An unforgettable evening is set to hit the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on Oct. 6, as Juno Award-winner Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne offers an incredibly energetic and fresh take on boogie-woogie, rock ‘n’ roll, and 40s music in A Rendezvous with the Blues.
Taking over the Chilliwack Cultural Centre for an evening that not only celebrates the blues, but the Centre’s eighth anniversary, Wayne will enrapture you with his lively performance, soulful voice, and dazzling piano skills.
“There’s no boogie-woogie-blues piano man out there today who pounds the 88’s with the conviction of Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne,” wrote the Chicago Sun-Times previously.
In the world of blues, you don’t get to flaunt a nickname unless you’ve earned it, and Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne more than lives up to his impressive moniker.
As a child prodigy on the piano in the late 1950s, Wayne began his career playing gospel music, before his uncle secretly introduced him to the radically more exciting boogie-woogie. Playing as a solo pianist, he couldn’t help but notice the reaction of the audience when he played a blues-based boogie.
“People would stop talking and really listen. I started slipping in more and more boogie piano, and the response was totally rewarding. This was a revelation for me as blues and boogie-woogie music has always been closest to my heart. I guess I had to find out on my own that there was an audience for it,” said Wayne.
Finding that there were people who loved the music he wanted to play, he completely transformed himself into the “Blues Boss,” a man oozing talent, charisma and showmanship. And for the last 60 years, he has continued to flourish, as he became a Juno Award winner, a Multi Blues Award winner, and was inducted into the Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame.
There is no question why he is hailed as “an artist bringing the piano back to the front ranks of contemporary blues” for his fresh approach to the genre.
“This old rock is on a roll,” Wayne continued. “Just give me a piano and an audience, and everybody’s gonna have some serious fun.”
So prepare to go crazy for that boogie-woogie sound of Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, as he hits his signature rollicking groove in a performance that will be a swinging, singing, and toe-tapping good time.
A Rendezvous with the Blues is coming to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on Oct. 6, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors, and $30 for youths, and can be purchased at the Centre Box Office, online at www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca, or by calling 604-391-SHOW(7469).
@SarahGawdin
Sarah.Gawdin@theprogress.com
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