Nov. 16 was unusually snowy and I wasn’t too happy to pay $25 at The Rainbow Bistro to listen to a band I had never heard of.
But the moment I entered the small bar, my mind changed: Jack de Keyzer and his band’s sound immediately captured my attention and made me forget about the harsh weather.
The band sang a love song and a man smiled at his girlfriend, drawing her in and kissing her on the forehead. I felt transported back in time into an old blues bar within the wood-panelled and stone walls. This was perfect considering the band was on tour for their new album Checkmate, a tribute album to many Chicago blues artists.
The band was energetic and played with amazing collaboration on stage, each musician bringing something unique to the performance. Richard Thornton on tenor sax provided the bluesy vibe with his wonderful solos; he was in incredible control of the instrument. The drummer, Rick Donaldson, kept spirits high with his goofy smiles to the audience. Donaldson and bass player lan Duffy held the music in time—a strong backbone for the band.
And of course, in the spotlight, was de Keyzer’s guitar playing. It wasn’t hard to understand why he’s one of the most highly demanded performers in Canada. His solos captivated the packed room and kept hands clapping all night.
Most of the audience had heads of white or grey hair. There was an enthusiastic middle-aged cowboy in the front, his boots constantly moving to the beat and his hat bouncing in the stage lights. He wasn’t exactly dressed for the weather in his sleeveless jean vest.
Eventually, a few groups of young people showed up and joined the older generation on the dance floor.
Everyone may have had drastically different dance styles but the Jack de Keyzer band brought them together.
I was pleasantly surprised by how the crowd stayed active for the entire night, the same couples returning to the dance floor song after song.
Jack De Keyzer has won two Junos and seven Maple Blues Awards. Their music is a mix of blues and rock, but the band has their own unique sound. Even while performing covers like “Miss You” by the Rolling Stones or Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” the band brought their own distinct style.
Their music was quintessentially Canadian and they had the personalities to match—the room was even filled with the stereotypical plaid shirts.
It was nice to see a band like this pack an intimately small Ottawa bar. Although they could probably fill larger venues, it created the perfect vibe for the night.
It’s nice to appreciate good, live music when it comes around—we can all benefit from the experience every once in a while.
Provided photo
