Tri-Continental

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Tri-Continental is a collaborative evolution that fuses the talents of three wonderful guitar-players, singers and songwriters from Canada. There are no musical boundaries present in this one-of-a-kind blues/folk/world music mélange. Tri-Continental present a truly unique - and critically acclaimed - sound that is a great success in terms of soulfulness and presence, intensity and atmosphere.

Bill Bourne - vocals, acoustic guitars, fiddle
Bill Bourne is a masterful guitar-player and improvisor blessed with an vocal charisma of great intensity. A popular solo artist and songwriter in his native Canada, his past work also features a stint with popular Scottish folk outfit Tannahill Weavers and others project with folk artists like fiddler Shannon Jackson. His Juno-nominated solo album Victory Train  was just one of his solo releases that introduced his individuality and musical integrity to the Canadian audience. Bill Bourne is quite a character - with the everpresent black top hat as his trademark.

Lester Quitzau - vocals, slide guitars, acoustic and electric guitars, kalimba
Lester is of Dutch/Danish descent. He plays soulful acoustic electric folk, blues and roots music. With an understated mastery and grace, the Juno award winning musician explores the space between the notes, as much as the notes themselves. Lester’s musical roots run so deep he can craft a musical cloth that quilts together ringing peals of West African-sounding guitar with the feel of free-form jazz, threaded through with unmistakable strands of gutbucket blues.

Madagascar Slim - vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, valiha
Totally in line with the blues tradition, this man from Antananarivo/Madagascar has chosen a moniker as his "blues name". A Toronto resident since 1979, Randriamananjara Radofa Besata Longin (that's his full name) is a good example for a truly bi-cultural artist. The musical worlds of the Africa are certainly part of Madagascar Slim's genetic make-up as well. An expert in the popular 'Salegy' dance style featuring intricate fingerpicking patterns, his life was changed forever when coming across the music of Jimi Hendrix. He has been inflicted with the blues virus ever since. Speaking of his own music, Slim likes to use the expression "Malagassy Blues". An expression right to the point, as his playing features blues riffs and African rhythms going hand in hand. His 1999 solo effort Omnisource made waves on the Canadian blues and world music scene and he received a Juno award for it. In Tri-Continental, Slim is also featured playing the valiha, a special zither from Madagascar made from bamboo.

Michael Treadway - drums, percussion, vocals
Michael “Barefoot” Treadway from British Columbia has been added to the performing group. “It’s all different because of working with Michael.” explains Lester Quitzau. “He can play all the different grooves that Bill, Slim and I have in our back pockets and he glues it all together. Now it feels as if there’s no limitations rhythmically as to what we can do. He’s an amazing drummer who can seem to play anything.” Bourne agrees that Treadway — who plays a drum kit and hand percussion — is a major find. “Michael is just a fabulous guy and a great drummer, and he’s in his thirties, so it’s kind of an injection of youth into the whole equation too.”

Well over a decade after their last recording, a new one has finally arrived in the form of Dust Dance, an album that picks up where 2004’s Drifting left off, seemingly without missing a beat. As Tri-Continental, they create a sound that is based in blues and is greater than the sum of its parts. With a couple of songs that are closer to world music and a couple of others that lean to folk/country, the disc has plenty of variety. A synthesis of their individual talents that should make for an exciting evening!

The Rogue Folk Club is pleased to provide great Sponsorship Opportunities for all our shows. For a nominal cost, individuals or businesses can sponsor any of our shows and reap a number of benefits - free tickets, reserved table, recognition on literature, our web site and at the concerts. Find out more here, or simply contact our Sponsorship Director Morris Biddle at mobiddley@me.com