THANK YOU

As you may have heard, I had an accident and broke my shoulder, and won't be able to perform for awhile. I wish I had a cool reason for breaking my shoulder, but I just slipped in the shower and came down at an unfortunate angle. I've vowed never to shower again.

The break is healing normally, and I've started physiotherapy. I'm making progress. Although I don't have enough mobility yet to play piano, I will eventually get it back. I've already tried to play a couple of times, but it's a bit too soon. I can't get up and down the keyboard yet, and after about 15 minutes, my shoulder is done. But it hurts a lot less than it used to, and I can cough and sneeze again without crying.

In the meantime, I've had a lot of bills to pay, and since musicians don't get paid sick leave, that could have been a problem. I had to pay for a lot of flights I couldn't use, the hotel room, an ambulance bill for $420 -- can you believe that! -- long distance phone bills, painkillers I was allergic to, not to mention rent; and I wasn't able to earn a dime. (Sniff.)

Fortunately, I've discovered that I have many truly awesome friends, who have banded together and held a number of benefits for me. I hadn't expected this at all, and I'm very moved, touched, shaken-up and generally ferklempt by the generosity and support.

Thank you to Bill Heffernan and his friends at the Saturday Sessions at Gate 403, Jin Ding from Gate 403, Andrew Galloway from Electro-Fi, Ross Robinson, John Allen, Sarah French, Kevin Doyle from the Boathouse, Jaymz Bee from Jazz-FM, Holger Petersen, Mako Funasaka, Gerald LeBrun, Eric Thom, Russell Sleaper, everyone who came out to support me, and especially the wonderful musicians who participated at the various fundraisers: Miss Angel and her Homewreckers, Doug Watson, Erroll Blackwood, Shawn Kellerman, Jimmy Boudreau, Al Richardson, Meauxx Wilson, Mike McDonald and his band, Mo Kauffey, Bill Heffernan, Michelle Rumball, Ken Yoshioka, Poppa K., Glenn Hornblast, Dave McManus, Les Hoffman, Ken Yoshioka, Jake Chisholm, Mark Wessinger and everyone from the Junction musical gang, Paul Reddick, Donné Roberts, Treasa Levasseur, Harrison Kennedy, Bobby Dean Blackburn and his gifted sons, Blackburn, Jay Danley, James Thomson, Bucky Berger and Andrew Austin, David Rotundo and his band, Desmond Brown, Darren Gallon, Shakura S'Aida and Donna Grantis, Raoul Bhaneja and Chris Antonik, Jeff Montgomery, Dylan Wickens, Al and Dania Madera-Lerman (Dania donated a beautiful painting that was auctioned off at Hugh's Room; thank-you Gerry for buying it). I'd like to thank my sainted mother Barbara and loving girlfriend Kim for looking after me, and all those who've supported me through donations or by coming to the benefits.

I wasn't able to attend all the events. I heard that Bill Heffernan's Saturday Session at Gate 403 and the New Mynah Birds' fundraiser at Aquila were great musical events. I was able to go to Miss Angel's Sunday show at the Boathouse and to the benefit at Hugh's Room, and these were fantastic events. The music was brilliant (I've decided to take up pottery).

What could have been a terrible experience made me realise how many really good and supportive people I know. It's made me realise how extremely lucky I've been. If I sounded incoherent when I tried to thank you verbally, that's because it was all quite overwhelming. Not because you bought me whiskeys.

It has also given me a brilliant idea for a future career. When the shoulder is healed, I plan to break an ankle, and then maybe a wrist or an elbow. Stay tuned for future benefits...

Just kidding. I'd actually much rather be playing and hanging out with you again.

In the meantime, I'm doing my physio exercises, and I've started writing a history of blues piano. (If I ever finish it, maybe I'll put it online. Under a pseudonym, so I can disown it if it's poorly written and full of errors.) I've also stopped smoking! Yay!

Thank you all very, very much.

Yours

Julian.

The Boathouse, Victoria Park, Kitchener, ON

Sunday, June 26: 2:00 - 7:00 pm

Due to an arm/shoulder injury, Julian will be unable to work ( play piano ) for months. We invite friends, family and fans to join us at the Boat for some great music.Starring Miss Angel & the Homewreckers, Errol Blackwood and Injah, Motown, Shawn Kellerman with Al Richardson and Jimmy Boudreau and more..there will be a silent auction and 50/50 draw. $10 @ the door.

