Concert Review: An Evening of Jump & Jive with The Misery Mountain Boys

Review by: Brian Adolph

Photo Credits: Derrek Owen

Harkening back to the jump-blues era of the ’40s, the Misery Mountain Boys got toes tapping and folks dancing with their fresh take on the precursor to rock ’n’ roll.

Drawing from the recently released Somebody Stole My Peaches as well as two previous albums, the Edmonton-based quartet ran through two sets of playful, high-energy swing. Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Steven Genevich—who penned most of the tunes—clearly likes to have fun. Exploring themes from hanging with the Tofino hippies in “Mackenzie Beach Campground” to the trials of rural plumbing in “Haul Your Bath Water” and his own obsession with fruit juice in “Gimme the Juice,” Genevich often had the crowd in stitches with his stories and lyrics.

Backing Genevich was an all-star band comprised of Joe Semple (clarinet and sax), Jon Guenter (drums), and Keith Rempel (bass, backing vocals). Semple, a veteran who cut his musical teeth with the Royal Canadian Artillery Band, dazzled the audience with his virtuosity on the “liquorice stick,” while Guenter and Rempel kept it swinging with tight brushwork and punchy walking bass lines. Rempel, a highly regarded bass player in the Canadian music scene, is also known for his blog Blind Dad, where he recounts the challenges and joys of being a visually impaired father.

The Misery Mountain Boys are a top-shelf example of a retro-cool roots group keeping jump-blues and gypsy jazz music alive.

EMCA's next concert brings Don Amero back to the Pinawa Community Centre with his holiday-themed show, Amero Little Christmas, on Friday, November 28 at 7:30 pm.