It ain’t easy being grey … Colin James has a new album due out on September 21st. No more hair dye as the fifty-three year old Canadian music legend embraces the present, the future and the past. On the new record – Colin pays homage to the men ( and women) who inspired him and helped him to hone his skills as a young guitar … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene – Colin James Has ‘Miles to Go’ In His Music Career
Living with nature opens the mind. Best known as Survivorman in the extremely popular TV docu-series, Les Stroud has always had an affinity for music. His latest release Bittern Lake is an example of how earthy sounds can touch the soul and inspire people to change. Combining poignant lyrics with even more poignant musicianship, Stroud and his mates kidnap listeners into their world. Please listen … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene – ‘Survivorman’ Les Stroud Places Enviromental Consciousness Into His Music
Writing, playing and producing – not easy to do while keeping an album fluid. Guitarist / songwriter and producer Will Evankovich juggles all duties while keeping an eye to the future and with the past. Say what? The Guess Who have a catalog of hits dating back to the sixties and Will’s ( and the band’s) job was too keep the new songs current … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene – Will Evankovich; Keeping The Guess Who Fresh in The Past
It’s not easy being a Hobbit … Lead singer and principal songwriter of the new Guess Who album Derek Sharp, is filled with energy. Perhaps enthusiasm is a better adjective as the band are on the brink of introducing the new album and tunes to the world. Please listen below to my chat with Derek about many things including one tune from the … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene – A Candid Chat with the Singer of The Guess Who; Derek Sharp
Hard to have the Blues when you are nineteen years of age. Sometimes – the classroom is all around and unless you are paying attention; the teacher remains invisible. That is not the case with Spencer MacKenzie as he makes his way up the musical ladder. Already winning the best new artist at The Maple Blues Awards at the age of seventeen – Spencer is … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene – Spencer MacKenzie ; Canada’s Next Guitar Great?
No Blues – no popular music. That is the fact. Men like Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson and Elmore James – the framework for what we now know as ‘auto-tune’. These men would be rolling in their graves if they knew how their hard work has been destroyed by computers. That is the great thing about Blues music and the players that play it. Real. … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene – Trois Rivieres en Blues 2018
Bad to The Bone … Who on this planet does not know that opening riff followed by the words in the song ‘Bad To The Bone’? Chances are – aliens circling overhead in their spacecraft hear it every time George Thorogood and his Destroyers play it live. It has been a long and storied career for Thorogood – starting as a hard working solo act … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene – George Thorogood Isn’t ‘Lonesome’ on His First Solo Record
Garry Petersen knows good music. Aside from the fact Garry started drumming before Rock n Roll was a ‘thing’ – Petersen also was part of one of the biggest selling Rock bands of all time. The Guess Who,at one point, were outselling The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Not bad for a guy (and band) from Winnipeg Manitoba. Fast forward to 2018 and Garry ( … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene – The Guess Who’s Original Drummer Garry Petersen Talks Music and The New Guess Who Album
Every musician is – a little bit Country … Following in the true vain of the roots of popular music, Mary-Lynn Doroschuk ( daughter of Stefan Doroschuk of Men Without Hats fame) is bursting on to the music scene with fresh and creative Country / Rockabilly / Pop songs. Poignant lyrics with crisp riffs and energetic upbeat tempos are balanced nicely with the touching tones … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene – ‘ Wave 21’ Adding a Much Needed Country Element to the Montreal Music Scene
The word legendary. Tossed around like a flea – bit peanut monkey sometimes. In the case of Dr. Lonnie Smith – it is he who is tossing the primate around … Commencing his career in the late fifties alongside George Benson – Smith used his knowledge as a multi-instrumentalist and student of Jazz, Blues, Gospel and R&B to rise to the top of the Jazz world … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene; Jazz Festival Review – Dr. Lonnie Smith; Doin’ Only What He Can Do
There are so many female vocalists on the planet. Great ones, good ones, average ones and yes – bad ones. Beth Hart is in a class all by herself. Think of the soul of Joss Stone. The power and rawness of Janis Joplin. The sweetness and velour of Adele. The danger of Amy Winehouse. Add the above together and Beth Hart is the sum of … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene; Jazz Festival Review – Beth Hart’s Dynamite Show Steals the Jazz Festival
Ranee Lee has endured some tough gigs in her time yet nothing like the one last night at L’Astral. Earlier in the day – Lee’s husband Richard Ring ( Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Ed Thigpen, Ray Brown, Michel LeGrand, Oliver Jones ) passed away following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Ring was not only her husband but her longtime guitar player and mentor. … Continue reading Rick Keene Music Scene; Jazz Festival Review – Ranee Lee Delivers A Performance For The Ages Despite Sadness
Rick Keene Music Scene 