On the eve of his Western Canadian Tour JUNO Award winning Blues Artist JULIAN FAUTH took a very serious fall in his hotel room shower and suffered a badly broken right shoulder. The expert medical opinion is that Julian will be out of action for up to six months in order to recover fully. So Ross Robinson of Toronto Blues and Andrew Galloway of Electro-Fi Records are inviting Julian’s many friends and fans to help Julian out by pitching in and raising some much needed funds to get him through this unexpected set back.

Here’s how you can help.

A direct donation using PayPal in the amount of $20, $50 or $100. You can make a PayPal donation at the Electro-Fi Records website by clicking HERE.

You can also mail a cheque to Julian in care of Electro-Fi Records: 185 Legion Rd. N. Suite 1410, Toronto, ON. Canada M8Y 0A1. Be sure to make the cheque payable to JULIAN FAUTH. Also all profits on the sales of Julian’s 2 CD’s and the Blues Piano-Rama CD will go directly to Julian for the next 6 months.

In the Toronto area, you can come out and enjoy two very special benefit performances which will help raise funds to assist Julian in his recovery.

The first will be held on Tuesday June 28th at Hugh’s Room, and will feature the talents of:

Harrison Kennedy

Treasa Levasseur

Paul Reddick

Donne Roberts and

Bobby Dean Blackburn

On Wednesday July 20th at Hollywood on the Queensway a second benefit performance in support of Julian will be held featuring the talents of:

Shakura S’Aida

David Rotundo

Raoul Bhaneja and

Chris Antonik

"He’s been compared to Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, but Blues Singer/ Songwriter Julian Fauth is a true original “ - Toronto Star. "

"Julian Fauth’s music is profound and penetrating. Contemporary Blues at it’s very best best" - Sing Out U.S.A.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah French at Sarah French Publicity sarah@sarahfrenchpublicity.com

416-566-4188

Hi everyone.

I'm sorry to tell you that I've had an accident and smashed up my right shoulder. I won't be able to play for quite some time, according to the doctor.

I'd like to apologize to everyone I've let down. Hopefully I`ll be able to make up for it when I get better.

I was very disappointed to cancel my western tour and the gigs I had booked for June and July. Jodi Lucas from Calgary was my guardian angel and got me back home in one piece; thank you so much for your help and consideration.

I'd also like to thank Jeff Montgomery, Linda Jensen, Dave Colley and Earl Krushelnicki for their kindness and understandig.

At this end, I'd like to thank Andrew Galloway, Ross Robinson, John Allen, Mako Funasaka, my fellow musicians and everyone else who's helping me sweep up the wreckage. In the meantime, I'm learning how to do things with my feet and working on my standup comedy routine. No pratfalls, though; strictly puns.

See you all again as soon as possible,

Yours Julian

THE SATURDAY SESSIONS

SATURDAY MAY 21ST

GATE 403--403 RONCESVALLES AVE.

5pm--8pm

JULIAN FAUTH BENEFIT

AT GATE 403

SATURDAY SESSIONS SHOW

AN ALL STAR SATURDAY SESSION line-up is coming together for JULIAN FAUTH, who as many of you know suffered a bad fall, broke his shoulder and will be out of commission for 6 -8 months.

A number of SATURDAY SESSION favourites and comrades of JULIAN will be on hand to play as a strong line-up is emerging, including MICHELLE RUMBALL, GLEN HORNBLAST, DAVE MCMANUS, KEN YOSHIOKA, GORDIE GOODWIN, LES HOFFMAN, and a number of other artists who will drop in between gigs to lay a song or two upon you. BILL HEFFERNAN will be on hand as host and with a number of his HOMELAND SECURITY ROADHOUSE BAND mates to honour the musical kinship we all have with JUNO JULIAN. For anyone in town this weekend I can think of no better place to be or better cause to support than this one--hope to see you there between 5-8pm.

JULIAN FAUTH suffered a nasty fall in the shower on the eve of his Western Canadian and has broken his right shoulder in 4 places. Julian will returning to Toronto from Calgary later this week and since his recovery time is expected to be lengthy, Electro-Fi Records will be organizing a Benefit concert for Julian in the near future, so all his many friends can have the opportunity of getting together to help Julian through this tough time and to show this very talented artist just how much he means to us all.

