Vancouver Island's David Gogo returns to Joe's Garage in Courtenay Saturday with his 13th studio album, Come On Down.
With a worldwide fan-base and impressive list of accomplishments, his new album is sure to perk up everyone's playlist this summer with its perfect blend of Gogo originals and hand picked reinvented classics. One of Canada's hardest working and most prolific guitar virtuosos, Gogo will hit the road with shows across the country including many festival dates with Courtenay in his sights.
Sometimes the best art comes out of a journey. Before writing and recording his latest album, Gogo took a pilgrimage along the Blues Trail starting in Memphis and traveling through Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama. Highlights included sitting in with local musicians at The Shack Up Inn, Ground Zero, and Red's in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He appeared as a guest on Sonny Payne's renowned King Biscuit Radio Hour, and toured the legendary Fame, Sun, Stax, and Willie Mitchell's Royal Studios. Gogo also traveled to towns mentioned in Robert Johnson songs, poured bourbon on Johnson's grave, and even went down to Rosedale with his rider by his side, as those famous Crossroads lyrics proclaim.
Inspired by his journey through the birthplace of the blues, Gogo wrote six original tunes and combined them with six reinvented yet classic covers to create a new album that not only honours traditional blues but also gets you dancing with some good old gritty rock 'n roll. Come On Down takes you to a place where Robert Johnson meets the Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac meets Ray Charles. It's a wild ride that Gogo navigates with ease, ingenuity and style.
Back by popular demand, Gogo will hit the stage with vigour and gusto. He is a hard-working blues/rock guitarist and has a history of awards to show for it: three Juno nominations, the Saturday Night Blues' Great Canadian Blues Award for a lifetime contribution to the blues in Canada, Western Canadian Music Awards' Musician of the Year, and twice named Maple Blues Guitarist of the Year. Over the last couple of decades he has performed with blues and rock legends B.B. King, Bo Diddley, George Thorogood and ZZ Top, and touring and opening for Johnny Winter.
Opening for Gogo is the A.W. Cardinal/Jasmine Colette that has a sound largely influenced by old jazz swing, blues, delta and ragtime such as Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang, Blind Willie Mctell, Skip James and Django Reinhardt, which can be heard on A.W.'s latest album Stainless Steel Heart. This duo has a sound like a four-piece blues swing band. Cardinal plays rhythm and lead guitar, harmonica and sings.
Colette sings, plays double bass, snare drum with one foot and a bass drum with the other, A metis of Cree heritage, Cardinal was introduced to blues and jazz from musicians in jazz clubs and crowded bar rooms in Montreal and New York City. He has joined with Colette, a multi-faceted performer/ bassist originally from the Alberta badlands. She has toured extensively over the years with various bands, and collaborated, played or recorded with Wyckham Porteous, Paul Pigat, Bill Bourne, Andrew Loog Oldham, Dave Rave, Tanya Tagaq, Gogo, Simon Kendall and Madagascar Slim.
Cardinal and Colette are always picking up different players making the band a duo to a quintet on any given night. Instruments range from piano, organ, mouth harp, fiddle, guitar, bass and percussion. The A.W. Cardinal band plays and writes songs that have the ability to adapt to any surrounding and are enjoyed from young to old. The notes picked from their instruments dare you to move with the air particles they've manipulated. Their songs beckon you to come closer, to tilt your head and listen to the seductive mysteries.
Because of limitations set out in rules for special occasion licences, tickets must be purchased in advance, available at Bop City Records for $20. Tickets are limited. The show is sponsored by the Society for Artistic Development Comox Valley.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Show time is 8 p.m. Call 250-702-6456 for more information.