Downey
East Blues
The Carson Downey Band will be back in Toronto on March 2nd, 2001 at The Silver Dollar, along with several other
Ontario dates.
The Carson Downey Band have been making quite a buzz and are receiving national recognition for their hard-hitting blues, including two "Maple Blues Award" nominations for "Best New Artist" and "Drummer of the Year." East Coast music journalist Gary Boole sent us this profile
For the past several years, Halifax blues rock power-trio The Carson Downey Band, has been Atlantic Canada's best kept secret. However in the last few months, the band has seen its career take off in a big way. Formed in late 1995, Carson, along with brother Murray Downey on drums and bassist Marlowe Smith, have begun to make quite a name for themselves throughout the country. Not only have they received rave reviews for their debut album, aptly titled All the Way, but have also been filling up their trophy case as well. Earlier this year Carson won the "Fender Guitarist of the Year Award" at the East Coast Music Awards in Sydney, Nova Scotia, as well this summer winning the "Dutch Mason Award," for his exceptional contributions to the preservation of Maritime blues music. And if that's not enough, the band also won a pair of "African Nova Scotian Music Awards" and two nominations for next year's East Coast Music Awards, including "Blues Artist/Group of the Year" and "New Artist/Group."
It was because of The East Coast Music Awards in Halifax in 1998, that their recording contract with Loggerhead Records came about. Loggerhead President Andrew McCain, was walking the halls of the World Trade and Convention Centre during his annual visit to the awards. As he walked past an open door he heard something that made him stop and take notice. On stage was a man playing guitar with his teeth, backed by a band of very talented and energetic musicians. Late for a meeting McCain reluctantly rushed off not knowing the name of this amazing band. After three weeks of searching the Halifax music scene the group was located and a record deal was signed, much to the delight and surprise of the band members. Produced by label mate Wayne Nicholson, their album is a combination of southern soul, Texas blues and pure rock n' roll energy. The influences of the band varies to include such guitar icons as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, BB King, Eric Clapton and Colin James. The album is loaded with the kind of electrified blues that guitarists like Vaughan and James specialize in. "I really like all those heavy guitarists like Jeff Beck and Hendrix," says a soft spoken Carson. "But I try to get away from all those guys as I want to get a sound for Carson Downey."
While Carson did not come from a particular musical family, music has always played a big part in his daily life growing up in North Preston, a small town outside Halifax. "My mother was always singing in the church," says Carson. Here, when you were called upon to sing in the church, they would ask you if your family would mind and that includes everybody."
Carson has been playing guitar now for over 27 years and was initially attracted to the instrument quite by chance. After first taking an interest in the ukelele as a child, he switched to guitar after realizing the four-stringed instrument was too small for his hands. "One night my brother-in-law said, why don't you come and hear a band with me," recalls Carson. "It was a band here in the community called The Hand of Time. They had this real good guitar player, Martin Smith, who is my bass player's uncle. When I went to see him that night, I said to myself, oh my god that's the instrument I want to play. Right from there, when I seen the guitar and I see him play I was hooked," adds Carson.
For Carson's brother and drummer Murray Downey, it was not playing hard edge blues where he first got his start. "The variety of bands I have been involved with have been pretty much soul and funk," says Murray. "Gradually after the years went past, some of the bands me and Carson played in wasn't happening for the music we wanted to play. Carson said that he wanted to make a change and just play some R' n'B and Blues, so we tried that and from that day on we just continued to play it."
For bass player Marlowe Smith, the popularity of their music came as a bit of a shock for him. "I was really surprised how much demand there is for the type of music that we are playing," Marlowe says. "The audience likes the way that we are playing the music. It's rockin' blues, it's not like no real laid back blues. Our music is really uptempoed."
While being successful in the Maritimes may have been great for the group, they knew that in order to reach a larger market they needed to head west. The band recently scored big with Toronto audiences, putting on several energetic shows for very receptive crowds in the city. "We had a great time there and every night we played was packed," said an exuberant Carson. The band also reached a national audience performing on "Open-Mike with Mike Bullard" and "Canada AM" and also got positive reviews from The Toronto Star and Ottawa Sun.
The Carson Downey Band will return to Toronto for shows on March 2nd, 2001 at The Silver Dollar, along with several other Ontario dates, before heading out west. A possible tour of Europe may be in the cards for later in the spring. The band is also planning on going back into the studio in the fall to record their follow up album. So it would appear that if integrity, commitment and talent equate to lasting success in the music industry, The Carson Downey Band will be around for many years to come.
- Gary Boole