REZ
BLUES
Chicago Bound: The Pappy Johns Band with Murray Porter (pictured) will be performing at this year's Chicago Blues Festival.
Award-winning seasoned blues musicians The Pappy Johns Band (Faron Johns, Oren Doxtator, Don Powless, Joe Mahfoud) featuring Murray Porter are long-time friends, and 2 of the members are cousins. They've created a loyal following over their two decades of playing together, and in different bands. The guys are also loyal to each other, still staying in touch with each other, and remaining the best of friends, even as they played in other bands. "Some how, some way, we always comes back together" said cousins Faron Johns and Murray Porter.
They've been playing blues in the Aboriginal community for over 25 years, and are now ready to share their blues with the rest of the world. As a result of their performance at the Blues Summit Showcase on January 26th, they were invited by Barry Dolins, Artistic Director of the Chicago Blues Festival, to perform at this years Festival on May 30th at the Crossroads Stage.
Members of The Pappy Johns Band,
Oren Doxtator (drums), Don Powless (bass) and Murray Porter (vocals/keyboards)
met in 1978, and played together in the Bar Road Band. They initially
called themselves the Borrowed Band because they had to borrow all their
gear for each gig. A typo in
an ad in the community newspaper listed them as the Bar Road Band, and the name
stuck.
The Bar Road Band also included Mark Jamieson and the late Sid Hill, who was was honoured posthumously for a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in 2002. The guys played locally in the Six Nations area and southern Ontario area.
Faron Johns was playing with another local Six Nations band called Totem, at the same time Bar Road was hitting their stride. Unrest soon set in both bands musically and both bands broke up.
In the mid-80's yet another Six Nations band had emerged wailing their blues, The Breeze Band with Big Joe Sharrow on lead vocals. Managed by Jeff Reid, they landed a national tour with Canada's best known Native band at the time, The C-Weed Band. Don Powless joined the band, and shortly after Oren Doxtator and Murray Porter were on tour with The Breeze Band. Mainly a cover band, they stayed with the band for 3 years. The Breeze Band is still playing locally in the Six Nations area.
Once again, unrest set in, and Don, Oren and Murray left the band, and in 1988 formed The Roadhouse Band, re-joining again with Faron, Sid Hill, and Majo. Reunited, the guys realized that playing together was a natural for them, but they continued to do cover tunes.
Murray Porter left the group to pursue his own solo career, and began writing and recording his own songs. He got signed to First Nations Music, which had a distribution deal with EMI, and recorded 1492, Who Found Who? in 1994. He toured nationally and internationally and performed at WOMAD in Australia. Murray also performed at the first Real Rez Blues showcase hosted by TBS in April 1993.
The Roadhouse Band stayed together for a ten years, even after members left to pursue other musical interests. Oren and Don moved on to form the Painted Pony band with Jonny James, Al "Gator" Kroll, and Jolene Williams. After one recording together, the band broke up.
The Pappy Johns Band formed in 2000, and performed at the duMaurier downtown Jazz Festival at the Silver Dollar. They also got asked to be the house band on the very first Aboriginal TV variety program called Buffalo Tracks, by Gary Farmer of Laughing Dog Plays. The show aired on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and was a success on the network, where they performed for 2 seasons.
Their CD title track Blame It On Monday was written by Faron Johns, and won the group 4 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in 2002. In November 2002, 2 new members joined The Pappy Johns Band, Murray Porter and Joe Mahfoud.
When asked what is the glue that keeps bringing them back together, Murray Porter responds, "The music itself. When we all get together, there's a feel that comes out. No matter what I've done on other CD's. I never got that feel that I get when we're really cooking". Faron Johns adds "I think it's more spiritual. This is what we're supposed to do. We haven't finished what we're supposed to do yet'.
The Pappy Johns Band featuring Murray Porter are now in the midst of production of their first recording together, an upcoming Spring release titled Trouble In The Wigwam'. The guys are excited and are amazed with their sound that's being produced by award-winning producer Alec Fraser of Liquid Studios. Alec only has good things to say about these guys. He says "these guys are the most fun, they have a great attitude, and comes right out of the music. I'm glad they picked me to produce their recording".
Only one band member is not a grandfather. They love their families, their children and grandchildren. For the first time they are now doing weekend afternoon performances in Aboriginal communities for Youth and Elders, and signing autographs. It's something they want to continue to do as their summer schedule fills up.
Being invited to be a part of this years 20th Anniversary of the Chicago Blues Festival is an excitement I can share in. I was asked to do a workshop at the Chicago Blues Festival by Barry Dolins on "Whose Blues Is It Anyway?". I'll share the theory on the possibility of a Native influence on the formation of the blues, which is Part 2 of my radio documentary series The Aboriginal Music Experience.
You can wish The Pappy Johns Band featuring Murray Porter good luck in their trip to Chicago at the next Rez Bluez showcase, now in its 10th fabulous year, on Saturday, May 24th at Toronto's Silver Dollar.
- Elaine Bomberry