Steve Strongman

Steve Strongman - Blues in Colour - 2009 - Steve Strongman

"Steve Strongman's new CD 'Blues In Colour' is one of the strongest Canadian releases in a long time. It's on my Galaxie BluesTime Top 10 and getting lots of airtime on CBC Radio. The spirit of Mel Brown lives on with the soulful, precise and always tasteful guitar playing of Steve Strongman. He's also a natural singer and gifted harp player who writes great original material." - Holger Petersen, Host - Saturday Night Blues, CBC Radio

Even after a well-received debut CD, Honey, the hard work continues. With a particularly effective showcase at the Blues Summit behind him, Steve Strongman keeps the ball rolling with a sparkling new CD. With release parties in home base Hamilton and here next month, the momentum should keep growing. He certainly has the songs and the performances here to make that happen. It’s basically a trio session, with multiple-award winning Alec Fraser on bass and producer Dave King on drums. Strongman overdubs some fine harp, especially on the rocking opener, “Mean To Me’. The only cover is up next, a solid take on Freddie King’s “Woman Across The River”, with the trio handling the changes superbly. “That’s What She Does” would have hit single written all over it if hit radio played these things. With a catchy melody delivered in his distinctive, plaintive voice, it’ll be in your head for days. The jaunty “Can’t Back Down” switches gears to acoustic with Strongman on slide and King on brushes. Another winner. “Take My Arms” is a long, slow blues and it doesn’t disappoint, with perfect guitar accompaniments to the vocal and a stunning solo. Electric slide dominates “Can’t Stop But I’m Tryin’”, a song about vices (with Paul Intson on bass). “Heart” is a lovely acoustic ballad. “Lie To You” is another rocker with electric slide with a catchy chorus. “Plain Hard Truth”, with its unison vocal and guitar lines, is another slow blues that except for the chorus is so downhome it would not sound out of place on an R.L. Burnside album. A very good lyric too. The disc concludes with Strongman on his National saying, passionately, “Just Sorry”. The Hamilton CD release is on March 21 at the Hamilton Place Studio Theatre. Tickets for that show are on sale now. The Toronto date is at The Silver Dollar Room on April 25th. His web site is www.stevestrongman.com. © John Valenteyn © http://www.torontobluessociety.com/0903johnspicks.htm

Steve Strongman is one of the most talented guitarists on the Canadian scene. "Blues in Color" was ranked among the finest Canadian 2009 albums in the blues genre. Steve's guitar playing is fantastic and makes this album a very worthwhile listen. Try and listen to his "Honey" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Mean to Me - Stephen Strongman 2:59
2 Woman Across the River - Crutcher, Jones 2:37
3 That's What She Does - Stephen Strongman 3:38
4 Can't Back Down - Stephen Strongman 3:17
5 Take My Arms - Stephen Strongman 5:58
6 Can't Stop, But I'm Tryin' - Dave King, Robert Szabo, Steve Strongman 3:38
7 Wastin' My Time - Stephen Strongman 2:39
8 Heart - David King, Steve Strongman 3:14
9 Lie to You - David King, Steve Strongman 2:41
10 Plain Hard Truth - David King, Steve Strongman 3:53
11 Emily - David King, Steve Strongman 4:22
12 Shout It out Loud - David King, Stephen Strongman 3:44
13 Just Sorry - Dave King, Steve Strongman 2:45

MUSICIANS

Steve Strongman - Guitars, Vocals, Harmonica
Alec Fraser - Bass
Paul Intson - Bass on Tracks 6,12
Dave King - Drums, Vocals

BIO (WIKI)

Steve Strongman is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer and songwriter originally from Kitchener, Ontario. He has released two full length blues albums, Honey and Blues in Colour. Strongman grew up in Kitchener, and started playing guitar at 16. He studied under blues veteran Mel Brown, but later played country, rock, and pop. He has played with other Canadian musicians such as Roy Clark, Jeff Healey, and Tal Bachman. He eventually formed Plasticine with co-frontman Rob Szabo. Their video "No One" received extensive play on Much Music. They released two albums, 1999's self-titled CD and 2001's Public Address System. They appeared on national television on Open Mike with Mike Bullard, but folded shortly after when their label collapsed. Following the band's demise, Strongman opted to be the lead guitar player for Sony recording artist Kazzer, giving him the opportunity to tour in the United States and Europe. Strongman relocated to Hamilton, Ontario and in 2007 released Honey, his first blues album. The album, consisting of eleven tracks including nine originals, earned good reviews and earned him a Maple Blues Award nomination as well as four nominations at the 2007 Hamilton Music Awards. He toured with his band playing blues clubs across the country, with stops at the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Ottawa Blues Festival and the Tremblant International Blues Festival. He opened for Buddy Guy in Hamilton in 2008. He also supported well-known slide guitar player Sonny Landreth on his only Canadian date in Toronto, Ontario. Strongman released his second album Blues in Colour in 2010.

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Steve Strongman's searing, blues soaked guitar and warm soulful vocal harmonies evokes the emotion, maturity and authenticity of classic blues themes like lost love, truth and hard times. Listening to him is guitar paradise, and it is this mastery of the instrument, along with dynamic songwriting, vocal and potent performance styles, that sets this artist apart. Having established himself as a musical force to be reckoned with, Strongman has quickly moved into the top ranks of Canadian Blues music, and is undeniably one of the most compelling young bluesmen in the scene today. Beginning his professional career at the age of 16, playing clubs all around Southern Ontario, Strongman soon branched out touring extensively with rock, country and blues bands in venues like Opryland, Renfro Valley in Kentucky and opening for Roy Clark at his theatre in Branson Missouri. After a taste of L.A., playing with Columbia recording artist Tal Bachman, Steve chose to concentrate on his own rock band, Plasticine. With irresistible stage presence and gritty hard-driving rock & roll, Plasticine developed a devoted legion of fans and quickly garnered a record deal with the Allen Gregg venture Song Corporation. After the demise of the ill-fated Song Corp. , Steve reconsidered his own musical future. Plasticine went their separate ways and Steve was opted as lead guitar player for Epic/Sony recording artist Kazzer leading to more touring of the United States, Canada as well as extensive tours in Europe. In between, he jammed out his blues solo act in venues all around Southern Ontario. But the Blues were calling louder and Strongman, drawn back to the style that first spoke to him, made a natural and resolute decision to answer. So, twenty years later, and in a return to his roots, 2007 saw Strongman proudly presenting "Honey", his debut blues release. This is an album that offers a seamless blend of old school and new originals that heralds the arrival of Canada's newest Blues sensation. With nine originals on the 11 song play list, Strongman guides the feel and flow with ease and this ultra-cool musical gem is a high caliber work paving new ground with its pace changes, dynamics, atmosphere, melody, tricky riffs and mind blowing gritty greasy blues. Through the years has shared the stage and bills with a range of musical who's who from young rockers like Tal Bachman and Kazzer to Kim Wilson, James Harmon, Luther Tucker, Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl, Roy Clark, Otis Clay, Jeff Healey and Watermelon Slim just to name a few. 2008 saw his mojo continue to rise, and after opening for Blues Legend Buddy Guy on his Canadian tour dates, and supporting Louisiana slide guitar legend Sonny Landreth on his only Canadian stop, this multiple Maple Blues Awards is busier than ever. The summer saw Steve performing as special guest guitarist and singer in tribute performances with Jeff Healey's Blues Band, and he continued delivering his own sprawling Blues/Rock hybrid across the land including performances at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Cisco Ottawa Blues Festival and Quebec's Mont Tremblant International Blues Festival to name just a few. [from & © 1996 - 2011 CD Universe http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7968963]