Well, the middle of February once again brought us one of the biggest and most anticipated local blues events of the year. This show is attended by most everyone connected to the blues scene and it is probably the one event that even the casual blues fan attends. This was the 13th Reunion and it has been 20 years since Mortz closed the doors on the Firehall, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. I’ve attended all, but the first year, but admittedly, there are a couple of years that are somewhat hazy. Reunion seemed to be the operative word for this year’s music line-up. The usual suspects were in attendance; Tim Woodcock, Cheryl Lescom and Jack DeKeyzer, but also added were other musicians that graced the Firehall stage on a regular basis over the years. It was nice to see that all the acts were Canadian and mostly local (I do consider Toronto somewhat local). The format for the Reunion was nice. There were two rooms utilized, the large “Music Hall” and the smaller “Lounge” and each room had its own “house band” and the headliners alternated between the rooms providing everyone a chance to see all the acts. Chris Murphy’s Blues Revue had the duties in the big room and Tim Woodcock’s band along with Sam Hurrie and Rick Taylor held down the fort in the “Lounge”. Once in the building, you could wander around and check out both stages. This usually took some time, since whenever you turned around you would run into someone you hadn’t seen in a while. The award winning Paul Reddick was a nice surprise. He wasn’t on the bill, but hit the stage and demonstrated why he is one of the best harp players in Ontario. I hadn’t seen Chris Trowell in quite some time and was happy to see he was in great form. Some of the highlights of the evening that really caught my attention were George Olliver’s soul-soaked set. Olliver has been on the Canadian music scene for over four decades. His popularity was at a zenith in the sixties with the band Mandala and his dynamic, high-energy set would put a younger man to shame. At 64, Olliver is in fabulous shape, his vocals are strong and he busted out some moves including spins and splits that would have put most of us in traction. This is blue-eyed soul at its very best. Danny Brooks has always been a favourite of mine and I made a point of taking the stairs to catch both sets. Brooks is a man of small stature with a really big voice and his gospel influenced style is infectious. I’ve seen Danny perform many times, but usually as a solo performer. As good as he is as a solo act, I do prefer him with a band it seems to fill out the gospel sound nicely. As always, I also enjoyed Cheryl Lescoms’ set. The impromptu duet between Cheryl and Robin Banks was great fun. These are two ladies who can really belt it out and together it worked out nicely. This was my first time watching Robin perform even though she has been around for a while. I really hope to see her again soon. In my opinion, the act that stole the evening was Steve Strongman. I’ve seen Steve play several times before and have always enjoyed his music. Watching him play puts a smile on your face because he always seems to have a smile on his face. You know you are watching someone who genuinely enjoys playing. This guy is a quadruple threat; he writes great songs, plays a mean guitar, is a decent harp player, and has great vocals. As good as Strongman is, I don’t think he’s as popular as he should be. I’m guessing it won’t be long before he wins a Maple Blues Award and becomes internationally known – he deserves it. Some of the other fun stuff that took place throughout the evening was awarding Greg Simpson the Emcee Gold Medal. Greg has emceed almost all the big blues events in London and his professionalism and ability to keep things on pace make for seamless band transitions. I’m not sure of the actual gold content of the medal, but you deserve 24 karat Greg. Ted Leonard was the recipient of the Jimmy Lewis Memorial Award this year. The award is generally given to a local musician that has made a lifetime contribution to the blues. Ted has been in Toronto for several years and holds down a job with the Juno Award & multi Maple Blues Award winning band Fathead. We are fortunate to have Ted residing in London now. For my money, he is one of the best guitarists Canada has to offer. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge Mr. Mike Manuel. Mike is the proprietor of the complex that houses “The Music Hall”, “The Lounge”, “Rum Runners” and “Tequila Rose” and besides having one of the finest sound systems in Ontario, Mike always proves to be one of the most cordial host you could ask for. Thanks Mike, for providing a venue that most cities would be envious of. I’m especially impressed by the new rooftop patio/lounge, I can’t wait to hear some open air acoustic shows in the summer. As with most blues shows in London, either put on by Karma Productions or The Great Lakes Blues Society, there is a local charity that benefits. Once again, The Tara “Boom” Houston Children’s Foundation was the organization to benefit. This foundation was set up to assist chronically and terminally ill children and their families, and a very worthy cause. Kudos go to Brian Mortimer (“Mortz”) and Brad Harwood of Karma Productions, for providing us with one of the best Firehall Reunions yet. And, as usual, thanks for the tequila shots Mortz. |
