Nothing but blues in Jack de Keyzer’s veins

Photo: Jack de Keyzer

Blues runs through the music that Jack de Keyzer is interested in.

For blues music fans, the appreciation of what this simple word embodies is well understood, but perhaps less so for those who may not fully grasp how much this musical genre and form underpin much of the music we listen to.

A powerful force, created out of the troubled African-American history of the mid-1800s American Deep South, the blues form is ubiquitous in country music, swing, jazz, rock 'n' roll, soul, R&B, funk, and hip-hop.

“It's all based on the blues," says Jack de Keyzer, Canadian blues guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer.

“It’s the backbone of all this music, and everybody knows the blues even if they don’t recognize that what they're listening to is blues-based.”

It's a strong current that runs through most popular music, especially in North America, he highlights.

As subject authorities go, it would be difficult to find a better one than de Keyzer on this subject. The Ontario-based bluesman has been writing, performing and producing in his solo career for more than 30 years, producing 12 albums and winning a heap of awards including two Juno Awards for best albums in 2003 and 2010.

For a good decade before that, he was a session artist playing with many of the blues legends including Bo Diddley, Otis Rush, Etta James, King Biscuit Boy and Ronnie Hawkins to name a few.

His latest album “Tribute” features a dozen original blues, rock and soul songs that pay tribute to these blues greats and other rock guitar masters, singers and songwriters that have influenced and inspired him over the years.

Photo: Jack de Keyzer

Jack de Keyzer's 12th album is a tribute to the musicians that have influenced his work.

Local music fans will get a chance to hear some of these tribute pieces along with music spanning the breadth of his career when de Keyzer drops into Osoyoos on May 13 for the Osoyoos Spring Festival.

The influence of many of these musical greats is not always in the music itself, he highlights. “It's character-building more than anything.”

He says that when he played with Ronnie Hawkins at the Last Waltz (a famous farewell concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band in 1976 which saw more than a dozen special guests, show up on stage including Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters and more), it was Hawkins’ personality that had the greatest influence on him.

“His personality was so strong, and I learned so much about life and how to navigate through the music business through Ronnie Hawkins,” more than he learned musically, he says. “What I learned from him was life and I think when I played with Bo Diddley and Etta James, these people have very strong personalities, that you can learn something from them.”

He says his music has changed over the years, but there is a “constant in blues”.

“Blues runs through the music that I'm interested in,” he says, adding that he plays everything from just straight-up blues to rock 'n' roll.

“I’ve played in country bands, I’ve played R&B, jazz — as long as it has blues in it, I feel like that music will persevere and I think that's what keeps my career persevering.”

And for the record, de Keyzer says the blues is in “very strong shape in Canada”. Every year he attends the Hornby Island Blues Workshop, which draws Canada’s best blues artists for a week of everything blues.

“In B.C., I've had some incredible bands and the band I'm working with now includes Mike Kalanj, he's been a session player for a lot of B.C. blues bands, including Powder Blues and he was also in the Chris Isaak TV show and he's on keyboards and Chip Haart who's an amazing B.C. drummer and Roger Grant is on the bass and he is an amazing session player. I’ve got a great band,” he chuckles.

When asked what his fan base is like, de Keyzer says: “Music fans in general, people who like live music, and people who love the blues obviously. It's a very supportive, strong demographic of people that love blues music.” He adds that blues is also dancing music which the Sonora venue conveniently caters to.

De Keyzer comes fresh from wrapping up producing a 12-song project for Canadian blues, country rock singer, and songwriter Rene’ Huard.

He’s also got a single out just recently titled “No War”, a protest song against the Russian invasion of Ukraine he recorded with the lead singer from the Romantics, Wally Palmar. “It’s been getting a lot of notoriety all over the world,” he says, adding the single is unique because it has both a Ukrainian men’ and also a children’s choir.

Jack De Keyzer and his Band will be playing at Osoyoos’ Sonora Community Centre, 8505 - 68 Ave, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 13. Tickets are $25 and are available through the Osoyoos District Art Council.