Chick Roberts
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Mean Old Frisco
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General Info
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Genre: Blues / Folk
Location Toronto, Please select your region., Ca
Profile Views: 1901
Last Login: 12/6/2010
Member Since 10/12/2009
Website myspace.com/chickroberts
Record Label Old Blue Goat Records-chickroberts@hotmail.com
Type of Label Unsigned
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Bio
BIO: EVAN "CHICK" ROBERTS: Toronto based Actor and Musician With a resume that reads like a who's who of 20th century entertainment, consummate performer Chick Roberts is a veteran of theatre, film and the Canadian music scene. .. Born Evan Hugh Roberts, and raised by Welsh parents in Toronto's Cabbagetown, Chick Roberts received his earliest musical training singing in choirs such as the Toronto Welsh Male Choir. He was first bitten by the blues as a teenager, when he proudly purchased his first '78, "How Long,How Long Blues." He then went on to sing with a show band performing imitations of Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Rushing, Billy Eckstine, Wynonie Harris and Frankie Laine, to name a few. In 1956, Chick moved to England to build on the amateur drama and performance training he began in Toronto. However, he was soon sidetracked by movie and television acting jobs, among the first, a role in Charlie Chaplin's "A King in New York." He moved on to form one half of a comedy duo appearing on WelshTV and performed as an emcee and comedian before returning to North America to resume his musical career. In the early 60s, with his newly minted stage name in hand, Chick Roberts performed around Canada & the USA as a solo folk artist, and with Amos Garrett, Jim McCarthy and Carol Robinson as The Dirty Shames. Primarily a Jug/String Band, they performed an eclectic variety of songs from the country, blues, jazz and pop repertoires. Come 1965, Chick and The Dirty Shames moved to New York to cut several records on the Phillips label (sadly, never released in Canada). Following Jim McCarthy's departure, the Shames enlarged the band by adding Bass, Piano and drums and became the regular band at Andy Warhol's club "The Dom" and openers for The Velvet Underground at the "The Gymnasium.". In 1968, the Shames disbanded and Chick Roberts returned to Canada. A devoted member of the folk music community, he became one of the organizers of the Mariposa Folk Festival and helped start Mariposa In The Schools (MITS). For twenty five years, he used his talents as a raconteur, singer, guitarist, and all-around crowd pleaser to tour schools,libraries,festivals and bring Jug Band and Blues workshops to children across Ontario. His performaces can be heard on all three albums produced by MITS. Ever adapting his musical style, Chick Roberts continued to perform blues, country and rock from 1970 onward with the Blues Collar Band. As venues and audiences for their music evolved so did they evolve their material, introducing swing and jazz to their blues sound and changing the band name to"The Lowdown Ways Band.". So it came to pass, that when the opportunity arose to record a CD with his long time musical cohort, Tony Quarrington, they decided to draw material from their blues and jazz repertoire. The resulting record, Blue Turning Gray, pays homage to Chick's vocal idols, and tips its hat to longtime musical accomplices and new friends. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CD REVIEW: Blue Turning Gray.... John Valeteyn, Maple Blues, Toronto Blues Society Nov.2004.... "Chick Roberts has been an active member of our folk scene for over forty years. The folk scene, then perhaps more than now, was very much into blues and people kept saying to Chick that he should do a blues album. He always responded by saying he wasn’t old enough. Well, the album’s out now so I guess he’s old enough and he isn’t lying when he sings Eddie Vinson’s “Past 60 Blues”. ..This CD is a kind of snapshot of that bygone era...The Climax Jazz Band, who accompany Roberts on four songs, seems a perfect choice because that kind of instrumentation doing blues was a more important part of the scene then. .. Amos Garrett .. plays on five songs; Eddie Baltimore brought his dobro and .. David Gogo .. his electric guitar among the many other players. The glue for all of this is ..Tony Quarrington .., who in addition to producing, plays guitars, mandolin and tenor banjo. Roberts tackles old favourites of his and some other songs that are age-appropriate, such as the Fats Waller tune “Blue Turning Gray” that gives the CD it’s title." -
Members
CONTACT: chickroberts@hotmail.com Chick Roberts - ACTOR, FILM and TELEVISION. For Chick's Film/Television resume go to IMDB.com Chick Roberts - MUSICIAN....Lead Vocals, Harmonica. Bands:..The Sinners, The Dirty Shames, The Lowdown Blues Band, Solo Folk and Celtic ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blue Turning Gray - CD.. Released:2004 Label:Old Blue Goat Records .. BUY NOW Contact Old Blue Goat Records: chickroberts@hotmail.com DOWNLOAD or PURCHASE from CD BABY. http://www.cdbaby.com http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chick/from/scottp Tracks 1.Young Fashioned Ways(W.Dixon).. 2.How Long, How Long blues (L.Carr).. 3.Mean Old Frisco (A. Crudup) .. 4.Blue Turning Gray Over You (A. Razaf/T. Waller).. 5.Haunted House Blues (J.C. Johnson).. 6.Mississippi Delta Blues (J. Rodgers/J. Nelville).. 7.Better Off With the Blues(D. Fritz/D. McClinton/G. Nicholson).. 8.My Jug and I (P. Mayfield).. 9.How Deep is the Ocean (Irving Berlin).. 10.Shake That Thing (C. "Papa" Jackson).. 11.Past 60 Blues (A. Hillery).. 12.Shake Rattle and Roll (C. Calhoun).. 13.Downhearted Blues (A. Hunter/L. Austin) .. 14.Who Will the Next Fool Be (C. Rich).. 15.She Loves So Good(F. Jaxon).. 16.Goin' Home Blues(C.C.Davenport).... -
Influences
Wynonie Harris, Frankie Laine, Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Rushing -
Sounds Like
The Lowdown Ways Band ..plays music in the Blues and Jazz tradition. From the early 1920’s to the 1990’s….New Orleans, Kansas City, Chicago and in many other musical styles-- boogie, swing, rock’n’roll and even a little bit of country. The band members are some of the top musicians in Canada and are under the musical direction of one of Canada’s leading arrangers and producers, guitarist Tony Quarrington. Chick Roberts is the lead vocalist / harmonica player and with his “high energy” singing and playing is sure to get the audience crowding the dance floor and even will get them singing-a-long with the blues.
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9 Songs | Oct 12, 2009
How are you? My friend.
How are you? How's your job? My company is doi
PEACE!