BAND BIO - RED HOT BLUES ROCK
Members of THE BLAZERS have a great deal of experience travelling the King’s Highway and playing live at festivals all over Ontario and clubs in the Greater Toronto Area. Members of the band have recorded and/or shared the stage with JUNO Award, Maple Blues Award, ECMA Award, and Indie Award winners/nominees.
We had an awesome experience recording our debut album "RED HOT" with 3 JUNO award winners and appreciate all the support and guidance. We had a lot of fun in the studio and you will feel the high energy and creative spirit throughout in our music.
"Infectiously funky grooves that straddle the line where red hot rock meets rhythm and blues!"
The Blazers own RED HOT ROCK and always tailor our set list to the venue and the crowd, mixing in well known covers and tightly arranged originals to keep the audience dancing and partying all night long.
Festivals include:
Port Credit's Southside Shuffle, The Orangeville Blues Fest, The Spring Rise Festivals, Mississauga Rib Fest, Toronto Blues Festival, , The Oshawa Blues Festival, Iridescent Music Spring Fest, The Orillia Blues & Jazz Festival, The Waterloo Song Writerfest, and the Kawartha Blues & Jazz Festival.
Venues and clubs include:
The Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex, The Spectrum, The York Event Theatre, The Silver Dollar, The Opera House, The El Mocambo, Chicago's East, Grossman's, Roc N Docs, Hollywood on the Queensway, P.K. Creek, The Harp, Abbey Road, Mad Dog's, Wally's Tavern, Harwood Blues, Jack's Fillin' Stn, Park Place, Chicago's Diner, Apple Jack’s, Boston Pizza & many more plus private parties and corporate events.
Members of the band have shared the stage with JUNO Award, Maple Blues Award, ECMA Award, and/or Indie Award winners and nominees such as JUNO winner Jack de Keyzer, James Gray (www.BlueRodeo.com) JUNO winner Al Lerman (www.Fathead.biz), Michael Fonfara (keyboards for Foreigner’s album “4” and www.Downchild.com), Travis Colby (www.Roomful.com of Blues), JUNO Nominee Rod Phillips, Frank Cosentino, Gary Kendall (www.Downchild.com), Garth Vogan (Chuck Jackson’s Allstars), Guenther Kapelle (www.WildT.ca & The Spirit), The Johnny Max band, Johnny Pennino, Steve Grisbrook, The Meteors, Mark 'Bird' Stafford, Bill 'Mojo Willie' Rymer, Martin Aucoin, Bobby Lonero and members have opened for David Wilcox, Jeff Healey and Wild T & The Spirit and played with many more great professional musicians.
DISCOGRAPHY
Members of the band were formally The Jukes and have played together for over 6 years and have shared the stage or recorded with JUNO Award, Maple Blues Award, ECMA Award, and/or Indie Award winners and nominees.
*** RED HOT *** - Released Oct 2009
We had an awesome experience recording our album "RED HOT" with 3 JUNO award winners and appreciate all the support and guidance. We had a lot of fun in the studio and you will feel the high energy and creative spirit throughout in our music.
*Jack de Keyzer - Producer - played on 5 tracks with us.
*Alec Fraser - Engineer (Bass player with Jeff Healey & David Wilcox) Produced 3 Juno award winning albums.
*Al Lerman - Sax and Harmonica - leader of the 2 x Juno winning band FATHEAD.
*David McMorrow - Piano/organ - played with Rough Trade and formed the band Berlin.
*** WHAT A NIGHT *** - Released Oct 2005
The debut album of the Jukes, featuring 12 original tracks such as title rack What A Night, Drinking All Night, Raining In Toronto, I Blame You, as well as their take on the classic tune Summertime. The album received rave reviews and radio play all over the world. Available @ http://TheJukes.ca or The Blazers live shows.
Recorded April 2005 at Iridescent Studios by Steve Grisbrook, this album features a variety of blues styles, such as Blues Rock, Funky Blues, Jump Blues, Swings, and Shuffles. The album also features guest organist and Juno nominee Rod Phillips on 5 tracks.
*Steve Grisbrook - Producer/Engineer
*Rod Phillips - Organ on 5 tracks
CHARITY EVENTS & ALBUMS - Band Member - Charity Projects
Charity Projects - The Blazers have donated their time playing live and on various CD's plus helping out the community with all proceeds going to charity. Members of the band have volunteered their time to raise money though charity events including : Sick Kids Hospital, Youthlink, 911 Firefighter NYFD fund, Muscular Dystrophy, and Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Research. FIRESOUND is an ongoing project started by more than 30 Toronto Firefighters. With the creation of the Burning Love CD and continuing live appearances, we have now raised over $20,000 for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, we tour the GTA raising even more money.
Charity Discography
April 2002 - ***Brother to Brother*** - Toronto to New York - 911 Firefighter NYFD fund
"Hero's Of America"
Nov 2005 - ***Burning Love*** - FIRESOUND - Muscular Dystrophy
CD available @ http://www.Firesound.ca
May 2009 - ***Sick Kids Benefit*** - Rock and Roll Heaven - Double album
"I'm a Man"
JOSH GORDON - GUITAR
For over 23 years, Josh has played a broad range of musical styles such as classical, hard rock, heavy metal, blues, R&B, jazz and country. Using this variety of styles, Josh injects flare and uniqueness into his guitar playing.
