Formed in 1987 at a time when canned music had depressed the local live music scene and when "downtown had the blues", the Downtown Blues Band has evolved from a casual group of like minded Blues enthusiasts to a professional R n' B Show Band. As Carl Davies of the Saint John Telegraph Journal puts it, they're
"a bunch of regular Frederictonians who can cook with the best of them ... sending crowds home with big smiles on their faces and sore feet from too much dancing. Kind of like the Blues Brothers meet Wilson Pickett, meets Joe Cocker, the highlight is the three piece horn section that adds that little something extra to each song."
They've performed at every Harvest Jazz and Blues festival since the first one in 1991 and played countless bars, clubs, festivals and private events. They've shared the stage with Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd, and helped raise funds to dig wells, buy food for the hungry and instruments for students.
As a "Community Music Development Project" the band has links to dozens of Fredericton and Maritime groups and artists (to see who has played in the band over the years, as well as the various projects our members have been involved in, click here). As a group of seasoned professional performers, the Downtown Blues Band is at home on festival stages, bars and at community events and fundraisers.
Photo By: Steve McGillvary, Fredericton Daily Gleaner |
