Toronto, Canada’s BYWATER CALL was founded in 2017, and is spearheaded by vocalist Meghan Parnell and guitarist Dave Barnes (who doesn’t just sound like Derek Trucks but looks like him too). The outfit has been nominated for numerous Blues Awards, including recognitions for Meghan’s vocals (Entertainer of the Year and Best Female Vocalist during the 2023 Awards Season.)
Meg’s voice is crystal clear and cuts through full-fledged anthems of salvation or, occasionally, deals with swirling veils of self-doubt. Meanwhile, Dave’s jaw-dropping, pitch-perfect bottlenecking supports Meg’s articulation and frequently ignites the band’s set-pieces into earth-shattering musical extravaganzas.
We had the good fortune to catch the wonderful 7-piece southern soul, roots ‘n’ rock troop perform at the charming & intimate Tuesday Night Music Club, located inside the magnificent white-fronted neo-Georgian building that houses the Coulsdon Comrades Club (capacity 80, sold-out).
Etta James’s sweetness and the pain & passion of Joplin…
Raw Ramp Music Magazine
Meg entered the stage wearing a mini dress with silver sequins, glossy black shoes, and a small denim jacket. She was flanked, outnumbered, but unfazed by a horn section (Julian Nalli on sax and Stephen Dyte on trumpet), Bruce McCarthy on drums, her trusty guitarist by her side, and her keyboardist/conductor seated in the corner. The only thing this Stax-style concert-room showband was missing were a brace of female supporting vocalists, but John Kervin on keys and Mike Meusel on bass provided strong vocal accompaniment.
Beginning with ‘Bring It Back‘ a combat-ready drumbeating mobilization with swirling guitars and a life-reaffirming message, the band immediately wowed the all-seated auditorium. The sense of impulse ‘n’ invigoration continued with ‘Ties That Bind‘ that became somewhat moodier and grouchier with piping hot guitars and jolts of frenzied built-up atmosphere.
The first single from the newest album, ‘Sweet Maria,’ was highly appreciated by the Surrey crowd. It was a positive New Orleans blues & southern soul number and at Coulsdon, Surrey we witnessed a seamless blending of accomplished and fluid skills; this was music that was gospel-like without being overtly sacramental, and was filled with luscious richness and butterscotch vitality.
‘Sign of Peace’ had incredible artfulness on keys and lots of tambour action! It was a song of authentic forgiveness, with a kinda Gabe Dixon Band key-heavy flavour thing going on… though with Etta James’s sweetness and the pain & passion of Joplin.
‘For All We Know’ was a retro-styled rock-gospel song with Americana influences about rediscovering inner guidance and taking risks to go for what you desire, no matter what obstacles stand in your way, both internal and external. It was a high-spirited hammering of our immortal souls!
A high point of the show, for sure, was the emancipated groove-funky cover of Stephen Stills’ ‘Love the One You’re With’ filled with high-octane rhythmic propulsion and amazing vocals. Bywater Call’s rendition was multilayered and vivaciously impactful.
And in the second set, the rousing and multiarticulate rendition of The Band’s 1968 ‘message from the Big Pink’ ‘The Weight’ was every bit as good as Aretha Franklin / Duane Allman’s could unleash, crammed with noise and excitement, the Bywater Call interpretation was nothing short of miraculous.
The intoxicating groove-oriented hot-timbrel thrum, with brazen horn vociferations, would be within your mental grasp if you could picture an Aretha-type singer fronting an extremely talented Stax type show band that featured musicians every bit as good as Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn on bass, Andrew Love on sax, Wayne Jackson on trumpet, (Paul Shaffer on keys?) and maybe Matt Murphy on guitar.
They say that rock & blues was invented on the road from New Orleans, via Memphis, to be taken to the windy city of Chicago (and onards to Toronto?) This band takes you on that journey, up from the Louisiana swamps, along the banks of the Mississippi, and into the silvery city itself. But Bywater Call also call on the smaller creeks and they to take you into magical bywaters along the way. And that’s their strength! They are a yumptious homestyle band with super-slick big city accomplishments. Wow!
What a band! What a night!
Words: @neilmach 2023 ©
Main photo: John Bull of @rockrpix
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