Edmonton born/ Gulf Island based bluesman Lester Quitzau is looking forward to playing a laid back blues/folk gig at the Lethbridge Folk Club, Feb. 6.
He will be playing with acoustic bassist Farley Scott and several different guitars.
“I’ll be playing some acoustic, some electric, some dobro and some electric slide,” Quitzau said from a tour stop in Red Deer. He is touring in support of his latest CD “ The Same Light.”
“Response has been good. It’s got lots of good reviews. It’s definitely very mellow and peaceful, but it reflects where I’m at in my life. It grows on you,” he said noting most of the show will consist of material off the new CD.
“Then we’ll be digging into some older material and a few covers and traditional material. It’s folk, blues and rock with a different approach to all of them,” he continued adding there is a lot of improvising and interplay between the musicians on stage.
“We let the music take us where it wants to,” Quitzau continued.
Quitzau was last in Lethbridge last year with Tricontinental (Madagascar Slim and Bill Bourne).
“Playing with Tricontinental is different because we all have such different influences. We all bring a few songs to the plate and we all play on each others’ songs. But in solo shows I have a bit more freedom to be myself while Tricontinental is more of a collaboration,” he said adding he grew up on British blues influenced rock and roll which attracted him to blues music.
“Being in Tricontinental has been a huge catalyst to opening up my influences in regards to the possibilities of world music, but I listen to everything,” he said noting playing with Tricontinental has added a new dimension to his own songwriting.
“Quite a bit actually. Madagascar Slim’s African music and Bill’s material is all really well structured and influential and the vocal harmonies has definitely made me better. When you surround yourself with geniuses, it has its effect.”
He is also helped record Moore’s Western Canadian Music Award nominated CD “Oh My!” with Vancouver based singer/songwriter Mae Moore.
A good sized crowd had their minds blown by Shane Philip’s first visit to Lethbridge, Monday night (Jan. 25) at Henotic’s GCBC Lounge. The Vancouver Island based one band band sat on stage behind three didgeridoos and surrounded by a plenitude of drums, djembes guitars and instruments.
It is an accomplishment in itself for originals Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor to successfully still light up the stage night after night on tour and make it unique and enjoyable to all in the house. But it is magical to watch them do it with their personal touch, camaraderie and sharing of musical minds while still looking like they are having a blast entertaining their fans.
