Saturday Performance
Harpdog Brown & The Uptown Blues Band
Harpdog Brown has earned a solid reputation as a real-deal purveyor of classic electric blues. Think of the old Chess Records and Sun Records of the late 40’s and early 50’s. Harpdog Brown is a gifted vocalist and an imaginative harmonica player. He has won three consecutive Maple Blues Awards for Harmonica Player of the Year (2014/2015/2016), the Fraser Valley Music Award, has three consecutive Western Canadian Music Awards Nominations, a Juno Nomination and is the only Canadian to win the coveted Muddy Award.
Chicago is where Sugar Brown (Ken Kawashima) cut his teeth as a blues musician – he immersed himself in the city’s rich blues heritage and culture and honed his skills playing with many of the local Blues greats. Following his move to Toronto, recognition of Sugar Brown as a fresh, authentic and original voice in North American blues came in 2013 with his victory in the prestigious Toronto Blues Society Talent Search. In early 2017, he reached the finals of The International Blues Challenge in Memphis, while his performances at major Canadian music festivals have been enthusiastically received.