click the picture to listen to the Mocking Shadows Rhythm & Blues Revue

"Ambassadors of Cool", "Crowd rousing", "Energetic", "Impressive", "Astonishing diversity", "Powerhouse Funk, Soul, Reggae and R&B act", "Gripping performance" "Incredibly tight and exciting", "It's all grooving music, delivered with commitment and style", "They are facilitators of good times. They are experts in dance floor revitalization. They are very talented musicians. They are a good time band.", "this critic was definitely impressed by the Mocking Shadows' musicianship and stage energy.", "The roster boasts an eclectic assortment of instruments including a Hammond B-3, clavinet, piano and three-piece horn section that allows the band to weave in and out of music genres with ease.", "Their happy-go-lucky mix of ska, funk, R&B and wailing horns would make for a great night of dancing and partying at the bar," (various quotes) Indie-Music-Toronto

They began playing regularly at a club in Edmonton (AB, Canada) called The Sidetrack Cafe, and eventually spread throughout the city. Current lead singer Amber Suchy and bassist Troy Nowaselski joined the band in 1999, and soon had enough original material to record the first and only self-titled CD in 2002.

From then they traveled as far East as Winnipeg and as far West as Vancouver Island peddling the ska/reggae/pop sounds that people seem to love dancing to. They've sold thousands of discs, played to thousands more and have had material on major Television and Radio. They disappeared between 2005-2007 and without really knowing why, decided to creep back into the game. They probably missed it.

Pat Strain plays guitar, Allison Ochoa the Tenor Sax and Fred Benton does the drum thing ...and they are all sexy.

Greg Demchuk & The Du-Rite Aces' Sneaky Pete

Du-Rite Aces | MySpace Music Videos

The “Aces” draw the best players from Edmonton and Calgary to make this a real “Alberta” supergroup, joined by Edmonton’s keyboard ace Graham Guest.

The group played Edmonton’s Labatt Blues Festival Volunteer Party the last couple of years and nearly tore the roof off the place (see the video on the "Hot-Rod Rockin' page). Bodies flew onto the dance floor and the place was rockin’ ‘til the wee hours. Check out the clip below.

Brent Parkin’s music is a mix of Chicago style Blues, Jazz blues, Swing, and Roots Rock and Roll. 2010 marks the guitarist-singers 40th year as a full time musician playing blues, swing and roots music in Winnipeg and Canada. Juno Award winner Brent Parkin is as fine a blues guitarist as there is, anywhere. He's so smooth and just makes it look so easy. He just keeps getting better and better.

In this video, he's accompanied by another legendary blues performer - Edmonton's own Graham Guest, on piano. Graham will be performing during Race Week with Greg Demchuk.

2010 marks the guitarist-singers 40th year as a full time musician playing blues, swing and roots music in Winnipeg and Canada.

In that time he co-founded several popular blues bands like the Black Jack Blues Band in 1973 and Houndog in 1976. Along the way Brent has been part of backup bands for such legends as Gate Mouth Brown, Bo Diddley, Otis Rush, Billy Boy Arnold, Johnnie Johnson and many more. As well as opening for greats like James Cotton, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy and John Prine.



A career highlight was sharing the tour bus and stage with B.B. King and his band as his opening act on a western Canadian tour.

Honours include a Juno Award in 1993, Maple Blues Award Nominations from 1996 to 1999 and a M.B.S. Lifetime Membership in 1997.

After suffering a serious heart attack in September 2007, Brent took some time off then appeared in the highly successful play Mesa for Prairie Theatre Exchange providing the musical landscape, singing and acting. Feeling healthy and back playing again, Brent is looking forward to seeing y’all in the future.

Quotes:
"Brent Parkin is one of this countries best blues guitarists" - Peter North, Edmonton Journal
''Parkin’s slide guitar is truly ethereal'' Bartley Kives - Winnipeg Sun
''He reminds us of what the blues can be in the hands of a master'' Ralph Stordeur - Scene Roots & Blues Magazine.

Brent has played many clubs including some well known ones like The Yale Hotel in Vancouver, The King Eddy in Calgary, Blues on Whyte in Edmonton, The Windsor Hotel in Winnipeg and The Silver Dollar in Toronto just to name a few. Festival appearances include the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, Winnipeg Jazz Festival and the Harbour Front Blues Festival in Toronto. Brent has also performed on many television and radio shows including CBC shows “90 Minutes Live”, “Swinging on a Star”, Global TV’s “Jimmy King Presents” and CTV’s “Live at the Warehouse”.

The Nightkeepers. led by Edmonton musical tour-de-force Dave Babcock, include Doug Organ on the Hammond B3, Sandro Dominelli on drums, and ex-Rockin’ Highliner Alex Herriot on guitar. Dave Babcock and his high-octane blues outfit The Night Keepers will be cookin' for nine straight nights in the Rose & Crown Pub, in the Sutton Place Hotel.

Dave Babcock has built his reputation as one of Canada's finest saxophonists over the past two decades. This dynamic horn man is also a respected singer, bandleader and producer who’s playing is steeped in the living traditions of jazz and blues. Dave has moved with the times, keeping his finger on the pulse of today's music while never forgetting his roots.
Originally from Vancouver, Dave took up the saxophone and began his playing career in Edmonton. After graduating from the MacEwan College music program, he honed his skills with local acts playing a variety of Jazz, Blues, R&B and Pop music.

Throughout his career, Dave has had the opportunity to perform and record with many great artists. He’s played alongside Edmonton jazz legends Tommy Banks, PJ Perry, Big Miller and keyboard master Doug Riley; Canadian pop mainstays KD Lang and Tom Cochrane and respected bluesmen Colin James, Tom Lavin, Amos Garrett and Jack deKeyzer. Dave has also played for international pop artists Petula Clark, Glen Campbell and Wayne Newton; Motown stars The Temptations, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and Mary Wilson of The Supremes as well as R&B vocal greats The Coasters and The Platters.

Dave is a much sought after studio musician and sideman, with appearances on two Juno award-winning albums amongst his numerous credits. Dave has made two albums to date including his 2004 solo instrumental release ‘Happenstance’ and the ARIA Award winning release ‘Both Feet’ with his Jump Orchestra.

Since the release of their self-titled CD, Jimmy and the Sleepers have been smoldering, mostly underground, but are more ready than ever to burn out of the frozen Alberta north and showcase their Edmonton-styled blues to the world. For years, Edmonton has had a modest, but reverent blues scene which has fostered a blues sound perhaps a little more traditional. Maybe its those long, cold Canadian Prairie winters whose bone-chillin' winds blow like that off Lake Michigan, whose winds chilled Chicago in the early days of electric blues.

Whatever it is, the blues is alive in Edmonton and Jimmy and the Sleepers are disciples of the sound and dedicated to it's roots.

Unofficially, the group has been performing together for years as the backup band of choice for an impressive list of blues artists from across the U.S. and Canada. Backing such artists as Lazy Lester, Jody Williams, (Howlin' Wolf) Larry Garner, Jimmy Burns, Little Mike, and Big Dave McLean, (to name only a few) they have honed their skills as sidemen and are ready to contribute their own confident, edgy sound.

Led by veteran blues guitarist Jimmy Guiboche, the band is poised and ready to support their latest release which has been praised by listeners and critics alike, and has had regular play on CBC, CKUA, Galaxie, college radio, along with modest radio play in Europe. They also enjoyed time on both the CKUA charts, and Megatunes top 30 sellers list for several weeks.