Please keep checking this website for updates on Julian.

Congratulaions to Julian for being awarded the 2011 Maple Blues Award for the Keyboard player of year award.

The current episode of the Talkin' Blues Video Podcast features Julian and Paul Reddick performing "Cobalt" from the "Songs of Vice and Sorrow" album. This video was shot at Liquid studios during the recording of the album. To view the podcast, go to: http://talkinblues.podbean.com or search for "Talkin' Blues podcast" at the iTunes stores.

JULIAN is nominated for two Maple Blues Awards - Acoustic Act of the Year and Piano/Keyboard Player of the year. To cast your vote, go to www.mapleblues.ca.

JULIAN has been sponsored by the GRAND RIVER BLUES SOCIETY to compete at the 2010 International Blues Challenge. This event takes place in Memphis Tennessee, January 20 to 23. Julian will be competing in the solo category.

The GRAND RIVER BLUES SOCIETY is also sponsoring two other outstanding blues acts. One is DADDY LONG LEGS in the Band Category, and ALEX TINTINALLI in the Youth Showcase. DADDY LONG LEGS was last year’s winner of the Maple Blues Award for Best New Artist and the INDIE Award for Favorite Blues Band. For more information go to www.daddylonglegs.ca), The other act sponsored by the Society is ALEX TINTINALLI, who just returned from Nashville having won the 15 Minutes of Fame Jr. Award, and who received the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award in 2008. For more information go to http://www.alextintinalli.com.

In support of all these musicians, the GRAND RIVER BLUES SOCIETY is holding a fundraiser concert at the Gig Music Hall, 137 Ontario Street North in Kitchener on Saturday November 7 at 8:00 PM. Get your tickets at Encore Records in Kitchener, MacAulay’s Music in Cambridge or Orange Monkey in Waterloo, or online at www.ticketscene.ca.

A new Julian Fauth video featuring his recording of "Human Love" has been posted on YouTube. This video was shot during the "Ramblin' Son" sessions.

Click Here to view the video

Julian performs "Roll On In" on the current episode of the Talkin' Blues Video Podcast. This video was shot during the "Ramblin' Son" sessions.

Click Here to view the podcast.

CBC TAPING OF JULIAN FAUTH AT THE DAKOTA TAVERN – ORDER YOUR TICKETS NOW

On Friday May 22, CBC Radio 2 will be taping JULIAN FAUTH live at a special concert at the Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Avenue, Toronto. The show will run from 7:00 to 10:00 PM. Joining Julian will be JAY DANLEY on guitar, JAMES THOMSON on bass and ANDREW AUSTIN on drums. Tickets are $10.

The Dakota is a very cool spot with great acoustics. But it only holds about 130 people so to avoid disappointment it would be wise to order tickets in advance. You can do that by emailing wexfordmusic@gmail.com. Your tickets will be waiting for you at the door, they will be held for you until 15 minutes before show time, and you can pay for them when you arrive.

Come on out and be part of this recording.

Until March 27th I had an unblemished record of being nominated for awards and strenuously avoiding winning any. But everybody has a lapse sometimes, and this year I've ruined my perfect record by winning the 2009 Juno Award for Best Blues album, for "Ramblin' Son" (Electro-Fi). I was dumbstruck; I would have bet any money that I wasn't going to win. I was so sure that I went to Montréal instead! So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the many people that made this possible.

In roughly chronological order, I'd like to thank:

The old blues musicians who created the music I've loved and listened to since the age of 6: Leroy Carr, Little Brother Montgomery, Roosevelt Sykes, Memphis Slim, Otis Spann and all the rest.

My late father, Gerhard, and mother Barbara for giving me my first blues record and encouraging my noodling, and my sister Vivian for the many times I cajoled her into playing blues with me when we were kids.

Klaus Runze for showing me that the piano is nothing to be afraid of, Dieter and Dagmar for jamming with me when they were full-grown adults and I hadn't reached puberty.

The great musician and friend Mel Brown, whose jams at Pop The Gator in Kitchener I used to attend regularly. Without Mel's encouragement, I probably wouldn't have considered playing music in public for a living. I'm one of many people Mel touched, and I miss him very much.

