Blenders and Art Gallery of Swift Current present the Kat Danser Trio as part of the sixth annual Stir-Crazy Blues Festival. They will perform on Friday, February 27.

Edmonton-based guitarist, singer and songwriter Kat Danser throws down an acoustic mix of funky, laidback rhythms and thought-provoking lyrics. Her 'Swamp Blues' style is steeped in early roots and blues traditions and delivered by her deep, resonant vocals and the soulful sound of her Weissenborn lap slide guitar. Kat Danser delivers a refreshing approach to roots, blues, and gospel music for the 21st Century. 

Born in Saskatchewan, Canada on November 25, 1967, to the sound of her mother playing autoharp, Kat came into this world to create music. Her Polish Catholic family instilled a strong work ethic and relaxed in front of the radio to hear the early roots music of the Carter family, Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers. At the age of 5, Kat's uncle gave her a button accordion and a family friend taught her to slap the spoons to Acadian rhythms. She was always proud to perform at church picnics or school concerts.

A multi-instrumentalist, Kat plays the Weissenborn Hawaiian lap slide guitar, a vintage acoustic Gibson, National steel resophonic slide guitar, a tack head banjo and the Zydeco scrubboard. She continues to be inspired by Mavis Staples, Ben Harper, Rosie Ladett, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Corey Harris, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Joseph Spence, Lucinda Williams and Mahalia Jackson.

Kat Danser is currently in production of her third full-length acoustic roots and blues album, is filming a documentary entitled 'Women in Blues: Turn the Page' and is an Ethnomusicology graduate student at the University of Alberta.

Blenders and Art Gallery of Swift Current present a fantastic double bill with Whitey Johnson and Colin Linden as part of the sixth annual Stir-Crazy Blues Festival. They will perform on Saturday, February 28.

Whitey Johnson is a recently discovered blues singer/songwriter/guitarist from Texas, now living in Tennessee and performing worldwide. There are various stories about Whitey's past, he has made his living making music for well over thirty years, yet has remained relatively unknown, having only recently recorded his debut album. But one known fact is that under the pseudonym Gary Nicholson his songs have been recorded by such blues greats as BB King, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, Delbert McClinton, Gatemouth Brown, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Shemeka Copeland, John Mayall and many others.

Whitey describes his style as " Feel Better Blues" with songs such as "Use the Blues(to make you feel better)", "Worry Be Gone", "Leap of Faith", and "Better off with the Blues". He learned to play guitar watching Texas legends Freddy King, Lightnin Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb, then fell in love with Robert Johnson, Muddy and Wolf and the songs of Willie Dixon. He brings a deep respect for all his heroes to his own style. His band includes Colin Linden, Tom Hambridge, and Dave Roe who all have many credits having worked with artists such as Chuck Berry, Johnny Winter, Lynryd Skynrd, Johnny Cash, and many others.

Why Whitey? Whitey Johnson was born when Gary Nicholson wrote a short story about an amazing guitar player he saw perform at a fair in his hometown Garland, Texas. This guitarist, who covered everyone from BB King to Jimi Hendrix, was a black albino and his family called him Whitey. At the end of the story Whitey dies when a church is burned by the Klan. Now when Nicholson performs as Whitey he invokes the spirit of the blues music he has loved all his life. With deepest respect for all the great founding fathers of the blues, and songs that reflect his own unique point of view, Whitey Johnson lives on.

Colin Linden is a musical renaissance man is indeed a multiple threat - as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He is in major demand by artists wanting him to produce, write for, and/or play on their records (he has played on 300 and produced 60 albums), yet somehow finds time to both pursue a prolific solo career and play a key role in Canadian roots-rock “supergroup” Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.

If forced at the proverbial gunpoint to come up with just one self-defining phrase, chances are he’d come up with “bluesman.” The form that first stirred Colin’s musical soul nearly four decades ago sustains him still. “Easin’ back to Tennessee”, his tenth solo album, represents the fullest consummation of a lifelong love affair.

“I’ve been playing country blues, ‘20s style acoustic blues, since I was a really little kid,” the 45-year-old Linden explains. “When I was 11, I met [electric blues pioneer] Howlin’ Wolf. One of the things he said to me that really got me onto this path was that ‘if you want to play this kind of music you should listen to the people I listened to.’ He told me about Charlie Patton and Son House and that generation of artists. That was like opening the biggest door in the world for me, so I just dug in deep. I listened to it and have been playing it seriously for 32 years now.”

The combination of his deep passion, encyclopedic musical knowledge, and a well-trained empathetic ear has also made Colin Linden one of the most sought after roots music producers in North America.

Colin Linden will be performing at the Art Gallery of Swift Current as a part of the Saturday Night Double Bill at the StirCrazy Blues Festival. Doors open at 8:00 pm and music will start at 9:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to this cabaret style concert. Advance tickets are only $25.00 each, festival passes are only $60.00 each and are available now at the Art Gallery of Swift Current and Pharmasave. For more information or to order tickets, please call Shann at 778-2686.

This year’s Stir Crazy Blues Festival opens on Thursday, February 26 with Juno Award Winners FATHEAD. On Saturday, February 28, Canadian icon Colin Linden and Tennesse native Whitey Johnson will be performing.

Get out of your house! Make the winter blues go away! Stir-Crazy Blues festival concerts are at Art Gallery of Swift Current in the R.C. Dahl Centre at 411 Herbert Street East. Doors open at 8:00 pm and music starts at 9:00 pm. Advance tickets and festival passes are available at Art Gallery of Swift Current and Pharmasave. For credit card orders or more information, call Shann at 778-2686. Tickets will sell quickly so avoid disappointment, get your tickets today! First come, first served.