Brighter Lights, Thicker Glasses

A teacher, a lawyer, and a luthier walk into a bar...Could be the start of a joke,
but instead, these Vancouver musical veterans started a band.

Michael Dunn's instruments have been played by the late Chet Atkins, Bob Brozman, and Woody Mann. Dunn, the band's senior member, has been immersed in World Music since before that term was coined. His playing covers Blues, Rock, Spanish, Hawaiian, Gypsy Jazz, and West African Juju. His current passion is the Paraguayan Harp.

Brian Samuelswas trained as a classical cellist, but has played many different styles over the years. He is best known for his work with the award winning bluegrass band, Great Northern, and as the electric bassist with the afro-latin jazz band, Dido and the Handpeople. Two of his instrumental compositions are on this CD, Elizabeth's Waltz and Katie on the Jumperoo, the latter song having been used as theme music on CBC Radio's Morning Show. Brian plays a 5-string cello.


John Palmer has won awards for music in education in Canada, and for songwriting internationally (Great American Song Competition). The Cambrian Explosion, was originally written as one of his science lessons. Students encouraged him to put it on the internet, and it became a hit with Youtube's scientific community. John's guitar-work is inspiring, as he's missing 4 fingers.


When Dunn and Palmer of Vancouver`s The Martian Embassy Juju Orchestra, heard Samuels chopping his cello strings with the bow like a percussion instrument, they knew they had found a kindred-spirit. Besides writing original compositions, BLTG enjoy tweaking cover tunes to make them their own. Humour and variety are the hallmarks of their folk-jazz performances, and as proud Canadians, several songs are in French. Palmer says "We are fans of many sonic traditions so try to offer our audience a varied musical buffet."