Blues Festival Rocks - Chelsey Romain, The Daily

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Blues festival rocks
Posted By CHELSEY ROMAIN, THE DAILY PRESS
Posted 4 days ago
Tim Vaughn can trace his musical history back to an inspiring moment with the band Wide Mouth Mason.
Juno Award-winner Julian Fauth remembers being six years old and hearing a blues record for the first time.
It was because of these specific moments in time that the Porquis Blues Festival, once again, was able to deliver a
diverse, intense weekend musical experience for many.
The 12th-annual event kicked off Friday night featuring a number of local and regional blues bands, including Timmins'
The Shaftmen and Soul Doubt, as well as Detour, Al Lukas, the Barrelhouse Blues Band and more.
"People have been commenting on the variety of music we've presented this year," said festival chairman Ben
Lefebvre.
Saturday provided even more of that much appreciated variety including Cuban blues guitarist Elmer Ferrer, Fauth,
Vaughn, Juno Awardwinner Rita Chiarelli and Aboriginal blues artist Billy Joe Green.
But for the artists who appeared, some for the first time, it was the serene beauty of the area that caught their
attention.
Fauth has been to Porquis in past years, but this is the first time he's appeared on his own.
"It's a nice festival," he told The Daily Press. "It's a nice part of Ontario, very beautiful up here."
Earlier this year, Fauth was given the Juno Award for Best Blues Album for his CD Ramblin Son. So convinced that he
wouldn't win, Fauth didn't attend the award ceremony, and only found out about his win from someone leaving a
message on his answering machine.
But it was a career that began long before his Juno win.
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"I remember being six years old and my dad brought home a blues record," he said. "I played the hell out of it and it
really spoke to me."
It wasn't his plan to make a career out of music, but after learning to play the piano and playing clubs -- the rest as
they say is history.
Fauth's jazz infused blues entertained the crowd in Porquis throughout the afternoon, but it was later that evening
when 23-year-old Vaughn took to the stage and proved that you don't have to have lived a long life to know the blues.
The Saskatoon-based musician has been playing professionally since the age of 13. Years were spent playing in
various clubs and since then Vaughn has managed to incorporate a variety of sounds to his single show.
"I really love the blues," he said. "But other influences eventually started creeping in."
Preferred to be thought of as a musician than a blues artist, Vaughn gives credit to a great blues community for getting
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him into the genre.
"Everything needs to evolve," Vaughn said. "There are the tried and true to straight up blues, but I wanted to do
something new beyond blues.
"I'm a songwriter and a musician more than just a blues artist."
The evening wrapped up with Blues Festival past favourites Rita Chiarelli, who last played in Porquis in 2001 and
Jake and the Fundamentals, who have been a part of four of the past 12 festivals. Bringing the evening to an end was
Ferrer, who through a 90-minute instrumental set showcased a brand of blues music very few have seen before.
Keeping with classic blues, Ferrer brought out his Cuban roots to produce a high energy performance.
And it's performances such as those over the three-day event, that Lefebvre said will help the festival becoming bigger
and better as the years go on.
That, and of course, the hundreds of people who flock to Porquis on an annual basis.
"The economy being as it is is keeping people closer to home," said Lefebvre. "We're bringing in new faces and
people are realizing what they've been missing and then keep coming back.
"We're also getting a lot of younger people coming out and that bodes well for us."
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