An Okotoks teen strummed his way into the finals of a blues competition with little experience, but it was enough to impress the Calgary Blues Music Association.
Fourteen-year-old Joe Kleinsasser, who is going by the stage name Big Roy, has only been singing for one year and playing the guitar for four, but when mom Susan sent a recording of her son’s rendition of John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom to the Youth Blues Challenge he was selected as one of 10 finalists from across Alberta.
“He’s just a natural on the guitar,” said Susan. “He can listen to a piece of music once or twice and he can play it by ear.”
The challenge puts the young finalists on stage at the Martha Cohen Theatre in Calgary on Jan. 27 where they will vie for the opportunity to perform at the association’s Calgary Midwinter Bluesfest’s Life, Death and the Blues dance party on Feb. 27.
The festival takes place Feb. 22 to 28 in downtown Calgary and only one winner is selected.
Each finalist received two free tickets to attend the Calgary International Blues Festival in July.
One to never let a large crowd make him nervous, Kleinsasser isn’t phased by the anticipated audience of 300 next week.
“I thought this would be a good start in the music businesses,” he said. “I want to be experienced and play more with different people and bigger audiences. I don’t want to play in a tiny theatre, I want to play in a bigger theatre.”
Kleinsasser joined the Little Rock Show Choir Club in 2014 where he developed his vocal chops. His naturally deep voice landed him a solo in the club’s upcoming March performance.
Despite his vocal skills and talent playing the Thunder Telecaster electric guitar, Kleinsasser is focusing on trying his best, gaining experience and having fun at the finals, rather than taking the top prize.
“I’m doing it by myself,” he said. “There’s nine other people and one will have a whole band. It’s all for meeting new people to jam with.”
Kleinsasser hopes to impress with such songs as The Blues Brother’s Sweet Home Chicago and Muddy Waters’ Hoochie Coochie Man.
With Kleinsasser’s experience in the show choir and having performed at last year’s Buskerfest, Susan saw the Youth Blues Challenge as a natural next step for her son when she saw the competition on her Facebook feed last year.
“He has a love for blues, country and old rock music,” she said. “This will be a good experience for him to say, ‘Do I want to put myself out there?’ He won’t know until he experiences the situation where he is the centre of attention on a large crowd.”
It was a couple of days before Christmas that the family received an email that Kleinsasser was selected as a finalist.
But the family isn’t holding their breath on a win this year due to Kleinsasser’s lack of experience.
“He’s the youngest and everybody else seems to have a lot more experience,” said Susan.
“He’s going solo – just him and his guitar. He’s got a one in 10 shot for opening for the Bluesfest. I’ve already said to him the other people are lot more seasoned. His chances of getting it are pretty slim, but it’s about the experience and having fun with it.”
Susan sees the potential for more performances in her son’s future and said she’s willing to support him as far as he wants to go in pursuing a music career.
“If it’s something he wants to pursue I will support him 100 per cent,” she said.
