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| To the Max. Mississauga singer Johnny Max nominated for three Maple Blues Awards – including Entertainer of the Year File photo |
With his fifth record, It’s A Long Road, nominated for three Maple Blues Awards – including Entertainer of the Year – Mississauga singer Johnny Max hosts his second annual Christmas party at The Harp this Saturday.
And he hopes to prove the album title true, by touring further afield.
“I want to travel,” he says, over coffee. “There’s more to Canada than southern Ontario. And this CD is getting some good responses in the U.S. and Europe.”
Stylistically, it’s an extension of his previous (Juno-nominated) A Lesson I’ve Learned, with swampy N’Awlins grooves coloured by sweet B3 organ, barrelhouse piano, roadhouse guitar, a full horn section and, of course, Max’s trademark wit. He still falls back on the blues clichés in places, but elsewhere he stretches out, reminding favourably of Tom Waits on the lilting Song Of New York.
And this disc has more of a band feel, with the material co-written and co-produced by Max and bandmates Vince Maccarone (drums), Wayne Deadder (bass) and John Findlay (guitar). It was recorded at the local Metalworks Studio and mixed and mastered by Nick Blagona (The Police, Cat Stevens, etc.).
“We decided to go a bit bigger on the production,” Max says. “I guess it’s more soul, more of the '70s FM radio I grew up on – Stax, Leon Russell and Joe Cocker.”
At this point, Max fronts four different bands, promotes concerts, hosts an internet radio show (Sunday Morning Soul, on The Haze FM in Mississauga), paints houses and refs hockey games to keep the bills hounds off his back.
“This is the Canadian music industry. You’ve got to do something else,” he muses. “I can show you Juno-nominated dog walkers.”
The amiable father of two laments that, “There’s no organic music on the radio (any more).
“It’s all electronic, it’s all samples. It’s a sad, sad thing. It’s a producer’s game.”
The party kicks off at 4 p.m. at The Harp, 55 Lakeshore Rd. E., with performances by both the Johnny Max Band and Johnny Max & The Heart Attacks.
Admission is free, but they’re requesting a $5 donation to the Sleeping Children Around The World charity.
