The Maple Blues Revue Presented by Market Hall PAC
Saturday, March 28 • 8:00 PM
Featuring Jay Douglas, Samantha Martin, & Suzie Vinnick
The Maple Blues Revue is a world class blues presentation featuring the Maple Blues Band performing a collection of instrumental compositions from their two studio recordings augmented with electrifying vocal performances by featured guests Jay Douglas, Samantha Martin, and Suzie Vinnick.
A world class group that includes Canada's most resepected blues musicians. Most are multi Maple Blues Award and Juno Award winner/nominees. "Let's Go" their debut release on Cordova Bay Records opened a new chapter in the band's story presenting their music in concert across Canada and around the world.
"The Maple Blues Band lays down a groove that's smooth and makes you want to
move" - Paul Shaffer (Late Night With David Letterman & Saturday Night Live)
Featuring Jay Douglas, Samantha Martin, & Suzie Vinnick
The Maple Blues Revue is a world class blues presentation featuring the Maple Blues Band performing a collection of instrumental compositions from their two studio recordings augmented with electrifying vocal performances by featured guests Jay Douglas, Samantha Martin, and Suzie Vinnick.
A world class group that includes Canada's most resepected blues musicians. Most are multi Maple Blues Award and Juno Award winner/nominees. "Let's Go" their debut release on Cordova Bay Records opened a new chapter in the band's story presenting their music in concert across Canada and around the world.
"The Maple Blues Band lays down a groove that's smooth and makes you want to
move" - Paul Shaffer (Late Night With David Letterman & Saturday Night Live)
Who We Are
Gary Kendall - Band Leader, Bassist, Musical Director
Gary Kendall has been a working musician for 60+ years and one of the best known bassists in Canada's blues community. He is a multiple Maple Blues Award winner, long time member of The Downchild Blues Band and was the musical director of The Maple Blues Awards for 24 years. The Maple Blues Band is his current musicial focus along with their recording relationship with Cordova Bay Records. He produced and released, Let's Go, their debut on that label in 2023 to widesptead critical acclaim, The recording launched the group into a new chapter as a festival and theatre attraction.
Jay Douglas - Featured Guest Vocalist
Jay Douglas is a 3 times Juno Awards nominee, a music producer and band leader of the Jay Douglas All-Star Band. He has performed at various festivals worldwide, including the likes of Rastafest Festival in Toronto and the 4 Seasons Reggae Cruise in Atlanta, Georgia. He has worked with international reggae stars such as Beres Hammond, Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths, Luciano, Ken Boothe, Leroy Sibbles, Fab5 Band, General Tree, Jesse “Dub Matix” King, Ziggy Marley, Lyn Tait and the great Ernest Ranglin. His professional career was ignited as the frontman of “The Cougars”, a popular group in the Caribbean nightclub scene in both Toronto and Montreal that performed regularly throughout the 60’s and 70’s playing a mix Ska, Rock Steady, Reggae, Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Funk. As a solo artist Jay has performed around the world.
Samantha Martin - Featured Guest Vocalist
Martin has released five full-length albums, one as a solo act, one with Samantha Martin and The Haggard, and three with Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar. Following her debut record Back Home in 2008, she released the self-titled Samantha Martin and The Haggard in 2012. In 2015, Martin and the band were nominated for four Maple Blues Awards: Best Female Vocalist, Best Songwriter, Best New Group, and Best New Album/Producer. In 2018, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar signed a record deal with Gypsy Soul Records based out of Toronto. Their record Run to Me was released on April 28, 2018 and was nominated for a Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year.
Suzie Vinnick - Featured Guest Vocalist
A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada, Suzie Vinnick is the proud owner of a gorgeous voice, impressive guitar and bass chops and an engagingly candid performance style. Suzie is a 3X Juno Nominee and has won 12 Maple Blues Awards, 2 Canadian Folk Music Awards and a 2024 ECMA with her project A’Court, Spiegel and Vinnick. She has also twice won the International Songwriting Competition – Blues Category. Her latest album is entitled “Fall Back Home”.
Pat Carey - Tenor Saxophone-Horn Arrangements
Pat Carey best known for his long association with The Downchild Blues Band from 1985 until the farewell tour in 2024 is a multiple Maple Blues Award winner with an extremly active session and live performance career. He has released two solo Jazz recordings.
