We have some of the BEST blues music in Canada for your enjoyment this weekend! Blues Blast features four official dances over the course of the weekend, including two evening dances, an afternoon dance, and a Saturday night late night party exclusively for weekend pass holders and Saturday Night blues party ticket holders.
The JW-Jones Blues Band is Canada's top touring blues band! This guitar-driven blues band will heat things up Friday night to kick off our amazing blues weekend. JW-Jones has been called "one of this country's top blues guitar stars" by the Globe and Mail, and the band has played all over the world--across the US, in Europe, Australia and Brazil, as well as of course their native Canada. Blues celebrity Dan Akroyd has said of them, "this is an amazing blues band, and I've played with the best!" We were extremely lucky to have JW last year, and we're excited to have such amazing talent for our second annual Blues Blast!
"One of this country's top blues guitar stars." The Globe and Mail
"JW is one of the young guns in the blues guitar world who consistently delivers the goods on record and on stage - and of course I'm gonna dig anybody who writes a tune called 'Batyology'!" - Little Charlie Baty
"Jones' style is a fluid amalgam of T-Bone Walker's big, bright chords, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson's slashing leads, and Gatemouth Brown's jazzy sting". Blues Revue MagazineMore on JW Jones
Douglas Watson is the real deal. We were completely blown away the first time we heard Douglas Watson play at the Waterloo Blues Junkie Exchange... and yes, we're importing the band all the way from Waterloo! Raised in Chicago, Douglas Watson was born to sing the Blues. At an early age, he learned to love music and performing from his father (otherwise known as Lovie Lee). Douglas has been noted for his "full throated vocal style... (that) is matched by few." His sweet harmonies make it a pleasure for all that sing with Douglas. His full range and style have brought him much acclaim from some of the most respected blues vocalists in the industry. It has recently been written about Douglas that "he is one of the finest Blues vocalists and frontmen on the Canadian Scene." James Brown, Godfather of Soul, even acknowledged to Douglas: "I heard you out there. You're good, real good." Douglas has played with many well-known artists, such as Koko Taylor, Albert Collins, B.B. King, Johnny Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lonnie Brooks, Bonnie Raite, and has toured with A.C. Reed and the Sparkplugs for nine years. His talents have taken him across Europe, Japan, Canada, and the United States... and now right here to Ottawa! More on Douglas Watson
[Douglas's] energetic stage performance will leave you breathless and his gospel harmonies alone will touch your soul. Louise Cottrell, Heliope Magazine
Watson has one of the best blues voices you will hear. Tim Holek, Big City Blues Magazine
When you hear Douglas sing the blues, there's nowhere else you'd rather be. Steve Bellamy, Canadian Blues Artist
Douglas Watson?! All your heads will explode with musical goodness on Saturday. That's a promise. Joe Lin, Blues DJ
As a special treat included in your workshop pass, music pass, or Saturday night admission, we'll be having another Saturday night "rent party"! Originally, rent parties were a tradition long ago of holding a party and charging entrance in order to pay the rent. Rent parties usually had booze, live music, and a lot of people in a little bit of room.
Our "rent party" will be held after the main Saturday night dance, a blues house party open exclusively to weekend pass holders and Saturday night attendees.
While most of the music at Blues Blast will be live, we'll also treat you to some awesome selections of recorded music with some of the best blues DJs!
Jody Glanzer (Ottawa, ON) — A veteran guest at exchanges and national events, Jody has been a renowned blues specialist since before the wave of blues dancing popularity hit. Enamored with the blues for as long as she can remember, she is drawn to the rawness, passion, soul, intensity of emotion. The sheer humanity of it, makes her feel alive! While spinning, Jody likes to play and share with the dancers and aspires to highlight Canadian content as much as possible. Whether she's playing some kickin' R&B, swingin' it old school style, funking out, "shoutin' hallelujah!" to an inspiring Gospel set, or getting downright carnal, sweaty & intense blues session, she tries to create a flow and help shape the mood or tone. Lindyhop, Blues, WCS, Balboa, or whatever she'll spin for it and you know, its going be fun!
