Potvin has stated that her music has been influenced by her growing up and listening to artists such as: Dinah Washington, Freddie King, Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy, John Hiatt, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Solomon Burke, Irma Thomas, Jimmy Reed, the Staple Singers, Ruth Brown, Jimmy Bryant, Charlie Christian, Lonnie Johnson, BB King, Bessie Smith and others.
Roxanne Potvin and her current touring band line-up:
- Drums: Roger Travassos
- Bass: Mark McIntyre
- Piano: Steve O'Connor
- Guitar and lapsteel: Chrisine Bougie
Potvin made her recording debut in January 2002 when she sang an original tune on Bogart's Bounce, a Northern Blues release by Ottawa's JW-Jones Blues Band. Veteran blues giants Kim Wilson and Gene Taylor of the Fabulous Thunderbirds also appeared on the album.
Careless Loving:
In 2003 Potvin wrote a canon of songs with which she self-produced, self-financed, self-released, and self promoted her first recording, Careless Loving. The album featured six original songs and four covers by Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown, Etta James and Buddy Johnson. This album helped build her reputation as a songwriter as well as a singer and player. Local writers (and campus and CBC radio) embraced the CD, and Potvin's reputation began to spread.
The Way It Feels:
The Way It Feels (2006), was produced by Colin Linden — a Nashville-based Canadian guitarist and writer with 60 CD production projects to his name — helped bring together a cast of support players that included, in addition to Daniel Lanois, Bruce Cockburn, Wayne Jackson of The Memphis Horns, members of The Fairfield Four, and one of Potvin's favourite songwriters and singers, John Hiatt.
The album received a Juno Award nomination for Blues Album of the Year.
Time Bomb:
“Time Bomb” (2007) featured three women blues musicians: Deborah Coleman, Sue Foley and Roxanne Potvin.
Time Bomb (2007) featured three female blues players, Deborah Coleman, Sue Foley and Potvin. The title track, "Time Bomb", an instrumental where all three women take turns laying down leads. For the next nine songs the women spell each other off taking lead vocals and guitar duties of every third song until they come together again on the final track "In The Basement".
No Love for the Poisonous:
No Love for the Poisonous (2008) was produced by Dave Mackinnon of FemBots. In a favourable review of the album, The Globe and Mail wrote, "Smartly timeless and featuring the most assured songwriting of Potvin's three-album career, No Love for the Poisonous is a wicked success story."
Play:
In 2011, Potvin changed directions and recorded Play, an album with a combination of folk, indie rock and pop influences. She collaborated with Black Hen Music director and guitarist Steve Dawson and a crew of Vancouver studio musicians, recording an album of new songs in five days.
Roxanne Potvin signed with Alert Music Inc. late in 2005, and is now managed by industry veteran W. Tom Berry (Holly Cole, Kim Mitchell, Gino Vannelli).
Roxanne Potvin
Discography:
Main releases:
- 2003 - Careless Loving (Blues Independent)
- 2006 - The Way It Feels (Blues Alert Music, Inc.)
- 2008 - No Love for the Poisonous (Blues Alert Music, Inc.)
- 2011 – Play Indie rock (Black Hen Music)
The next artist on my “Hot List” is Gregory "Greg" Howe (born December 8, 1963) is an American guitarist and composer. As an active musician for nearly thirty years, he has released eight studio albums in addition to collaborating with a wide variety of artists.
Until next time, remember to help “SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC” . . .
MUSICIAN by Night
GOD Save “The Blues”
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