Draft:Blackburn Brothers
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Blackburn Brothers | |
|---|---|
| File:Blackburn Brothers headshot.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Blues, Funk, Soul, R&B, Jazz, Rock |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | Electro-Fi Records, Arctic Records Canada, Make it Real Records |
| Members |
|
| Past members | Mark Ayee |
| Website | blackburnbrothersmusic |
The Blackburn Brothers are a Canadian blues band composed of a core group of three siblings, Duane Blackburn (lead vocals, organ, piano), Brooke Blackburn (guitar, vocals, composition), and Cory Blackburn (drums, harmony vocals). Additional band members include longtime horn section bandmates Neil Brathwaite on tenor saxophone and Ted Peters on trombone, as well as Andrew Stewart on bass guitar. Their studio production team includes oldest sibling Robert Blackburn (guitar, vocals, composition), Howard Ayee (producer, bass), and cousin Nathan Blackburn (bass). Formerly known as "Blackburn," the band has been described by Living Blues magazine as a "generational family band [that] plays traditional blues and R&B with a contemporary take."[1]
History[edit]
The Blackburn Brothers formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1996. Their music synthesizes the blues with R&B, soul, and funk.[2] Their musical lineage traces back to Canada's 1950s blues singer Bobby Dean Blackburn[3]—the father of Cory, Duane, and Brooke[4]—who has performed in the Toronto music scene for over six decades.
A strong political ethos weaves through the entire Blackburn Brothers opus, shedding light on Black Canadian history, the Civil Rights Movement, and the current lived realities of those in the African diaspora. Their compositions evoke their family's past, as in "Bobby's Blues," a 2024 Blues Music Award Song of the Year nominee[5] off the 2023 album SoulFunkn'Blues (Electro-Fi Records). "Bobby's Blues" recalls Bobby Dean Blackburn's experiences of poverty and anti-Black racism in mid-twentieth century Toronto. The band's cover of the 1996 song "Sister Rosa" by The Neville Brothers, also appearing on SoulFunkn'Blues, celebrates pivotal moments in the 1960s's American Civil Rights Movement. The struggle against racism reverberates in tracks about current social issues like "Freedom Train" and "Little Sister" (SoulFunkn'Blues, 2023).
"As you listen, you'll hear how The Blackburn Brothers have distilled over sixty years of Black music across mostly strains of funk, R&B, and soul with enough blues for good measure to forge their own style,"[6] explains acclaimed blues artist Shakura S'Aida. Critic Eric Thom for Exclaim! also holds that the Blackburn Brothers embrace the past while "delivering a tightly confident sound that's altogether new again."[7]
The Blackburn Brothers trace their ancestry back to Black Americans who escaped slavery by migrating to Canada through the Underground Railroad in the mid-nineteenth century, and this is a central theme of their music.[8] They are fourth-generation Canadians, established in Owen Sound, Ontario by forefather Elias Earls who was born enslaved in Kentucky, US in 1792 and fled north to Canada.[9] The band's lyrics often depict the central tenets of anti-racism, Canadian Black history, and pan-Africanism.
Blackburn Brothers' first album Soul Searchin' (Arctic Records Canada) was released in 1997 and its single "Africa" made it to #4 on the Top 50 Energy 108FM music radio charts. In 2010, they released their second album, Brotherhood (Make it Real Records), and won the Maple Blues Award for Best New Band. That same year, the band was chosen to represent Canadian blues music at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. The IBC is the world's largest gathering of blues musicians.[10] Their performance at the competition caught the attention of Rolling Stone magazine senior editor David Fricke who talked about the Blackburn Brothers on Channel 4 Memphis Morning TV.[11]
In 2015, Blackburn Brothers released Brothers in This World (Electro-Fi Records) which earned them a JUNO Award nomination for Blues Album of The Year, and charted at #1 on the American Roots Music Report (RMR) the week of May 28 (and over several months in 2015 and 2016).[12] The following year, the band received the 2017 Coup de Coeur Award from the Tremblant International Blues Festival.[13] The band was inducted into the Canada South Blues Society Hall of Fame in 2023.[14]
The Blackburn Brothers' 2023 album SoulFunkn'Blues (Electro-Fi Records) has garnered international acclaim, with reviews and features in Billboard, Living Blues, CBC Music, Blues in Britain, Blues Matters Magazine, and Blues Blast Magazine. Additionally, the album has received three American 2024 Blues Music Award nominations for Album of the Year, Soul Blues Album of the Year, and Song of the Year (a new precedent from a Canadian band), and a 2024 JUNO Award nomination for Blues Album of the Year.[15] Considered the highest honour on the Canadian Blues scene, Blackburn Brothers collectively earned a record-setting nine nominations in the 2024 Maple Blues Awards including Entertainer of the Year and Electric Act of the Year. Locally, the band has received support from Canadian arts institutions and are played regularly on Canada's CBC Radio and JAZZ.FM Radio.
