416-467-1453 gary_kendall@rogers.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 and followed up in 2009 with "Feels Real Strong". 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 is a longtime member of the Juno and Maple Blues Award winning band Fathead . A guitarist who is known for his own original blues sound, Teddy has recorded and toured with Fathead, Little Mack Simmons, Big Daddy G, The Johnny Max Band, Paul Reddick, Porkbelly Futures, The Gary Kendall Band and Rita Chiarelli along with maintaining a busy career as a freelancer.
	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 two Juno Awards, a 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 seven 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 successful partnership with Diana Braithwaite has produced to excellent recordings, "Morning Sun" and "Night Birds" on the Electro-fi label.
	TOM BONA: DRUMS www.tombona.com Tom Bona (Halifax/Toronto) is a multiple Maple Blues Award Winner, and four time winner for Drummer of the Year. A long time member of the award winning Toronto band, Raoul & the Big Time, Tom is also a member of The Maple Blues Revue, the house band for the annual Maple Blues Awards. Tom has performed with a diverse variety of national and international artists in all genres including The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir (RnB), Steve Lukather (Toto), Sue Foley, Jeff Healey, The Good Brothers (Country/Folk), Roxanne Potvin (Pop), Duke Robillard, Damhnait Doyle (Pop), Garrett Mason, Charlie A'Court and Colin James. A career highlight was twice drumming for Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (Muddy Water's long-time drummer) while Willie fronted the band and played harmonica. Tom is also an accomplished songwriter and producer. Recent releases include Raoul and the Big Time (June 2009), Maple Blues Revue - Live CD (2009), Steve Marriner's Going Up (with Garrett Mason, 2008), Sue Foley's New Used Car (2007) and a Sue Foley Live in Germany DVD (2007). Tom Bona has played Pearl Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Regal Tip Sticks and Remo Heads exclusively, for over 25 years.

Maple Blues Band

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Maple Blues Revue

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Chuck Jackson

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Dawn Tyler Watson

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John Mays

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Click Here for the Maple Blues Revue Stage Plot

Maple Blues Revue Live at the Mont Tremblant Blues Festival

Treasa Levasseur with The Sojourners and The Maple Blues Band

	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 five 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 Bleeker 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.