Marshall followed the path of many other aspiring rock 'n' roll guitarists, buying albums by Chuck Berry, Johnny Winter, most of the 70's lineup of all-star power guitarists, and eventually coming home to the blues by way of B.B. King. He played his first gig in 1969 in Windsor, Ontario, with a band called The Peanut Gallery. Playing a '69 Gibson SG through a Fender Dual Showman, he proceeded to blow the amp on "Johnny B. Goode" (an early example of his trademark adrenaline-driven sound). He spent much of the 70's and 80's exploring and exploiting rock guitar styles while employed at a car factory in industrial Windsor.
Marshall moved east to Kingston in the early 90's to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology. Musically, things were also beginning to shift: he discovered Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic, a Jimi-inspired guitarist who blended funky James Brown-style phrasing with a killer tone. Marshall found Eddie's style irresistible, and started playing 70's funk, groove and reggae with the groups Masala and Shock Walter. He also began experimenting with MIDI technology, playing Tower of Power-style horn lines, solo flute and digital FX on his Roland-equipped Strat.
In 1996, feeling that he had matured enough to respect the genre, Marshall was back playing the blues with the Marshall Lawrence Blues Band. However, work took him to northern California, where he couldn't locate any hip local blues scene. Since going without live music was not an option, he bought a mandolin, learned how to play it, and joined a local bluegrass band called the Tubtones. This wild transition taught Marshall a great deal about rhythm and contributed significantly to the sound he has today. He came back to Canada a year later and headed north to Edmonton where he'd heard there was an active and talented blues community. Within two weeks of relocating, he'd formed the R&B group The Rhythm Chil'un, and secured a house gig at Brandi's Blues Bar. As the music naturally evolved into a bluesier expression, the Marshall Lawrence Band was born. Live, the band soars high, delivering classic and original blues tunes that have audiences up and dancing in a Mississippi minute. Fueled by Marshall's passionate and intense approach, the Marshall Lawrence band rocks the blues in a genuinely singular
style, an earlier CD, Where's The Party?, is a testament to this sound—it's a
recording where Marshall pays homage to the great veterans of the blues, but
anchors it all down with his wailing, energetic style.
In addition to his electric blues gigs with the MLB, Marshall also performs acoustic dobro blues as a solo artist or as a duo with a little harmonica on the side. His acoustic slide playing is steeped in roots music and has a true and genuine blues feel. His throaty vocals remind you of sitting in a smoky Gin Joint in the '30s and '40s listening to the blues masters, and his pounding rhythms and fierce attack on the guitar transform each song into raw emotion.
"It's still delta-style country blues, but new. In fact, I think Lawrence is following in the footsteps of some very important artists like Bernie Pearl and Corey Harris and Taj Mahal in the way that he is at once historical musicologist and contemporary interpreter" The Sunday Night Blues Project
Marshall Lawrence has the distinction of being a "Maple Blues Award Nominee" and an "Independent Music Award Nominee". As such, a driving force has emerged on the Canadian blues scene. Marshall Lawrence is taking traditional blues styles and infusing them with a raw, fiery energy. Marshall's adrenaline-driven sound is a fierce combination of funk, rock and soul, a wild ride he calls "acid blues".
Marshall Lawrence is a dynamic and unique blues performer who has experienced many phases in his life and music. The Blues has long been recognized for its healing properties, but not a lot of Blues players are actual doctors. Marshall Lawrence is called ‘The Doctor of the Blues’ for good reason – he’s a bonafide Ph.D, holding a doctorate in psychology. “Ironically, a fan laid the nickname on me, but he didn’t know that I actually have a doctorate,” says Lawrence.
His first album, ‘Where’s the Party’, released in 2003, is a reflection of his journey through the Blues that culminates in those same healing properties. “My original reaction to the Blues was strictly visceral,” he explains. “I’d been through Hendrix and rock and funk, but the Blues is what grabbed me inside.” “And it took a while to settle on it, too. I went through a lot of performing styles before I thought it all through and decided on the Blues – almost like it was an intellectual process.” As a result, Marshall has matured into a performer who brings a variety of influences to his stage show.
Energy is perhaps the most recognizable element, and one of his styles lays in his ‘speed guitar’ technique that includes influences derived from mandolin work. “I picked up a mandolin when I was at the University of California and couldn’t find any blues players, so, I hooked into bluegrass. The technique has had an influence on my blues playing,” he says. Marshall includes that same technique in his acoustic playing, which is prominent on his new album ‘The Morning After’, released in 2008. “I put ‘Where’s the Party’ together as the first of a blues duo,” he says. “The Morning After" is all acoustic material, and features more original material.” Both approaches work for Marshall Lawrence as he summons up the Blues to fix whatever ails you.
To book Marshall with the full band or as an acoustic solo act, please send an email.
Marshall Lawrence, the Doctor
of the Blues performs his version of Robert Johnson's Possession Over
Judgement Day at the East Coulee Spring Festival April 2009..
Marshall Lawrence "Doctor of the
Blues"
Maple Blues Award Nominee
Canadian Independent Music Award Nominee
