Vancouver Bluesman Steve Kozak delivers the real goods playing red hot swingin’ jump Blues, deep Texas style shuffles and hard rockin’ roots music. What you will get from Steve and his band is infectious, soulful and honest, ‘authentic working mans music’.
Tom Harrison of the Vancouver Province calls it “Blues that can put a smile on your face”. The perfect prescription for folks who love to party and dance all night long!
Steve’s new CD Hoot ‘N Holler hit the number one spot on the Top Ten Blues Albums for early December ’07 on the play list charts of CFBX 92.5 FM radio in Canada and is receiving critical acclaim in reviews from the media across North America and Europe.
*Blues Revue Alumni:
STEVE KOZAK BACK IN THE DAY... WITH THE LATE GREAT PEE WEE CRAYTON IN VANCOUVER @ MAMA GOLDS
HOOT 'N HOLLER Liner Notes:
If gratitude had a sound it would be the sonic thread that swings through every track of this latest offering from Vancouver blues guitar institution Steve Kozak. Honest appreciation oozes out of every solo and lyric of ‘Hoot ‘N Holler’, Steve’s primarily self-penned album.
Following his brush with mortality in early 2006, Steve and his family were witness to the generosity of the open-hearted Vancouver Blues community during an August 2006 benefit at The Yale. This outpouring of support and affection inspired him to transform his own personal blues into a hard-working, 13 song expression of gratitude.
From the title track that springs to life with a ‘just happy to still be here’ feel, to Steve’s tribute to wife Sue on ‘Girl Of My Dreams’, it’s an infectious, hand-crafted swinging blues that makes you want more.
Embracing his latest favourite saying “…there’s no fun like the fun we’re having now…” Steve’s distinctive guitar style has a new lively lilt – just check his solo work on the instrumental ‘Rollin’ With Brother D’.
But all this couldn’t have happened without helping hands along the way. Recorded live off the floor in two days, thanks go out to a stable of great players and long-time musical friends noted here.
Special thanks go to engineer/mixer Ken Burke of Burkeville Sound and long-time friend, co-writer and producer Jack Lavin who also took the time
to sit in with Steve on their roots feel collaboration ‘It Didn’t Happen That Way’ featuring Jack on the harp.
This album is a musical story about hard work, survival and perseverance. And if there’s such a thing as the blues with a happy ending Steve has captured it here for all of us to ‘Hoot ‘N Holler’ about and be grateful for.
Ronnie Bee
July 2007
HOOT 'N HOLLER WILL BE AVAILABLE IN EUROPE FROM ROOTSCD.COM ON MONDAY APR. 21
Influences
MY LAST SELF TITLED CD, STEVE KOZAK'S WESTCOAST BLUES REVUE
Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Pee Wee Crayton, Jimmy Rogers, T-Bone Walker, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Eddie Taylor, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Little Walter Jacobs, Johnny Guitar Watson, Hubert Sumlin, Guitar Shorty, The James Cotton Band, Johnny Little John, Snooky Pryor, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Reed, Carey Bell, The James Harman Band, Mark Hummel & The Blues Survivors, The William Clarke Band, The Hollywood Fats Band, Johnny Winter, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Little Charlie and The Night Cats, Junior Watson, Kid Ramos, Jimmie Vaughn, Ronnie Earl, Anson Funderbergh, Rusty Zinn, Dave Gonzales, Duke Robillard, Evan Johns, Nick Curran, The Mighty Flyers, Los Lobos, Big Sandy and his Fly Rite Boys and many, many more...
I was born in Vancouver B.C. Canada in 1956 and I have been a part of Vancouver's Blues scene for over twenty years.
I began playing guitar and singing at age sixteen and took to the Blues like a duck to water. My passion for the Blues flourished after meeting, and hanging out for a few nights, with the legendary Muddy Waters here in Vancouver back in May of 1977. Muddy encouraged me and set me straight on a few things. After that, I was ‘on a mission’ -- my musical future was sealed.
I first started playing around Vancouver during the mid eighties in a band called Bad Habits. During those early years I gained some good experience, and ‘paid my dues’ at the renowned Yale Hotel’s Saturday Blues jam. In 1991 I won the ‘Battle of The Blues Guitars’ at The Yale’s Saturday Jam.
Since then I have worked with some great Blues bands from the Vancouver area including Juno winner Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, the Juno nominated band The Twisters, The West Coast Five, and VP and the Hammerheads.
