Manitoba Live Music Event

About

An all-star Canadian cast of award-winning blues and roots musicians, under the

direction of Juno award winning producer and musical director, Lance Anderson,

will appear in Winnipeg as part of their 40th Anniversary Tour celebrating THE BAND’s last concert in 1976.

The Canadian Blues All-stars, will feature Juno and Maple Blues Lifetime

Achievement award winner Chuck Jackson (lead singer of the Downchild Blues

Band), Jerome Levon Avis (Levon Helm’s godson) Kitchener phenom Matt Weidinger,

the always entertaining Johnny Max, and other special guests. The performance

will recreate the atmosphere of The Band’s final concert, which was

captured in Martin Scorcese's award-winning concert film, The Last Waltz.

 

On the American Thanksgiving of 1976 at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom,

The BAND performed what they called their “Last Waltz,” and invited many of

their friends to join in the celebration. These friends included Bob Dylan, Ronnie

Hawkins, Van Morrison, Neil Young and others who performed with The Band on

this special night.

Backed by a 9 piece band that includes Jerome Levon Avis on drums

and vocals, Terry Blersh on guitar, Russ Boswell (David Wilcox) on bass, Rob

Gusevs (Blood, Sweat and Tears) on organ and Anderson (Shakura S'Aida) on

piano and vocals, this is a group of seasoned veterans who love the music. Anderson’s

band also features a stellar four-piece horn section led by Dave Dunlop

(Boss Brass) on trumpet and Gord Meyers (Blood, Sweat and Tears) on trombone

and tuba, An all-star band!

 

“It wasn’t just the musicianship, which was second to none; it was the energy

… these musicians have brought forth a live music gem that is worthy

of any stage I know of and probably more that I don’t,” - P. Rellinger, Kawartha News

This two hour concert performance of The Last Waltz includes a wide selection of

fan favourites, such as The Band’s ‘The Weight’, ’The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie

Down’, ‘Up On Cripple Creek’, ‘Life is a Carnival’, ‘The Shape I’m In’, ‘Rag Mama

Rag’, ‘It Makes No Difference’, 'Ophelia' and many more.