SoulFunkn'Blues made it to #1 on the RMR charts the week of its release and sits at #43 in the RMR's Best of 2023 list.[16] It remained in the top 10 on the North American College & Community Blues Radio Charts (NACC) from September to February 2023. It was #3 on Amazon's Top 100 US Blues Albums and debuted at #5 on the iTunes Top US Blues Albums the week of its release.
The Blackburn Brothers cultivated their onstage performance in the 1990s at the Bamboo Club in Toronto where "they were part of Toronto's street culture representing a lineage of unmistakable nocturnal hedonism."[17] Decades later, they headline various Canadian blues festivals, playing the Calgary International Blues Festival in 2022,[18] Montreal Jazz Festival and Vancouver Island Musicfest in 2023, as well as the Ottawa Blues Festival and Edmonton Blues Festival in 2024. They have toured internationally for decades, playing the Pennsylvania Blues Festival and Connecticut Mystic Blues Festival in 2016,[19] and the Panama Boquete Beaches Jazz & Blues Festival in 2024. They are known for their on-stage performances, and are considered a staple in the Canadian blues festival circuit.[20] As John Valenteyn for Maple Blues Magazine writes, "New Orleans has the Neville Brothers; Toronto's Blackburn similarly fires up live shows with scorching soul power."
Over the years, the Blackburn Brothers have performed alongside renowned musicians including Mavis Staples, Dr. John and The Nite Trippers, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, Shakura S'Aida, and Cedric Burnside. Additionally, they've shared the spotlight with esteemed Canadian artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Colin James, The Bros. Landreth, and Liberty Silver.
They are credited for contributing theme music to Disney Junior Canada's Justin Time television series.
Legacy[edit]
As American blues singer and actress Shakura S'Aida writes in the liner notes of Soul Funkn'Blues (Electro-Fi Records), "the blues that the Blackburn Brothers create is part of their inheritance, a legacy that began with Elias Earls. It is authentic and always about a message of history, freedom, legacy, family, Black unity and love."[21]
Discography[edit]
Soul Searchin' (1997, Arctic Records Canada)
Brotherhood (2010, Make It Real Records)
Brothers in This World (2016, Electro-Fi Records) (#1 RMR. May 28, 2015)
SoulFunkn'Blues (2023, Electro-Fi Records) (#1 RMR. Sept 30, 2023)
Awards and Nominations[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Maple Blues Award | Best New Band | Won | [22] |
| 2015 | Maple Blues Award | Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year (Duane Blackburn) | Nominated | [23] |
| 2016 | JUNO Award | Blues Album of the Year (Brothers in This World) | Nominated | [12] |
| 2016 | Maples Blues Award | Electric Act of the Year | Nominated | [24] |
| 2017 | Tremblant International Blues Festival | Coup de Coeur Award | Won | [13] |
| 2017 | Maple Blues Award | Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year (Duane Blackburn) | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Maple Blues Award | Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year (Duane Blackburn) | Nominated | [25] |
| 2020 | Maple Blues Award | Drummer of the Year (Cory Blackburn) | Nominated | [26] |
| 2020 | Maple Blues Award | Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year (Duane Blackburn) | Nominated | [26] |
| 2021 | Maple Blues Award | Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year (Duane Blackburn) | Nominated | [26] |
| 2022 | Maple Blues Award | Electric Act of the Year | Nominated | [27] |
| 2022 | Maple Blues Award | Drummer of the Year (Cory Blackburn) | Nominated | [27] |
| 2023 | Canada South Blues Society Hall of Fame | Induction | Won | [28] |
| 2024 | JUNO Award | Blues Album of the Year (SoulFunkn'Blues) | Nominated | [15] |
| 2024 | Blues Music Award | Album of the Year (SoulFunkn'BLUES) | Nominated | [29] |
| 2024 | Blues Music Award | Soul Blues Album of the Year (SoulFunkn'Blues) | Nominated | [29] |
| 2024 | Blues Music Award | Song of the Year ("Bobby's Blues" on SoulFunkn'Blues) | Nominated | [29] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Entertainer of the Year | Nominated | [30] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Electric Act of the Year | Nominated | [30] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Songwriter of the Year (Brooke Blackburn) | Nominated | [30] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Recording of the Year (SoulFunkn'Blues) | Nominated | [30] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Producer of the Year (Howard Ayee and Cory Blackburn) | Nominated | [30] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Male Vocalist of the Year (Brooke Blackburn) | Nominated | [30] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Guitarist of the Year (Brooke Blackburn) | Nominated | [30] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year (Duane Blackburn) | Nominated | [30] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Drummer of the Year (Cory Blackburn) | Nominated | [30] |
