Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

The Legendary Downchild Blues Band is a Canadian blues institution that has been entertaining audiences for over 50 years. Roaring through bracing, high-octane performances since 1969, the band founded and continuously steered by harmonica and guitar ace Donnie “Mr. Downchild” Walsh is as vibrant today as when Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi went sniffing around for inspiration for their brilliant Blues Brothers venture back in the 1970s. The pair elevated Downchild’s “Shotgun Blues” and Walsh’s “(I Got Everything I Need) Almost” to smash status on their 1978 Briefcase Full of Blues record.

The band, known for its energetic live performances that blend blues, jazz, and rock influences has released over 20 albums, received numerous awards, and played with some of the biggest names in music. Its high-energy shows are a must-see for blues fans and music lovers alike, and their musicianship is second to none.

About Natalie MacMaster

Cape Breton native, Natalie MacMaster has had a 40-year career in the music industry that has taken her from Japan to New Zealand, Slovenia to Antarctica. She has garnered Juno Awards, CCMA’s, ECMA’s, among countless others and a Grammy win for collaboration on YoYo Ma’s Songs of Joy and Peace CD. With various TV specials, sharing stages with Alison Krauss, Michael McDonald, Faith Hill & Tim McGraw, and Carlos Santana among others, she was one of the youngest to receive Canada's highest civilian distinction, the Order of Canada. This was all done through her fiddle! Natalie continues to record and perform with her husband, fiddler Donnell Leahy and their 7 fiddling children.

About Jeff Rogers

Canadian roots singer/songwriter and keyboard player Jeff Rogers’ unmistakably soulful voice often evokes weighty comparisons to the past - whether that’s Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles or even Otis Redding…. yet, his tone, range, phrasing, and sincerity, all make him unmistakably contemporary – and totally original. Born in Bathurst, NB and raised in Ottawa, as one of the cities best kept secrets, Jeff’s Rogers honed his skills and mastered his craft over the past twenty years performing constantly in the clubs and festivals in and around the area, including Ottawa Bluesfest, where he opened for Norah Jones.