Gary Kendall

Gary Kendall is an award-winning Canadian bassist, vocalist and band leader, best known for his longstanding association with the Downchild Blues Band.

Biography

Gary Kendall, originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, has been a working musician since the late 1960s, in addition to being involved with music as a record producer and booking agent. He is a multiple Maple Blues Award[1] winner as bassist of the year, where, since 1999, he has acted as the musical director of the awards program.[2] His distinguished musical career was so honoured by the Maple Blues Awards as early as 1993.

Kendall played with the Downchild Blues Band during the 1979-1983 period. With fellow Downchild alumnus Cash Wall, Kendall subsequently formed the Kendall Wall Blues Band, which was well known in Toronto and area during the 1980s and early 1990s. As the house band at Toronto's Black Swan Tavern, the Kendall Wall Blues Band played with such blues legends as A.C. Reed, Pinetop Perkins, Eddy Clearwater, Tinsley Ellis, Little Willie Littlefield, Chubby Carrier, Bernard Allison, Eddie C. Campbell, Lefty Dizz, Eddie "Clean Head" Vinson, Eddie Shaw, Carey Bell and Fenton Robinson.[2]

Kendall has also performed with such artists as Snooky Pryor, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Big Jay McNeeley, Bob Margolin, Big Dave MacLean, Duke Robillard, Morgan Davis, Zora Young and Phil Guy. He has recorded with Chris Murphy, Little Bobby & The Jumpstarts, Peter Schmidt and Shane Scott, Brian Blain and Maria Aurigema.[3]

From 1994-2010, Kendall was the booking agent for the The Silver Dollar Room, one of Toronto's best known blues bars, which has operated continuously, in various formats, since 1958.[4]

Kendall rejoined Downchild in 1995 and has continued to play and record with the band since that time, in addition to contributing to the work of other musicians and leading his own band, The Gary Kendall Band.[5] His association as musical director of the Maple Blues Awards resulted in the formation of the Maple Blues Revue, with which Kendall continues to be associated and to tour.[6]

Awards

Discography

With The Downchild Blues Band

The Kendall Wall Band

The Way We Was 2013 (reissue of the almost lost studio recordings from 1988–89)

Solo

Gary Kendall Band

Maple Blues Revue

Other[8]

References

  1. ↑ The Maple Blues Awards are Canada's equivalent of The Blues Music Awards (formerly the W.C. Handy Awards) that take place yearly in Memphis.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Biography of Gary Kendall; www.garykendall.com. See also Profile of Gary Kendall, February 24. 2009; www.velhorockeiro.blogspot.com.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Portrait of Gary Kendall; www.maplebluesrevue.com.
  4. ↑ History of The Silver Dollar Room; www.silverdollarroom.com.
  5. ↑ Downchild Biography; www.downchild.com.
  6. ↑ See www.maplebluesrevue.com; see also Portrait of The Maple Blues Band; www.torontobluessociety.com.
  7. ↑ According to reviewer John Taylor, "Kendall's responsible for all but one of the tunes here, and while the forms may be familiar there's nothing formulaic in his compositions. He writes from the heart, and his laconic delivery is both thoroughly convincing and downright personable. ...Feels Real Strong is a compelling collection that borrows from and builds upon the blues while refusing to be confined by convention." John Taylor, Review of Feels Real Strong. "Blues On Stage", January, 2009; www.mnblues.com.
  8. ↑ Primarily from allmusic.com.

External links