Al Lerman

2:00pm Sunday, October 30, 2022

AL LERMAN is a veteran bluesman with a highly personal style, able to move seamlessly through the windows of Country Blues, Chicago Blues, Soul Blues, Americana and New Orleans Blues. With a great knowledge of the blues tradition on both harmonica and guitar, he brings that sensibility to songs that are written about his own contemporary life and times. His soulful playing, blowing and singing, coupled with his wry and thoughtful songwriting, make him an engaging and hypnotic solo performer. He is considered among the top harmonica players in the country, and he has been heard on countless recordings and live sessions. Al was founder and leader of the much-loved band FATHEAD, and led them from 1992-2016, garnering two JUNO AWARDS. After years of writing for FATHEAD and his own solo recordings, Al has a legacy of songs that few Canadian blues artists can match. He  has been nominated for twenty-six Maple Blues Awards, celebrating his work as a songwriter, harmonica player, acoustic act and more. His latest album “Northern Bayou” was released on April 12, 2019, where it remained on the Top Ten Canadian Album Chart for over six months. It charted internationally and ranked #4 in Canada on the annual Roots Music's Radio Top 200 Blues Recordings of 2019.

The blues bug hit at a young age when Al was taken to hear the famed duo of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee at Toronto’s iconic Riverboat coffeehouse. His interest in music skyrocketed, and over the years he saw the duo no less than forty times. He soon discovered many blues greats who were regularly touring through the city. Moving into his twenties while playing in local Toronto blues bands, Al sought out many of his musical heroes, seeking both advice and inspiration. He considers himself fortunate to have sat in with blues giants such as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Luther Allison, Albert Collins and more. A solid friendship ensued with Chicago harmonica player Carey Bell who mentored him on the instrument. Hearing him now, there is no doubt that he learned his lessons well. He has played this forward and continues to offer instructional harmonica workshops at festivals and music camps across the country.

Tickets are $25.00 plus service fees available through TicketsPlease.ca
The MERA schoolhouse is located at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A, McDonald’s Corners, ON.