Jack DeKeyzer

Jack DeKeyzer - Blues Thing - 2007 - Bluestar Records

“Jack de Keyzer is probably the most well known of the lot. He's a serious blues musician and historian, and has been known to lecture on various blues styles and artists. He is always busy and a hard worker, probably the most popular guy on the blues scene in Ontario. He has started producing as well lately, Tracy K's latest, which you reviewed, is an example. He also has a great sense of humor. We were both up for the same award two years running. He won two years running. Deservedly so!He lives up the road apiece in Whitby.” © Terry Blankley, http://calmardan.blogspot.com/2007/10/review-jack-de-keyzer-blues-thing.html

'Blues Thing finds De Keyzer in the zone with a killer combination of vibe and chops...the strongest album of his career' © John Emms, Timmins Daily Press

On "Blues Thing", The English born Jack DeKeyzer covers a wide blues range, including Chicago and west coast styles, R&B (Motown and Stax), funk and soul jazz. A great album from a wonderful guitarist. He has worked as a session guitarist for many artists including Etta James, Otis Rush, John Hammond Jr., Robert Gordon, Bo Diddley, Willy "Big Eyes" Smith & Blue Rodeo.. A well known musician in Canada, he has received many prestigious music awards, has toured worldwide, and deserves to make a bigger impact globally. Listen to his "Silver Blues" album.

TRACKS

Music is the Food of Love
If I Had Your Love
Blues Thing
I Want To Love You
That's The Only Time
That's Your Love
Cry the Blues
Good Life
Bills
Bombshell
Miss America
Merciless Beauty
We Go Together
That's How Much

All tracks composed by Jack DeKeyzer

BAND [open to correction]

Jack DeKeyzer - guitar, vocals
Alan Duffy - bass
Michael Fontana - B-3 / piano
David Colter - drums
Chris Murphy - saxophone
Dave Dunlop - trombone

REVIEWS

BLUES THING, Jack de Keyzer, Bluestar Records, 9-out-of-10: So you like guitar blues, but with a big band feel, then you are in for a treat when you spin Blues Thing by Jack de Keyzer. de Keyzer is the guitar slinger here, and a dang fine one, in addition to providing the vocals, and he shines there too. However, what helps take this CD to the next level is Chris Murphy on sax, and Dave Dunlop on trumpet, giving the project an extra layer of depth. Blues Thing is an album that grabs you from the get go. The first song Music Is The Food Of Love is a solid blues effort, and de Keyzer never misses a beat as he takes you through a fat 14-song package, where he has penned every tune. Quickly he let's his guitar shine, with If I Had Your Love, the CD's second cut, a tune which also shows this guy has a versatile voice. He won the Maple Blues award as Guitarist of the Year in 2004 and 2005. Stylistically, this is jazz/funk inspired blues, with toe-tapping instrumentation, melding nicely with often more sorrowful lyrics. de Keyzer was a Juno winner back in 2003 for blues album 6 String Lover, and Blues Thing may well get him on the list for close consideration of the award again, since he's really cooking on this one. Top cuts here include I Want To Love You, That's The Only Time, Cry The Blues and Merciless Beauty. Check Jack out at www.jackdekeyzer.com © CALVIN DANIELS - Reviews first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Oct. 31, 2007 - Yorkton, SK. Canada . - Posted by Calvin Daniels at 8:55 AM, Wednesday, October 31, 2007
http://calmardan.blogspot.com/2007/10/review-jack-de-keyzer-blues-thing.html

Jack De Keyzer - "Blues Thing" - Considering De Keyzer's multiple awards and achievements, it would be weird to think, this may be his strongest album. For me, the songs are the key. The ace guitar legend has also added a depth of jazz chops that are simply sparkling. If that was not enough his vocals are much stronger than on any of his past efforts. © John Emms/ Daily Press

Canada’s Jack de Keyzer is a rare breed who can play it all: blues, funk, swing, and more. You’ll hear all of those styles on this CD. Here, his music has matured and his guitar tone has become one of the finest in Canada. Jack de Keyzer is a well rounded musician, who strives for perfection and attains it on this excellent CD. © Tim Holek/ Blues Bytes Top 10 of 2007

" It would take an entire separate page to list out the awards conferred upon Jack De Keyzer. He’s deserved every single one of them, but his latest release Blues Thing is absolutely out of sight. Jack’s at the very top of his game on this one..." © Gary Tate jazzreview.com

SHORT BIO

Jack DeKeyzer is a jack of many trades, skilled as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and even a producer. He has made a name for himself in the genres of rock and country, but his strongest ties are to blues. His professional musical career started in the '80s with a group called the Bopcats. After completing a couple of albums as a Bopcat, he moved on to the Rock Angels, and then finally went solo. Since breaking out on his own, DeKeyzer has won a number of awards, including Best Blues Album, Best Guitarist, Best Blues Recording, and many others. He has also been nominated for a Juno Award. DeKeyzer was born in England. He discovered his love for music early and found that playing the guitar came easy. Over his long years in the music world, he has worked with various bands, done session guitar work for numerous artists, and started his own record label, Blue Star. His debut solo album, Hard Working Man, was released in 1991 by Warner Music. It took four years for his sophomore recording, Wild at Heart, to appear. He finished out the '90s with one more full-length offering, Down in the Groove. Some of the tunes on DeKeyzer's blues recordings are "The Way that I Love You," "I Need a Break," "High on Your Love," "Touch of the Blues," and "When Love Walks Out." © Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide

MORE ABOUT JACK DEKEYZER

Blues, jazz, and r&b are all part of the palette that colour Jack de Keyzer's musical portraits. The much acclaimed guitarist, singer and song writer has worked with artists as varied as King Biscuit Boy, Etta James, Blue Rodeo, Robert Gordon, Otis Rush and the Bop Cats. His guitar playing has been featured on hundreds of recordings. As a song writer he has been covered by Prairie Oyster on their hit album Everyone Knows , and as a singer he once sang a duet with kd lang. (Alright... it was a Budweiser commercial...) As an entertainer he has worked his magic to an ecstatic audience of 25,000 at the Montreal Jazz Festival and an equally ecstatic audience of 250 at Hugh's Room in Toronto, where his latest Silver Blues CD and DVD were recorded. He performs internationally over 150 shows per year, most recently at Blues Sur Seine in France. 8X Maple Blues and 2003 Juno Award winning artist Jack de Keyzer is a masterful, jazz infused electric blues guitarist, soulful singer and eclectic song writer of the first order. His new CD, 'Blues Thing' will be released this summer 2007. © www.myspace.com/jackdekeyzer