Danny Marks

It's impossible to be connected to the Toronto blues scene without knowing Danny Marks. The singer/guitarist has been a pillar of that community since emerging in the late '60s with Edward Bear, later turning his musical passion into a successful career as a radio and television host. A Friend in the Blues finds Marks writing original material again after covers collection Big Town Boy, and the new album's 12 tracks show off his vast knowledge of different styles. Tracks such as "Caretaker" and "Back to the Blues" have a soulful B.B./Albert King depth, while "Blues For Lonnie Johnson" and "Uncle John" pay tribute to two of the greatest acoustic guitar players, who Marks was fortunate enough to witness in his youth. Marks's greatest strength is combining all of these influences into a concoction that goes down like fine blended scotch. That smoothness comes across not only in Marks's highly refined guitar playing, but also his mellifluous pipes. A Friend in the Blues is not a bar band album, but in fact shows Marks fully emerging as an elder statesman. He is someone who understands that the blues is more than a musical form ― it's a way of life.