Brandon Isaak brings a full house to Blue Feather
“These are hard, hard times
-What’s The World Coming To? (2024)
And even God’s got the blues
Won’t somebody tell me
What this old world is coming to?”
Attempting to define Brandon Isaak is challenging, a quest that ended deliberately, and fittingly, with a contradiction.
Brandon Isaak is a “Traditional Original.”
His music echoes through time, a heartbeat dating from the earliest days of an iconic style that became known as the blues. His sound is his own, yet also an homage to the clean and raw essence of the genre’s beginnings.
His work builds on traditional arrangements and vocal styles, also featuring instruments seldom heard in the present day. He incorporates the fiddle, banjo and even washboard in his repertoire, while not limiting himself to any one era.
“My sound would be traditional; its roots music. Really going anywhere from the turn of the century to now,” he said. “B.B. King; I like his style. I’m influenced by all the masters, really.”
“You turn mourning to dancing
– Graves Into Gardens (co-written 2020)
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can.”
While Isaak is a continuous innovator, even within his most contemporary works, the ghosts of R&B, ragtime and gospel whisper in the background.
Through 37 years of honing his craft, Isaak’s explorations have extended to the jazz energy brought by the New Orleans scene and to the innovations of finger-pickers from the Lone Star State.
“My guitar playing is certainly influenced by Texas,” he said. “All of my favourites are from Texas. I don’t know why. I’ll be doing a lot of Texas-style guitar playing in Whitehorse.”
But Isaak says what keeps the blues vital is that it moves with the times, while staying true to its heritage.
“The recent guys, well, they use modern lyrics, current themes. Things that matter today, with music in a traditional style.”
Here too, the born-and-bred Yukoner follows in the footsteps of the giants. He is a compulsive songwriter, finding inspiration almost just by being awake.
“The ideas, you get them from paying attention to everyday life. Or you hear a lyric in a song, or take a song you like and do an opposite version.”
His own northern roots surface when describing his process.
“It’s like mining, looking for ore. Sometimes you go through rocks and mud. Then you see something, a nugget, and wipe it, wipe it off. And then you say ‘Hey! This is gold!’”
And Isaak is one sourdough who seems to cry ‘Eureka’ more than most. Despite releasing an album in September, he expects to bring even fresher material to the Whitehorse stage for the Blue Feather Music Festival at the Yukon Arts Centre on November 8..
“I expect I’ll have a bunch of new stuff. I’m sure a lot of it hasn’t been written yet,” he laughs. “I’ll be playing with local guys, Lonnie Powell on drums and Rob Bergman on bass. I’ll be playing harp and guitar.” It was recently announced that Annie Avery will be joining the group on keys.
He will also be singing. Like his compositions, Isaak’s powerful vocals are unique and defy easy categorization.
Reviewers have described his voice as smooth, twangy, and/or rough; none of which even approaches doing it justice. His voice is low, carries some grit and gravel, but is expressive enough to convey a smile through the darkness.
His own take is not as complimentary. “I bark. I moan and groan. But it’s in key!”
His live performances are delivered with an energy that leaves nothing in the tank when the curtain falls. He is known for taking his audience on an emotional journey, and has been hailed as the living spirit of today’s blues.
While he is a dervish on the stage, his work in the studio reveals a conscientious attention to detail. All of the many elements he brings to his recordings are treated with the dignity and respect he so clearly holds for the genre.
Each of his six solo albums allows the multiple layers of sounds, styles and themes, melodies and instruments the time and space to breathe, and add to the depth of the overall composition. He has played in three continents and eight countries, as well as performing through 13 European tours.
Let trumpets blare: Brandon Isaak is rare!
