HARPDOG BROWN
Harpdog Brown has grown a reputation as a real-deal purveyor of classic electric blues. Think of the old Chess Records and Sun Records of the late 40's and early 50’s. These days he’s been touring more and more as Harpdog Brown & the Uptown Blues Band - a vintage New Orleans Blues sound featuring, piano,clarinet/sax, upright-bass and drums. Still a vintage vibe, just a different vintage! This music will move you! They perform mostly originals yet they often include great songs of the masters from that era. Think Louis Jordan, Satchmo, Sonny Boy Williamson, Wynonie Harris, even Duke Ellington. Audiences are raving about this new show!
He’s been called a Blues Evangelist, and that’s a very fitting moniker. "I speak the blues like it's the truth, and it is”, he was recently quoted. "I do feel like I'm a servant of the people. A missionary if you will. Music can heal people if they pay attention to the messages in these songs.” He delivers those messages using the vintage sound whether it be with his lowdown classic blues band the Travelin’ Blues Show or with his new Uptown Blues Band. Harpdog says "Blues has a healing power. It's a beautiful celebration of our perfectly flawed lives. We help people forget about their issues of the moment and then they might just realize that we all have our issues, and that's OK."
Vancouver-based Harpdog Brown was born in Edmonton in 1962, an adopted child who has felt somewhat detached his whole life - "a lifelong battle of not feeling like I belonged. I feel like I was born for the circus, you know, born to travel. The blues tapped me on the shoulder years ago and said 'this is where you belong, son'. So the blues became my circus and there's no better way to travel than with a band!”
Harpdog Brown is a gifted vocalist and an imaginative harmonica player. Piano man Dave Webb has been working with Harpdog over the years and they share an intuition that only comes with many hours and miles shared on and off stage. Billy Joe Abbott is the newest and youngest addition to the band. He learned his craft first hand from some of the greatest Clarinetists in New Orleans. Rounding out the band is Pat Darcus who has been with Harpdog for years. Washington Drummer Rick Jacobson will be laying down the groove.
Harpdog has won three consecutive Maple Blues Awards for Harmonica Player of the Year (2014/2015/2016), the Fraser Valley Music Award, has three consecutive Western Canadian Music Awards Nominations, a Juno Nomination and is the only Canadian to win the coveted Muddy Award. In 2016, he was nominated for 3 Maple Blues Awards (Harmonica Player, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year) for his latest release Travelin’ With The Blues.
Travelin' With The Blues released in 2016 is still sitting in the top roots and blues charts and follows his Top 20 charting 2014 release What It Is (Roots Music Report International Blues Albums).
Get off the couch and some see some seriously vintage blues that’s lots of fun!
“This band could play anywhere in the world, in any venue, large or small, and blues fans of all stripes would love this show." - Holger Petersen, SiriusXM, CKUA and CBC broadcaster and President of Stony Plain Records
Legalization of recreational marijuana use in Canada came into effect on October 17, 2018. Harpdog Brown celebrates this landmark occasion in Canadian history by releasing the new video for the track “Reefer Lovin’ Woman”, from his forthcoming album (Spring 2019). This album, scheduled for release in April 2019, will be produced by Juno award winner Steve Dawson.
The song is not an invitation or advocating that people ingest pot – it is simply a song about a guy who falls in love with a woman who partakes. It can be considered a social commentary as well, with the final line “that's all right with me”
For many, cannabis offers similar relief beyond the health benefits claimed by advocates of cannabis culture. “I wanted to write a fun song about one man’s acceptance of the fact that the one he fell in love with is an advocate of cannabis culture..”
When asked about his thoughts on legalization he compared it to the prohibition of alcohol back in the day. “I believe it's long overdue. Deeming marijuana usage a criminal activity is insane in my opinion. I believe the information that supports the health benefits of cannabis over pharmaceuticals. I also believe that creating legal distribution channels would benefit our country and communities through the taxes gained. Eliminating the need of a black market is I think a good thing. Much like alcohol in the prohibition days, the people have spoken. Marijuana is already accepted in our culture. It’s time to take it out of the dark.”
Harpdog Brown is a gifted vocalist and an imaginative harmonica player who has earned a solid reputation as a real-deal purveyor of classic electric blues reminiscent of of the old Chess Records and Sun Records of the late 40's and early 50’s. He has won three consecutive Maple Blues Awards for Harmonica Player of the Year (2014/2015/2016), the Fraser Valley Music Award, has three consecutive Western Canadian Music Awards Nominations, a Juno Nomination and is the only Canadian to win the coveted Muddy Award. In 2016, he was nominated for 3 Maple Blues Awards (Harmonica Player, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year) for his latest release Travelin’ With The Blues.
Harpdog has earned a reputation across North America as a blues evangelist and known as a purveyor of classic electric blues. These days he’s touring more and more as Harpdog Brown & the Uptown Blues Band - a vintage New Orleans Blues sound that is the focus of his upcoming album.
Song: Reefer Lovin' Woman
Written by Harpdog Brown
Performed by Harpdog Brown & the Uptown Blues Band
Harpdog Brown, Vocals and Harmonica
Dave Webb, Piano
Skye Lambourne, Trombone
Jack Ray, Guitar
Steve Taylor, Drums
Pat Darcus, Doghouse Bass
Billy Joe Abbott, Clarinet
For more of Harpdog’s YouTube videos go here https://www.youtube.com/user/Harpdog
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Booking:
Ken Simms
ThinkTank Music Network
604.940.4888
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