Label: Blue Wave Records.
Release Date: August 15, 2000.
Recording Time: 72 minutes.
Release Info: Compilation Studio Recording.
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Blues-Rock.
Downchild Blues Band: Tony Flaim, Rick "Hock" Walsh (vocals); Donnie "Mr. Downchild" Walsh (guitar, harmonica); Jane Vasey (piano); Jim Milne (bass guitar).
Caught Downchild in Key Largo on the last gig of their winter 2001 tour of the Florida Keys. I hadn't seen Donnie Walsh and his great blues/jazz band since about 1982 in Toronto. First caught them in 1971 or so when they played my high school in London, Ontario. Fantastic to see them still in the game and cooking fit to set the building on fire. Donnie Walsh demonstrated his mastery of blues harmonica and guitar throughout the set--no surprise there. Everyone else in the band displayed formidable chops and a real appreciation of ensemble playing--even with all the virtuoso soloing and fills, no-one stepped on anyone else, ever. Special surprise at this gig was the appearance of guest alto saxophonist Richie Cole--well known in the jazz world for his Phil Woods/Charlie Parker-influenced playing. One of the evening's high points was Richie's solo spot, where he took the band down low and demonstrated a simply breathtaking alto technique. Close your eyes and you'd have sworn it was Charlie Parker himself up there, spiraling off on the upper intervals of the chords at warp speed. Just a great treat to watch from ten feet away. Sadly, Donnie's brother Hock, with whom he founded Downchild some thirty-plus years ago, passed away this past year. He's greatly missed, but the band goes on under Donnie's leadership, its power and enthusiasm intact. Suffice to say that there is a very good reason the Blues Brothers (Dan Akroyd and John Belushi in character, in case you didn't know) covered so many of this great Canadian blues band's original tunes: they're superb. Check out "Flip, Flop, and Fly", "Everything I Need (Almost)" and "Shotgun Blues" for starters. Then listen on from there. This fairly definitive collection of Downchild's best is thoroughly deserving of inclusion in anyone's music library, whether your tastes run from blues to jazz to rock 'n' roll. Get A "Matter of Time: The Downchild Collection"-- it's well worth the price of admission. - Review by John McKinna.
Personnel: Richard "Hock" Walsh, Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown, John Witmer (vocals); Don Walsh (guitar, harp); Larry Bodner, Dick House, Pat Carey (saxophone); James Warburton (alto saxophone); Ron Jacobs (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Dave Woodward, Nat Abraham (tenor saxophone); Vic Wilson (baritone saxophone); Bob Heslin, Wayne Jackson, Peter Jeffrey (trumpet); Jane Vasey (piano); Michael Fonfara (keyboards, drums); Tyler Burgess (drums, background vocals); Marty Vickers, Craig Kaleal, Paul Nixon (drums); Ben Steel, Joe Reynolds, Steve Ambrose, Gary Latimer, Mark Green (background vocals).
Credits: Nat Abraham - sax (tenor); Steve Ambrose - vocals (background); Larry Bodner - saxophone; John Bride - composer; Terry Brown - engineer; Tyler Burgess - drums, vocals (background); Chuck Calhoun - composer; Pat Carey - producer, saxophone; Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup - composer; Downchild Blues Band - primary artist; Alan Duffy - producer; Tony Flaim - member of attributed artist, vocals; Michael Fonfara - drums, keyboards, producer; Lowell Fulson - composer; Rosco Gordon - composer; Mark Green - vocals (background); Bob Heslin - trumpet; Dick House - saxophone; Chuck Jackson - composer; Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown - composer, vocals; Wayne Jackson - trumpet; Ron Jacobs - sax (baritone), sax (tenor); Peter Jeffrey - trumpet; Craig Kaleal - drums; Gary Kendall - bass; Daniel Lanois - audio engineer, engineer; Gary Latimer - bass, vocals (background); Elliot Mattice - cover art, graphic design; Jimmy McCracklin - composer; Jim Milne - bass, guitar (bass), member of attributed artist; Paul Nixon - drums; Hayward Parrott - engineer; Joe Reynolds - vocals (background); Greg Spencer - compilation producer; Greg Spencer - producer; Ben Steel - vocals (background); Danny Sustar - engineer, producer; Joe Turner - composer; Jane Vasey - member of attributed artist, piano; Jane Vasey - piano; Marty Vickers - drums; D. Walsh - composer; Don Walsh - composer, guitar, harp, producer; Donnie "Mr. Downchild" Walsh - composer, guitar, harmonica, member of attributed artist; Richard "Hock" Walsh - vocals; Rick "Hock" Walsh - member of attributed artist, vocals; James Warburton - sax (alto); Vic Wilson - sax (baritone); John Witmer - vocals; Dave Woodward - sax (tenor); L. Stuart Young - engineer.
Tracks: 1) It's Been So Long; 2) T .V. Mama; 3) Flip, Flop And Fly; 4) Going Dancing; 5) Tell Your Mother; 6) Dusty Road; 7) Annie's Gotta Sister; 8) Don't Mind Dyin'; 9) Rock It; 10) I Got Everything I (Almost); 11) Shotgun Blues; 12) I Dig Myself A Hole; 13) Downchild Shuffle; 14) Lazy Woman; 15) Let's Get High; 16) Tramp; 17) When I Say Jump; 18) Dew Drop In; 19) I Am Mr. Downchild; 20) It's A Matter Of Time.