Christmas and blues music go hand in hand for Hank Leonhardt, whose band has mastered a selection of holiday tunes by the likes of BB King, Big Joe Turner and Eric Clapton.
Big Hank’s Christmas Blues Show kicks off at 2 p.m. at Knox United Church (345 Pym St.) in Parksville on Dec. 17.
Leonhardt’s vocals will be accompanied by Steve Cross (guitar), Mick Woodhouse (bass), Matt Pease (drums), Steve Ranta (keys) and Paul Wainwright (saxophone).
“We’ve got a new original tune written by our guitar player called ‘Don’t You Tell Me’,” Leonhardt said. “It’s a fresh show.”
The band has brought a variety of classic blues styles, rhythm and blues and soul on tours from Vancouver Island to the snowbound prairies of Alberta for more than 10 years.
The setlist includes Christmas favourites by the likes of Charles Brown, Louis Jordan, Fats Domino, A Room Full of Blues and Asleep at the Wheel, just to name a few.
Some highlights for Leonhardt include ‘Christmas Blues’ by Brown and ‘Santa Claus, Santa Claus’ by Jordan.
“We have a tune that goes over really well, people seem to gravitate to it. It’s got a bit of comedy in it, it’s ‘A Christmas in Jail’ by Asleep at the Wheel,” Leonhardt said. “Just the title alone — that’s a fun one.”
Big Hank’s Christmas Blues Show is on a mini-tour of the Island and Vancouver, including a recent packed house at Hermann’s Jazz Club in Victoria. They’ll wrap things up with the Parksville show.
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Leonhardt came up with an idea to create a Christmas blues show approximately 30 years ago when he realized what a great body of music was out there.
His band mates at the time weren’t interested in learning all that music just for the Christmas season of a few weeks, but 13 years ago he convinced his band and the Christmas Blues show got its start.
Leonhardt moved to the West Coast a few years later and has been doing the show every since. Originally from Stettler, Alta., he got started in the Edmonton bar and cabaret circuit.
After some time playing with Top 40 bands in the U.S., he returned home to Canada and played with bands such as the Edmonton-based Hot Cottage and Victoria’s Uncle Wiggly’s Hot Shoes Blues Band. The latter group signed with RCA, sold an impressive number of albums and opened for the greats like Muddy Waters, Joe Cocker, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield and Koko Taylor, before a farewell tour in 2023.
The band will have a 14-track Christmas CD for sale at the concert.
Tickets are $25 and available online via Eventbrite and with cash at Parksville retailers Close to Your Boutique and Fireside Books.