Festival Nanaimo: 3 Canadian Icons on Stage

add to outlook add to google calendar remind me

Friday, March 13th, 2015
7:30 PM

Featuring BC’s Barney Bentall, Jim Byrnes and John Mann, this show opens a window into the lives and talent of three of Canada’s finest musicians. With over 25 albums, multiple Juno Awards, and countless tours between them, Bentall, Byrnes and Mann join forces to bring to the stage an engaging mix of their music - from folk to roots, blues to rock, old hits and new ones. Bringing their experiences to the stage, these musicians put on a show full of stories and songs both old and new. Known for their warm and entertaining performances, an evening with Bentall, Byrnes and Mann is sheer west coast joy.

Jim Byrnes

Jim Byrnes was born in St. Louis, Missouri – that’s blues country. By age thirteen, Jim was singing and playing blues guitar. His first professional gig was in 1964. Over the years, he has had the great good fortune to appear with a virtual who’s who of the blues. From Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker to Taj Mahal and Robert Cray, Jim has been on the blues highway for 45 years.

Byrnes moved to Vancouver, BC in the mid-70s after years of drifting, working odd jobs and playing music. In 1981 he put together a band that became a staple of the local music scene. In 1986 the Jim Byrnes Band played 300 nights.

Jim Byrnes’ fame as an actor has grown immeasurably from his too-numerous-to-mention TV and movie roles, highlights including television’s Wiseguy and Highlander series, and his national variety show The Jim Byrnes Show.

“Byrnes rides the tunes just right, with a perfect balance of passion and restraint -- a winning combination in a bluesman of any era.” — All Music.com

http://www.jamestbyrnes.com/

Barney Bentall

A legend in his own right, Vancouver-based Barney Bentall has been creating music since 1978. Throughout his career, he has released three independent albums and seven studio albums. In the late eighties, Barney Bentall formed The Legendary Hearts. Their self-titled debut reached Platinum status in Canada, featured three hit singles, and garnered a Juno Award.

In 2000, Bentall switched gears completely and moved to British Columbia’s Cariboo region to operate a cattle ranch. With this incredible shift came a great change in perspective, which was the impetus for his 2007 solo release, Gift Horse.

In 2008, Bentall released his seventh studio album titled The Inside Passage. Recorded and produced by John Ellis (Ridley Bent, The Be Good Tanyas, and Dustin Bentall), The Inside Passage is a collection of songs loosely based on moving through life. “A greatest hits of the right and the wrong turns,” says Bentall.

“Not only a great musician and a part of our Canadian musical heritage, but Barney is a great guy who’s talent is beyond words.” — Robert Glatt, The Old Winery, Niagra Falls

http://barneybentall.com/

John Mann

John Mann, through his incredible career as a Juno award winning musician and revered actor, has developed a wealth of support and resources from his colleagues, peers and devoted fan base.

With 11 albums and countless tours of the UK, Europe and North America with Spirit of the West, John returns with his newest work as a solo artist called The Waiting Room.

The Waiting Room is a powerful testament to the journey John Mann took while he was sick with Cancer in 2009 through 2011. For several months John was bedridden in the hospital and confronted by the challenge of his life and for his life.

John’s lyrical approach on The Waiting Room captures his experience and creates a natural script and visual journey taking the listener on an emotional roller coaster. Each song delivers heartfelt tears and uplifting laughter as he reveals the most vulnerable moments of recovery from this life threatening disease.

“John’s world-weary tone is comfortable even when emoting the gravest cynicism, and his musicianship is always more than capable.” — Laurie Mercer - AllMusicGuide.com

http://johnmann.ca/

____________________

For tickets and series information, visit: