MaryLou Wakefield, a local Victoria artist, came away with a life-altering experience last summer. It changed her perspective on what she could achieve as an artist— with courage, curiosity and the willingness to take a risk. Here is her story.
Fans of guitar tone have a lot to learn about Bill Johnson. His fourth album, Cold Outside should be the one that has this Vancouver Island native flying high above the radar, finally. Ripe with an abundance of select tracks, Johnson proves...
Jerry Bryant, a blues musician who had a knack for opening doors into the world of music for generations of local students, has died at age 98. The singer and jazz pianist, who was born in Kansas City on April Fool’s Day in 1923, died Aug. 19.
Bruce Dean’s story is one of inspiration and creativity.
After a skiing accident left his knees badly injured he was prescribed a mobility scooter to help him get around, something he personally viewed as “a death sentence.” He did...
A story on west coast Canadian blues guitar man, West Coast Comerford. Comerford has played in many blues bands out of Victoria, including the Rockin' Devils, All Them Blues Band and Uncle Wiggly's Hot Shoes Blues Band. The piece was published on Digita
GARVIES was essentially, up until a few weeks ago, the pipe-dream of a musically untrained illegal immigrant surfer poet from 17 000 km away, turned reality here on the west coast of Vancouver Island. He was playing bass in a rock band call...
Deb Rhymer has worn numerous hats over the years, from Bette Midler impersonator to daycare operator. But the one that fits her best is blues booster.
Rhymer, a Victoria native, spends almost all her waking hours dedicated to blues, eith...
Jerry Bryant celebration concert with the Island Big Band
Victoria singer-songwriter Vic Horvath hailed from Calgary but settled in BC’s oceanside capital (a move they discuss in the song “Shiney Shotgun”). After a couple of years of performing, touring and popping out the odd single, they finally released
Yvonne was interviewed for the Sept/Oct 2015 issue of YAM magazine, where she discussed her role as Victoria’s Poet Laureate.