Reverend Robert: "Oop Oop a Doop", Port Credit Southside Shuffle, Toronto, 2018
0The Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle is turning 20 this year. Billed as Mississauga’s Musical Mardi Gras the Shuffle draws people from around the world and has helped to make Port Credit an event destination.
It all started 20 years ago with founder and artist director Chuck Jackson’s vision and passion to bring the blues to Port Credit. 4 bands, one stage and 2,300 people in 1999. Today the Shuffle draws over 75,000 people and has grown to encompass 4 stages in Memorial Park, plus the free Rabba Fine Foods Street Shuffle running from noon to 4pm on Saturday afternoon, Junior Jam, workshops, Blues & Roots Jam Stage Friday and Saturday night at the Legion. The park is completely enclosed and licensed allowing people to shuffle through the park from one stage to the other.
Over the past two decades Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Johnny Winter, Ronnie Hawkins, David Clayton-Thomas, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Fathead, The Funk Brothers, Charlie Musselwhite and Sab are just some of the artists who have graced the stages. So many memorable performances.
The Shuffle is welcoming back American blues artist Coco Montoya, Austin based Juno award winner Sue Foley, British Blues pioneer Savoy Brown (led by guitarist Kim Simmonds), 2 time WC Handy Award winner Duke Robillard, Ray Fuller and The Blues Rockers, Stacey Mitchhart and closing out the weekend on Sunday evening Chuck Jacksons award winning Downchild Blues Band.
This year the Shuffle has expanded it’s very popular Ladies Sing the Blues from one day to three days featuring Judy Brown, Angel Forrest, Rita Chiarelli, Cheryl Lescom, Sue Foley, Krista Blondin’s Tribute to Janis Joplin and Maria Aurigema.
The Scotia Bank Free Zone has two free stages featuring festival favourites Paul James, Steve Strongman, Harrison Kennedy, D’Mar and Gill plus many others along with Mississippi Delta and Zydeco workshops and the ever popular junior jams and a performance by Toronto Blues Society Talent Search 2018 Winner Bywater Blues.
REVEREND ROBERT:
By the time he was 21, Bobby Reynolds had put together a traditional blues band with a few of his friends. To break into the local music scene, the group played at local “Jam Nights” that gave new bands the opportunity to showcase their talents. “Every time we would get up to play we had a different name,” Reynolds said.
One night the band played a jam night at a local bar and called themselves “Reverend Robert and the Raging Caucasians.” The bar owner really enjoyed their music and asked the band to be the opening act for a band he had booked for the upcoming weekend. The bar owner carried over the band’s name they used for the jam night and the name “Reverend Robert” has stuck with Bobby Reynolds for over 20 years.
“A majority of the playing I do nowadays is by myself,” Reynolds says, “and it’s allowed me to travel like I’ve wanted to.”
In 2006, Reynolds began taking his musical talent to Mississippi, where he performs in blues festivals.
“From there, I have connected with people from all over the world,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds has played in the U.K., throughout Europe and India. The connections have also led to more opportunities for performances in the United States.
“But I’ve got to say most of those connections all started with playing down in Mississippi.” Reynolds said. “Especially Clarksdale, Mississippi, where a lot of that music began.”
Reynolds is amazed at how many of the early blues musicians used to live around Clarksdale, such as John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Sam Cooke.
“Just an endless number of musicians that came from a town that size is still amazing to me.” Reynolds said.
During his travels to Clarksdale, Reynolds played music with guitar player Hubert Sumlin, one of the members of Howlin’ Wolf’s band whose album inspired him to get into blues music. Reynolds was also able to play music with several of the players from the Muddy Waters band — Pinetop Perkins and Honeyboy Edwards.
As “Reverend Robert,” Reynolds has come out with three albums. The first in 2007 entitled “Preaching Blues,” his second in 2012, “Shake that Thing” and his most recent album “Live at the JAC” recorded on location at Jackson Avenue Coffee in downtown Charleston.
Reverend Robert performs as a solo act, as well as a member of a local dance band, Superbad. He is joined by Mattoon residents Dusty Maninfior, Dave Stephens, Mark King, Scott Harris and Effingham resident Justin Beyers.
Reynolds has become a new member of a new band named Reverend Robert and The Rhumba Bums, a three-piece group playing blues, Caribbean and New Orleans-style music. Reynolds, along with Jay Ferguson, of Mattoon, on drums and J. B. Faires, of Charleston, on bass, plan to play some of the festival dates Reynolds normally performs as a solo act.
Show dates for Reverend Robert can be found on his Facebook page reverendrobertblues or his websiterevrobert.com.