The Hornby Island Blues Workshop takes place every spring on Hornby Island. Each year they invite a dozen or so of the finest Canadian blues and roots musicians around to share their knowledge and inspiration with some lucky students. We thought - why not catch some of these great players, singers and all-round entertainers, and get them to do a show for us on the way? One of Vancouver's own teams up with three of the best from the rest of Canada. It's a simple but foolproof formula! This is the SIXTH year that we have presented this delightful showcase. 

"(Hornby Blues is) one of best shows of the year - EVERY Year!" says Brent Morrison, Host of the 'Rockin' Blues Show' on CJSF 90.1.

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Rick Fines
Rick crafts a unique blend of warm-hearted blues, juke joint folk, and dockside soul that both embraces and defies the genres that influence him. First gaining attention as part of the legendary Jackson Delta, he’s since released four solo albums, another with his own Rick Fines Trio, and a critically acclaimed disc with fellow troubadour Suzie Vinnick.  Along the way he has racked up both awards and accolades.  His 15-year stint with Jackson Delta received both Juno and Handy award nominations.  His partnership with Suzie garnered a Maple Blues Songwriter of the Year Award.  On his own, he’s pulled in two more Maple Blues Awards (for Solo Act of the Year), as well as an astonishing eight other nominations.  While his songwriting chops won him a 2003 International Songwriting Competition, he’s equally proficient on guitar. “The classic blues guitar picking and authentic-sounding vocals of Rick Fines were the sweetener ... an early opportunity to hear more would be welcome.” – The Herald, (Glasgow).

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Samantha Martin
Bubbling up from the cauldron of roots Americana music, she is an artist of extraordinary power, gravitas and deep-seated emotion. On first listen, one is immediately struck by the awesome presence and sheer magnitude of her other worldly voice. Martin’s pipes are capable of conveying an infinite range of emotions, bringing one to tears in one instance and in the next uplifting one’s soul with an empowered declaration of hope, faith and desire. As a vocalist her roots lie squarely within the wellspring of powerful, strong woman’s voices embodied by such forbears as Marion Williams, Mavis Staples, Etta James, Tina Turner, Bettye LaVette, Lucinda Williams and, perhaps most closely, Bonnie Bramlett. As a songwriter, she draws on black gospel and southern soul with a hint of roots country and sixties pop while her lyrics suggest an old soul with wisdom beyond her years.

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Paul Pigat
What kind of music do you want Paul to play? Blues? Jazz? Gospel? Bluegrass? Punk? Classical? Metal? Rockabilly? Western Swing? Something unique, say Mel Torme meets AC/DC? He could do it, and he could it well, he's that kind of guy. Paul Pigat can play just about every style and technique imaginable, with a modern twist that is both fluid and precise, and is without fail exhilarating in its intensity. Diversity in a musician is always a bonus, but of course at a blues concert Paul will narrow the scope for sure, to focus on his brand of country meets bebop blues and traditional delta finger style. With his rockabilly heart and his hobo soul this self admitted guitaraholic is like a pitbull on a bone when it comes to practicing his craft. “Hot enough to raise sweat on a chunk of granite!” - Monday Magazine. "His lead guitar is stunning and the generous breaks bristle with invention and at times are lightning fast.” - Now Dig This (UK).

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Tim Williams
Tim Williams is a blues-based singer / songwriter / multi - instrumentalist. He is a 50 year veteran of the roots music scene in North America, roots which stretch back to the coffee-house scene of his native California in the mid 60's. Imagine, if you can, a front porch where Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, Hula Hattie, Flaco Jimenez and Bob Marley meet often and discover just how much they have in common.  Tim's music would fit right in. Settling in Canada in 1970, Tim is a studio musician, producer, and a performer in constant demand. He has played Folk / Blues / Jazz festivals and concert halls and clubs from Halifax, to Vancouver Island, to the Yukon. Inspired by the Hillbilly and Western Swing music he heard as a child, Tim absorbed late Fifties Rhythm & Blues and Rock & Roll, Hawaiian and Mexican music, early Sixties Folk, and Bluegrass “like a sponge” before discovering a passion for traditional blues styles which was fueled by seeing many first generation blues musicians live during the Blues Boom of the mid and late Sixties.

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