| 2024 | Maple Blues Award | Bassist of the Year (Nathan Blackburn) | Nominated | [30] |
References[edit]
- ^ "Living Blues #288 January/February 2024 | Living Blues Magazine". livingblues.com. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Austin, Jack (2023-12-03). "Featured Interview – The Blackburn Brothers". Blues Blast Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Talbot, Michael (2023-02-16). "The musical legacy of local legend Bobby Dean Blackburn". CityNews Toronto. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ "The Soul of the Blackburns | Billboard Canada". ca.billboard.com. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Dickerson, Candace. "Blue Music Awards- Home Page & Nominations". Blues Foundation. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Hynes, Jim (2023-08-28). "The Blackburn Brothers Show Their Sweaty Canadian Grooves On 'Soulfunkin' Blues'(ALBUM REVIEW)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ "Blackburn | Exclaim!". Blackburn | Exclaim!. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ "2024 Juno Award Nominees Reveal Everything You Didn't Know About Them | Billboard Canada". ca.billboard.com. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Sacksteder, John (2023-09-01). "Blackburn Brothers -Soulfunkn Blues | Album Review". Blues Blast Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Addison. "International Blues Challenge". Blues Foundation. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Cory Blackburn (2015-06-05). Rolling Stones David Fricke talks about Blackburn brothers. Retrieved 2024-06-13 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Junos 2016: Complete list of Juno Award nominees". CBC News. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ a b "Blackburn Brothers". Niagara Jazz Festival. 2024-05-28. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ "Canada South Blues Society". www.windsorblues.ca. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ a b "Winners + Nominees". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ Moab, Roots Music Report 375 South Main #127; States424-1487, Utah 84532 United. "Roots Music Report: Top Contemporary Blues Album Chart". Roots Music Report. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Blackburn: Brotherhood". Tower Records. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ Randhawa, Rachneet (2022-07-24). "Calgary International Bluesfest 2022 returns to Shaw Millenium Park". CityNews Calgary. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ Record, Coral Andrews Special to the (2016-04-01). "The beat of the Blackburn brothers". The Record. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ Vanderhorst, Jan (2024-02-10). "What is Toronto-style blues? Brooke Blackburn takes a stab at it | Roots Music Canada". www.rootsmusic.ca. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ BROTHERS, BLACKBURN. "BLACKBURN BROTHERS". BLACKBURN BROTHERS. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ "Toronto Blues Society | » About Maple Blues Awards". Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ "Toronto Blues Society | » About Maple Blues Awards". Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ "Kemptville Live 2024 - Blackburn Brothers". www.kemptvillelivemusicfestival.com. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ "Toronto Blues Society | » About Maple Blues Awards". Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ a b c "Toronto Blues Society | » About Maple Blues Awards". Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ a b "Blackburn Brothers". Niagara Jazz Festival. 2024-05-28. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ "Canada South Blues Society". www.windsorblues.ca. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ a b c Dickerson, Candace. "Blue Music Awards- Home Page & Nominations". Blues Foundation. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Maple Blues Awards 2024: The Blackburn Brothers earn nine nominations". JAZZ.FM91. 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2024-06-26.