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Local Guides
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JACK DEKEYZER
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by
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November 7-13, 2002 |
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Jack de Keyzer has a mystique about him that is rare among even the best known musicians. “Jack de Keyzer is in town” — the statement tingles with expectation, with the sense that something good is about to happen.
Fans of any music genre argue endlessly over who is good and who isn’t in each particular vein, but de Keyzer seems to transcend that debate. The guy is good — no argument.
Finer points aside, the guitarist is happy just to play to appreciative ears.
“We play a lot of smaller cities and it seems like the blues are more popular today than ever. But, any place that’s full of people having a great time is a good venue,” says de Keyzer. “The small venues, where you can play lowdown, up-tempo, swinging blues and then bring it down and get really intimate with the crowd are great.”
De Keyzer has amassed a wealth of CDs including Wild at Heart, Down in the Groove, the appropriately named Hard Working Man, and his latest offering, Six String Lover, which has earned him a lot of attention and praise — he’s currently up for seven Maple Blues Awards.
But he’s no stranger to accolades. His awards include Maple Blues Awards for Best Blues Album (for Down in the Groove), and the 2001 lifetime achievement award. Real Blues magazine crowned him Live Act Of The Year in 2001, and has twice named him guitarist of the year. Diversity, consistency, and pure talent may keep him in peak form, but de Keyzer says there’s much more to it than that if you want to stay on top in Canada.
“Singing and playing for a live audience is great. It gives you a natural high and very few art forms offer that outlet. But writing is important. The beauty of writing is etching your work in stone and leaving something on record that’s rewarding. And you have to be versatile; able to adapt to several styles or it’s going to be tough to make a living in the business,” he explained. “I’ve been at it for 30 years. I’ve been blessed.”
And he’s optimistic about the future of the genre.
“People have come to understand it’s uplifting,” her observes. “They hear Stevie Ray Vaughan and think, ‘Wow, this is really great, rocking music, but it’s the blues!’”
There’s little doubt that when de Keyzer takes the stage this weekend, the crowd will be thinking the same thing.
JACK DEKEYZER
Sunday, November 10
Rude Lounge (43 King William St., Hamilton)
905.777.9504
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