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• Canberra Blues Society April Pro Blues Jam

  • When
    28 Apr 2024
  •  
    1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
  • Location
    Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah

  Register

  Hosted by

  

  Key Grip hosts Canberra Blues Society’s April Pro Blues Jam.

  Key Grip lives and breathes by the motto, “It’s Gotta Swing”. Band leader Leo Joseph has been using the name Key Grip for his bands since 1992. He set up the Canberra version when he returned from the US back in 2005 after 12 years living overseas, mostly in Philadelphia. “I really want Key Grip to be firmly in the grey area between blues and jazz so that it can explore the many shades that the blues genre has to offer.

  Leo says “At a Key Grip gig,we are going to give you up tempo and slower tunes, tunes with tasty, interesting progressions, great lyrics and well, tunes that just need a bit of work to get right. When the ingredients are all cooking and it’s working like a well-oiled machine, it’s to die for and we know we’ll see people up on the dance floor”.

  The line-up comprises Angela Lount on vocals, Mitch Preston on drums, Alec Coulson on bass, Lauren Thurlow on tenor sax, and Leo Joseph on piano and Hammond and some vocals.

  The Host band will be followed by some of the finest musicians in the Canberra region jamming together for a fabulous afternoon of live Blues music.
  

  CBS members: $10 / General $15

  Children under 16 - Free Entry

  
  

  
  

  • Jammers are expected to meet a competent standard of musicianship and be familiar with standard 3-chord, 12-bar blues songs.
  • CBS provides a lyric folder of classic blues songs if required.
  • If this is your first time, ask to speak to the Jam Session Coordinator to secure a place in a jam session.
  • Jammers are encouraged to have their names on the whiteboard by 1pm.
  • Late arrivals (after 1.30pm) cannot be guaranteed a spot in the Jam Session.
  • The coordinator will try to give everyone an opportunity to perform.
  • A rehearsed act may do a set as a band if it is prearranged at least 24 hours in advance of the jam by contacting the musicians representative via the contact us or the enquire now buttons.

  NOTE: This is a Blues Jam so it is expected that blues orientated songs will be played.

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• Canberra Blues Society May Jam Workshop

  • When
    1 May 2024
  •  
    6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
  • Location
    Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah

  Register

  Join us for our popular Jam Workshops for interested musicians wanting to develop their skills and gain experience in playing the blues in a band environment.

  Advice and mentoring will be provided by a house band featuring a selection of our finest players.

  JAMMING AT THE WORKSHOP

  
  

  Held on the 1st Wed each month, except January, at The Harmonie German Club and presented in a format similar to but more intimate than the monthly Blues Jams.

  The workshops are not intended to show you how to play your instrument, but they may give you a better understanding about how blues music is structured and how you can communicate this to the other members of your band.

  The workshop jams aim to create a comfortable, non-threatening environment where less confident musicians and singers can perform in a band situation. 

  NOTE: The selection of pieces to be used is at the Workshop Facebook Group

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• Mitch Grainger - Keller Sessions

  • When
    1 Jun 2024
  •  
    7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
  • Location
    Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah

  Register

  

  Canberra Blues Society proudly presents Mitch Grainger - Keller Sessions

  Mitch Grainger infuses the Blues & Roots genre’s traditional stylings with a confidence, and depth of spirit, that has seen him compared to the likes of Robert Johnson* by American music critics. No overnight sensation, this accolade came after over 25 years of performing and recording, predominantly as a side-man with some of Australia and the world’s greatest blues and blues-rock artists.

  Beginning his career at just age fourteen, playing harmonica and guitar in the bars of Balmain in Sydney, Mitch Grainger spent his teens honing his craft as a side-man, by jamming with fellow high schoolmates CW Stoneking and Alex Lloyd before joining The Bondi Cigars, who he toured every inch of Australia with before he had turned twenty-one.

  Balmain was fertile ground, and if not for being born here, Mitch’s life may have taken a totally different path. One night at The Bridge Hotel in Balmain, Malcolm Young of AC/DC who also lived in the area, walked in and saw Mitch Grainger playing, this led to a long - term friendship and the introduction of Mitch to the Albert’s productions family and one of Malcolm’s mentors, the legendary Australian producer Harry Vanda, whom Grainger made a deal with for the Australian release of his album Love and Demons in 2006.

  Meanwhile, the touring work continued all through Mitch’s 20s and into his early 30s with multiple bands, including The Bondi Cigars, Papa Lips & Grainger (with his sister Kara Grainger).

  Then in 2010, Mitch Grainger relocated to Los Angeles and ensconced himself in the live music scene of Hollywood. It was here that subsequently, in 2015, Mitch Grainger took his first real steps into the light under his own name on the world stage, with his solo acoustic release ‘The Blues’.

  Mitch’s depth of understanding of the genre and his charismatic stage show immediately thrust him onto the wider blues & roots scene. He packed houses in Australia and Scandinavia, performed at prestigious festivals, such as the American Folk Alliance in Kansas City, and earned standing ovations while opening for Tommy Emmanuel across the North East of the USA.

