Info & Reviews

Album Information (Complete Unedited Info Here)

Donnie Walsh thinks a hat might make a difference.

“Something that will help the band fit in … or stand out,” says the veteran Canadian bluesman by way of explaining the title of the new Downchild album, I Need A Hat.

It’s a joke, of course. Downchild doesn’t need a hat, or a ticket, a tag, a bag, a niche, or a flashing neon sign.

Forty years on, Downchild remains a blues force, true to itself and without equal.

Comprising a new batch of Walsh originals – edgier, darker, more caustically humorous than ever before – I Need A Hat boasts a cluster of stellar guests. Dan Aykroyd – a long-time friend and admirer of Downchild – on harmonica, second-generation Canadian blues-rocker Colin James and Nashville-based Canadian roots music veteran Colin Linden on guitars, and Stax Records legend Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns on trumpet, all make muscular and eloquent contributions to the album, which Walsh produced over five days earlier this year in Toronto’s famed Metalworks Studios.

“It’s not really producing,” says Walsh, a self-deprecating homegrown star – when he’s not on the road, he’s fishing his favourite pickerel hole at his secret lake in northern Ontario – and a ribald raconteur with a lacerating dry wit. 

“We’ve been together long enough to know just how everything fits, every groove, every note, every piece of punctuation. It’s not as if we have to go looking for hooks – they just happen. That’s one of the great things about a band that’s been together for as long as we have. It just gets better and better.”

“I get a buzz doing the final mix, tweaking the nuances, the little elements I know are in there, hiding somewhere. Those little bits are like pure gold to me. I love shining them up.”

“And it was really exciting this time to have so many great guests adding their own parts.”

Drummer Mike Fitzpatrick credits the quality and individual character of the songs Walsh and singer Chuck Jackson – he contributed “Down in the Delta” and “I’ve Gotta Leave” to I Need A Hat – have brought to the band.

“The songwriting is exceptional,” he says. “There’s always some unexpected slant to the story in each song, or a line that cuts straight to the bone.” 

Bassist Gary Kendall hears something old and something new each time he listens to I Need A Hat.

“The more I play it, the more I get it,” he says. “This is vintage Downchild – straight up blues, no frills, no R&B, nothing slick. But Donnie’s doing something new with his lyrics, commenting on what’s happening in the world, reaching out to people who’ve lost their jobs and are facing hard times. That’s different. His songs are usually much more personal.” 

About the reasons for Downchild’s success, Walsh is succinct and unequivocal.

“First, it’s knowing your audience, and knowing when to give them what they want,” he says. “If they want to dance, you step up the groove. If they want to watch, you give them lots of solos.” 

“As for keeping a band together for as long as Downchild has been around, it’s an unspoken thing, finding a balance between what I need and what I know each musician can give. Every member of this band is well equipped to do what each of us wants and needs. Downchild has always been bigger than the sum of its parts, and I can’t really explain why. “

“But I do know that after 40 years doing this, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. The hard parts are easier. I’m writing songs all the time – and better songs – which surprises me. I get to experience new things all the time, and see new places.” 

“And I get to make my own records. I will never sell enough of them to put me out of work … but that’s probably a good thing.”

Tracklist 

1.This Must Be Love 
2.I Need A Hat 
3.Somebody Lied 
4.You Don't Love Me 
5.Rendezvous 
6.Down In The Delta 
7.Time To Say Good-bye 
8.What Was I Thinking 
9.These Thoughts Keep Marching 
10.Some More Of That 
11.El Stew

Listen To Samples Here

About Downchild

Donnie Walsh

Donnie Walsh named his band from a song by blues singer, songwriter and harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson; his other early heroes included Elmore James and Muddy Waters. More than 30 years later, Walsh remains one of the most enthusiastic musicians to be found anywhere - on the rare occasions when he’s not fronting a Downchild gig or fishing up north, he can be found sitting in with friends - and he has ’em in dozens of towns and cities throughout Canada and the United States. 

Known as “Mr. Downchild” since he started the band, Walsh’s fans still argue as to whether he’s a better guitarist than he is a harp player - most figure it’s a tie - but musicians everywhere give him an A+ mark on both instruments, with special praise for his slide guitar work. Younger players in the tradition cite him as one of their strongest influences. He is also the band’s main songwriter; unlike most bands in the idiom, almost all the material in Downchild’s shows is written by Walsh or singer Chuck Jackson. Off-stage in the summertime - between jazz, blues, and folk festival gigs in Canada and the U.S. - Walsh avoids the crowds by relaxing on his fishing boat. 


