Montreal based bluesman Michael Jerome Browne is excited to spread the word about traditional blues.
He will be returning to Lethbridge to play the Moose Hall, April 12 for the Lethbridge Folk Club.
“ It has been three or four years since I’ve played in Lethbridge,” he observed from his home in Montreal.
“I’ve played for the Lethbridge folk club three or four times,” he said.
“ But I get to Alberta at least once a year,” he said adding he was just playing for the Calgary Folk Club in September and will return again on this tour, which also includes several other Alberta and B.C. dates.
He has a busy schedule of taking care of his two daughters aged 8 and 11 plus tours Europe with American born, Europe based musician Eric Bibb.
“ I’ve played with him for about 10 years. He hires me to play guitar when he tours Europe,” he said.
He has been doing a lot of writing with his partner Bee Markus, though the songs won’t be released soon.
He released his last CD “The Dark Road,” back in 2011 and is starting work on his next.
“ The next CD will be blues classics by people like Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson and Blind William McTell, all of the old blues guys from the 1920s and ’30s that I grew up listening to. But I always put my own stamp on them. I never play them note perfect,” he said.
He said the new CD won’t be out until the Fall.
He is going to show all sides of the blues for the Lethbridge Folk Club.
“I’ll be playing some of those songs and new songs and songs from all of my albums and a little bit of Cajun music. I’m going to really mix it up with different sounds, styles and textures,” he said.
He performs solo, though he has worked with a band in the past.
“ It’s kind of ironic I play mostly solo, but a few years ago I was working with the band and at that time I won solo artist of the year from the Canadian Folk Music Music Association and again in 2012 while I was trying to make a band work. So it’s nice to have a strong solo show,” he continued.
The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Moose Hall. With B.A. Markus opening the show. Tickets cost $20 for members, $25 for non members.