  Then, come 2017, while looking for more of an electric sound, Mitch disappeared, turned recluse, and focused on inventing, patenting and Kick-starting a revolutionary new harmonica microphone called Dyna-Mic, which would enable him to play harmonica hands free, in an electric band setting. This new harmonica microphone is now used by 100’s of harmonica players around the globe, and notably was used by Bob Dylan on his 2018 New Zealand Tour. With a growing global fan base that includes over 120,000 subscribers on various social media platforms, Mitch Grainger is now taking his raw emotional form of Blues & Roots music up the metaphorical Mississippi River, out of the acoustic domain, and into the world of blues rock on the back of his latest release entitled "Plug It In".

  “Grainger plays pure acoustic blues with the heart and soul of Robert Johnson. His light-fingered guitar and mournful harp perfectly play up Grainger’s modern lyrics and traditional-sounding melodies; close your eyes, and you can feel the heat and smell the dust of Mississippi” - Suzanne Cadgène, Elmore Magazine

  “I’ve watched him search within himself for his true identity as an artist…have a listen to his music…Mitch has come of age” - Harry Vanda

  TICKETS: Pre-sales - CBS members $25 / General $27    Door: $30

  Doors open 7pm   Show starts 7:30pm
  

  
  

  Show details
• Frank Sultana Blues Band plus Tomcat Playground @ The Zeppelin Room

  • When
    21 Jun 2024
  •  
    7:00 PM - 10:30 PM
  • Location
    Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah

  Register

  

  Canberra Blues Society proudly presents Frank Sultana Blues Band plus Tomcat Playground.

  Two Blues bands on the road together for a weekend of shenanigans, and fine music.

  Frank Sultana, winner of the 2023 Memphis International Blues Challenge, and his band will join fellow south coasters, Tomcat Playground for 3 shows in June. Kicking off with our show at the Harmonie German Club on Friday 21^st June.

  Frank Sultana is an Australian modern day bluesman. 

  Dripping with pre WW2 mojo, dark, dirty guitar tones and a voice that has the grit and soul of the characters and places he writes and sings about.
  Frank has been writing, recording and performing his original blues songs since his 2011 debut 'Blues from the Lost Motel' and now has 4 EPS and 9 albums under his belt, including 4 releases in the last 2.5 years. In January 2023, among a field of 150 artists from around the world, Frank competed in and won the solo/duo section at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee.

  He is only the third Australian to do so in the events 38 year history joining Fiona Boyes (2003) and Jimi Hocking (2005). While in Memphis, he also recorded his new album at the iconic Sun Studios where so many greats before him have recorded. The resulting album is his new release 'The Ghosts of Sun'. Frank has now put together a powerhouse Blues band featuring Adrian Herbert on drums, Mick Malouf on bass and Dan Sullivan on harp.

  Tomcat Playground - Coming from a time of the 1950s/60s American back alley juke joint bars and club era.

  Tomcat Playground headed by Dan Sullivan is a 4 piece blues act invigorating a lost art of blues. Drawing influence from the masters of the music Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and Little Walter, the act incorporates electric guitar and Harmonica over a great rhythm section to transport listeners back to sharecropping times and the music’s integration with the big city of Chicago.

  Joining Dan are Illya Szwec on guitar, Mike Rix on Bass and Greg Clark on drums.

  This will be a show not to be missed, bringing together raw soulful blues and vintage traditional for the perfect blues mix.

  Doors: 7pm  Show: 8pm
  

  Pre-sales: CBS members $30 / General $35

  Door: $38

  
  

  Show details
• Chase The Sun @ The Zeppelin Room

  • When
    20 Jul 2024
  •  
    7:00 PM - 10:30 PM
  • Location
    Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah

  Register

  

  Canberra Blues Society proudly presents Chase The Sun.

  Sydney’s kings of epic blues-rock shred, Chase The Sun have become somewhat of a cult band of late, with their powerhouse live show becoming harder and harder to find in recent years with the boys in the band opting to become spectators in the race for fame and fortune.

  Guitarist Jan Rynsaardt is recognised by aficionados as one of Australia’s best, and the band combine elements of acoustic blues, stoner rock, Psychedelia and Stevie Ray Vaughn boogie into a sound that quickly established them as crowd and critic favourites at festivals all over the country when they hit the scene back in 2007. With Ryan Van Gennip on bass and Jon Howell on drums, this three piece deliver their own take on a classic sound.

  2024 sees Chase The Sun back in the hot seat, with a national tour and new music on the horizon -this is a show not to be missed by lovers of loud guitar blues and blazing hard funk played with a cranking 70’s southern rock feel.

  Doors: 7pm  Show: 8pm
  

  Pre-sales: CBS members $27 / General $30

  Door: $35

  
  

  Show details
• International Blues Music Day 2024

  • When
    3 Aug 2024
  •  
    12:00 PM - 10:30 PM
  • Location
    Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah

  Register

  

  PRE-SALES ENDS AT 1PM 3 AUGUST.

