Jim Byrnes 4 Pager.Indd

Discography My Walking Stick House of Refuge 2009 — Black Hen Music 2006 — Black Hen Music Nominee: Winner: • 2 Canadian Folk Music • 2006 Juno Award (Blues Awards (Contemporary Album of the Year) Album & Contemporary • 2 Maple Blues Awards Singer of the Year) (Recording and Male Vocalist of the Year); 4 nominations Fresh Horses • 2 Canadian Folk Music Awards 2004 — Black Hen Music (Best Singer, Contemporary Nominee: and Producer of the Year, • Juno Award (Blues Steve Dawson); 4 nominations Album of the Year) • 2 Western Canadian Burning / I Turned My Music Awards • 3 Maple Blues Awards Nights Into Days 1998 — Stony Plain Records • I Turned My Nights Into Days That River originally released in 1987 on 1995 — Stony Plain Records Stony Plain Records Winner: • Burning originally released in • Juno Award (Blues 1981 on Polydor Records Album of the Year) Jim Byrnes ...just a pilgrim on the side of the road... Management “ a legitimate blues music hero in Canada” Kathy Campbell - Pooka Print About.com Contact Tel: 604.732.6071 Email: [email protected] “there aren’t many singers like Jim Byrnes Booking - Canada around anymore” Paquin Entertainment No Depression Tel: 204.988.1133 Email: [email protected] “If you are not familiar with the music of Byrnes I think it is time you did something Publicity Ken Beattie - Killbeat Music about it — like yesterday” Tel: 604.683.2124 An Honest Tune.com Email: [email protected] “This is the real deal as far as Label roots music goes“ Black Hen Music Tel: 604.224.5717 Phoenix Blues Society Email: [email protected] “a great singer in a classic, gritty blue-eyed soul vein” BlogCritics.com www.jamestbyrnes.com www.jamestbyrnes.com Award winning House Of Refuge. They continue exploring Biography gospel, blues, rockabilly, country, and once again pull it all Media Reaction together in an original and unique way. “You know, since I fi rst got in cahoots with Steve I knew “Blues music with a kick, performed by a man who’s I’d found a great ally in genre bending and eliminating My Walking Stick shoes are scuffed and worn.House St. Louis-born of Refuge Jim Byrnes the pigeon holes often foisted on musical creativity”, says cross pollinates an exciting selection of genres on this, Byrnes. “I’ve been at this professionally for more than 40 (2009) his umpteenth album. If &a man Fresh ever had Horses a tale to tell years and I really feel that I’m only now discovering my then it is Byrnes, a man who has for forty years both true voice.” made music and for a great deal of that period worked as a fi lm / TV actor of no little repute. Working up a head Byrnes explains further. “John Hammond tells how in of steam from the outset he reminds me of bluesman talking to Muddy Waters he asked about why he wanted “Jim Byrnes is a legitimate blues music hero in Canada, John Hammond. Much credit must go out to producer to become a professional entertainer and, sure, there but he remains, sadly, unknown and underrated in the Steve Dawson (weissenborn guitar, percussion, baritone/ were the references to infl uences; Robert Johnson, Son United States. Hopefully ‘My Walking Stick’ will earn electric slide / pedal steel/acoustic/ national guitar, banjo Jim Byrnes was born in St. Louis, Missouri – that’s blues Byrnes the stateside respect that he deserves. There’s a House, The Mississippi Sheiks, Big Bill Broonzy, but etc) ... plus the vocal assists of the fabulous Sojourners country. He grew up on the city’s north side. One of the thriving blues music scene north of the Canadian border, his muse turned out to be GENE AUTRY! And so on as Byrnes comes up with an album as strong as it is neighbourhood bars had Ike and Tina Turner as the house this recording we’ve gone all over the map with some and Byrnes is one of the best bluesmen they have to diverse. If you are not familiar with the music of Byrnes band. As a teenager going to music clubs, he and his originals, some obscure covers of all sorts, a Robbie offer.” — About.com I think it is time you did something about it — like buddy were often the only white people in the place. “We Robertson composition, retelling the stories of John Henry yesterday.” — never had any problems. We were too naïve, and had too and Stagger Lee in different settings, all sorts of fun stuff “There aren’t many albums like My Walking Stick Americana UK much respect for the music and culture – they knew it, being recorded today. Then again, there aren’t many with some of the best damn players in the world.” “All of Jim Byrnes’s long-simmering interests blend they could tell.” singers like Jim Byrnes around anymore either. Yet, perfectly in My Walking Stick, an album that fi nds deep Jim Byrnes plays 150 dates a year in North America and with ‘My Walking Stick’ Byrnes has crafted a collection By age thirteen, Jim was singing and playing blues guitar. blues, rough gospel, playful swing, and dreamy-eyed Europe. He will continue to bring his music to stages of songs that can stand up anywhere. It is an instantly His fi rst professional gig was in 1964. Over the years, he country getting along like distant relatives swapping tales all over the world and this time he will be bringing his likeable album full of musical integrity and dynamic has had the great good fortune to appear with a virtual ‘Walking Stick’. Who could ask for more than that? at a well-oiled family reunion. The Vancouver veteran’s who’s who of blues. From Muddy Waters and John Lee performances. After more than four decades in the music business, it sounds as if Byrnes is just hitting his association with young guitar god Steve Dawson bears Hooker to Taj Mahal and Robert Cray, Jim has been on especially fi ne fruit here... The whole disc invites joyful stride.” — No Depression the blues highway for 45 years. participation; it’s one jamboree that doesn’t leave CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Byrnes moved to Vancouver, BC in the mid-70s after “Jim Byrnes is a triple threat, not just a singer-guitarist anybody out.” — The Georgia Straight years of drifting, working odd jobs and playing music. In • 2006 Juno Award winner (Blues Album of the but an actor and writer as well. Byrnes’ voice throughout “On a well-chosen collection of traditionals, originals and 1981 he put together a band that became a staple of the Year—House of Refuge) the release is a throaty growl even when he’s crooning local music scene. In 1986 the Jim Byrnes Band played • 2006 Canadian Folk Music Awards 2-time to Ophelia and singing of sundry other matters. Before covers (including the old-jazzed Irving Berlin title track), 300 nights. winner for House of Refuge (Best Singer— the journey’s over, you get a panoramic slide show you hear Byrnes and his lived-in baritone pushed up on Contemporary; crosscut of our wheatfi eld and breadbasket culture and the shoulders of a best-imaginable band, outstandingly Jim Byrnes’ fame as an actor has grown immeasurably • Producer of the Year—Steve Dawson; 4-time the possibilities inherent in its arts.” — Acoustic Music. marshalled. Background singers the Sojourners doo-wop from his too-numerous-to-mention TV roles, with nominee com it up sometimes, while going old-school churchy other highlights including television’s Wiseguy and Highlander • 2006 Maple Blues Awards 2-time winner for places - the gospel-melodic Lookin’ for a Love (a hit both series, and his own national variety show, The Jim Byrnes House of Refuge (Best Male Vocalist; Recording “This veteran actor (Wiseguy, Highlander), television for Sam Cooke and Bobby Womack) is given a pre- Show. of the Year); 4-time nominee host, singer and musician has won two Juno Awards Motown vibe. Robbie Robertson’s Ophelia, hugging and Jim has proven that a serious car accident in 1972 has • 2006 Leo Award nominee for music video Just a for best blues album, and this collection of covers and downhearted, uses Jesse Zubot on fi ddle and Dawson done anything but hinder him. Despite two swipes with Pilgrim originals could put him in the running for a third. Steve on mellotron. This is the third strong Byrnes-Dawson death and some pretty hard knocks, Byrnes has still • 2006 Champion for Kids Award—St. Louis Dawson produced and contributes his customary fi ne collaboration in fi ve years, and it’s the fi nest yet. — The managed to rack up an enviable string of credits, both on Variety Club work on all things with strings.” — Chart Attack Vancouver Province and off-screen. • 2005 Maple Blues Awards 3-time nominee for Fresh Horses “Most of the material found on My Walking Stick comes “Like fellow countryman Colin Linden and the Band Jim’s fi rst love, however, is the blues. His evocative, • 2005 CBC Great Canadian Blues Award winner in the form of songs previously performed by others, (whose “Ophelia” he covers here), Byrnes assimilates smoky vocals are found in a truth that doesn’t come • 2004 Juno Award nominee (Blues Album of the starting with ‘Walk on Boy’, enhanced by the soul a variety of Americana infl uences, fi lters them through overnight. In 1981 he released ‘Burnin’’, followed in 1987 Year—Fresh Horses) wrenching gospel vocals of The Sojourners, and an his grizzled, often spiritually based viewpoint, and intriguing take ‘Ophelia’, with a slow, churning tempo with ‘I’ve Turned My Nights into Days’ and 1995’s Juno- • 2004 Western Canadian Music Awards 2-time delivers a wonderfully diverse disc, surely the equal of, Award winning ‘That River’.

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