Paul Blissett

Guitar
A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Paul Blissett became interested in a wide variety of music at an early age. It was a period when the guitar was already taking centre stage and contributing to the style, shape and evolution of popular music and its artists.
Immersed in the swing and popular standards of his parents and later, rock and roll and the British invasion, Paul started playing guitar, underage, in some of those infamous Ontario and Quebec bars of the day at the age of fifteen. It seems he was usually the youngest in a long series of rock, country, blues and popular bands; until he started forming his own bands and crafting his own musical journeys.
From gigs in the nations clubs and ballrooms to Rideau Hall, the beat goes on.

Although working with vocalists in those bands, there were always a few instrumentals in the set list. Paul developed an interest in instrumental music and the versatility of the guitar; it was an instrument that could generate the intensity and power of rock, interpret the beautiful melodies of popular songs and reflect the essence of the blues.

Wedged between the music, there were a couple of parallel careers and varied interests in journalism, politics, photography and nature.

Paul Blissett released a guitar instrumental album titled Fire and Soul on July 1, 2007. As the title suggests, the music on the album crosses a variety of genres and styles; flamboyant as fire and the innocence of soul.

Tim Roberts
Fire and Soul

Saxophones, Flute
From London, Ontario, Canada, Tim Roberts was a natural fit for the variety of music presented in this album.

Immersed in rock & roll and rhythm & blues of the 1960’s and 70’s and with a passion for jazz, Tim has developed a sax sound and style that is both classic and unique. Tim played with my former band, Legend, for a few years and his music career has included shows with Roy Orbison, Ronnie Hawkins, Sherisse Lawrence and a musical directorship with two former members of The Platters. He toured North America as music director of the show band Explosion and his Heritage College Big Band won gold in the ‘Canadian Stage Band Competition’. Tim was asked by Duke Ellington’s family to perform some of Ellington’s religious works and was principal reed player for The Savoy Ellingtons.

Tim formally teaches music and currently performs as a clarinetist with a military band, saxophones with The Brian Downey Big Band and tours with award winning British blues guitarist Otis Grand.

Drums, Percussion
Swing’s the thing and let there be drums. Groove master on the album, Brian Downey started playing drums professionally in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, and has covered a lot of musical ground over the years.

He provided the groove, drive and dynamics for a wide range of artists and leads his own big band.

After a number of years playing the Detroit, Chicago and Louisiana jazz and blues scenes and as drummer for the Disney World Concert Band, he moved to Gatineau, Quebec, and formed The Brian Downey Big Band along with quartet and quintet bands. Brian has played with many jazz and blues artists including Chet Baker, Herb Ellis, John Lee Hooker, Eddy Cleanhead Vinson and Teddy Wilson of the Benny Goodman Quartet.

For more information about The Brian Downey Big Band please reference web-site www.BrianDowney.ca

Piano, Keyboards
Randy Demmon is a versatile and creative pianist with a talent for painting a song and blending with the music.

Randy is based in Ottawa, Ontario and performs regularly as a pianist and double bassist. As a composer and arranger, his music has been performed by groups ranging from small ensembles and choirs to large bands and symphony orchestras.

Originally from British Columbia, Randy began his career as an oboe/English horn player and continues to teach music theory and improvisation on a wide range of instruments.

Piano
Peter Brown is a jazz/blues enthusiast and a dynamic pianist. His expertise includes performing, writing, teaching and recording. Peter has been playing and teaching jazz and blues piano in the Ottawa, Ontario, region for sixteen years. He is a permanent member of the Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo and also works with his own jazz group. He has performed and recorded with many local and international artists and has toured with Dutch Mason, Texas guitar great Sherman Robertson and former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor. In 2002, Peter released, Marie-Claude, an album that crosses a variety of genres.

For more information about Peter Brown, please visit www.PeterBrown.ca

Bass
Cory Shvetz is a great addition to the rhythm section as he polishes that groove carved by the drums.

From Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Cory grew up in Victoria, British Columbia and moved to Toronto in 1981 to attend the music program at Humber College. Following graduation, he played in several bands including nine years with Juno winning guitarist Jack DeKeyzer. Cory currently resides in Ottawa, Ontario and has been playing with blues band The Mud Boys, The Brian Downey Big Band and The Sway Orchestra.

Guitar
Originally from Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, Mike Belanger has been playing guitar professionally for over thirty years. A talented guitarist in rock, blues and country, Mike has developed a guitar style and technique that complements any music format. His interest in guitar and an appreciation for a wide spectrum of music is similar to mine and on a number of the album tracks Mike and I exchange contrasting styled guitar solos.

Mike’s bands have opened for Marty Stewart, David Lee Murphy and Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Over the years he has played with Van Horn, 60 Cycles, Hickory Wind, Bruce Golden, Maria Hawkins, Midnight Highway and Sweet ’n Low Down

Vocals
Referred to as the ‘funky disciples of Gospel’, Voices of Praise describe their music as ranging from “funky rhythm and blues with a new urban attitude, to soulful acappella with a world beat feel.” The group’s vocal arrangements provide an interesting dimension to the songs on the album.

Voices of Praise is featured on the 2005-2006 Howe Gelb Project and has performed on stage with Paul Anka, The Chieftans, Celine Dion, The Barenaked Ladies and Gordon Lightfoot among others. Under the musical directorship of Steve Johnson and Faith Mason and public relations of Joy Clarke, the group also consists of Michael Shaw, Judy Lewis, Jerusha Lewis, Neema Mugala, Christine Mathenge, Patrick Joseph and Suzan Lavertu.

