The Bix Mix Boys are an interesting type of bluegrass band— because they actually sing about Canada, particularly Alberta land and history.
They will be performing at the Lethbridge Folk Club Wolf’s Den, Oct. 13.
“There’s lots of guys like Wilf Carter and Ian Tyso
n and newer guys like Tim Hus and Matt Masters who sing about Alberta, but not many bluegrass bands,” said Didsbury born banjo player Darcy Whiteside who learned banjo at the feet of respected Albertan musician Jake Peters.
“ I was talking to musician from Virginia and he asked me why we’re singing about the Blue Ridge Mountains instead of the Rocky Mountains. ‘Those (the Blue Ridge Mountains) are hills,’ he said. And that got me thinking, I would rather be singing about Alberta, where I’ve travelled all over rather than places I have never been to or visited,” Whiteside said adding the Bix Mix Boys maintain their roots in traditional bluegrass but put their own Albertan stamp on the music.
They do some research, though most of their songs are inspired by travelling.
“Jim Storey ( guitar/banjo/mandolin and fiddle player) has a lot of interest in antiques, so he knows a lot of stories from that.”
The roots of the Bix Mix Boys come from a band called Maple Creek. Recently they added fiddle player, mandolinist and vocalist Tony Michael who has played with the likes of Ian Tyson, The Bellamy Brothers and KD Lang.
And while they had started recording a CD, they are rewriting to include Michael’s considerable expertise.
“He is fitting in great. And he’s a great guy. We’ll have some sarsaparillas after the show with him,” he said.
“And that’s really important to have a nice group of people like that,” he said.
“ We definitely have traditional roots, but I’ll never be able to play like Earl Scruggs,” he said.
They don’t have any songs about Lethbridge ridge, and have never played here before, though they do have songs about mining in the Crowsnest Pass.
“ It’s just a really nice mix of Canadian bluegrass music,” he said.
The show begins at 8 p.m., Oct. 13 in the Wolf’s Den. Tickets cost $20 for Folk Club Members, $25 for non-members.
