
THE 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 SINGERS
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CHUCK
JACKSON: www.chuckjackson.com
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JOHN MAYS:
www.fathead.biz |
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DAWN TYLER WATSON:
www.dawntylerwatson.com |
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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 |
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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.
Maple
Blues Awards Debut recording "Live At Twisted Pines" now available on Preservation Music www.preservationmusic.com |
THE MAPLE BLUES BAND IS
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Upcoming appearances
Available
for Concerts, Festivals and special events |
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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. |
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| The Maple Blues Revue
Live at Twisted Pines 1.
Open Up
13.
Wang Dang Doodle
Preservation
Music
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purchase "Live At Twisted Pines online at Preservation Music
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