Bow Valley Music Club
2009-10 Artists Lineup

SEPTEMBER 26, 2009  - TWIN BILL - NORMAN FOOTE (British Columbia) Norman Foote is an award-winning entertainer from Vancouver, who has received international acclaim for his song writing, outrageous props, and off beat sense of humour. His stage show is uniquely Norman and is innovative both musically and visually, with finely crafted routines and songs. Go ahead and laugh; that’s the point.
www.normanfoote.com

JACK SEMPLE (Saskatchewan) - Jack Semple is a virtuoso guitarist/singer, now performing an acoustic show, rather than his more famous electric guitar show - but none of the flair and excitement is lost as he still has all the world class guitar chops for which he is famous - only now it is also possible to recognize that, hey, this guy can also really sing!! (2 - set format) 
www.jacksemple.com

OCTOBER 17, 2009 - LISA BROKOP BAND (Tennessee) - Lisa is an award-winning performer, singer and songwriter, who brings country-flavoured, contemporary songs to us, for the first time. Originally from British Columbia, Lisa is now well established and based in Nashville and her string of acclaimed albums is testament to her widespread and growing recognition. Entertaining, insightful - and as one of her songs references - always straight from the heart. (1 set) 
www.lisabrokop.com

NOVEMBER 07, 2009 - THE PORKBELLY FUTURES (Ontario) - The Porkbelly Futures ...is a musical group. Their music is self-described as "north-country born of the blues." They started out as so many have - as a straightforward bar band, emulating the Chicago sound of the great Paul Butterfield. But as they began to write their own music, country influences began creeping in. Now no longer just blues, or country for that matter. Try “neo-blues”, with more than a dash of good humour. You’ll have a good time. (1 set)
www.porkbellys.com

NOVEMBER 28, 2009- THE REFUGEES (California/Maine) - The trio of women that is The Refugees has emerged on the music scene as a unmatched force of talent, diversity, and experience. Each successful in her own right as a solo artist, Cindy Bullens, Deborah Holland and Wendy Waldman are described as the female version of Crosby, Stills and Nash, with humour, The Refugees have more than three decades of experience in the industry, nineteen solo albums, multiple Grammy Award nominations, and musical styles blending country, rock, folk, and Americana.(1 set)
www.therefugeesmusic.com

JANUARY 16, 2010*** - ALBERTA NIGHT:  This night is our ANNUAL FOOD BANK DRIVE.***
(2 set format)
***Opening Act - HIGH WATER JUG BAND - Some long time friendships fuelled by a common zeal for old time blues, jug band music, vintage acoustic instruments, and the sounds of scratchy old phonograph records has sparked somewhat of a southern Alberta roots-music super-group. Get set for some snappy foot-stompin’ down-home music, Alberta-style. ***

AMY BISHOP (with Kit Johnson) - Calgary-based singer-songwriter Amy Bishop's intuitive musical prowess is becoming local legend. An instinctive ability to craft stories into song and deliver them with the sincerity and passion of a best friend makes Amy an undeniable Canadian talent. An evening with Amy Bishop includes fist pounding "ain't life grand" road songs, smoky-soul train versions of love-gone-wrong ballads and folk-based acoustic numbers. Amy will be supported by the legendary Kit Johnson.
www.amybishop.com

THE POLYJESTERS - These guys play everything from Billie Holiday to The Beatles...from old swing/jazz standards to alternative country. A breadth of musical appreciation that produced their special home-grown blend called CHUNK, a unique sound that is highly energetic, completely contagious and unfailingly entertaining.
www.polyjesters.com
                                                                                                                            
FEBRUARY 6, 2010 - SCOTTY CAMPBELL AND HIS WARDENAIRES (Ontario) – Scotty Campbell and His Wardenaires are the perfect example of the new face of honky-tonk music. Scotty Campbell has been called Canada’s best unsigned country singer/songwriter and he and his band have also won an award for Best Roots Music Act at the recent Hammy’s (Hamilton Music Awards). Their recent CD on Black Sparrow records, Smokin’ and Drinkin’ has been very well received. This is their first performance at our club and we welcome Scotty and the band to our club. The Wardenaires include 4 musicians with guitar, acoustic bass, slide steel guitar and drums. (1 set)  www.myspace.com/wwwmyspacecomscottycampbell

FEBRUARY 27, 2010 – TWIN BILL
CHUCK BRODSKY (N. Carolina) Chuck Brodsky has been likened to a modern day Woody Guthrie (but with better guitar work). Rolling Stone magazine says of him, “Brodsky reflects the good old US of A, warts and all...colourful tales...he reminds us there’s a whole world outside our doors.
www.chuckbrodsky.com

HOUSE OF DOC(Manitoba) – House of Doc infuse musical inspirations such as Gordon Lightfoot, Simon & Garfunkel & Spirit of the West with intricate 4-part harmonies, sophisticated counterpoint and a rocking, down‑home delivery. Their one previous visit to our club was extremely well-received with numerous requests to bring them back - so we are! (2 set format)
www.houseofdoc.wordpress.com

MARCH 20, 2010 - DAVE ALVIN DUO (California) - Dave's music is a “braid” of different American music: blues, country, rock'n'roll, pop, folk and R&B and in each strand, he favours the California accent. Launching his solo career with the 1987 album, Romeo's Escape. Dave's solo albums have ranged from the twangy roots-rock of Blue Blvd. to the storytelling country-folk of King of California to the muscular blues of Ashgrove. He won the Best Traditional Folk Grammy Award for his 2000 album, Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land. First time at the Bow Valley, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome The Dave Alvin Duo.(1 set)
www.davealvin.com

APRIL 10, 2010 - TWIN BILL - “MEMPHIS MEMORIES” - We saw a number of quality acts at our recent attendance of the Folk Alliance Conference/Showcase in Memphis, Tennessee. Two of the stand-outs that we saw and are now very excited to present are:
GRETCHEN PETERS (Tennessee) - It is her passion for great songs and the drive that creates them that fuels all facets of Gretchen Peters’ career; a career that has brought Gretchen to the Grammy’s twice as a songwriter, won her a CMA Song Of The Year award for the groundbreaking "Independence Day", taken her on repeated sold-out tours across the UK and Ireland, and seen the release of seven critically acclaimed albums.
www.gretchenpeters.com

GREG TROOPER (Tennessee) - Greg Trooper has an amazing track record. He just keeps putting out good records; records you find yourself humming along to. One critic writes,” His patented brand of country-tinged shuffles mixed with a sense of melodic folk is as comfortable as cuddling up with a great book.”  Much travelled musically, today Trooper is considered a "songwriter's songwriter" by industry insiders. Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Lucy Kaplansky and numerous other artists in the U.S., Canada and Europe have recorded his songs. (2 set  format)
www.gregtrooper.com

MAY 01, 2010 – COMPADRES (Oscar Lopez and James Keelaghan) (Alberta/Manitoba) - James is a Juno winner and a three-time Juno nominee, Oscar is a two-time Juno winner, a three-time nominee and the recipient of the SOCAN Hagood Hardy Jazz/Instrumental Music Award. They first began performing as Compadres in the early 90’s. Today, their friendship represents an unlikely yet fabulous-sounding fusion of two unique Canadian musical giants. Do not miss this rare club performance. (1 set)
www.theagencygroup.com