Blues brotherhood
Richard Burnett
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Aykroyd (L) and Donnie Walsh blowin' hot harp
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Dan Aykroyd and James Cotton pitch in to help celebrate Downchild's 40th anniversary
There are harmonica players, and then there are the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sonny Terry and the last of the old school, legendary bluesman James Cotton. The old man hasn't played in Montreal in years after being a regular at Montreal impresario Doudou Boicel's now-defunct Rising Sun nightclub back in the day. In fact it was there, one night 25 years ago, that Cotton jammed until 4 a.m. with B.B. King and Big Mama Thornton, who co-wrote Elvis's classic hit song Hound Dog."Man, I do remember the Rising Sun. They loved it when we played Hound Dog!" says the scratchy-voiced Cotton. "I always loved playing there!"
This is one of the reasons why Cotton is happy to be back in these parts as a very special guest of Canada's premier blues band, Downchild, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a cross-Canada tour.
Downchild was founded by another great harmonica player, Donnie Walsh, and another special guest handling MC duties on the tour is one of Walsh's best friends, comic legend Dan Aykroyd, who can blow a note or two on the harmonica himself.
"There would be no Blues Brothers if it weren't for Downchild," says Aykroyd, explaining he met John Belushi while tending bar at Toronto's now defunct afterhours 505 Club. Both of them sat at the bar listening to the Downchild album Straight Up which had a shot glass with a briefcase on the cover. "So we ended up calling our record Briefcase Full of Blues."
That hit 1978 Blues Brothers album - which featured a couple
Downchild songs - followed by The Blues Brothers movie in 1980, cemented Downchild's rep as Canada's greatest blues band. And Aykroyd is absolutely thrilled to be sharing the stage with his old friend Walsh and living legend Cotton. "When I grew up as a teen I saw Jimi Hendrix live, Muddy Waters, Otis Spann and James Cotton," Aykroyd says. "James is one of the last of that generation. I jammed with him once in New Orleans when he asked me to join him on stage. I had to step it up a notch!"The orphaned Cotton - who toured and recorded with everybody from Muddy Waters to Janis Joplin ("She was crazy about her Southern Comfort!") - was raised by another blues legend, Sonny Boy Williamson. "I had a good teacher," Cotton says. "He loved the way I played and I played anything he played."
The question now is, will Aykroyd join Cotton and Donnie Walsh on stage for a harmonica power trio?
"They don't need me up there," Aykroyd begs off. "But if I'm asked..."
Downchild
With special guests James Cotton, Dan Aykroyd, Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns, Nanette Workman, Bob Walsh and Jonas
At Métropolis (59 Ste-Catherine E.), Nov. 12