Al Lerman-Harmonica
Al Lerman is a veteran bluesman with a highly personal style and considered among the top harmonica players in Canada with two Juno Awards and multiple Maple Blues Award nominations. A long time member of The Maple Blues Band he also has a paralle career as a solo acoustic blues artist with five independant recordings.
Teddy Leonard-Guitar
Teddy Leonard is best known for his own original blues sound that garnered a Maple Blues Award for guitarist of the year and two Juno's with Fathead. In 2010 the city of London, Ontario presented Teddy Leonard with "The Jimmy Lewis Award", a life time achievement award recognizing his long career as a dedicated musician.
Jim Casson - Drums
Jim Casson has an association with the Canadian Blues Scene spanning 30 years with two Maple Blues Awards-Drummer of The Year accompanied by Jazz Report and Hammer Blues Awards. He has produced and released three solo recordings from his own Cherry Pit Studio. Included in his resume' are two parelle careers as a music educator and broadcaster with a weekly radio show, Cerebral Cinema on CFBU FM, St. Catharines ON.
Howard Moore - Trumpet
Howard Moore is a classically trained musician who studied at York University, Universtiy of Toronto and The Royal Conservatory of Music. His in depth and versatile career has been as a trumpet player, keyboard player and vocalist. A highly sought after studio musician he has appeared on over 200 albums and travelled the world playing music.
Merion(Mei) Kelly - Trombone
Meirion's professional experiences have included television broadcasts, work as a studio musician, sideman, jazz performer, and arts educator. In addition to this local work, Meirion received a Master of Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, City University of New York. He is also a member in good standing of the Ontario College of Teachers and Seafarers Trade Union, Nautilus International. Associated studio recordings have earned Meirion a Canadian Recording Industry Alliance Gold Record, and he received a tuition scholarship from the Banff School of Fine Arts and a childcare bursary from the University of Toronto.
Alison Young - Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Juno nominated saxophoninist and composer Alison Young gravitated towards jazz at an early age attracted by the exuberance of Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Adderely who continue to influence her to this day. She began playing professionally as a teenager developing an affinity for soul and R&B as well as jazz. Since moving to Toronto in the early 2000's to study at the University of Toronto, Alison has become an active presence on that cities jazz scene.
Martin Alex Aucoin - Piano, Organ, Accordion
Martin's musical education started at Cambrain College, Sudbury and continued at Humber College in Toronto. After graduation he moved towards the Ontario blues and roots music scene performing with Juno Award winners Morgan Davis and Jack de Keyzer before relocating to Nashville in 1990. While in America's music capital he toured with B. J. Thomas, performed on the Grand or Opry for four years and played on countless songwriter demo sessions. Upon his return to Toronto in 2000 Martin released So Far, a self penned solo recording that was nominated for an East Coast Music Award in the jazz category. In 2007 he received numerous Maple Blues Award nominations for his producer/songwriter work on The Johnny Max Band "A Lesson I've Learned" release.
Gary Kendall - Band Leader, Bassist, Musical Director
Gary Kendall has been a working musician for 60+ years and one of the best known bassists in Canada's blues community. He is a multiple Maple Blues Award winner, long time member of The Downchild Blues Band and was the musical director of The Maple Blues Awards for 24 years. The Maple Blues Band is his current musicial focus along with their recording relationship with Cordova Bay Records. He produced and released, Let's Go, their debut on that label in 2023 to widesptead critical acclaim, The recording launched the group into a new chapter as a festival and theatre attraction.
Jay Douglas - Featured Guest Vocalist
Jay Douglas is a 3 times Juno Awards nominee, a music producer and band leader of the Jay Douglas All-Star Band. He has performed at various festivals worldwide, including the likes of Rastafest Festival in Toronto and the 4 Seasons Reggae Cruise in Atlanta, Georgia. He has worked with international reggae stars such as Beres Hammond, Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths, Luciano, Ken Boothe, Leroy Sibbles, Fab5 Band, General Tree, Jesse “Dub Matix” King, Ziggy Marley, Lyn Tait and the great Ernest Ranglin. His professional career was ignited as the frontman of “The Cougars”, a popular group in the Caribbean nightclub scene in both Toronto and Montreal that performed regularly throughout the 60’s and 70’s playing a mix Ska, Rock Steady, Reggae, Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Funk. As a solo artist Jay has performed around the world.
