Delta blues sound comes to Okotoks

By Tamara Neely
Staff Reporter

A blues player with 40 years of seasoning will be playing at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre (RPAC) in Okotoks on Thursday, April 10.
Morgan Davis’ delta blues style has earned the musician many awards over the years, more than can comfortably sit on the mantle of the fireplace. But his expertise at digging deep into the blues hasn’t meant a life of bummer times.
For Davis, singing the blues is about the human spirit being able to get over the troubles weighing us down.
“By singing the music it’s having a cathartic experience and you feel better,” said Davis. “To me, it’s optimistic music, it’s not down and out.
“It’s not maudlin, it’s, ‘Hey, you broke my heart, but I’ll get over it and find someone who likes me.’”
When Davis plays live half the songs will be by blues greats such as Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf and he may even throw in some Hank Williams Sr. or Roger Miller; his respect for those artists has influenced his own songwriting over the years.
His original songs don’t focus on losing the girl. His songs stem from his own experiences – and he got the girl.
“In one word, I write about life; about having a brand new baby daughter; about smoking reefer; about the kinds of food I like,” said Davis. “I don’t write too many love songs anymore, my love is a pretty constant thing.”
Since 1994, Davis’ songs have earned 11 Maple Blues Awards – which are awarded by the Toronto Blues Society – including four in 2004 for his album Painkiller, which also landed Davis a Juno for blues album of the year.
He’s come a long way from picking up a $4 flea market guitar out of boredom as a broken-legged 16-year old in California. With the tutelage of a friend’s sister he learned five chords and found the rest of the way himself.
Canada ending up being home for Davis when, as a 20-year-old, he objected to the Vietnam War.
“They wanted me to kill folks I didn’t know so I didn’t want any part of that,” said Davis. “I’d do the same thing right now if I was living in the U.S.”
However, Canada doesn’t have an open door to U.S. military objecting to the war in Iraq as it did 40 years ago for Americans dodging the draft.
“That’s a damned shame,” said Davis. “When I came up I was received with open arms.
“I don’t see why we don’t swing open the doors to people objecting to fighting an illegal war.”
Although the ethics of the Iraq war is on Davis’ mind, that is one subject he doesn’t incorporate into his music.
“I find it very difficult to write a song about my political beliefs because it tends to sound preachy,” he said.
He is a man who speaks his mind, however, and engaging with the audience and rolling through conversations can be expected.
Blues musicians Darren Johnson and Steve Pineo will be joining Davis at the RPAC, with the show starting at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $15 and it is recommended they be reserved ahead of time since the RPAC is a small venue with limited capacity. Call 938-3204 for tickets or for more information.
The RPAC is located at 3 Elma Street.
Davis will also be performing at Divine on Tuesday, April 15. Divine is located at 42 McRae Street, Okotoks.

By Tamara Neely
Staff Reporter

?Allie Entz, who plays Babe, tries to coax a kiss from co-star Danny Nguyen, who plays the character Bobby, during a rehearsal for the HTA musical Good News on March 13. photo by Lindsay Hanhart

