Doc Mclean Live at the RCHA Club

Son of a civil rights lawyer and a fiddle player, MacLean was by his early teens playing harmonica and washboard in coffeehouses and festivals, and on radio and television. In 1972 he formed a duo with Colin Linden, (now Grammy nominated producer and recent Dylan guitarist) and became a frequent opener for Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Muddy Waters, and John Hammond. Famously, they traded a guitar for a 1948 Dodge, and set out to explore America– never looking back. In his early travels Doc met many older musicians including Son House, Tampa Red, and Robert Pete Williams. “Who I am, what I do and what I carry, was gifted to me by the grandchildren of slaves,” says MacLean. “I’m a small link in a big, unbroken chain.” Youthful work included tours and performances with Peg Leg Sam the Medicine Show Man, Blind John Davis, Sunnyland Slim, Rev Pearly Brown, and Sam Chatmon. Recordings from this period were released on Chicago’s Flying Fish label. In 2006 Doc MacLean released the critically acclaimed CD, Narrow House. Produced by Linden, the recording featured bassist Larry Taylor (Canned Heat) and drummer Stephen Hodges (Mavis Staples), who at that time were the core of the Tom Waits band. Driven by MacLean's distinctive vocals and bare fingers National guitar, Narrow House plotted an emotional remapping of contemporary, Delta rooted music (see Press). “Angola Prison Rodeo,” has since been covered by bands around the world. During the last decade, MacLean has performed 200+ road dates annually– his National Steel Tour playing all parts of all ten Canadian provinces, two territories and 25 US states. In the process, the Tour itself became legendary. Ice roads to the arctic. Crazy, burning highways through the desert wilds. Hard travel, wrecks, and tough North American weather. And now, way over 1000 shows later, the Tour is reaching Africa. "No venue too large, too small, too grand or too humble." Even places lost in the folds of the map. Appearing most often as a solo performer, Doc likes to say that he “tells songs and sings stories.” Over the years his storytelling has become a popular part of his show. Forty-five years ago Doc was playing Charlie Patton songs in Son House's living room. Today he's a blues vagabond, a traveler writing from the dark side of the highway: his resophonic, finger style slide guitar paying sonic homage to Patton, House and Big Joe Williams, his Lincoln more of a small home than a big car, his songs a celebration of a life lived fast and large on the Blues Highway. 2016 sees Doc back in the studio with Colin Linden producing, and a busy tour schedule now spanning two continents. Still some good seats left if you want to experience real Delta style blues complete with Steal Guitar and incredible storytelling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQP0VEuyxDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy8U7D3PRlU $15 Tickets available via email bruce@kingstonbluessociety.ca or 613-384-8168 Not available through the RCHA

Event details

When

November 12, 2021 • 8 pm

Where

The RCHA Club

Language

English

Organizer:

The RCHA Club