2025 Schedule

What do you get when you mix toe-tappin’ tunes with super fun stories? You get skiffle rockin’ blues and foot-stompin’ tales for an evening that you won’t want to take sitting down!

Featuring Ottawa storytellers Gail Anglin and Dawn-Xavier Franklin with the music of The Barrow Gang Buskers. Celebrate the end of the season with an entertaining and upbeat evening of stories and songs! 

Bonecat’s exhilarating brand of blues-inspired rock and energetic shows have earned them a reputation of a must-see show. The power trio was formed in 2021 and they have created a unique synergy on stage that audiences love to watch. They released their second CD Bonecat III in 2023 which can be found on Apple and Amazon music. They are currently working on material for an upcoming album and video, and booking dates for their summer tour. Over the last several years, Bonecat has performed at Kingston’s Limestone Bluesfest, Kemptville Live, Ottawa’s Capital Fair, Ottawa Bluesfest, and in January 2025, represented OBS at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee.

Bonecat (Bill St Amand) – Guitar and Vocals
The Kraken (Linda Laframboise) – Bass and vocals
LDogg (Larry Drescz) – Drums and Vocals 

They have been playing and recording together for over 17 years. They have charted in the top 100 and released three albums, the most recent being “Invincible”. Rootsy arrangements, thoughtful lyrics, stunning harmonies, and hot guitar/violin duels have led people to compare Cornflower Blue to other female/male musical partnerships like Linda and Richard Thompson, and Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons. They are good people, too. 

“Cornflower Blue break out of the standard roots pack with good songs, great guitars and that sublime fiddle. A little bit Bottle Rockets, a bit of Sugar, mixed with a healthy dose of twang make Invincible a can’t miss. That’s an order!”
– James Mann, Ink 19 

Trevor May – Guitar, vocals
Theresa McInerney – Guitar, vocals
Deanna – Violin
Dosh – Bass 
Ralph – Drums 

Sonny Aiken is a cowboy and a clown. Just as entertaining off-stage as on, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better yodeller in all of Ottawa. Having completed a world tour with Cirque Eloize in the cowboy-musical ‘Saloon’, Aiken is back in Ottawa reestablishing roots. Nearly always performing as one half of a duo, Aiken has released music with The Noisy Locomotive, Aiken & Beggs, The Aiken Brothers, and most recently, he released his seminal solo album, Lost, Lonesome Cowboy in 2020. After more than a decade of touring and performing across Canada, Aiken’s latest venture is as one half of C.A. and Sonny. 

Hailing from New Brunswick, C.A. Jackson has now firmly planted his feet in the Ottawa area. Although he has spent time performing in bands and other ensembles, Jackson has spent countless hours honing his craft. After a fateful year-long pilgrimage to Charlottetown where he spent his secluded days, nourished by his guitar alone, he has ventured back to society to accompany Aiken with his resolute harmonies and relentless fingerpicking. 

Al Wood is a multi-talented performer and songwriter with a deep reverence for the blues and traditionally based roots music. As a virtuoso harmonica player, talented guitar stylist with a golden throated voice spanning a career over 40 years, Al Wood’s artistry and musicianship are starkly revealed. 

Wood’s versatility delivers a personal flare by capturing the Chicago style blues traditions and merging a journey of hard core real country, melodic jazz with a diverse array of other influences. 

Al Wood and the Woodsmen are a harmonica-driven blues band. The Sound meshes an obvious respect and love for the blues with fresh thematic spins that unify audiences without losing the edge. The Woodsmen, featuring the legendary Sobb brothers and highly sought after bassist Dave Schroeder provide the perfect high energy backdrop for a memorable show. 

Al Wood – Vocals and Harmonica
Dave Schroeder – Bass
Marty Sobb – Guitar
Matt Sobb – Drums 

In early 2023, a Monster of Funk rose from the Ottawa River with one goal in mind: to bring southern-soaked funk n’ soul to the people. This 6-piece band plays original instrumental music that will rouse a stinkface of admiration from even your most uptight friends.  Smelloship released their debut EP in Feb 2024, which has since seen radio play around the world. From being played on CBC’s All in a Day and Saturday Night Jazz shows, to opening for Parliament Funkadelic, Smelloship has been off to a great start. 

Garett Barr – Bass
Chris Elms – Guitar
Kim Jackson – Keyboards
Andre Ferraton – Drums
Brady Leafloor – Tenor sax
Chris Burling – Percussion