For additional information about VOP, log on to www.vop.freehomepage.com

Vocals
Julie Robichaud contributed support vocals on a couple of the album tracks. Among her many interests and talents, Julie also teaches a variety of dance styles including jazz and ballroom dancing.

She is also a multi-award winning professional photographer and with Guy Martin, owns and operates Studio G.R. Martin. Julie photographed the front and back panels of the album as well as the artist photo on the website.

For more information about Studio G.R. Martin, please reference www.martin-photography.ca

Steel Guitar
Al Bragg is the consummate steel guitar player and his talent and sound is featured on a couple of the album tracks. He has recorded and performed with a series of artists and bands and is active as both a musician and producer. Al has performed on many recording projects and has produced thirty studio albums for a variety of artists.

From Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, Al is a member of the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame, has been nominated by the Canadian Country Music Association five times as best steel player and won the CCMA Best Backup Band’ (with Baker Street) in 1981.

Al started his career with The Family Brown and has toured with Carol Baker, Terry Carisse, South Mountain (where they won Best Foreign Band from Holland), National Defense tours as band leader and played on Lee Towers’ album which went platinum in Holland.

Double Bass
A talented and much in demand double bassist, Ken Kanwisher has been a freelance bass/double bass player for over twenty years. From Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, he has worked with a wide variety of artists, bands and orchestras both as a bassist and producer. Ken has played and toured with Ian Tamblyn, Sneezy Waters, Charlie Major, The Refrayne Chamber Jazz Group and The National Arts Centre Orchestra. Ken has also performed on various radio and television shows and contributed to several theatrical productions

Trumpet
Don Paterson and his trumpet style and sound surfaces on a couple of the album tracks.

As an active jazz and blues musician, Don has worked as a freelance musician for various radio and television shows as well as an orchestra member for many musicals at the National Arts Centre. He has participated in the National Defense show tours to entertain Canadian troops and spent many years in various jazz bands ranging from Dixieland and big band jazz to small jazz combos.

From Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Don is a member of the Ragtime Brass for the ‘music in the schools’ program sponsored by the National Arts Centre and currently performs with the Sugar Sticks and the Magnolia Rhythm Kings.

Audio Engineer
Michel Legault’s expertise as audio engineer and general advice was appreciated during the course of this undertaking.

I am sure I could write a book about the project and it is unfortunate we didn’t record the ‘Scotch Sessions’; those post-recording session, scotch-enhanced conceptual design discussions that I initiated as out-takes.

From Ottawa, Ontario, Michel attended Musitechnic in Montreal and graduated in Arts and Music from the University of Ottawa. He started working for Sound of One Hand in 2000 now called Liverpool Court Studios.

The studio also provides consulting, audio, sound and recording services for a wide variety of clients.

Liverpool Court Studio's has recorded many artists and the studio’s reputation is well known and deserved.

As an engineer and producer, Michel has worked on many recording projects ranging from classical to hip-hop.

To learn more about the studio, please reference www.liverpoolcourt.com.

Drums/Percussion
A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Tom Dennison has been a professional bassist and drummer/percussionist for thirty two years. For a number of years he was a member of the Central Band of the Canadian Forces and The Stradacona Band of Canada’s Navy. Highly regarded on both instruments, Tom has recorded and performed on CBC and CTV television and radio and is the house bassist for the National Arts Centre’s “Manhattan on the Rideau” jazz master class series.

Tom occasionally performs with the N.A.C. Orchestra and has done extensive theatre work as a pit orchestra musician. Through the years he has also participated in the Halifax, Ottawa, Montreal and Fredricton jazz festivals and has performed with a wide range of headlining vocalists.

Tom released his own Christmas CD IN 2002 titled “Comfort and Joy” holiday jazz in the capital.

Steve Groves’s career spans several decades as a jazz and blues guitarist. At the age of seventeen he hit the road as a professional musician which was shortly followed with music studies at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, majoring in composition and arranging. He later returned to Canada and recorded numerous CBC radio and television shows as both a band leader and sideman. He had the privilege to record with Dave Hildinger and Ottawa’s great sax legend Hugh O’Connor.

In the late seventies Steve moved to New York and over the next fifteen years he had the opportunity to perform with such diverse musicians as blues greats The Holmes Brothers, jazz artists Charlie Rouse and Percy France, classical clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, B3 masters Lonnie Smith and Brother Jack McDuff and Pioneer drummer Sunny Murray.

Influenced by jazz guitarists Howard Roberts and Wes Montgomery and an attraction to the Brazilian nylon string Bossa Nova sound, Steve’s style evolved into a unique fingerstyle montage of harmony and melody. Steve continues to play extensively and teaches at the Ottawa Guitar School and the annual Guitar Summit master class.

For additional information about Steve Groves, please reference www.stevegroves.ca

Drums/Percussion
Jeff Asselin is the consummate drummer and a welcome addition to any band or stage. He is accomplished in a wide variety of musical genres and styles; from the discipline of jazz, the traditional structure of the blues to the intensity of rock.

Jeff earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Carleton University and has studied with world renowned New York drummer, Ian Froman. He is also a music educator with his own teaching practice and is an associate professor at Carleton University. Jeff is also a proud endorser for Sonor drums and Vic Firth drumsticks.

During his career, he has had the pleasure to share the stage with a series of Grammy, Juno and Maple Blues award winners including Chase Sandborn, David Braid, Bob Mintzer,Trevor Finlay and the Texas Horns. In a variety of bands, he has also opened for The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Brian Wilson, Colin James, Kid Rock, KC and The Sunshine Boys, The Kentucky Headhunters and Simple Plan among many others.