Blues Over Yonder

In 1971 when I worked as an inside worker for the Post Office on the late shift, there was no cover charge after 11:00 P.M. at the Colonial Tavern on Yonge Street. Here, with some fellow workers, I was able to catch Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, James Cotton with Matt Murphy, Chuck Mangione, T-Bone Walker, (whom I jammed with on a Sunday matinee) Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Otis Rush, and many more. I sat down with these icons in between sets and listened in awe to stories about their lives.

As I developed a repertoire on guitar and harp, learning 12-bar blues, I began writing and recording songs, and more than fifty years later in 2022, I had the good fortune of meeting Eddie White formerly of Fathead, who turned me on to Terry Martell, Teddy Leonard, and Al Lerman, who co-founded Fathead. (Al gave me harp lessons back in the late seventies) I brought in Joe Agnello on bass whom I worked with in 2010, and Martin Aucoin on keys, whom I first recorded with in recorded with in 1983. On September 20th and 21st, 2022, live off the floor at Loud Mouse studio, the recording commenced. In 2023, guitar overdubs as well as fiddle and mandolin were done by Bruce Nasmith who did yeoman’s work for me on my Spirit Guide album in 2013 and What Goes around album in 2022. I also had the good fortune of bringing in Roly Platt for overdubs on harp whom I was introduced to through a mutual friend.