Poor Charlie at the HGA April 19

POOR CHARLIE

Ultimate Storyteller, Showman and Bluesman

Born & raised in Montreal, Charlie Robertson spent the War years (WW II) with his father’s relatives in North Carolina.  It was there, at an early age that Charlie was absorbed by the Blues, a lifelong affair.  Subsequent visits to his cousin John Peden’s famous club, “The Sidetrack” over the years saw Charlie playing with legendary players such as Doc & Merle Watson, Son House, Bobby Blue Bland and Otis Redding.  As a schoolboy in Montreal during the 50’s, Charlie spent many hours at the Esquire Show Bar, Rockhead’s & the Harlem Paradise where he was welcomed by acoustic and electric jazz & bluesmen, Howlin’ Wolf, Frank Motley & his Motley Crew, Dizzy Gillespie  & Bo Diddley.

During the 60’s & 70’s Charlie performed the blues and ran coffeehouses in BC and Ontario where he worked with Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, Elvin Bishop, Big Joe Williams, Bukka White, Paul Butterfield, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Tom Rush.  He hosted university concerts with Buddy Guy, Little Walter, James Cotton and their bands.

His academic career saw him teaching classes in Popular Culture and Creative Writing.  He developed the first post-secondary Canadian Literature Class.  He also worked in the communications field and helped develop the College of Integrated Studies at the University of Waterloo.

For 40 years, Charlie has been an itinerant bluesman, traveling the globe playing the blues, hosting concerts and conducting workshops.  In recent years, Charlie has performed frequently at such festivals as the Harbourfront Jazz & Blues Festival, the Mariposa Folk Festival, our own Mill Race Festival of Traditional Music and festivals in the eastern US.  He has also performed at City of Waterloo music festivals, the University of Waterloo Blues Fest and Kitchener’s Blues, Booze & Barbecues.  He has played the blues with the Gypsy Kings in France, tango bands in Argentina, reggae players in Jamaica, and flamenco dancers in Spain, where his passion for the blues has always erased national and political borders and brought strange bedfellows together to share the music.  He may still be seen at universities and his favourite cafes when time permits.  Charlie performed at the 10^th Anniversary celebration for Voodoo Healin’ Blues Radio and at the Grand River Blues Society tribute concerts at the Cambridge Arts Centre.  Poor Charlie is currently based in Muskoka where he can be found playing the blues wherever music lovers meet for cool drinks and hot licks.

Bob Ardern at the HGA April 5

Bob Ardern combines melodious sounds with lyrics that conjure images and pulls it all together with masterful finger-style guitar playing. Willing to let his emotions show through his songs and not afraid to set off along the musical road-less-travelled, Bob takes you on a journey that entertains, surprises and stimulates.

Please learn more about Bob by clicking here.