Puneet Varma (Editor)

Powder Blues Band

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Origin
  
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Years active
  
1978–present

Genres
  
Blues/Jazz


Website
  
http://www.powderblues.net

Members
  
Tom LavinBill HicksBill RungeMiles BlackPaul BaronVincent MaiRod MurrayPat CairdMike Kalanj

Past members
  
Jack LavinWillie MacCalderMark HasselbachDuris MaxwellWayne KozakGordon BertramDavid WoodwardDaryl Bennett

Albums
  
First Decade-Greatest Hits, Swingin 'the Blues, Uncut, Thirsty Ears

Powder blues hear that guitar ring


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. The second album Thirsty Ears was similarly popular.

Contents

Their best known songs include: "Boppin' with the Blues", "Doin' It Right", "Thirsty Ears", "Hear That Guitar Ring", and "What've I Been Drinkin".

Powder blues band boppin with the blues


History

The Powder Blues Band was founded in 1978 as a house band in the Gastown district of Vancouver, British Columbia. The band was founded by brothers Tom Lavin (guitar, vocals), Jack Lavin (bass, vocals), and Willie MacCalder (keyboards, vocals). After playing in local clubs for 18 months, the band released their self-financed and self-produced debut album, Uncut, in 1980, followed by a tour of Canada and the US. The band won the Juno Award for "Most Promising Group of the Year" in 1981. Uncut went double platinum in Canada in 1982, selling over 200,000 copies. Their second album, Thirsty Ears, was released in 1981 and was certified platinum in Canada. In 1986, the band won the American W.C. Handy Award for "Foreign Band of the Year". The band's greatest hits album First Decade was released in 1990 and was certified gold.

The initial lineup of the band consisted of:

  • 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

    • Will MacCalder - keyboards, vocals

    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

    • 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

    • Songs

    Hear That Guitar RingUncut · 1979
    Doin' It RightUncut · 1979
    Thirsty EarsThirsty Ears · 1981

    References

    Powder Blues Band Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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