Album Notes

Ah, that funky B-3 sound. It doesn't go away. It's stronger than ever - witness the continuation of the Jimmy Smith, Lonnie Smith, Jimmy McGriff blues/funk/shuffles in the stlyings of John Medeski, Larry Goldings and other pianists who switch to this "monster"for some groove.
Add Winnipeg's Leonard Shaw to the list. At home at keyboards of all sorts, Shaw who is equally comfortable strapping on a tenor saxophone, has put together a jazzy, bluesy group called The Blue Line Express, and his rumbling B-3 leads some of Winnipeg's very best down that path to groove.
And it's a special group, because it brings to the fore, once again, the dynamic duo that Winnipeg jazz fans instantly recognize: Reg and Ronnie. Indeed Reg Kelln and Ronnie Halldorson need little introduction. They came to prominence in the '60s backing the burgeoning playing of the brilliant Lenny Breau, Reg on drums and Ron on bass: and each have been recognized for their contributions to Winnipeg jazz with CanWest Global Jazz Achievement Awards.
On Barely Blue, Halldorson is playing guitar, at which he is equally talented. Some of those Breau sessions were well absorbed. Kelln is as swinging as ever.Then add the present generation's outstanding bassist and the Prairie Music Awards "Musician of the year for 2005" Gilles Fournier - who's played with just about anybody to visit Winnipeg , and you have not a supporting cast, but a truly hot band that swings, gets downright blue and cooks, with Leonard Shaw as the head chef.