Chuck Jackson

Chuck Jackson is Downchild’s singer; the sort of openhearted, friendly guy who builds an instant rapport with audiences. He came to Downchild thirteen years ago after a long career with a number of Canadian bands. A first-rate singer, who rates Big Joe Turner and B.B. King as major influences, Jackson’s also turned into an excellent songwriter, and there are plenty of his songs on the group’s most recent albums. He’s also a fine harmonica player, and a special highlight of the band’s performances is a harp duet with Mr. Downchild. Chuck is also the organizer of the annual Southside Shuffle - Port Credit Blues Festival which has become an important event on the southern Ontario festival circuit. Chuck was named the Maple Blues Award winner for 1999 Male Vocalist of the Year. He was also honoured this year with the Toronto Blues Society’s prestigious Blues With a Feeling Award for his achievements during a distinguished career.


Michael Fonfara

Long known as one of the busiest, most versatile, keyboard players in North America, Michael Fonfara has added immeasurably to hundreds of recording sessions in a career that began in the early days of the rock revolution, when he was a member of the '60s supergroup, Rhinoceros. Since then, he has played with artists as varied as Lou Reed and Solomon Burke, and is building a new career as a record producer for a number of up and coming bands and singers. His vital, powerful keyboard work accents Downchild's unique sound. Michael was named Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year for 2000 by the Maple Blues Awards.

Pat Carey

From northern Manitoba - just a few hundred miles south of the Arctic Circle - sax player Pat Carey is the most schooled of Downchild’s players, with a degree in music from the University of Manitoba. He played with The Winnipeg Symphony, Jimmy King & the Golden Boy Brass, Rocki Rolletti, and his own Jazz groups before moving to Toronto in 1984, where he played with such artists as the late Richard "Hock" Walsh and the late Tony Flaim and the Dukes before joining Downchild in 1985. His horn arrangements are an integral part of many Canadian recordings by such artists as Jack De Keyzer, Chuck Jackson and the All-Stars, Big Daddy G and Sunny Fournier. As well as his many recordings with Downchild, Pat has also recorded with Rita Chiarelli, Fathead, Danny Brooks, Curley Bridges, Kenny Blues Boss Wayne, & Sam Myers. Pat has been recognized as Horn Player of the Year at the Maple Blues Awards in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2004. In 2002, Pat recorded the CD Starlight with his own band Pat Carey's Jazz Navigators. In this same year Pat became the President of The Iridescent Music Company Inc., a company comprised of a diverse group of Canadian musicians and Business people. 

Gary Kendall

Gary Kendall is one of the best known bassists on Canada's blues scene adding a rock solid bottom end to the band's distinctive sound. In his first period with the band (1979-83) he worked on four albums, We Deliver, Road Fever, Blood Run Hot and the live But, I'm On The Guest List. Since returning in 1995 he's played on Lucky Thirteen and Come On In. Gary Kendall has also toured and recorded with blues greats Morgan Davis, Snooky Pryor, Chris Murphy, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Big Jay McNeely, to name only a few and he's the Musical Director of the Maple Blues Awards. He was honoured with the "Blues With A Feeling" Award in 1993 and has won the Maple Blues Award as Bassist of The Year in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2005. Originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Gary has also been honoured by his hometown, receiving the Thunder Blues Award from the City Of Thunder Bay and the Keeping The Blues Alive Award from The Thunder Bay Blues Society in 2002. When not touring and recording with Downchild he performs with The Gary Kendall Band and released his first solo recording "Dusty & Pearl" on his own 47 Records label in late 2004. 

Mike Fitzpatrick

The newest member of Downchild is drummer Mike Fitzpatrick, but he’s certainly no newcomer to the blues scene. And while he’s been influenced by big band drummers like Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, he’s found his niche with a flock of bluesmen - he’s played with Big Joe Turner, Sonny Rhodes, Hubert Sumlin and Bob Margolin, but he’s just as proud of the contributions he’s made with Canadian artists like the late Richard “Hock” Walsh, Jack De Keyzer, and Morgan Davis. He’s recorded with Snooky Pryor, B.B. Odom and the Gold Tops, the Livin' Blues Band and Ray Materick, among many others. His role with Downchild is special - in his own words: “One of the first blues bands I ever heard was Downchild, and they were an influence on my style as well. I’m still a fan today, so for me this is a great gig.” Michael won the Maple Blues Award as Drummer of The Year in 2005.

Downchild Blues Band play ``I got everything I need almost `` at the Limestone city blues festival in Kingston Ontario Aug. 25th , 2007.

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