Robert Khalem, the secret soul of the Toronto blues scene, for giving me my first gig in Toronto, and for the many great meals and listening evenings in his Kitchen.

Bo Basiuk and Andrew Demciuk for first getting me into a studio to record the indie CD "The World You Live In".

Andrew Galloway from Electro-Fi for signing me to his great label, and letting me make the CDs "Songs Of Vice And Sorrow" and "Ramblin' Son", which were both nominated for Junos.

Mako Funasaka for his tireless work on my website and his contribution to documenting contemporary blues with his documentary series "Talkin' Blues".

John Allen, my friend and agent, who took me under his wing and has worked hard to promote my gigs and to book me into many festivals.

All the musicians I have had the pleasure to meet, listen to and play with over the past 10 years, and especially the great gang that contrinuted to "Rambling Son": Drew Jurecka on violin, Jay Danley and Donné Roberts on guitar, James Thomson, Sam Petite and Alec Fraser on bass, Wayne Charles, Ken Yoshioka, David Rotundo and Paul Reddick on harmonica and Bob Vespaziani on drums. They all own a piece of this Juno.

All the friends and folks who have come to the bars I've played at over the years and supported me.

And most importantly, my dear long-suffering girlfriend Kim Roberts, who doesn't get to see me as much as we both would like, and who is an incredibly talented musician in her own right. (The next Juno in this family should be yours.)

I'd also like to congratulate the other Juno nominees, and to pay my respect to the late Jeff Healey. I only jammed with him a few times, but I admired him and was sure he would win. It's really true that being nominated is what counts, and it was an honour to be nominated alongside these great musicians.

Now it's back to work.

When Mel Brown died on March 20, 2009, the blues lost another great exponent. Mel was a master on guitar as well as piano. On the many recordings he made with legendary blues musicians like B.B. King, Bobby Bland, John Lee Hooker, Earl Hooker, Snooky Pryor and many others, Mel helped define the sound of modern blues. He was also a very nice, gentle, shy and generous person, who encouraged legions of young wannabe musicians wherever he played. For the past 20 years or so, he lived and worked in Kitchener. I first met and heard him there in 1989, and I'm one of many blues players coming out of Kitchener who owe him a debt of gratitude for his encouragement and example. I'll miss him very much. I'd like to send my love and support to his wife, the great singer Miss Angel.

Congratulations to Electro-Fi Recording Artist JULIAN FAUTH whose CD "Ramblin' Son" was announced as winner of the 2009 Juno Award for BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR at a Gala Dinner in Vancouver, B.C. last night. Electro-Fi is distributed in Canada by Outside Music. Many Thanks to CARAS for recognizing Julian Fauth for the unique and talented artist that he is.

Andrew Galloway

Congratulations to Julian Fauth on his 2009 Indies Award nomination in the "Favourite Blues Artis/Group" category. The Indies Awards will take place on Saturday, March 14, 2009. For more information, go to www.cmw.net.

Congratulations to Julian Fauth on his Juno Award nomination in the "Best Blues Album of the Year" category for his latest CD, "Ramblin' Son". This is the second time he has been nominated for a Juno Award. The last nomination was for his "Songs of Vice and Sorrow" album on Electro-Fi Records.

Congratulations to Julian Fauth on his 4 well deserved Mapleblues Award Nominations: Songwriter of the Year, Piano/ Keyboard Player of the Year, Acoustic Act of the Year and Recording of the Year for "Ramblin' Son". Julian's great talent is matched only by his modesty, so let me be the one to ask you to please consider voting for Julian Fauth in these categories. You can vote at www.mapleblues.ca until Dec.6th, 2008. Thanks for your support.

Julian appeared on CBC Radio's "FUSE" program back in March of 2008 with Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet.

To hear some of the performances from that day, click here.

Julian has been nominated for a Maple Blues Award for Keyboard/Piano Player of the Year.

To cast your vote, please go to www.mapleblues.ca to register and cast your vote.

The winner will be announced at The Mod Club Theatre at 722 College Street, Toronto on Monday, January 15, 2007.

Check www.torontobluessociety.com for more information.

Tickets can be purchased through www.ticketpro.ca

Four news items shook the universe recently. First, I was nominated for a Maple Blues Award for piano player of the year. My name was right there, along with Curly Bridges, Rod Philips, Lance Anderson and Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne! Illustrious company, as you see.

