Teresa Mallam
Prince George Free Press
Jan 31 2007
I don’t think David “Hurricane” Hoerl could have squeezed even one more note out of his legendary harmonica Friday night. He was terrific. The Twisters’ front man and probably Canada’s foremost harmonica player on the blues scene today, might have stolen the show if not for three incredibly talented musicians, including the popular swing band’s newest member, Keith Picot.
Every time Hoerl reached for yet another harmonica in his box, (he had 12 of them, in different keys) the crowd went wild knowing there would be more. The Blues Underground Network concert at the Treasure Cove Casino showroom had the crowd up and dancing all night long. Drummer Matt Pease and guitarist Brandon Isaak were at their best.
The Twisters have been here before and each time they’ve garnered a huge fan base. Sadly, it was on their way to a gig in Prince George two years ago, that their former upright bassist James Taylor was killed in a car crash. Those were big shoes to fill but Picot has his own playing style and is a thrill to watch. He laughs, turns the instrument on its “heel” and wheels it around (not easy with an upright bass.) He often looks upward, as if lost in a religious experience. Clearly, he enjoys what he does. Depending on the music, Picot has a slap style or a soft touch that brings out the best of the blues. I had to leave just before the last song and I could still hear those gut deep sounds resonating across the parking lot as I walked.
The Twisters covered all the bases and points on the map, from Mississippi blues to early Chicago shuffles, Louisiana rhythms and West Coast jump and swing numbers.
For most of the show, the band was joined on stage by multi-award winning blues artist Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne. Never shy about being the centre of attention, the piano player gave a dramatic entrance, weaving around tables of fans in a canary yellow suit, playing a portable keyboard. Wayne played some great boogie-woogie piano tunes and sang a ton of blues songs throwing in a high spirited, bluesy version of When the Saints Go Marching In.
It was a mixed bag of blues.
Wayne’s silky smooth delivery of You Don’t Know Me brought tears to people’s eyes yet an upbeat Kansas City made them clap and cheer. Periodically, he and Hoerl left the stage and joined people on the dance floor.
What a class act. The Twisters and Wayne are friends who have worked together on several recordings and played together in many concerts. It shows. They have an easy and playful rapport which comes through in their music.
A good dance band gets people on their feet. The dance floor (two areas) was packed with people of all ages doing everything from the Jive and Twist to ballroom dancing. But it was the sight of a white-haired octogenarian who graced the dance floor for a few numbers that made me realize this music – with its roots in the deep south – was for some nostalgic, taking them back to another time and place.
“This is my favorite song,” said Wayne, tickling the ivories and easing into the first bars of Blueberry Hill. He played it sweet and long, so that dancers on the floor got the full flavour of the mood maker’s magic.
