May 4 @ 7:00 pm
$75.00
Wine, Brews & Blues Festival by the Sea
Daybreak Rotary welcomes you to our 14th Wine, Brews & Blues Fest by the Sea, this year at the waterfront Maritime Heritage Centre. We trust you’ll enjoy the evening of wine & beer tasting and appies along with great entertainment on stage featuring Juno winner Dr. Lindsay Mitchell (founder of the band Prism), along with fellow Juno Award winning vocalist Sue Medley, plus Doc “Fingers” Gallagher and “Singin” Rockin’ Saxman Johnny Ferriera and more, followed by the WBB After Party at the Anchor Inn!
This fundraising event will support the major projects done annually by Daybreak Rotary, such as Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island’s Campbell River Qwalayu House supporting families throughout northern Vancouver Island. Daybreak Rotary does many projects in the community and around the world through this and other fundraisers.
The event welcomes a community of food and drink. The evening includes canapes by local chefs and island purveyors, paired with a variety of tasting choices offered by both BC and International wines & island microbrews. Add to that Lindsay Mitchell, Sue Medley and Doc Fingers, plus Rockin’ Johnny Ferrerira and more special guests to entertain and fill the place with soulful blues. This year’s appetizers include BBQ Salmon, Sushi, Sliders, charcuterie, pizza and Rocky Mountain Chocolates.
And join us for the After Party at the Anchor Inn from 9 pm until midnight!
Dr. Lindsay Mitchell, Juno Winner & Co-founder of Prism
Born in North London, England he emigrated with his family to Canada and settled in Vancouver where he developed his guitar skills emulating instrumental surf music bands such as the Shadows, the Ventures, and British Invasion artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds.
In 1974 he joined Bruce Fairbairn’s rhythm and blues band to help transform their sound from jazz fusion into blues rock. 1980 saw Prism win Juno Awards for Group of the Year while Fairbairn took Producer of the Year where Mitchell conceived the title song “Armageddon” in 1978 and earning multi-platinum status. Mitchell and Prism performed on the first anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death.
More recently, Mitchell was a regular performer on the Vancouver Blues scene, notably with British blues legend Long John Baldry and with St. Louis-born actor/musician Jim Byrnes.
Sue Medley, Juno Award winning Vocalist/Guitarist
A native of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, Sue Medley was signed to PolyGram Records Canada in 1989 and released a self-titled debut CD in 1990. The album was co-produced by Medley and John Mellencamp producer Michael Wanchic and featured strong performances by John Hiatt’s band The Goners. In Canada Medley’s first single, “Dangerous Times” not only pushed her debut album to gold status within a few weeks of release, but was #1 on MuchMusic for two weeks, #1 on the Pop Adult charts for 12 weeks, in the Top 3 of the national album rock chart for six weeks, and earned her a SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Award for most airplay.
On the heels of the singles “Dangerous Times”, “Maybe the Next Time”, “That’s Life”, and “Love Thing”, she toured North America the rest of the year opening for Bob Dylan and other high-profile artists. Her second album, Inside Out, was once again co-produced by Medley and Wanchic and was aided by the musical help of slide guitarist Sonny Landreth and drummer Kenny Aronoff. The album, released in 1992, continued her radio success with a handful of additional singles and national tours with such artists as Tom Cochrane, Kim Mitchell and 54.40, keeping her in the spotlight. The first single “When the Stars Fall” became a hit on album radio and reached #2 on The Record’s chart (being locked out of #1 only by U2). In October 1992 she was invited by John Mellencamp to participate in the Bob Dylan Tribute at Madison Square Gardens in New York City and performed a duet with Mellencamp on the classic Dylan track “Like a Rolling Stone”. Later that month she received a SOCAN award for her song “Maybe the Next Time”, which was one of the most played songs on Canadian radio in 1991.
Tom Keenlyside, Sax & Flautist
Keenlyside began playing professionally at bars and clubs. He continued this work while attending the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. For six years he was a member of Sunshyne, a progressive rock band, and played in R&B bands. He heard jazz musicians when the performed at clubs in Vancouver. In the 1970s as a freelance musician, he worked with Natalie Cole, Dizzy Gillespie, and Mel Torme. He played for conductor Don Costa and in the house band for a Tom Jones television series. He was also played table tennis often with his friends. When jazz trumpeter Chet Baker was in town, they played a doubles match with Baker.[1]
He became a member of the band Skywalk after it was started by Graeme Coleman and Rene Worst in 1979. The band wanted to blend pop music with more complex harmonies, modeling themselves on the jazz fusion band Weather Report. After appearing at the Detroit-Montreux Jazz Festival, they recorded the album Silent Witness and toured the U.S. After Coleman left the band, Miles Black and Don Powrie became members and the band moved in a jazzier direction.[1]
In the 1980s, Keenlyside also toured Canada with the Tom Keenlyside Quintet.[2] He arranged tracks, collaborated, and recorded with Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, INXS, David Lee Roth, and Van Halen.
Doc “Fingers”Gallagher
It was in the early ‘70’s while Doc “Fingers” was working with the Ronnie Hawkins band, when the handle “Fingers” was acquired. When it comes time for that therapeutic, good time, boogie woogie blues, jazz and rock and roll, there’s no one that can tickle the keys quite like the Doctor.
“Doc” has played with musical greats such as Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Rita Coolidge, Kris Kristofferson, Frank Zappa, David Clayton-Thomas (Blood Sweat and Tears), Bo Diddley, Jim Byrnes and many others.
Rockin’ Saxman” Johnny Ferreira
Born in Portugal and growing up in Vancouver some of Ferreira’s primary influences were early rock and roll saxophonists King Curtis, Edgar Winter, Sam Taylor and later Bruce Springsteen and Supertramp. Later, he collaborated with guitarist and singer-songwriter Colin James, both playing in clubs and joining the Colin James Band. The band toured with Steve Winwood, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Plat, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt and Keith Richards. In 1990 the band released their second album going from gold to platinum. And, in the late 1990’s Ferreira form his own band “Johnny Ferreira and The Swing Machine” touring most of Europe.
Luke Blu Guthrie
(Luke will be performing for the WBB After Party, 9-Midnight at the Anchor Inn – bring your wrist bands!)
Luke Blu Guthrie is an Independent Rhythm and Blues artist who electrifies acoustic instruments with an Alternative Roots style. This style is built around a large sound that relies heavily on slide guitar, finger picking, strong vocals and a unique foot percussion setup.
Armed with acoustic & electric guitars and plenty of rhythmic slaps and yowls, Guthrie has lived and worked in the Western Canadian music scene for over twenty years.
Tickets: $75 Admission (+applicable taxes & fees)