Parker Crook
Morning Star Staff
It isn鈥檛 about the money, it鈥檚 about the music.
That鈥檚 the mantra of bluesman Harpdog Brown, who鈥檚 playing with the Travelin鈥� Blues Show featuring Sugar Brown at the Prestige Inn Ballroom Saturday.
The dynamic duo met last fall while Harpdog was on tour in Ontario.
鈥淭his man has truly given me hope that there is a chance that classic blues is alive here in Canada,鈥� said Harpdog, the Maple Blues Award winner for Harmonica Player of the Year in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
鈥淕uys like me and Sugar are keeping the torch alive.鈥�
After meeting, the two bonded over their love of classic blues: music straight from early 鈥�50s Chicago.
鈥淭hat was wicked. It was the most natural love affair,鈥� said Harpdog. 鈥淚t was encouraging, (and) we鈥檙e pretty excited about the blues marriage.鈥�
Sugar, born in Ohio in 1971, is a professor of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto who grew up playing the blues with the likes of Taildragger, responsible for giving Ken Kawashima his stage name; Dave Myers; and Willie 鈥淏ig Eyes鈥� Smith, the late-drummer of Muddy Waters band.
鈥淪ugar Brown鈥檚 blues were shaped by playing the small clubs and venues along the west side of Chicago,鈥� said Harpdog. 鈥淗e鈥檚 paid his dues and he鈥檚 paid his time.
鈥淗e鈥檚 educated, but not too educated. If you get too over educated, it becomes jazz.鈥�
Classic blues comes from passion and emotion, said Harpdog, not about technical prowess.
鈥淢usic has become a sport 鈥� it鈥檚 all tricks, but it鈥檚 lost its language.鈥�
So when the two bluesmen played together, it was a natural connection.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like having the right guy on your stage,鈥� said Harpdog. 鈥淚鈥檓 amazed and overwhelmed by the talent.鈥�
But, because of its focus on passion, Harpdog said blues will never be popular to the degree of top 40.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone gets into the blues to be rich and famous,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never going to be the flavour of the week. It鈥檚 not a sprint, it鈥檚 a marathon. Blues is a lifelong experience.鈥�
Harpdog stumbled into the world of blues after already being involved in music. He didn鈥檛 go searching for the blues, it found him.
鈥淚 can kind of see how I was designed for the circus, and blues was my circus,鈥� he said.
鈥淏lues is the thing (where) I really felt like I truly belonged. The blues gave me a purpose in life.鈥�
Growing up as a foster-child in Edmonton, Harpdog always felt out of place. He was named three times by people he never knew, but only once did the name feel right.
In 1989, when Harpdog was in his late-20s, he played a gig at the famous Mama Gold鈥檚 in Kitsilano, Vancouver. In the crowd was a group of well-dressed men.
鈥淎t the end of the night, they were chanting 鈥榟arp dog, harp dog.鈥�
He thought about it a few days later, and decided he liked it.
鈥淚 truly connected to the name. I never felt like I belonged as anything but Harpdog.鈥�
And after a divorce four years ago, he legally changed his name to Harpdog, known as 鈥淒og鈥� for short, because as he says in What鈥檚 your real name, 鈥淎fter all, I am the dog of the harp, not the harp of the dog.鈥�
Harpdog played the Prestige Inn Ballroom last year, loved it, and decided to make it an annual show.
鈥淚t was pretty damn successful,鈥� he said.
Despite his love for the blues, it鈥檚 still a job, and sometimes he has trouble getting out of bed in the afternoon, but he doesn鈥檛 quit.
鈥淚 never regret going to work on my way home.
鈥淧laying live is what it鈥檚 all about. Like a priest without a congregation, if there鈥檚 no audience, there鈥檚 no point.鈥�
Through playing the blues to live audiences, Harpdog has affected their lives. Hearing about other peoples鈥� struggles helps them realize their situations aren鈥檛 so bad, he said.
鈥淏lues is a practice. It鈥檚 not something to listen to. It鈥檚 something to live and to share. It鈥檚 music that can change a person鈥檚 life.鈥�
And that鈥檚 what keeps Harpdog going.
鈥淭hose moments are more valuable than money in the bank.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about the funny, not about the money.鈥�
Tickets to Harpdog Brown and the Travelin鈥� Blues Show featuring Sugar Brown are available for $20 at Bourbon St. Bar and Grill, 4411-32nd St., and East Side Liquor Company, 4209-27th St. Doors at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m. For more information, visit .
