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Bringing blues to Brackendale

Juno-winning musician, actor Jim Byrnes at art gallery Saturday
Jim Byrnes

Vancouver-based actor and acclaimed blues musician Jim Byrnes said he’s looking forward to performing in the “Hall of the Mountain King” on Saturday. It’s a Tolkein-esque reference to the Brackendale Art Gallery and its infamous and bearded owner, Thor Froslev.

“It’s always great to see Thor,” he said. “I always love to play the Brackendale Art Gallery, because it’s fun to be in such an intimate setting and be able to tell stories and connect with the audience.”

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Byrnes moved to Vancouver in the 1970s and during his long career has starred in hit TV shows like Highlander: The Series and Wiseguys, and he even had his own short-lived series, aptly called The Jim Byrnes Show. He’s also provided voices for popular cartoons like Beast Wars: Transformers, X-Men: Evolution and Dinosaur Train, among others.

As a musician, he’s released 10 solo albums and earned numerous accolades, including Juno Awards three times for Blues Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year at both the Maple Blues Awards and Canadian Folk Music Awards.

He’s also shared the stage with legendary blues greats from Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker to Taj Mahal and Robert Cray.

“Music is what I am doing mainly these days,” he said. “However, I’m still going to auditions, and doing some narration for my daughter – who is a filmmaker – and for Knowledge Network. I’m keeping pretty busy, but picking and choosing what I do.”

According to his website, Byrnes keeps his schedule full by performing some 150 shows a year across North America and Europe.

“I’m also starting to put together stuff for a new album,” he said. “It’s all still a work in progress, though. My albums tend to have a theme, so I am working on that. My producer recently moved to Nashville, so I’ve been doing a lot of emailing back and forth with him.”

But once he’s ready to record, Byrnes said it doesn’t take long to make a record.

“We’re not like a lot of rock bands that take years to make a record,” he said. “We go in and play live off the floor. The last album, we did it all in four days. But right now, we’re assembling the raw material.”

He said he’s always honoured by the awards his music receives, but never goes into the studio thinking about winning another Juno.

“I don’t do it for awards,” he said. “I do it for the music. The awards are the icing on the cake. But, when we go into the studio, I always just want to do something that’s better than the previous album.”

In Brackendale this weekend, “I’ll be playing a good mix of blues, as well as some country,” he said. “I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”

Byrnes plays BAG on Saturday (April 11) at 8 p.m. and tickets are available at the art gallery. For more on Byrnes, go to jamestbyrnes.com.

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