Blues on Sunday

It's hard to believe that these kids, for the most part, have never met. It's even harder to believe that they've never rehearsed together.

But on a rainy Sunday afternoon, 12 kids, aged 12 to 18, came together with Billboard Top 10 Blues Artist, IBC Winner and JUNO Nominee, Canadian singer/guitarist JW Jones and his band (bass, Jacob Clarke; drums, Will Laurin) for some outstanding music.

This is the third year that DD15 has participated in #613FUTUREBLUES (yes, she was only 13 the first time she played with JW). It's amazing to see her confidence grow, especially under the pressure of performing a new song in front of a live audience.

Last Tuesday evening, DD15 received two YouTube links to songs that she needed to listen to and practice for Sunday's show: "Boom Boom," by John Lee Hooker and "Snatch It Back and Hold It," by Junior Wells. In 2017, DD15 played the Junior Wells song at her first #613FUTUREBLUES event, so she was somewhat relieved: she liked the song and because she was familiar with it, practice wasn't going to be as stressful.

JW Jones and his band

DD15 takes her turn at the drums

You see, this weekend, her school band had a competition and she was busy rehearsing for it. She only had time on Saturday evening and Sunday morning to prepare for JW.

There were a couple of other familiar faces at the show. Another drummer who is younger than my daughter and a guitar player who oozes with talent.

This year, the event was held at Lone Star Texas Grill, across from the St. Laurent Shopping Centre (where the old IP Loony's used to be). The venue has a large opening for plenty of tables and a dance floor, but I have to say that the stage is a tad disappointing because a supporting beam stands front and centre. It was hard to see all players on the stage at one glance.

JW let me set my 360-degree camera on the stage, but because of the beam, it was impossible to find an angle where I could capture everyone clearly. My focus was to record DD15, so every time JW went up to his microphone, I didn't have a clear view of him.

Sorry, JW.

But with the benefit of the 360-degree camera, I could just run it and then walk around with my D-SLR to capture the show from other angles.

I recorded the first two songs of the set with just JW and his band, and then DD15's numbers. I have them below.

Thanks again to JW and his band for taking their time to host such talented young musicians and singers, to the Ottawa Blues Society for sponsoring the event, and to the Lone Star for supplying the venue.

I can't wait to see this show again, next year, and to see how the returning kids improve.