Kim Doolittle is one of the musicians on their way to Memphis early next year. A fundraising show is planned in December to help the musicians with costs associated to the trip.
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Live blues music lovers in the Quinte area will soon have a new place they can call home in the next couple of months.
On October 18 blues master Maurice John Vaughn (Alligator Records) will be performing on stage at Signal, and sharing the bill are two other stellar blues artists; Shirley Johnson and Freddy Dixon III.
And later this fall, on December 14, Signal will be hosting a fundraiser in support of the winners of the Loyal Blues Fellowship’s (LBF) Road to Memphis competition, Patrick Fockler and the Senders (band category) and Kim Doolittle with Rob Quail (solo/duo category).
“We’ve been thinking about blues music lovers in the Quinte area, and we’ve wondered how to serve them,” stated Richard Courneyea, Signal’s owner. “We think that this two-pronged approach, a big name from the US and working with the LBF is a good way to find out what people want.”
Fockler and the Senders will present their distinctive and authentic rocking blues featuring Fockler’s blazing guitar riffs and rich soulful vocals along with singer-songwriter Kim Doolittle who will be performing from her latest recording Into the Blue. Doolittle is well known to the Quinte region having already appeared on the Signal stage, as well as at Night Kitchen Too. Fockler, originally from Belleville, now calls Peterborough home.
“It’s pretty cool that Richard (Courneyea) is supporting these local musicians in this way,” says LBF president Rob Thompson. “He’s really putting his money where his mouth is.”
Alligator Records’ Vaughn is regarded as a premiere North American blues musician with an impressive history exceeded perhaps only by his multi-instrumental musicianship; sax and guitar accompanying his unique vocal style. Freddie Vaughn is the son of the great Willie Dixon and heads up the “Original Chicago Blues All Stars”. He’s been singing and playing bass for more than 40 years.
Fockler first came to the attention of the Loyal Blues Fellowship about 15 years ago as a 12-year-old sitting in on the monthly jam session held at the Engineers’ Hall in Belleville. He went on to perform at the LBF’s first “End of Winter “Blues Festival” held at Loyalist College that year.
All gate proceeds from the Fockler/Doolittle show at Signal Brewery will go directly to the musicians to help fund their trip to Memphis scheduled for January 28 to February 1 in Memphis, Tennessee.
