Photo: Celebrate Shuswap Society

Ethan Askey and the Elevators

Celebrate Shuswap is inviting residents to boogie on down to the Song Sparrow Hall for a dance party featuring blues band Ethan Askey and the Elevators.

In a statement from Celebrate Shuswap, artistic director Jim Cooperman describes Askey as a renowned blues harmonica player.

“Ethan was seemingly born with a canoe paddle in one hand, and a harmonica in the other,” Cooperman said. “Bandleader, singer and award-winning musician, Ethan Askey had long apprenticed as a sideman playing in western Canada, USA and Europe, and earned a place on global blues and roots radio play charts as a solo artist before forming this powerful new quartet.”

The new group is touring in support of debut solo album Walk When You Wanna Run, described as a collection of modern blues tracks inspired by a trip Askey took to the southside of Chicago.

“Ethan and his band will draw you deep into their tasty tales of faraway places, love gone wrong, and whistling past the graveyard,” Cooperman added.

“Still new as a group, they are reaching audiences around the world with their colour-outside-the-lines original music that features electric harmonica, slide guitar, and harmony vocals.”

The Elevators features Mike Honeyman on bass, Ben Dunn on drums and backing vocals, Keith Larsen on guitars and vocals and Askey on lead vocals, harmonicas, horn and guitar.

Ethan Askey and the Elevators will play the Song Sparrow Hall in Salmon Arm on April 26. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30.

Tickets are available from the Celebrate Shuswap website.