Canadian Blues Festival

Porquis Festival

It's here to start below link

A Little Taste of review 2003

This festival started the summer of 1998 and around the same date too! It was a very good turn out being a Blues Festival so far up north here. Especially considering Country and Rock are the main interest of music up here in the hotels and bars!

This first concert featured the Downchild Blues Band, Jack Dekyzer, and Paul James for the big names in the Canadian Blues scene...

also there was the "Hurtin'Blues Band, and SAB" from the Northern area. They all played great at this first ever Blues festival in the north! I wish I could have gotten pictures but my camera got lost in the house somewhere and I couldn't get one at the time, but I should have borrowed one! Anyway this time I'll take pictures and have some interviews if I can? It's going to be another great festival with an new faces and old at the concert, poster below!

Well, so far to date Nov. 2001. I've seen three festivals at Porquis, Ontario. I'm going to get all the stuff together and put it in very soon, so keep checking this place for more facts and pictures too. I'm sorry for not keeping this up to date as it happens but I do get the blues too!

The YEAR 2002!

Porquis Blues Festival - July 6, 2002

On Saturday, July 6th, 2002. It was just like the last four years, we were pulling into Porquis Junction turn off, the windows rolled down, we could here the music getting louder as we drove closer to the parking area of the festival. This created excitment among my fellow music lovers that came along for the ride. They were my friends, Hank (aka/ Frank) and Sally, plus her daughter, Natcole. It was their first time for the Porquis Blues Festival and my son, Elijah's second time out. His friend, Kodi was there for the first too. The kids are our next generation of blues fans!

The above pictures is me and Hank's Sally , then me comimg from the bandshell..

This is going to be my fifth festival and the also for the Porquis Junction too. Hope for many more ahead in the future for more of the great blues artist in todays Canadian blues scene. In the end of all this rambling, I will mention some more great artists for next year to come! Nothing but the BLUES!

It's going to be a very special festival this time out because I'm going to meet Big Daddy G for the first time face to face! We've been in touch since the days of his trading of video/audio boots and the making of his instructual videos called, Sizziling Texas Blues Series, with Tony D from Ottawa. Big Daddy G is one of the next new talents coming out of the Canadian blues scene these days and he's getting much greatly deserved reviews from many well establish mag's and newspapers! He's from the big city of Toronto and has three cds out now which one is live, it blows me away with the guitar playing and of coarse the harp master and his partner on thier blues ride, Tortuis Blue. On his first two cds he had some great help from the best of the best in Canadian blues, like the late great, "the Hock" Walsh, from the original group the Downchild Blues Band in thier early days. Even Mr. Downchild aka/ "Donnie Walsh", lends a hand on guitar and harp too. Please check out his web site for more infomation on Big Daddy G .

This is a picture of our first meeting and not the last! My Son, Elijah and a good friend, Kodi.

In the Pic' starts with me, Tortuis Blue, Big Daddy G and in front is Kodi and my son, Elijah. The smiles of the BLUES!

The pictures, that are near the bottom of this page are mostly taken by a real good friend, from Kirkland too! His name is "Hank Melong", he has been taking pictures for some time now and took pictures for SAB's cd he put out a few years ago. So if you put the arrow on the picture it will tell you if it's by Hank!, Love U GUY! Thanks for the pic's and comming along for the BLUES Ride!

The Hockey Rink Stage Area!

P>

Now back to my review of the festival, after parking and setting up the van area, we headed to the bandshell area, no Rain! The next band to come on was "Jake & the Fundamentals" from North Bay, Ont. The guitar player for this band, Jake Thomas, really knock me out! He impressed me so much that I'll keep a look out for more on this band and his live shows too! The guitar playing has a hard edge and raw attack to the bone of the music! No frills, just the blues! The organ player is very good and a great voice for the blues. His CD, "the Fundamentals - ... 12 bars from now ...", has half originals and half covers, great stuff. The song "I Just Wanna Make Love to You" is different and has a different shade to the song, I love it!

Hopes the band puts a web site up soon!

The next act up is a classy lady drummer, named, Maureen Brown from Kitchener, Ont., and to my surprise, she has Jake Thomas up there on guitar! Another fine show it's going to be. What a treat for blues lovers! She did all cover songs which the band handled with ease! She had a red outfit along with pig tails, very cute! When she started to sing her voice just bolted out into the crowd, with Jake's guitar and the crowd never wanted it to end!