I immediately began practicing my acceptance speech in front of the medicine cabinet, holding a toothbrush for moral support: "I'd like to thank my mother, my father, my sister, my dog (okay, I don't have a dog) ... This means so much to me ..." (I start sobbing here).

Unfortunately, I missed the deadline for voting. If I hadn't, I would have voted for Curly Bridges. Although Rod Philips, Lance Anderson and Kenny Wayne all deserve the award, Curly Bridges is one of the senior masters of Canadian blues piano, playing with unaffected grace and a confidence that comes from decades of paying his dues. So, if I'd had my act together, I'd have voted for him.

But I was quite elated to be mentioned in the same list (who told them I play piano??) Second world-shaking news item: Kevin Doyle, 10-year veteran blues DJ who hosts the show Voodoo Healin' in Waterloo, picked my CD as his favourite blues release of 2002. Fred McDowell came in second. I know, I know. What was Kevin smoking? But it was a nice gesture, and hey, maybe some people actually do like my CD better than Fred McDowell's. Could be true, couldn't it? I swear, bribery had nothing to do with it. The Rolls Royce was entirely unrelated to this decision.

In a related matter, Al Kircaldy, Peterborough's intrepid blues DJ, picked my CD as his favourite new release for the month of December. (It actually came out in August, but I didn't send Al one until December.) And in an interview, he told me he thought it was the best Canadian blues release since Paul Reddick's Rattlebag. Now that's a big yardstick to be measured against.

Gary Tate also included my CD in his list of top ten Canadian blues releases of 2002. (Contrary to popular belief, that wad of $1,000 bills was already in his hand when I shook it.) I am blushing and squirming as I write this, because I'm a lowly barrelhouse man who is not used to this kind of attention. But seriously. No, seriously. I thank all those who gave me encouragement and recognition. It felt really ... strange. But I liked it.

From August 18 to 25, 2002, I had the good fortune to go to Cuba, to play at a variety of venues in Varadero, Santa Clara and Camajuani. The tour was organized by Andrew Demciuch, the owner of L'Arte (2060 Dundas W.), where I've been playing every Monday night for more than 2 years. Andrew also organized the Russian tour David Rotundo and I did in April. This time around, David was otherwise engaged, having brought his friend, guitar maestro Enrico Crivellaro, over from Italy. But David will join me on my next jaunt to Cuba, which is supposed to happen in November. This time, I went with Livan Castro, a Cuban-born artist now based in Toronto, who had an exhibition in Cuba.

Compared to the Russian tour, the Cuban tour was both more work and musically a more eye-opening experience for me. In Russia, we just played the blues, as we do here. In Cuba, I played some blues, both solo and with some very good Cuban musicians, but I also sat in with several Cuban bands on traditional Cuban songs. This was new for me, hence the need for some last-minute cramming, but the combination went surprisingly well, I think.

In the course of six days, I met and played with about 25 Cuban musicians, many of them classically trained, although some were self-taught. All of them were very good. As is customary in Cuban music, there were lots of acoustic nylon-string guitars, tres and percussion instruments, although there was also an electric bass player and a very good trombonist on one of the gigs.

I started off with a gig at Arenas Blancas, which is a 5-star, all-inclusive tourist resort. My partners were Los Hurricanes, a very experienced and versatile trio who play there regularly. They had me start the night off with a set of solo piano numbers and then joined me on stage. We alternated songs for the rest of the evening, with me switching between piano and guitar. The audience's response was quite favourable. A Cuban rap group, which happened to be at the hotel because some of its members work there, was especially complimentary. This concert was videotaped, but I haven't seen the result.

The bulk of the tour took place inland, away from the beaches and the tourists, in Camajuani and Santa Clara. Camajuani was then in the midst of an annual festival, which has been taking place for at least 105 years. The town is naturally divided by a main street, and each side has its own team, complete with its own patron saint: the Chivos (or Goats) and the Sappos (or Frogs). The festival consists of a week of public revelry, culminating in a grand display at which each team unveils an impressive, hand-made float. These floats are several stories high and comprise an astounding array of hand-painted and sculpted decorations, light-shows, etc., accompanied by fireworks displays and music. Each team labours in secrecy until virtually the last moment. Each tries to create the most impressive spectacle, although there is no formal jury and no formal decision on the winner. Both floats were remarkable, one depicting a scene from 17th century European palace life, the other depicting the glories of the Roman Empire.