Samantha Martin - Featured Guest Vocalist
Martin has released five full-length albums, one as a solo act, one with Samantha Martin and The Haggard, and three with Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar. Following her debut record Back Home in 2008, she released the self-titled Samantha Martin and The Haggard in 2012. In 2015, Martin and the band were nominated for four Maple Blues Awards: Best Female Vocalist, Best Songwriter, Best New Group, and Best New Album/Producer. In 2018, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar signed a record deal with Gypsy Soul Records based out of Toronto. Their record Run to Me was released on April 28, 2018 and was nominated for a Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year.
Suzie Vinnick - Featured Guest Vocalist
A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada, Suzie Vinnick is the proud owner of a gorgeous voice, impressive guitar and bass chops and an engagingly candid performance style. Suzie is a 3X Juno Nominee and has won 12 Maple Blues Awards, 2 Canadian Folk Music Awards and a 2024 ECMA with her project A’Court, Spiegel and Vinnick. She has also twice won the International Songwriting Competition – Blues Category. Her latest album is entitled “Fall Back Home”.
Pat Carey - Tenor Saxophone-Horn Arrangements
Pat Carey best known for his long association with The Downchild Blues Band from 1985 until the farewell tour in 2024 is a multiple Maple Blues Award winner with an extremly active session and live performance career. He has released two solo Jazz recordings.
Al Lerman-Harmonica
Al Lerman is a veteran bluesman with a highly personal style and considered among the top harmonica players in Canada with two Juno Awards and multiple Maple Blues Award nominations. A long time member of The Maple Blues Band he also has a paralle career as a solo acoustic blues artist with five independant recordings.
Teddy Leonard-Guitar
Teddy Leonard is best known for his own original blues sound that garnered a Maple Blues Award for guitarist of the year and two Juno's with Fathead. In 2010 the city of London, Ontario presented Teddy Leonard with "The Jimmy Lewis Award", a life time achievement award recognizing his long career as a dedicated musician.
Jim Casson - Drums
Jim Casson has an association with the Canadian Blues Scene spanning 30 years with two Maple Blues Awards-Drummer of The Year accompanied by Jazz Report and Hammer Blues Awards. He has produced and released three solo recordings from his own Cherry Pit Studio. Included in his resume' are two parelle careers as a music educator and broadcaster with a weekly radio show, Cerebral Cinema on CFBU FM, St. Catharines ON.
Howard Moore - Trumpet
Howard Moore is a classically trained musician who studied at York University, Universtiy of Toronto and The Royal Conservatory of Music. His in depth and versatile career has been as a trumpet player, keyboard player and vocalist. A highly sought after studio musician he has appeared on over 200 albums and travelled the world playing music.
Merion(Mei) Kelly - Trombone
Meirion's professional experiences have included television broadcasts, work as a studio musician, sideman, jazz performer, and arts educator. In addition to this local work, Meirion received a Master of Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, City University of New York. He is also a member in good standing of the Ontario College of Teachers and Seafarers Trade Union, Nautilus International. Associated studio recordings have earned Meirion a Canadian Recording Industry Alliance Gold Record, and he received a tuition scholarship from the Banff School of Fine Arts and a childcare bursary from the University of Toronto.
Alison Young - Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Juno nominated saxophoninist and composer Alison Young gravitated towards jazz at an early age attracted by the exuberance of Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Adderely who continue to influence her to this day. She began playing professionally as a teenager developing an affinity for soul and R&B as well as jazz. Since moving to Toronto in the early 2000's to study at the University of Toronto, Alison has become an active presence on that cities jazz scene.
Martin Alex Aucoin - Piano, Organ, Accordion
Martin's musical education started at Cambrain College, Sudbury and continued at Humber College in Toronto. After graduation he moved towards the Ontario blues and roots music scene performing with Juno Award winners Morgan Davis and Jack de Keyzer before relocating to Nashville in 1990. While in America's music capital he toured with B. J. Thomas, performed on the Grand or Opry for four years and played on countless songwriter demo sessions. Upon his return to Toronto in 2000 Martin released So Far, a self penned solo recording that was nominated for an East Coast Music Award in the jazz category. In 2007 he received numerous Maple Blues Award nominations for his producer/songwriter work on The Johnny Max Band "A Lesson I've Learned" release.
