Harpdog Brown was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. The Dog started playing Blues in 1981 and never looked back.  Some influences include Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter Jacobs, Sonny Boy Williamson, James Cotton, and Tom Waits.

Having been in the business as a touring recording artist for close to thirty years, he has shared the stage with such greats as Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Pinetop Perkins, Tim Williams, Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, The Powder Blues Band, Willie MacCalder, Jack de Keyzer, Fathead, Donald Ray Johnson, Morgan Davis and the late Dutch Mason.

In 1994, Harpdog won the prestigious Muddy Award – the only Canadian to receive this honor - and in 1995 was nominated for a Juno Award for Best Blues Album, “Home Is Where the Harp Is”.

Harpdog Brown is one of Canada’s truly gifted blues artists. He’s a lifer in the world of musical gypsies, traveling near and far to share his substantial talents in story and song.

A gifted singer and an imaginative harp player, he brings traditional blues into the 21st century. With five CDs under his belt, working with two different duos as well as with his band The Bloodhounds, the Dog puts his individual stamp on everything he does.

He is pure blues at its best; absolutely the genuine item.  He is the real deal.

Press

"Harpdog is a great blues man. He is in total command onstage – and enjoying every minute. The addition of Will MacCalder is a bonus." - Holger Petersen, Blues Programmer CKUA and CBC Radio

"Brown is an excellent singer and band leader who reminds me a lot of the late Hock Walsh and he has put together a program that you can often hear in clubs but seldom so well played ........ heavy on blues feeling." - John Valenteyn, President Toronto Blues Society

"Isn’t it nice to know that all the “fast food / flavor of the week” blues artist are easily dispensed with when compared with the REAL THING.  I mean the bona fide, totally authentic purveyor of heart and soul, down-in-the-alley blues.  And, believe you me, Harpdog Brown and the Bloodhounds are purveyors with pedigree." - Andy “Blues Boy” Grigg, Chief Editor Blues Review Magazine

“They play the blues naturally and without gimmicks or pretension, and when you combine that with their talent, it places them at the top of their trade…You won’t find a better blues band in Canada.” - West Coast Entertainment Magazine

“These two bluesmen are just too good to be missed." - Blues Notes, Portland

“These guys play with passion, emotion and honesty, and instead of overwhelming their audience, with technical genius, they keep it simple except when the time is right for going to town. That’s the essence of Blues” - Missoula Independent, Montana

“These guys are genuine bluesmeisters, and will make you homesick for Chicago and the Mississippi delta even if you’ve never been to either…They don’t come any better than this.” - Capitol News, Kelowna, BC

Reviews

ABOVE AND BEYOND
Author: John Taylor
    ublished: May 10, 2010 at 9:03 am
 

When one considers that the most common type of harmonica is, by definition, limited – the diatonic scale omits flat and sharp notes – it’s astonishing just how expressive an instrument it can be in the hands of a master like Edmonton’s Harpdog Brown.

Above And Beyond, Brown’s latest on his own Dog Breath Records, finds him teamed with fellow Edmontonian Graham Guest, pianist extraordinaire, who spent years working with blues chanteuse Sue Foley among many others. Together they tear through a delightful collection of blues and boogie favorites that’s both intimate and exuberant.

It helps that Harpdog, who hails from Edmonton, is blessed with a big but supple voice and a raconteur’s charm. He approaches each tune from a storyteller’s perspective, with sly phrasing and nod-‘n’-a-wink aplomb that’s just right for the material.

Brown is a disciple of Sonny Boy Williamson, the innovative genius who virtually defined what the acoustic harmonica is capable of, and covers a pair of Williamson’s tunes here. There are a handful of standards recognizable by even the most casual blues fan - “You Don’t Have To Go,” “Rocket 88,” “Big Boss Man,” and “Flip, Flop & Fly” – but the duo setting and Brown’s singular delivery keep ‘em all fresh. Surprises come with a bluesy romp through Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and the delightful “Canadian Man,” written by Brown’s friend, Steve Pineo. (As a country song it was a hit for Paul Brandt).

Brown sticks to acoustic harmonica for the entire collection, meaning he’s free to employ a full arsenal of hand movements that vary air flow, with the result a dazzling array of tones and expressions, from guttural moans to whoops of joy. Guest is a marvel throughout, providing a solid rhythmic foundation for every tune and embellishing each with sparkling yet seemingly effortless fills that render the lack of additional instrumentation a moot point. Indeed, the two seem to be of one musical mind, audibly responding to each other as the songs unfold – performances were captured ‘live’ in the studio, with the organic interplay between musicians an integral element in the proceedings. This one’s honest and real, and best of all it’s fun to listen to (and just try to keep your toes from tapping!). Recommended!

Harpdog Brown
all stripped down and ready to party
as printed in beatroute

By Lindsay Wilson

Edmonton’s Harpdog Brown, known for his gritty, raw style of blues that brings the listener back to the days of packed Friday night juke joints filled with shots of whiskey and clouds of smoke, has decided to strip things down and take his blues vocals and harmonica playing to a more simple place.

His first self-produced album under Dog Breath Records, Above and Beyond, stands apart from Brown’s previous three albums, Home Is Where The Harp Is (the 1994 Juno nominee and winner of the prestigious Muddy Award), Unleashed (recorded in 1995, not released until 2008) and Once in a Howlin’ Moon (2001).

This new collective of classic blues tunes, covering songs from artists such as Fats Weller, Sonny Boy Williamson and even Calgary’s own Steve Pineo, are vocally-driven, honest and simple. There’s no flash and little instrumentation – just the Dog on harp and vocals and the fine piano skills of Graham Guest.

“A lot of times in this world, we musicians add more members to the stage to overcompensate for the lack of individual musicality,” explains the Dog. “In this situation, it’s nice to be honest and true, maybe vulnerable, but strong.”

“Above and Beyond”, which was recorded in Edmonton’s Homestead Recordings late last month, will not have the traditional welcoming onto the Canadian blues scene through a single CD release party, but through Harpdog Brown and Graham Guest’s mini-tour through March and April.

“This is a choice album of classic tunes – more like a vocal offering from me,” explains Brown. “Everywhere we go is a CD release party.”

Music

Harpdog Brown - Live at the Vat
BUY

Harpdog Brown Links