Randy Pante (Toronto, ON/Vancouver, BC) — "Fresh" Randy plays good music for good dancing. That's because all he ever does is talk/breathe/live dance 24/7. As an up-and-coming DJ in the national circuit, Randy is known for his fanatical dedication in playing hot jass & blues tracks and belting dirty nanas. Check his dance and dj adventures on his blog.
Randy is great at making you wonder why you have never heard that song before at a dance" Kevin Temple, KLIX Organizer
Emiliano Estevez (Philadelphia, PA) is known for his diverse taste in music and especially for his sets that can make you melt, groove, and push your horizons. Emiliano figured out quickly that he is driven by music with heart and soul and it must have groove. Musical tastes include vintage to pop and everything in between, but blues music has left an impact that he will never forget. His wide range of musical inspirations include: (Blues) B.B. King, Big Joe Turner, Etta James, Frank Frost, Gordon Webster, Jimmy Whitherspoon, Keb' Mo', Robert Nighthawk, and Tiny Grimes, (Jazz) Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Harris, Junior Mance, (House) Daft Punk, St. Germain, Gotan Project and Quantic. He's DJed at Blues events across North America, from NYC to Austin to Montreal.
Ed Reaney (Ottawa, ON) — One of Ottawa's longest running swing dance DJ's, Ed has been a staple DJ at all feature events in the capital. He has spun at a remarkable variety of venues, including; dance studios, ballrooms, bars, house parties, competitions, exchanges, national events, and star-lit dance floors on the beach. Ed is a versatile DJ, whose love and passion for the music are evident in his sets along with a tongue and cheek sense of humor. Spinning from an eclectic mix of vintage & blues, Motown to funk he like to share “feel good music”, where ever it is found while managing to keep the music entertaining and solid.
Claudia Petrilli (Ottawa, ON) - Specializing in vintage blues and swing music as well as gospel, her tasteful selections have drawn her invitations to spin in Toronto, Montreal and Quebec city. She's been invited to DJ for blues events such as Waterloo's MezzJelly Blues and Montreal's Blues Exchange (From Montreal With Love), as well as other events including the Canadian Balboa Championships where her spinning earned her rave reviews, and the 2008 Canadian Swing Championships, where she kept the dancing going past 5am. Claudia's local DJing has been featured at all of Ottawa's major swing and blues nights, including Saturday Night Swing, the OSDS and the Boathouse and local dancers can hear her almost every week at Saturday Night Swing! Read more.
Joe Lin (Waterloo, ON) - Joe's love of music from vintage jazz and traditional blues to R&B and funk has led him to DJ at exchanges and workshops in Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. He is always on the lookout for obscure jazz tunes to inspire dancers, but he is best known for his delicious late-night sets that will have you wondering how the sun snuck up on you.
Natalia Rueda (Ottawa, ON) — A full-time dance teacher, coach and choreographer, Natalia's best known outside of Ottawa for her dancing, but her knowledge and love of music has made her a popular house DJ at Ottawa's Saturday Night Swing, and she's DJed at a wide range of events including Followlogie, Westie Bomb, Balboa Explosion and others. With the ability that passionate dancers have of identifying music that makes you want to move, she plays a range of rhythms and styles, from vintage blues and jazz to more modern stuff. She's also known for her spinning of West Coast Swing, Salsa and party music!
Byron Alley (Ottawa, ON) — Byron grew up with the blues, with his dad playing blues guitar and mom literally putting him to sleep as a baby to records of blues greats ranging from Robert Johnson to Taj Mahal. As House DJ in Montreal at the Petit Medley, Jello Bar and Studio 88-Swing's Swing Fever nights as well as special events, Byron sometimes clocked more than 15 hours behind the turntables in a single week. He's known for his versatility in playing many styles of blues, swing and jazz music, but he has a sweet spot for the entire family of blues music, especially the old stuff. For him, the main criteria is to play music that has soul. He's also DJed at well over a dozen events in Canada and the US. Read more.