Parker Crook

Morning Star Staff

It isn乌鸦传媒檛 about the money, it乌鸦传媒檚 about the music.

That乌鸦传媒檚 the mantra of bluesman Harpdog Brown, who乌鸦传媒檚 playing with the Travelin乌鸦传媒� Blues Show featuring Sugar Brown at the Prestige Inn Ballroom Saturday.

The dynamic duo met last fall while Harpdog was on tour in Ontario.

乌鸦传媒淭his man has truly given me hope that there is a chance that classic blues is alive here in Canada,乌鸦传媒� said Harpdog, the Maple Blues Award winner for Harmonica Player of the Year in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

乌鸦传媒淕uys like me and Sugar are keeping the torch alive.乌鸦传媒�

After meeting, the two bonded over their love of classic blues: music straight from early 乌鸦传媒�50s Chicago.

乌鸦传媒淭hat was wicked. It was the most natural love affair,乌鸦传媒� said Harpdog. 乌鸦传媒淚t was encouraging, (and) we乌鸦传媒檙e pretty excited about the blues marriage.乌鸦传媒�

Sugar, born in Ohio in 1971, is a professor of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto who grew up playing the blues with the likes of Taildragger, responsible for giving Ken Kawashima his stage name; Dave Myers; and Willie 乌鸦传媒淏ig Eyes乌鸦传媒� Smith, the late-drummer of Muddy Waters band.

乌鸦传媒淪ugar Brown乌鸦传媒檚 blues were shaped by playing the small clubs and venues along the west side of Chicago,乌鸦传媒� said Harpdog. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 paid his dues and he乌鸦传媒檚 paid his time.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 educated, but not too educated. If you get too over educated, it becomes jazz.乌鸦传媒�

Classic blues comes from passion and emotion, said Harpdog, not about technical prowess.

乌鸦传媒淢usic has become a sport 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 all tricks, but it乌鸦传媒檚 lost its language.乌鸦传媒�

So when the two bluesmen played together, it was a natural connection.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 like having the right guy on your stage,乌鸦传媒� said Harpdog. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 amazed and overwhelmed by the talent.乌鸦传媒�

But, because of its focus on passion, Harpdog said blues will never be popular to the degree of top 40.

乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 think anyone gets into the blues to be rich and famous,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 never going to be the flavour of the week. It乌鸦传媒檚 not a sprint, it乌鸦传媒檚 a marathon. Blues is a lifelong experience.乌鸦传媒�

Harpdog stumbled into the world of blues after already being involved in music. He didn乌鸦传媒檛 go searching for the blues, it found him.

乌鸦传媒淚 can kind of see how I was designed for the circus, and blues was my circus,乌鸦传媒� he said.

乌鸦传媒淏lues is the thing (where) I really felt like I truly belonged. The blues gave me a purpose in life.乌鸦传媒�

Growing up as a foster-child in Edmonton, Harpdog always felt out of place. He was named three times by people he never knew, but only once did the name feel right.

In 1989, when Harpdog was in his late-20s, he played a gig at the famous Mama Gold乌鸦传媒檚 in Kitsilano, Vancouver. In the crowd was a group of well-dressed men.

乌鸦传媒淎t the end of the night, they were chanting 乌鸦传媒榟arp dog, harp dog.乌鸦传媒�

He thought about it a few days later, and decided he liked it.

乌鸦传媒淚 truly connected to the name. I never felt like I belonged as anything but Harpdog.乌鸦传媒�

And after a divorce four years ago, he legally changed his name to Harpdog, known as 乌鸦传媒淒og乌鸦传媒� for short, because as he says in What乌鸦传媒檚 your real name, 乌鸦传媒淎fter all, I am the dog of the harp, not the harp of the dog.乌鸦传媒�

Harpdog played the Prestige Inn Ballroom last year, loved it, and decided to make it an annual show.

乌鸦传媒淚t was pretty damn successful,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Despite his love for the blues, it乌鸦传媒檚 still a job, and sometimes he has trouble getting out of bed in the afternoon, but he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 quit.

乌鸦传媒淚 never regret going to work on my way home.

乌鸦传媒淧laying live is what it乌鸦传媒檚 all about. Like a priest without a congregation, if there乌鸦传媒檚 no audience, there乌鸦传媒檚 no point.乌鸦传媒�

Through playing the blues to live audiences, Harpdog has affected their lives. Hearing about other peoples乌鸦传媒� struggles helps them realize their situations aren乌鸦传媒檛 so bad, he said.

乌鸦传媒淏lues is a practice. It乌鸦传媒檚 not something to listen to. It乌鸦传媒檚 something to live and to share. It乌鸦传媒檚 music that can change a person乌鸦传媒檚 life.乌鸦传媒�

And that乌鸦传媒檚 what keeps Harpdog going.

乌鸦传媒淭hose moments are more valuable than money in the bank.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 about the funny, not about the money.乌鸦传媒�

Tickets to Harpdog Brown and the Travelin乌鸦传媒� Blues Show featuring Sugar Brown are available for $20 at Bourbon St. Bar and Grill, 4411-32nd St., and East Side Liquor Company, 4209-27th St. Doors at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m. For more information, visit .