Singing the odd time in the shower must have been enough to help James Cowley to hit the right notes.
The Holy Trinity Academy (HTA ) Grade 11 student’s
a capella audition – which is nervewracking even for seasoned singers – convinced the directors that he was the man for the job.
Cowley landed the lead role in the school’s musical this year. He will be playing football star Tom Marlowe in the sporty and funny musical Good News, which will open April 24 to 27 at HTA.
“It’s an awesome experience. It’s new to me,” said Cowley. “The thought of being the lead sends chills down my back, reminding me of the pressure (to do well) and at the same it’s really, really cool.”
More than 80 students and seven staff of HTA are uniting their creative energies to launch the lively musical, with teachers Wendy Doerksen and Siobhan Leyne co-directing the effort.
“Every single kid who wanted to be in the play got in the play and that is important,” said Doerksen. “They all had to audition – sing, act and dance for us – but they all got in.
“It’s not easy. It’s a lot of kids.”
There are 18 students in the pit orchestra, being directed by band teacher Martin Kennedy, and 57 students in the cast, opening a window into an American college campus in the 1920s.
Good News is a story about Tom, popular for his talent and good-looks, who is going steady with a popular gal named Pat, whose father is the main benefactor to the school.
Not many people get a free ride in life and Tom’s smooth sailing gets blown off course when his poor academics threaten his place on the football team.
The plot thickens as Tom develops a longing for his shy and bookish tutor Connie Lane, played by Cassidy Fraser, who helps Tom buck up his grades.
When Pat, played by Caij Meloche, gets wind of the liaison, Tom’s game plan fumbles.
“He realizes that his girlfriend Pat isn’t the kind of girlfriend that he wants,” said Cowley. “He does like the jock and football scene, but he doesn’t know what he really, really wants.”
Leyne said the relationship also has financial impacts on Tom and the college, adding further to Tom’s quandary.
Tom’s life and character is significantly different from Cowley’s, so he has to tap deep into his acting skills to portray Tom onstage.
“I’m not really a jock; I don’t think I’m a big hotshot; I do have a girlfriend, but I’m happy with her – she’s the sportsy one,” he said with a laugh.
Fraser said that for her, the differences in her and Connie’s personalities help her slip deeper into character, and most of the time she feels confident onstage.
“I think it’s easier to play a character you’re not like because you can forget everything about who you are and it’s easier to act,” said Fraser.
Despite the love triangle and ethical complexity, Good News, written by Laurence Schwab, B.G. DeSylva and Frank Mandel, is actually a comedic, boisterous musical.
“It’s quite a humourous show and the kids do a good job of it,” said Leyne. “There’s lots of humour, lots of colour, lots of energy in terms of dancing and lots of vibrant costumes.”
In addition, a comedic sub-plot in the story unravels between supporthing characters Babe and Bobby. Babe, played by Grade 12 student Allie Entz, is actually a babe on campus. Bobby, played by Grade 10 student Danny Nguyen, is a foot shorter and as the back-up to the substitute quarterback, he doesn’t carry any jock clout in general, or compare to Babe’s current boyfriend in particular. Regardless, Babe falls for Bobby.
“He’s the nerdiest guy there, so he doesn’t think he’d get a relationship at all, and he wonders how did this happen?” said Nguyen.
Carrying some comedic weight for the show doesn’t phase these two.
“I’ve never found comedy hard,” said Entz, who is a member of the Dewdney Players. “It all comes down to comedic timing.”
Nguyen agreed.
“You just have to be more outgoing,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a good show. We’re working really hard to get the most laughs and the most emotion out of it.”
To effectively create the ambience of this period piece, school staff has dedicated time and effort to create the costumes, set design and props.
With the time period in mind, students Kalina Malowany and Leah Peterson are choreographing the dance sequences and the school’s football coach Matt Hassett choreographed the football drill scene, helping to invoke an authentic look.
“What’s neat is that it’s become this school-wide production,” said Doerksen. “I love that. I’m very proud that the support is phenomenal.”
Tickets are already on sale for the four performances of Good News at HTA. Show times are Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m., which is opening night, Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 26 at 2 p.m., and Sunday, April 27 at 7 p.m.
To reserve tickets, which are $8 for students and $12 for adults, call the school, (403) 938-2477, or visit their box office, created just for the show.

Gritty musician to play The Stop

By Tamara Neely
Staff Reporter

The well-travelled Roger Marin will bring his old school country sound to The Stop on Thursday. photo submitted

A young buck from Thorold, Ontario with road experience beyond his days will be bringing his heart and soul to The Stop in Black Diamond on Thursday.
Roger Marin, who has been performing as a musician since he was 13, writes songs about life and love that have the worn-in feeling of years spent on the road.
Marin had attracted attention as the pedal steel guitar player for Fred Eaglesmith’s band prior to launching his solo career. Eaglesmith is one of Canada’s foremost roots, Americana, alt-country musicians.
Marin was brought up around musicians and mechanics, and both have rubbed off on him, lending a grit to his music and a sixth sense to his perception of faulty tour bus sounds.
Suzanne Searle, a music afficionado and promoter, said Marin’s mechanic skills will be missed by Eaglesmith and the band.
“Fred was upset when Roger left the band, even though he supported him venturing off on his own, but Roger always knew how to fix the tour bus,” said Searle. “He’s one of those savant mechanics. He would take a wire out of his guitar case and fix the problem.”
Marin’s solo career was launched with the release of his self-titled album in 2004, and two years later he released the album High Roads. Both albums feature songs co-written with Eaglesmith and the late Willie P. Bennett, a well-loved and respected roots, country, blues musician.
Marin got his start playing live gigs with his father and uncle when he was 13 years old.
“His father was a musician and Roger was playing professionally in bars before he was legally allowed to be in there,” said Doug Freeze, a longtime fan and friend who’ll be hosting Marin at a house-show on Sunday in Calgary. “He used to sneak in through the kitchen, play, leave during the break, and do the same thing for the next set.
“He’s a seasoned, road-hardened performer who is way too young to have the experience he has.”
Marin’s career has been dominated by time spent at the back of the stage, but now with the spotlight shining brightly on him audiences have been treated to his engaging personality and funny stories, as well as his original songs.
“He’s honest, he writes honest songs. You can tell he’s lived the stories he’s singing,” said Freeze. “His heart is rooted in country, but it’s not the shiny, CMT country. It’s like the stuff out of Austin, Texas.”
While Marin is accustomed to playing pedal steel guitar with full bands, at The Stop it’ll just be him and a guitar.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to hear songs stripped right down, without the band, and to see him in such an intimate space,” said Freeze.
Marin’s performance will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. To reserve tickets or for more information call The Stop at (403) 933-3002.
The Stop is located at 123 Government Road.