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I WANNA TELL YOU A STORY….

By Bob Pearce

I guess it’s best to start at the beginning. After

watching a rather good movie, the music used
as the credits rolled was so impressive it had
me searching Google to find out more about
the artist.

There have been many great acts to emerge
from Canada. The first to grab my attention
were the McKenna Mendelson Mainline, a
blues band from Toronto who I’d see

reasonably regularly at Southampton’s
Concorde Club around 1968. Since then,
others who’ve impressed me include the
brilliant guitarist/vocalist Colin Linden,
singer/songwriter Wyckham Porteous, and
the wonderful and much missed Leon Redbone.

O.K., not all of these artists perform blues
exclusively, but hey, neither did Charlie

Patton, Blind Willie McTell or many of the
‘blues’ acts in Chicago.

Now, here’s a man originally from St. Louis
who relocated to Canada in the mid seventies.
He sings, he plays, he acts. He’s Jim Byrnes
and it was him being played over the credits to that film, a song co-written with Steve Dawson, ‘I
Need A Change’ (more on Dawson later).

The album with that track just had to be purchased of course and it wasn’t long before ‘St. Louis
Times’ was in the cd player, volume at max!!! Oh, what a revelation. You’ve heard the expression
‘where have you been all my life?’ Well, Vancouver apparently.

This album contains influences ranging from old time New Orleans jazz, sixties soul, blues, and even
a little Chuck Berry. The production and overall sound is superb. ‘I Get Evil’, ‘Nadine’, ‘Cake Alley’,
‘The Duck’s Yas Yas’ and more. ‘You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone’ features a vocal collaboration with
Colleen Rennison. Other guests include John Hammond and Colin James.

Yep, you’ve guessed it, I bought more of his releases. Next up was the gospel based ‘House Of Refuge’.
Why Jim Byrnes is not more well known is a complete mystery to me. Although there are many

gospel songs on here, including his own truly superb ‘Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid?’ You’ll also find
‘Big Bill’s Blues’, ‘Last Fair Deal Gone Down’ and somewhat amazingly, ‘Stardust’. Once again,
musicianship, production and sound are all first class. The Sojourners deserve a special mention for
their backing vocals.

There appears to be no musical style this man can’t handle, his album ‘I Hear The Wind In The Wires’
is, on the surface, country. But don’t take much notice of that, he makes each of his recordings