�Noel [Dinn] used to come out to a small bar in Toronto called the Cameron House and see me play with Barbara Lynch. That was 20 years ago. After a year or two, he asked me to record and play live on a tune or two. I really loved Noel. He was a kind person and very supportive. "
"Twelve years later, I was playing at Jake�s Boathouse in Brampton with my band, Uncle Shecky. This big guy comes up to the stage and asks us if he could play the spoons with us. Not having many tunes that were appropriate, we played �Folsom Prison Blues�. That went well and after the night was through, this guy asks me to join his family for a beer. "
"His family was so big and so loud, there was no way I was going to miss this event. I go over, have a drink, talk about music. These guys are great! I want to be a part of his family when I find out they are from Newfoundland. I tell the spoon player that I recorded with Noel Dinn and this band, Figgy Duff, and he looked at me like I was a ghost. There was this big pause and I figured I was a goner. "
"He then proceeds to tell his loud family to "shut the **** up". �What did I do wrong?�, I thought to myself. Did they hate this guy? Did he owe them money? What was to happen to me? Perhaps if I could just take it back or just run! When he finally got the attention of the group, he tells them, �HE PLAYED WITH NOEL.� Silence. "
"The spoon player says, �I am his brother, Jerome Dinn.� We all stayed until 3 a.m. talking about Noel and how he had died and his trip to Mexico. It was a night I will never forget.�
Directly after Jeff�s Canada Day gig in Brantford, Ontario (with Hamilton�s popular 8-piece rhythm and blues outfit, Powerhouse), the Jeff Healey Band was to play in Nova Scotia on July 2 and 3. Unfortunately, due to extreme fog conditions in the area at the time, this gig was postponed.
�The Wizards won't be in Fredericton isn�t until next year, although we are also working on trying to get us into the Maritimes before that. This September, I�m playing in Fredericton with the [Matt] Minglewood Band.�
When I asked if he would be returning to Newfoundland in the near future, he replied, �No, but I would like to. Anyone interested can contact the Feldman Agency�I�d love to get into St. John�s. The Feldman is a reputable agency throughout the country.�
The only sour note of the interview came when I enquired about a new release entitled The Jeff Healey Band � Live at Montreux.
�I have nothing to do with that, except I was present when it was recorded. The release was entirely out of my hands. It was done to fulfil a contract. It was a company that put out the... last Healey Band album years ago...it was a horrible album. Part of the contract said they were obligated to get another album, and I wasn�t going to do another Healey Band album. So they got the bright idea to somehow obtain the rights to these masters for the [1997 and 1999] Montreux shows that we did over there and they packaged them�what little input I did have on what I didn�t want to be on there actually is. I have no endorsement of the product. I was extremely drunk through both performances and would probably rather never hear them (laughing)." [The performances are actually excellent collectors' items - dw.]
Regarding his forte for interpretative covers over original compositions, Jeff states, �I�m not a songwriter at all. I don�t enjoy the process, probably coming from my preference for playing much older music, and good music, written by excellent songwriters. There is so much material to choose from when doing more traditional music from the 20s and 30s, why does one have to write, when it�s already done to perfection? "
Whichever musical persona you prefer, �Doc Healey� is a musician Canada should be very proud of.
DW (a.k.a. Redqueen17)
Copyright "Rockin' the Blues from Canada" (2005) - All Rights Reserved
