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Backdoor Blues ready to perform at Saturday’s concert

A seven-piece blues band of Princeton musicians will be headlining next week’s Country and Blues Revue.
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Band members include; (from left to right): Dave Mansfield

A seven-piece blues band of Princeton musicians will be headlining next week’s Country and Blues Revue.

Backdoor Blues began with a  few people jamming in the basement of the Four Square Church—and evolved into a tight unit of up to four horns, three singers, keyboard , hot blues guitar, and bass.

The group is centred around the unique blues stylings of Rick Freeman---alumni of many blues bands, with a vocal and guitar style reminiscent of some great traditional and modern bluesmen.

Joining Rick are 3 horn players (Don McIntosh on tenor sax, Larry Saidman on french horn, and Dave Mansfield on trombone) plus guest trumpeter, Corry Oerlemans.

The rhythm section is Henry Ruel’s relaxed drumming, Rick Law’s amazing bass, and Richard Benson’s creative keyboard style.  This band has learned a lot of new material and is looking forward to presenting it; watch for Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic”, and the exciting “Dixieland” horns in St Louis Blues.

Also headlining is Allenby Road, Princeton’s number one country and rock’n’ roll band, featuring the rich baritone of Mel Berg, along with Larry Saidman on harmony and lead vocal plus guitar and keyboard, drummer Dwayne Sininger, and Rick Law on bass.

This will be the third of the Riverside Country and Blues concerts, and they have all attracted large audiences who came away so impressed with the depth of talent offered by our small town.    For this concert three new musicians will be featured.

Trumpeter Corry Oerlemans has orchestrated some well-known instrumentals—plus an original composition, which he will perform with four horns and rhythm section.

Stu James is a traditional  clawhammer style banjo player and singer specializing in old timey and British folk songs—plus a Kettle Valley song..

The discovery of the soulful vocals of Dave Milner, being backed by a huge band, may be the surprise hit of the afternoon.

Returning are a few stalwarts, but all are stretching their talents by offering something new and different. Nora Whelpton will give you a few old-timey and gospel songs, singing and playing banjo, mandolin, and fiddle.  Hugh Money will demonstrate  his button accordion skills that so well complement his ability on harmonica.   Dave MacMou  will tickle the ivories of  Riverside’s Grand Piano.   And a big crowd pleaser from the last Country and Blues Revue, guitarist Pierre Gagnon, will be back!

The show will begin at 2PM sharp, this Saturday (November 26) at Riverside Theatre.  Tickets are $10, available at Shopper’s Drug Mart, Mel’s Barbershop, from any of the musicians, or at the door.