A pair of Canada’s best Delta bluesmen plugged in and turned things up  at the Geomatic Attic, Sunday, Sept. 25.
 Calgary’s Tim Williams and Winnipeg’s Big Dave McLean entertained a good sized Sunday night audience with a show that was part stand up comedy, part celebrity roast and part blues and rocking blues music.

 The duo blended  McLean’s ragged baritone and William’s  tenor twang as they took turns singing lead on an assortment of songs, and taking good hearted shots at each other all the while serving up blues fans a hearty helping of Delta blues and electric blues music. I’m used to seeing the two of them play gritty acoustic blues music, so seeing them play electric backed by a band was a pleasant surprise.
 Tim Williams opened the show by playing a solo acoustic set of songs from his most recent CD “So Low.”

 An old Blind Boy Fuller song “Pistol Snapper” was a highlight. He switched to a resonator guitar for Williams’ rearranged version of Johnny Cash’s “Big River,” which he turned into a Delta blues number and introduced by saying  the Mississippi born Cash was just as influenced by blues music as he was by country music.

 If you closed your eyes, you could have pretty much imagine yourself hanging out in a juke joint on the Mississippi delta. He wound up his brief solo set with a song he played at the Memphis Blues challenge, which he won.
 Big Dave McLean joined him  for a couple more Delta blues songs, for which Williams switched to mandolin to add some hot solos the enhance McLean’s big, raspy baritone voice which was reminiscent of folks like John Prine and Dr. John.
McLean switched to a steel body resonator guitar and slapped it’s neck for extra power and percussion.

 They were then joined by Williams’ rhythm section of suitcase John on bass and drummer Kevin Bell as both Williams and McLean traded acoustic guitars for battered electrics— Williams a gorgeous black Gretsch and McLean a battered Gibson.
Williams told stories from the depths of his vast blues knowledge  and play music from his  immense repertoire while McLean cracked the jokes, happy to stand aside to let Williams talk and solo. McLean got to shine in his own solo spots and played a few songs from his most recent CD “Faded But Not Gone” including the highlight “Oh- Mr. Charlie-Oh.”

McLean added some harp solos to several of the songs Williams lead the band through including an excellent Kansas City jump blues song. Both of them stood back to let their rhythm section solo on a couple of songs.
McLean opened up the second set with a couple of solo delta blues songs which he played on his steel body resonator before Williams and the band rejoined him on the stage.

 Williams talked about touring with Mose Allison then played his rendition of  Allison’s “ If You live“ from Williams’ “ So Low” Cd. McLean added a beautiful harp solo to the song.
 Williams talked about playing with blues piano icon Pinetop Perkins and played “Chicken Shack.”

After that McLean decided it was time to play some Howlin’ Wolf and did so. That lead to Williams playing a tribute to New Orleans Zydeco legend Buckwheat Zydeco, who passed away last week and played “Hey Barbarita,”getting the audience to shout back a few lyrics.
 As they were in a blues classic mood, McLean knocked off a version of “Sweet Home Chicago” for which Williams added a hot mandolin solo.
 Williams wound the second set down by talking about playing with BB King. He played an Albert King song “I’ll Play the Blues For you,” after that reminiscence.

— By richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor