After decades of enduring the endless Christmas muzak that floods shopping malls and public places, Big Hank Lionhart decided it was time to change up the Christmas music scene.
And there may be no one better qualified to put a fresh face on the music of the season.
Big Hank has been bringing audiences to their feet since back in the 1980s, when The Smokin Hot Toasters came to be. The group was formed in Vancouver in 1983 and soon became a mainstay of the West Coast A Circuit Blues Scene.
The Smokin Hot Toasters (Uncle Wiggley’s Hot Shoes Blues Band) have found themselves on bills with The Neville Brothers, Koko Taylor and John Mayall.
The current incarnation of the band includes sax legend Jerry Cook, best known for his work with Colin James and Powder Blues. Then there’s Steve Cross on guitar, Mick Woodhouse on bass, Steve Ranta on keys, Dave Emery on drums and Paul Wainwright on sax.
Together with Big Hank, these musicians are all amazing in their own right, and together they present a super-tight unit that never fails to thrill.
“Our Christmas show delivers something totally unique. People are sometimes surprised at the great Christmas music that has been written over the years and our show is like a time capsule of those Christmas blues hits,” Big Hank says.
“These are songs that were originally performed by the likes of Big Joe Turner, Blind Blake and Amos Milburn, onto B.B. King, Charles Brown and Etta James.”
That’s not to say that the show doesn’t have a fresh face. It also includes recent songs by Kingfish and other contemporary blues artists.
There’s also some original music, written by the Big Hank and his band.
“We have some originals and that’s an aspect of the show that I always keep. Writing and performing our own stuff keeps the show fresh,” Big Hank says.
The Christmas show is, of course, only a part of what this band is all about.
Their blues-based sound has been a mainstay at venues like Festival Place and Horizon Stage and in Central Alberta, The Mary Winspear in Sidney, The Sid Williams Theatre in Courtney, Knox United in Parksville, the Alix Goolden Performance Hall in Victoria, Oak Bay Rec Centre for Beacon Ridge Productions and White Rock’s Blue Frog Studios.
They’ve also appeared on the summer festival circuit, playing at The Edmonton International Blues Festival, the Nanaimo Blues Festival, Beaumont Roots ‘n Blues Festival, Calgary International Blues Festival, Victoria’s Harbour Blues ‘n Roots Festival, Islands Folkfest in Duncan, and the Butchart Gardens concert series.
And although the band draws on the work of great blues legends and has recently added some selections from the Los Lobos songbook, Big Hank is quick to stress that they are far from a tribute band.
“Our show is a tribute to the music of the blues era – not a single performer. That stuff makes me crazy,” says Big Hank. “There’s no effort to imitate a performer of the past. I’ll leave that to tribute bands…it’s not for us. Not at all.”
It’s a formula and approach that obviously works, as audiences keep coming back to hear the music – music that leaves them smiling and on their feet.
“The thing about music is that it’s a medicinal experience. That’s the benefit of live music. It’s just good for the soul.”
See Big Hank’s Christmas Blues Show this month:
• Friday, Dec. 6 at Hermann’s Jazz Club, Victoria; hermannsjazz.com
• Saturday, Dec. 7 at Osborne Bay Pub, Crofton; osbornebaypub.com
• Saturday, Dec. 14 at Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney; marywinspear.ca
• Sunday, Dec. 22 at Knox United in Parksville; kucparksville.ca/events