In the course of this revelry, I played with several groups at several locations, including a spot in a concert at the Casa Cultura of Camajuani. I did some solo numbers on keyboard and guitar and was accompanied on some others by a local guitarist and bass player. The audience seemed to respond best to 'Highway 61', an adaptation of an old Sunnyland Slim number (which he, in turn, adapted from an older tradition), and to a slow, minor original, 'When My Mother Died'. I was asked to play that song again a few days later. An artist --of whom there are many, highly gifted ones - told me it inspired him to make a painting especially for me, which he will send me. I can hardly wait.

In Santa Clara, one of the highlights was playing with an assortment of young musicians. We played together several times, but the climax was a late-night concert at an old, open-air amphitheatre, which seems to be a local cultural hot-spot. The programme included several bands, including the group Sacramonte, which boasts an excellent vocalist, a consummate dancer and an array of fine guitarists and percussionists. They performed some traditional Cuban salsa and some Cubanized versions of Spanish Flamenco. I sat in with them for a few numbers, switching between piano and guitar, trying my best not to disrupt their beautiful rhythms. I then played several solo numbers, some on guitar and some on piano, and several blues numbers with a Cuban back-up band, consisting of bass, guitar, percussion and the aforementioned excellent trombonist, who is a member of the Symphony Orchestra of Camajuani and is all of 24 years old. For the finale, Sacramonte and the other bands on the evening's bill, including yours truly, all jammed together on a Cuban theme - a bolero, if I'm not mistaken. The proceedings were taped by a cameraman from local Cuban television.

All in all, it was a memorable experience and a musical eye-opener for me. The musicians were, without exception, highly gifted and very warm and approachable. I'd had some trepidations about what they would think of the home-brewed barrelhouse blues I play, but the reception was warm and positive. Let's face it: Cuban music has no need of the likes of me. They have a very rich, varied musical tradition of their own. That they nevertheless permitted me to join them with such patience and evident pleasure at experimenting with a complete novice to Cuban music was a privilege I won't forget. After the concert was over, characteristically, the musicians were not ready to quit, so we all trooped off to a nearby park and continued to play until the wee hours of the morning, fortified by excellent Cuban rum.

I didn't do much sleeping in Cuba. But I was already missing it on the way to the airport. I have rarely - no, make that never - been exposed to so many creative people (artists, writers, dancers, musicians) in such a short time. I'm looking forward to going back.

Five years ago, Julian Fauth was pounding the piano at the Baldwin Street Restaurant, a small watering hole in Kensington Market (now Planet Kensington), when David Rotundo walked in with his omnipresent belt of harps. It was the beginning of an enduring musical liaison which has now taken these two raccoons from the streets of Kensington Market to the Concert Hall in Volgograd, the Canadian Embassy in Moscow and Le Club, RussiaÕs most prestigious jazz bar, among other venues. David and Julian have just completed a two-week tour of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) and Moscow in the Russian Federation. They teamed up with Russian bass virtuoso Alex Boldyrev and, occasionally, other local musicians.

David and Julian have come a long way in those five years. David has been playing with the likes of Ronnie Hawkins and local guitar hero Jack de Keyzer, as well as fronting his own band, the Blue Canadians. Just last year, he released his debut CD, BlowinÕ For Broke, with Julian on piano, to widespread critical acclaim. He has become a regular feature all over Ontario and Quebec. Julian has been busy playing solo or with small combos, such as Dark Holler, and has served as a sideman for a variety of Toronto blues heavyweights, from Michael Picket, Paul Reddick and Brian Blain to rock institution Johnny Lovesin. He is currently working on a CD, featuring David Rotundo as well as Paul Reddick, Juno award winner Madagascar Slim (another old friend from Kensington Market) and New York jazz veteran Bob Mover.