It's another short break and back to more great music and the next band is out of Ottawa. I heard the letters, J.W., yell out from the stage area it's time to run to the bandshell. It's the J.W. Jones Band ,which delivers the Texas Swing/Blues style. I was reminded of bands such as "Smoking Joe Kubek", "Anson Funderburgh" and "Little Charlie & the Nightcats". J.W. is a great new up and comming guitar player. who shows his passion in the expressions of his face! He's young but the age of his blues playing is like he's older, but young at heart! The band carries on the great styles of Texas blues and more to greater heights and there is more to come from a bunch of young fellows having thr time of thier livies. The harp player, "Southside Steve"shows that he learned from the best of the past and todays harmonica players in the blues scene today. In this young harp blower's style, one can hear Junior Wells, James Cotton, Sonny Terry, and the likes of Kim Wilson. Maybe he's the son of " King Buscuit Boy", aka/ Richard Nevell. Well, in his blood for sure!

When they talk about "Toxic Twins", well, these are the ones in Canadian blues music today! Last year they were last and just blew me away with the power of their playing and the control of the audience from the stage, they were great then and are getting better with age. I sure hope to be buying and seeing these guys for years to come!

I have to mention the drummer named, Bill Brennan, a blues veteran who's palyed with Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. He gives these young blues players more confidence to do what they do.

I forgot about Todd Harper who had the Hurtin' Blues Band up doing what they do best. Last year they backed up Micheal Picket from Toronto. On both occasions they were in good company.

Above is SAB and Amos!

Now up next, Amos Garrett a respected name in the Canadian Blues scene. He is a sucessful solo artist. But also worked with many great players, such as Paul Butterfield.

The style of his playing is like T-Bone Walker's leads and his rythm playing is styled like a slide player but without the slide. He can give the young players something to learn. His band was made up of Sab and his bass player, and also had Maureen Brown on drums! He plays most of the songs from the cd, "Off the Floor!". It's great to finally see a legend spread the blues news! Sab stands behind the legend and follows the leader's path with respect and enjoyment of playing with one of his idols, like the last years of the festivals.

As the band is taking thier gear off the stage, the host with the mostest gets up there, SAB! He starts telling the crowd, there goes a legend and more to come! He picks up the guitar and leads into a blues tune, letting the crowd know that it's not over by a long shot! He plays two songs and yells, it's time for "Big Daddy G"! And will be back after his set with special guests to jam into the wee wee hours of the night. SAB walks off the stage and shakes the hand of Big Daddy G going on to the stage.

I was very excited to get to hear Big Daddy G live for the first time and it's not the cds or video! The band sets up and the lights are turn down low and then SAB is at the center of the stage and yells! "Big Daddy G"! The band cuts into a instrumental and shows the crowd it's the blues and nothing but the blues! they will take no prisoners! Come along for the ride and let the music flow thru your veins. Big G has three cds out and they are all great, from the cover songs on most of the first one, "4 Blues", and more original writting for the second one, "Topless". The last one is a live one and he does most of the songs from the cd in his set, which just starts with a flame and gets the size of a bomb fire, it's true Canadian Blues at it's best! He's a melting pot of the blues, with the help of his band mates, Tortius Blue, sings and plays harp like there's no tomorrow!

It's another break and more of great blues to come the ending jam with SAB and friends. Now the band is setting up thier equitment and I can see that Jake Thomas is there and Amos Garrett and in the back ground too. I can sure guess the music that's going to be comming from this set. SAB tears into a rocking blues number and lets the crowd know it's not really over till it's over! Jake tears into a lead that sends sparks into the air and then SAB takes the riens and let's her fly! He's a very good entertainer and all in the band join in the fun! He's a true musician and gives respect to all and to the music of the night, the BLUES! Then it gets better after a few songs, SAB calls up J.W. Jones and Southside Steve for more great playing to run into the night! The three guitar players just take thier turns running off leads with J.W. at the controls for this all out jam.

Even thow I'm not a big fan of the Rolling Stones, SAB does a good version of "You can't always get what you want"? In all this playing I was waiting for Big Daddy G to get up and do a few songs too, but they turned in for the night. Maybe next time if they come again, which I sure hope they do!!

When I think about the blues and being a true fan of the music. I call myself a "lifer", a jailbird to the blues cell block #9. LOL!

Northern Joe Blue

Kirkland Lake, Ontario

Canada

................................................................................

Hope you get more great artist and from the old and new up comming blues artists!
 
Try these !
 
got links on the web page too! click on the pictures!
 
Tony D Band      :    
Steve Hill       :   
Morgan David     :   
the Sidemen      :   
Paul Fenton      :   
Billy Joe Green  :   

 
Some names to thro at you all...................................................
 

Now on to part 2 of the Porquis Blues Festival ...

Now on to Hank Melong's own web page of Porquis Blues Festival in his WORDS!... PLUS! many more pictures to check out too there ...

ps/ Hope you all enjoy the pictures and more to come.

Don't work yet for below! trying to get them as thumd pic's to then get the original size pic!

Will keep U all posted!

the picture of Proquis Blues Festival page!

Now visit the main page at Porquis Blues Web Site for the old and new artist of the festival.