  Canberra Blues Society celebrates the 12th International Blues Music Day with 9 fantastic acts on 2 stages.

  Hot Rod display from 12 noon, busking and specialty market stalls from 1pm.

  Music from 3pm in the Zeppelin Room & 3.30pm in The Keller Bar.

  • MINNIE & THE MOONRAKERS
  • TYPICAL DREW
  • THE STAGE INVADERS
  • BIG MAMA & THE MEDICINE MAN
  • GARTH PRENTICE & THE BLACK SHEEP BLUES BAND
  • AARON POLLOCK
  • THE MARVELLOUS HEARTS
  • THE MCNAMARR PROJECT
  • SHANE PACEY TRIO

  Over 7 hours of live Blues music!!! Fabulous raffle prizes and CBS members’ lucky door prize.

  Thank you to our wonderful sponsors: Harmonie German Club - Better Music - Yamaha Guitars - Knuckles Restaurant - Mojo Guitar Teachers - Tony Cini's Blues On The Water - Rhythms Magazine - Songland Records - Murray Foote Photography - Capital Vintage Guitars - ArtsoundFM - ValleyFM

  PRE-SALES: NOTE: Pre-sales ends at 1pm on 3 August. Tickets will then be available at the door.

  • General - $45
  • CBS Member - $35
  • Children 12 to 16 - $25
  • Children under 12 - FREE ENTRY

  DOOR: $50 (no discounts) / Children 12-16 - $30

  Enquiries: 0419 607 710

  
  

  
  

  Show details
• Charlie Musselwhite (USA) @ The Zeppelin Room

  • When
    24 Sep 2024
  •  
    6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
  • Location
    Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah

  Register

  

  Gerrard Allman Events is proud to announce the return of legendary American artist Charlie Musselwhite for a run of not-to-be-missed Australian dates in September. Grammy-Award winning Musselwhite will be bringing his excellent touring band with him for the tour - Kid Andersen on Guitar, June Core on Drums and Randy Bermudes on Bass.

  With nearly six decades of rich musical history behind him, including numerous albums, countless live performances, multiple awards and accolades, there are very few artists of the stature of Charlie Musselwhite. As Rolling Stone Magazine stated, “Superb, original and compelling…Charlie Musselwhite, with unabashed excellence, sets the standard for blues.”

  Charlie’s journey through the blues was from his birth in Mississippi to Memphis, Chicago and California. Arriving in Chicago in the early sixties, he was just in time for the epochal blues revival. In 1966 at the age of 22 he recorded the landmark Stand Back! to rave reviews. A precipitous relocation to San Francisco in 1967, where his album was being played on underground radio, found him welcomed into the counterculture scene around the Fillmore West as an authentic purveyor of the real deal blues.

  Fifty years of nonstop touring, performing and recording have reaped huge rewards. Charlie Musselwhite is living proof that great music only gets better with age. This man cut his (musical) teeth alongside Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf and everyone on the South side of Chicago in the early 1960’s. Thank your lucky stars that he is still with us telling the truth with a voice and harp tone like no other.

  Pre-sales: CBS members $80 / General $85 (pre-sale ends 24th Sept @ 6:30pm)

  Door: $90

  Doors open 6:30pm Show starts 7:30pm

  
  

  Show details
• Bek Jensen Band + The SunBears @ The Zeppelin Room

  • When
    1 Nov 2024
  •  
    7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
  • Location
    Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah

  Register

  

  Canberra Blues Society proudly presents Bek Jensen Band plus The SunBears. A fantastic night of Soul, Funk, Blues & Blues/Rock not to be missed.
  

  Bek Jensen and her world-class band brings forth a fusion of retro-soul, funk, and RnB that transcends genres and invites audiences on a euphoric voyage. With an innate ability to delve into the intricacies of love and vitalising her story as an empowered woman, Bek captivates with her raw authenticity and glittering songcraft. With a voice that is both moving and heartfelt, Bek delivers her music with 100% soul, creating a powerful and unforgettable sound leaving audiences spellbound in a kind of roller boogie wonderland. She has worked with some of Australia’s most iconic artists, including Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes, The Sleepy Jackson, and Lachy Doley, among others. Her rich tone and ability to blend seamlessly with other musicians is a testament to her exceptional talent and versatility. Onstage, she is womanly, flirty, and vibrant, blending soul, funk and contemporary blues music to deliver her dynamic performance. Bek has just released her new album Energy which she is touring in Australia and NZ throughout 2024.

  

  Bek's Website
  

  The SunBears are an international, touring blues rock band creating a sonic inferno that ignites the stage and leaves audiences exhilarated. The band have released 6 singles, 3 of which reached #1 on the Australian National AMRAP charts with the remainder sitting comfortably in the Top Ten. They have toured Europe and also played at some of Australia's most iconic venues and festivals, including the Enmore Theatre in Sydney supporting Suzi Quatro.

  

  The SunBears Website
  

  Pre-sales: CBS members $25 / General $30

  Door: $35

  Doors open: 7pm Show starts: 8pm

  
  

  Show details