Over the years I have had the good fortune to share the stage with and play along side many Blues greats including my good friend, the legendary 'Icepick' James Harman; Big Joe Louis from London England; Chicago's own Tom Holland (guitar player for The James Cotton Band); 2006 Juno Award winner Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne; the late, great Pee Wee Crayton; Cincinnati boogie woogie piano man Big Joe Duskin; Guitar Shorty; Sonny Rhodes; Eddie Clearwater; Lee Oskar; and my pals, Mark Hummel, Rick Estrin (of Little Charlie and the Night Cats), as well as Rockabilly legend and guitar player extraordinaire, Evan Johns.
In 1999 I formed Steve Kozak's Westcoast Blues Revue featuring a solid line up of talented Vancouver Blues musicians who share a keen interest in playing hard hitting authentic Blues.
The WestCoast Blues Revue has gone through a few personnel changes since the beginning and draws from a stable of top notch players. The line-up still changes from time to time depending on who’s available for the gig and what works best for the situation.
My latest CD Hoot ‘N Holler is my second release and my first studio recording featuring almost entirely original material.
We recorded the project over two sessions, live off the floor, to get as close to a live performance sound as we could with a minimum of overdubs and added effects.
“Everybody Hoot ‘N Holler and have yourself a real good time!”
Steve Kozak Promo Video
Video by Marko Ibarra 2008
Live performance for the White Rock Blues Society featuring Sechelt Red and Steve Kozak at The Rumba Room. April 11, 2009.
Video filmed live by Guy Shaddock and Yohannes Ghebreab. Edited and produced by Guy Shaddock.
Episode 3... featuring Dave Chisholm of The Rock Shop and Guitarist extraordinaire, Tim Hearsey.
Episode 5 Featuring Arsen Shomakhov at my Thursday night All-Star Blues Jam at The Yale.
Episode 6 of my Video Blues Review featuring The Shuffle King, Tom Holland.
FOR AUTHENTIC BLUES MUSIC WITH A WESTCOAST FEEL, YOU CAN’T BEAT THIS BAND!
FROM SWINGIN’ JUMP BLUES TO VINTAGE ROCK & ROLL, AND TRADITIONAL CLASSIC BLUES. THIS BAND COVERS A GOOD VARIETY OF UPBEAT, TOE-TAPPIN’, FINGER-POPPIN’ TUNES. STEVE KOZAK’S WESTCOAST BLUES WILL BE SURE TO PLEASE THE MOST DISCERNING BLUES FANS AND CREATE SOME NEW ONES WITH THEIR POWERFUL, AUTHENTIC BLUES.
*John Valenteyn from the Toronto Blues Society’s Maple Blues Online says:
“it’s an infectious romp that brings Willie “Big Eyes” Smith to mind.”
And “…a well-written and arranged little delight it is.”
*Richard Rosenblatt former CEO of Tone Cool Records and currently the president and CEO of the Vizz- tone label group and Tone Cool Productions says;
“This is real, honest blues-party music! Tasty musicianship and solid tunes. It's great that there is so much original music on the disc. You don't have to re-invent the wheel, it's all how you spin it.”
*Jerry Hall top notch record producer and owner, president & CEO of The Pacific Blues Recording Company says: “Steve's new release comes after a long absence due to illness, "Hoot 'n Holler" is a strong return to form featuring some of Western Canada's best players and 10 originals of the 13 songs on the CD. Recorded live in-studio for a natural performance feel and produced by Jack Lavin, Steve has returned strong as ever.”
*The Blues Hound, producer/programmer of KPFT 90.1 FM in Houston Texas says;
“Yeah that's the real deal stuff with extra grease.”
*Tom Harrison of The Vancouver Province calls it “Blues that can put a smile on your face.”
Steve Kozak was recently featured in the winter 2007 issue of Vancouver Lifestyle Magazine as the subject of ‘The People Worth Watching’ section written by Vancouver music icon Lindsay Mitchell.
If you would like more information or would like to book the band,
send us a message here or call
Steve Kozak at
(604) 434-7005
THE NEW CD HOOT 'N HOLLER IS NOW AVAILABLE AT CD BABY!
Bonjour Steve Thanks for the friendly add What a so good sound and music really appreciate it Love your voice Best wishes from France (Follow me on twitter.com/pascal95 ) Pascal
Hey Steve Happy late Birthday!! hows the fishing been lately? I see you had our buddy Tom Holland up there...Watch out he will keep you out All night !!!!LOL!!!
Cool! Thank you Stever... yest another great poster you've made here, especially scary with that old 1995 photo of me... however, you look like you're ready to do the Vancouver Twist all night, so I better get myself ready too! Later Daddy-0! Yo'boy... James
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