Powder Blues Band
| Powder Blues Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Vancouver, BC, Canada |
| Genres | Blues/Jazz |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Website | http://www.powderblues.net |
| Members |
Tom Lavin Bill Hicks Bill Runge Miles Black Paul Baron Vincent Mai Rod Murray Pat Caird Mike Kalanj |
| Past members |
Jack Lavin Mark Hasselbach Duris Maxwell Wayne Kozak Gordon Bertram David Woodward |
The Powder Blues Band is a Canadian blues/pop/jazz band formed in 1978 in Vancouver. Its first album Uncut went double platinum in Canada.[1] The second album Thirsty Ears was similarly popular.
Their best known songs include: "Boppin' with the Blues", "Doin' It Right", "Thirsty Ears", "Hear That Guitar Ring", and "What've I Been Drinkin".
History
The Powder Blues Band was founded in 1978 as a house band in the Gastown district of Vancouver, British Columbia.[2] The band was founded by brothers Tom Lavin (guitar, vocals), Jack Lavin (bass, vocals), and Willie MacCalder (keyboards, vocals).[3] After playing in local clubs for 18 months,[2] the band released their self-financed and self-produced debut album, Uncut,[4] in 1980, followed by a tour of Canada and the US.[2] The band won the Juno Award for "Most Promising Group of the Year" in 1981.[3] Uncut went double platinum in Canada in 1982, selling over 200,000 copies.[5] Their second album, Thirsty Ears, was released in 1981[3] and was certified platinum in Canada.[5] In 1986, the band won the American W.C. Handy Award for "Foreign Band of the Year".[6] The band's greatest hits album First Decade was released in 1990 and was certified gold.[5]
The initial lineup of the band consisted of:[3]
- Tom Lavin – guitar, vocal
- Jack Lavin – bass
- Mark Hasselbach – trumpet
- Duris Maxwell – drums
- Wayne Kozak – saxophone
- Gordon Bertram – saxophone
- David Woodward – saxophone
- Bill Hicks- Drums
Current lineup
The band's most recent release is blues + jazz = BLAZZ! (2004). The lineup on that album consisted of:
- Tom Lavin – guitar, vocals
- Bill Runge – bass, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
- Bill Hicks – drums
- Miles Black – piano
- Paul Baron – trumpet
- Vincent Mai – trumpet
- Rod Murray – trombone
- Pat Caird – tenor saxophone
- Mike Kalanj – Hammond organ
Discography
Singles
- "Doin' It Right" - 1980 #40 CAN
- "Boppin' with the Blues" - 1980 #88 CAN
- "What've I Been Drinkin" - 1980
- "Hear That Guitar Ring" - 1981
- "Lovin' Kissin' & Huggin'" - 1981 #47 CAN
- "Thirsty Ears" - 1981 #17 CAN
- "Farmer John" - 1983
- "I'm on the Road Again" - 1985
Albums
- 1979 Uncut (Blue Wave)
- 1980 Uncut [re-issue] (RCA)
- 1981 Thirsty Ears (Liberty/Capitol-EMI)
- 1982 Party Line (Liberty/Capitol-EMI)
- 1983 Powder Blues (Liberty/Capitol-EMI)
- 1983 Red Hot/True Blue (RCA)
- 1984 Live At Montreux (Blue Wave)
- 1990 First Decade/Greatest Hits (WEA)
- 1993 Let's Get Loose (WEA)
- 1997 Live At Montreux [CD re-issue] (Peerless)
- 1997 Lowell Fulson with the Powder Blues Band (Stony Plain)
- 2002 Swingin' the Blues (Blue Wave)
- 2004 Blues + Jazz = BLAZZ! (Blue Wave)
Awards
- 1981 - Juno Award for "Most Promising Group of the Year"
- 1986 - W. C. Handy Award for Blues, Best Foreign Band
References
- ↑ "Powder Blues Band". The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia. 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- 1 2 3 "Historical Highlights." The Powder Blues (official site).
- 1 2 3 4 Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (eds.) (April 2003). All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues (3rd ed.). Backbeat Books (with All Music Guide). p. 446. ISBN 0-87930-736-6.
- ↑ "Biography." The Powder Blues (official site).
- 1 2 3 "Powder Blues." CRIA Database.
- ↑ "7th Annual Blues Awards." The Blues Foundation.
External links
- Tom Lavin & the Legendary Powder Blues Band official site
- Tom Lavin & the Legendary Powder Blues Fan Page
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