The Russian tour was the brainchild of Andrew Demciuch, the owner of LÕArte Bar & Gallery, a cozy west-end meeting place for creative types of all sorts. Julian has been holding down the Monday night open stage there for almost as long as LÕArte has been in existence, with David as a frequent featured star. ÔIt took me two years to organize this,Õ says Demciuch. ÔWhen it came to deciding who to send, I didnÕt even hesitate.Õ By all accounts, it was the right decision: Russian audiences responded with overwhelming warmth to a music many of them had never heard before, certainly not live: deeply rooted, down-to-earth blues, soulful and straight from the heart. The initial reaction from Russian critics, too, was positive. ÔDavid Rotundo gave the best live blues performance I have heard,Õ said Mikhail Kochkin, correspondent for the Moscow Times. And: ÔJulian Fauth plays the piano like Shakespeare. Such dramatic power in every note.Õ

The journey began on April 15, with an eight-hour flight from Toronto to Moscow. After a five-hour lay-over, the team continued to Volgograd. They spent most of the first night in AlexÕ kitchen, getting acquainted with Russian vodka. David, Julian and Alex played their first show at a small, artsy bar called ÔHudozhnikÕ (where they also finished their stay in Volgograd). After an afternoon press conference, complete with food, drinks and (ahem) pretty ladies, they played a weekend at a place normally reserved for the finer strains of Russian disco. But if blues was foreign to this clientele, they didnÕt let on, dancing energetically to the boogie woogie and swaying sensuously to the slow blues.

They played several more nights at a variety of local venues, including the hip and trendy ÔWhite HorseÕ (where they met some ex-pat Canadians). Then the blues duo tackled the big stuff. Seven hundred people attended DavidÕs and JulianÕs performance at the Concert Hall in Volgograd, which was broadcast live on Russian TV; the first blues concert that august hall ever hosted. The boys pulled out all the stops. Wielding a cordless radio mike, David walked off the stage to roars of approval and prowled the stands for an extended solo. When Julian started echoing DavidÕs licks on the piano, the crowd burst into delighted laughter. After a non-stop two-hour performance and three encores, after autographing several hundred ticket stubs and diaries, and after an hour-long interview with Russian television, they were finally able to go to the bathroom.

Several faithful souls followed David and Julian from Volgograd to Moscow. The train ride from Volgograd to Moscow takes 20 hours; it gave the two blues travelers a chance to see the vast Russian countryside and catch up on some much-needed sleep. In Moscow, they made their debut at a place called ÔWoodstockÕ, where some of MoscowÕs blues Žlite sat in with them. The highlights of the Moscow trip, however, were yet to come. The Canadian Embassy in Moscow had never hosted a live music performance before. Renting a keyboard proved to be impossible, so Julian played a cheap guitar Andrew bought for the occasion. Embassy staff were sufficiently impressed to invite them back, and some Canadian diplomats made it out to DavidÕs and JulianÕs next big gig at Le Club.

Le Club began its rise to fame as an underground music bar during the Soviet Union, when Evgeny Vissotsky, an outspoken dissident, played there. It usually hosts big-name American jazz players and charges outrageous covers. It boasts a grand piano, played by Vissotsky himself, and an expensive sound system. Unlike the smaller venues David and Julian played, where ordinary Russians could attend, Le ClubÕs patrons were mostly well-heeled business men. Some of them had been primed for the event by an impromptu harmonica performance David had given the previous night at the Bi Bi King, a Moscow blues bar featuring live-sized statues of Jake and Elwood.

Although there wasnÕt much time for bumming around, David and Julian were able to see some of the many impressive sights Russia has to offer: Red Square, with its surrounding churches and government buildings, the Moscow metro, and, most importantly, the great monument to the battle of Stalingrad on Mamayev Hill in Volgograd. ÔThis was the most emotional moment of the entire journey for us,Õ David and Julian agree. Dominated by the giant statue of Mother Russia, raising her sword and calling the people to rise against the Nazi invaders, is a complex of sculptures and reliefs depicting scenes of suffering and courage. A large rotunda, containing an eternal flame and rows upon rows of the names of the fallen, was particularly powerful.

David and Julian are home again now and back at their regular haunts. You can catch them together this Friday, May 17th, at LÕArte (2060 Dundas West), for an evening of music, stories and photographs. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. With a combination of two strong, soulful vocals, DavidÕs ferocious, impassioned harp and JulianÕs rolling, imaginative barrelhouse piano and rough and rootsy guitar, the music ought to be worth a listen. Further journeys are already on the horizon: David and Julian will be going back to Russia next year, and in the meantime, a tour of Cuba and a foray to Chicago, the home of the blues, are in the works.