Axis Mundi presents four shades of blues

With a musical array that runs a wide gamut and a range of speakers to suit broad interest, new Revelstoke festival Axis Mundi Harvest added four more bands to an expanding festival line-up. Little Hurricane, Rachelle van Zanten, Les Copeland and Sherman TANK Doucette are all part of a larger blues family, but each brings a unique approach to a dynamic, ever-changing genre.

Little Hurricane (USA)

San Diego-based dirty blues duo Little Hurricane has been recently announced to perform at Axis Mundi Harvest. Photo: Courtesy Little Hurricane

San Diego-based dirty-blues twosome Little Hurricane have a swampy yet ethereal vibe that slyly captures the spirit of the weirder, wilder corners of Southern California. Their new album, Gold Fever, has a heart-on-sleeve honesty that’s deeply intimate. A stripped-down but amped-up two-piece dynamic also goes a long way in maintaining Little Hurricane’s beautifully brutal energy, even on the more intricate and melody-soaked arrangements heard throughout Gold Fever. The album also delivers a slew of songs huge in sound and scope. Band members, Tone and C.C., have a commitment to organic, unadorned sound, which is evident in the Little Hurricane’s live experience. “Live is what we’re really all about, and we try to put on as big a show we can for everyone,” says C.C.

Rachelle van Zanten (B.C.)

B.C. artist Rachelle Van Zanten is known for her socially conscious lyrics and powerful performances. Photo: Courtesy Rachelle Van Zanten

Known for her powerful live performances and equally powerful social activism, acclaimed Canadian slide guitarist/singer Rachelle van Zanten pulls no punches on her new record, Oh Mother. The 11 tunes on the album are an intense mix of van Zanten’s deep connection to the landscapes of northern B.C. and her own personal stories of loss, grief, and joy. The album showcases van Zanten’s skills as a guitarist and songwriter in equal measure, blending van Zanten’s socially conscious lyrics with dirty guitar riffs and soulful singing in a way that neatly captures the essence of her northern British Columbia origins … as well as all the issues the region currently faces.

Les Copeland (B.C.)

Les Copeland is one of B.C.’s finest blues musicians. Photo: via Les Copeland website

The call of the blues beckoned when Les was just eleven. Capitol Records was giving away a free copy of Delta blues great, Mississippi Fred McDowell’s latest recording, London Calling to anyone who sent in a coupon. The lean sound of one of the tracks, ‘Red Cross Store,’ set destiny in motion and Les on a lifetime journey down the road to the blues — all for the price of a stamp. One of British Columbia’s finest blues artists, Les Copeland is primarily self-taught. His unique sound has developed out of a rich mixture of influences including blues, jazz, Spanish flamenco, pop and classical music. From down home Delta to uptown Chicago blues, Les can improvise anything. He has earned the respect of some of best bluesmen in North America, performing with and promoting legendary blues artists such as Honeyboy Edwards, Jimmie D. Lane, Sonny Rhodes, Jimmie Lee Robinson and others.

Sherman TANK Doucette (B.C.)

There is only one tank in the blues world. A consummate showman, soulful singer/harmonica virtuoso Sherman TANK Doucette, is the real deal and has the scars and badges to prove it. A former thirty year staple of the Vancouver music scene — host & house band of the Yale Hotel for several years — he has enjoyed a very colourful past sharing the stage with blues legends John Lee Hooker, Pine Top Perkins, Long John Baldry, Jim Byrnes, Powder Blues and many others. Today with a great new band mixing blues classics & original’s with the passion and conviction few can deliver — any one who has seen him perform will agree he puts on an unforgettable show.

Sherman TANK Doucette, Les Copeland, Rachelle van Zanten and Little Hurricane are four more great reasons to check out Axis Mundi Harvest, September 18-20, 2015. For more on Axis Mundi Harvest and the festival line-up visit www.axismundi.ca.

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This sponsored post is created in partnership between Axis Mundi Harvest and the Revelstoke Mountaineer.