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Colin Perry and Blind |
| There was a time, before the recording industry was fully developed,
when the labels applied to specific styles of music were nothing more
than fledgling marketing terms. The musicians who appeared on the
early records of the 1920's and 30's thought nothing of playing any
style of music, and were guided only by their own personal taste.
Artists like Eddie Lang and Louis Armstrong, in addition to playing
their own music, backed blues shouters, country singers, and played in
big band orchestras. This is the spirit that we, as a band, are trying
to recapture. We play our own songs, and others that have caught our
ears, regardless of their origins. Most importantly, we try to make
every song our own. After six years of playing together, each musician
in the group has developed a distinct, personal voice which can be
heard in each song. The result is an infectious mix of early blues,
jazz, country, and popular songs which is highly listenable and ideal
for dancing.
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Guitarist and vocalist
Colin Perry was born and raised in Kentucky. While there he
absorbed the rich musical heritage that was around him, including
blues, bluegrass, fiddle music and jazz. He is now based in
Montreal. When not leading Blind, he can be found playing guitar
behind the well-known Montreal harmonicist Bharath Rajakumar. He
has also worked with the Susie Arioli Band, with whom he
collaborated on the Juno-nominated album That’s For Me. His guitar
playing reflects the early traditions of jazz and blues guitar,
when players like Teddy Bunn, Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson, and Dick
McDonough could be found lending their personal styles to many
different types of music. His strong, clear vocals carry the band
across a wide spectrum of early American Music, showing the
influence of Jack Teagarden, Tommy Duncan, and Big Bill Broonzy
amongst others. |
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Pianist Peter Mika has
performed professionally in Montreal for over fifteen years. In
addition to playing with Blind, he has performed with Montreal
groups Orealis, The Crazy Rhythm Daddies, The Steve Rowe Band, and
The Stephen Barry Band. He also toured with New Orleans Blues
legend, Bryan Lee. The deep, searching solos that emanate from his
piano consistently bring out the best in the other members of the
band. |
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The quartet is rounded
out by drummer Ben Caissie. When not playing with Blind, he
divides his time between bands Bharath and the Catfish and Lil’
Andy and Karaoke Cowboy. He has also toured Europe three times
with the legendary Sun Records recording artist Eddie Bond. His
rock-solid shuffles on the snare drum keep toes tapping and feet
dancing all night long, while his inventive solos always inspire
the crowd. |
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