The Wharf Sessions: The Blind Bay Blues Band
The Blind Bay Blues Band were the winners of the People’s Choice contest for the Wharf Sessions album. After our recording session on Wednesday May 12, 2021 at Song Sparrow Hall, we checked in with the band and asked Jeff Cheek, Terry Diemert, Chris Emery, Richard Sevigny, and Dan West to answer a few questions.
1. How did the band come together?
The BBBB came together almost twenty-five years ago; Chris’s daughter was the original bassist. Since then, we’ve had a number of excellent musicians play in this Blues project and we’re now in our second year with the current lineup.
2. Who writes your music, and what does the process look/feel/sound like?
Collectively, we’ve written and recorded a number of original tunes. Everyone has written music in the past, but not necessarily for this band. Sometimes songs come together surprisingly fast. Accurately covering existing songs can be far more tedious and time consuming.
In the case of the Isolation Blues, Richard had an opening riff and the bare bones of the song, and then everyone wrote lyrics on the spot! We started to jam on the song and added individual suggestions. It always sounds rough at the beginning but at the same time it is always exciting to be creative.
3. How has the pandemic affected your band?
Prior to the pandemic, the BBBB rehearsed once or twice a week and played most weekends. We were lined up to play the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival when the pandemic hit. We strictly followed all of the pandemic health protocols and had to cancel most of our rehearsals and gigs.
During the pandemic, Richard and Terry got involved in JamKazam, which is platform on the internet where you can play live with musicians from other cities. This was a great way to stay musically connected. We are all retired so no one had to look for jobs.
4. What was it like to come together to record at Song Sparrow Hall?
Our recording session at Song Sparrow Hall was a welcoming and enjoyable experience. We’ve been in recording studios in the past both as songwriters and hired guns, so we had a pretty clear idea of what the expectations from us would be. Craig and Marcus were professional and helpful at every stage of the recording, and were patient with our process. The photographers were enthusiastic and made us feel like rock stars. It was a great idea to have the People’s Choice contest and to pick local bands to be on a recording. We were excited to have a project and to write and collaborate together. The whole experience was awesome!
5. What would a dream summer performance schedule look like for your band?
We would love to play for all our Shuswap venues and fans again this summer. We’re retired and lead busy lives, and would ideally book a gig per month. In addition, we’d love to perform at some of the various music festivals around BC. The BBBB has a long history of volunteering at our Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festivals. When our festival does return, we’d especially love to play on the Barn Stage, where Chris has served as Stage Manager for many years.
6. Tell us the story behind the song Isolation Blues that’s on the album.
We think it's fair to say that everyone has suffered through this pandemic. Nobody likes the restrictions brought on by the situation, yet most individuals chose to be civic minded and do what was necessary. We’re all feeling some level of isolation blues, so we wanted to have a little bit of fun with it, and that's the kind of thing we were trying to capture lyrically with lines like "staying home like you know we all should", "wishing I was in a bubble with you", and the bridge's "feels like solitary confinement". Most of all there's the call and answer of "Can't go out, Can't come in" which to us is the hook of the song.
Isolation Blues came together rather quickly. We set up a groove, came up with a melody, started throwing together some lyrics, added a bridge, fit in a stop, came up some leads and in less than an hour – boom – there it was! Of course, much polishing ensued and by our next rehearsal we had the ‘Isolation Blues.’
7. I’m about to press play on your track, what’s the ideal listening setup?
There’s no bad place in the Shuswap to hear some good ol’ Rhythm & Blues--people should blast this song wherever they want! It would be therapeutic to listen with a few close friends on the back deck outside during a BBQ, at a live performance at a local pub, or through your device when you download the track. Music is meant to be shared and we hope you crank it up so you can dance.
The Arts Centre is grateful for the support it receives from its sponsors, without whom this project would not be possible: SASCU, Chad Eliason Mortgage Broker, Askew’s Foods, the Armstrong Regional Co-op, Johnston Meier Insurance, Grant Thornton, Stella-Jones, Shuswap Tourism, the City of Salmon Arm, and the Government of British Columbia.
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Photography by Selina Metcalfe