Over the past 18 years Josh has appeared at various clubs and festivals around the Greater Toronto Area including The Opera House, The El Mocambo, The Spectrum, The Silver Dollar, Grossman's Tavern, Chicago's Diner, Timothy’s Pub, Hollywood on the Queensway, The Oshawa Jazz and Blues Festival, The Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival, The Mississauga Rotary Ribfest, and The Southside Shuffle to name but a few. Lead Guitarist - JOSH GORDON is endorsed by Mack Amps http://www.mackamps.com/Josh_Gordon/
Josh has performed with many JUNO Award, MAPLE BLUES Award, NIAGARA MUSIC Award, EAST COAST MUSIC Award, and INDIE Award musicians such as: Martin Aucoin (BJ Thomas), Maureen Brown, Jim Casson (Downchild Blues Band), Michael Fonfara (Downchild Blues Band), Steve Grisbrook (Niagara Rhythm Section), Gary Kendall (Downchild Blues Band), Larry Kurtz (Trouble & Strife), Al Lerman (Fathead), Danny Marks (Edward Bear), Johnny Max (Johnny Max Band), and Rod Phillips (Rita Chiarelli).
Other musicians Josh has played with include: Danny B, Travis Colby (Roomful of Blues), Frank Cosentino, James Gray (Blue Rodeo), Guenther Kapelle (Wild T & the Spirit), Peter Nunn (Honeymoon Suite), Ben Riley (Bruce Cockburn), Gary Storin (The Stampeders), and many others. Josh has also opened for David Wilcox and Jeff Healey and the Jazz Wizards.
PETE COHAN - LEAD VOCALS
Pete’s recordings/interviews have played on commercial radio 94.9 FM The Rock, MAX TRAX on Rogers Cable, Galaxie Radio, 1430 AM Toronto and www.jazz.fm 91.1 BLUZ FM w/Danny Marks as well as college, international and internet radio play all over the world.
He has performed, shared the stage or recorded with JUNO Award winners/nominees Jack de Keyzer, David Wilcox, Al Lerman (Fathead), Gary Kendall (Downchild), Johnny Max and Rod Phillips (Morgan Davis, Rita Chiarelli). Pete has also shared the stage with Travis Colby (Roomful of Blues), David McMorrow (Rough Trade), Jim Casson, Dave Curry, Garth Vogan, Guenther Kapelle (Wild T & The Spirit), The Meteors, Mark “Bird” Stafford, Willie "MOJO" Rymer, Steve Grisbrook, New Orleans great Bobby Lonero, plus many others.
Peter has appeared at various clubs and venues around the Greater Toronto Area including: Rock and Roll Heaven, The Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex, The York Event Theatre, The Main Event Center, The Southside Shuffle Blues and Jazz Festival, Iridescent Music's Spring Fest, Hollywood on the Queensway, Chicago’s Diner, Roc N Docs, P.K. Creek, Jukebox Live, Chicago’s East, Oshawa Blues and Jazz Festival and The Spring Rise Festivals.
Pete has performed at festivals, benefits, and numerous live gigs at many of the top venues across the Greater Toronto Area. He has also performed on television, music videos and has extensive studio experience. He recorded the song “Heroes of America” @ Phase One Studios with The Poor Boys and it was released on the “Firefighter Music” Charity album in December of 2001 to help the NYFD 9/11 firefighters. Pete is also part of the charity project “FIRESOUND”, an all Toronto Firefighter band, which recorded the CD “Burning Love”. It was released in November of 2005 and raised over $20 000 for various charities. http://www.Firesound.ca *
CHRIS CRAIG - DRUMS
Chris spent many of his formative years practicing along to the records of ZZ Top, Deep Purple, Foghat, Genesis, and Led Zeppelin. By his mid-teens, Chris had already been in several bands, and had begun playing the local bar scene. As a young man, Chris’s musical tastes had broadened and he began to play progressive rock and blues. One of his bands during that time had the fortune of opening for up-and-coming blues guitarist (JUNO Award nominee/MAPLE Blues Award winner), David Gogo. Chris has gone on to work in many different genres of music, honing his skills and always searching for new sources of inspiration to fuel his progress.
Chris has played at the Oshawa Jazz & Blues Festival, Ribfest in Etobicoke, NXNE in Toronto, and the Fort Erie Friendship Festival to name but a few. Chris is also a studio musician and manages his own studio that offers quality live and studio recordings. www.sticks4hire.com
PAT McPHAIL - BASS
With a broad experience in blues, R&B, rock, jazz, and multiple other styles of music, Pat McPhail lays down the bass lines for THE BLAZERS. Pat plays with Firesound and The Shifters both Toronto Firefighter bands and appeared on Global TV's CANADA SINGS.
Pat has appeared at many of the clubs and venues around the Greater Toronto Area including: Rock and Roll Heaven, The Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex, Hollywood on the Queensway, Chicago’s Diner, Jukebox Live, Chicago’s East, Southside Johnny's and Timothy's Pub plus many more.
Pat has performed at festivals, benefits, and numerous live gigs at many of the top venues across the Greater Toronto Area. He has also performed on television, music videos and has extensive studio experience. Pat is also part of the charity project “FIRESOUND”, an all Toronto Firefighter band, which recorded the CD “Burning Love”. It was released in November of 2005 and raised over $20 000 for various charities. http://www.Firesound.ca *
Pat has played with Guenther Kapelle & 2 x Juno winner Al Lerman.
