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Monkey Junk Heats Up Sopranos

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It was a nice warm Sunday afternoon outside, but the temperatures inside were scorching the ceiling of Sopranos as the Ottawa based blues trio called Monkey Junk kicked into their first set of the VBS produced event.  Kickin' into the first song VBS strutters clambered to the dance floor and the sweat began to drip... bodies 'knew' this was going to be a grand night!

Monkey Junk is made up of three of seriously consummate musicians with the amazing Steve Marriner running hard with vocals, harp, guitar, baritone guitar, Hammond organ and organ bass, not to mention a stellar slide guitar; the incredible Tony D on guitar, slide guitar and vocals; and the excellent driving drum and percussion work by Matt Sobb. Together they sound like a five piece band, and the sound gets right down to your soles and it is impossible not to do some serious shuffling on the dance floor!

It was a little different at first not to see a bass guitarist on stage, but Marriner's baritone guitar completely makes it moot. The baritone guitar is tuned B to B and not E to E like a 'normal' guitar and the sound works well. Marriner, tongue-in-cheek, explained to the audience that because of our 'economic' times they had to find a way to have a trio and lose the bass player, something several great bass players in the audience were not especially comfortable with, but if it works, then run with it, and they did.

Their CD, "Tiger in your Tank", the reason for their tour is one of those recordings that has a big a sound and vibe as seeing them live, you gotta move and keep on as long as the music is playing and there is not a cut that doesn't reflect that attitude. The kind of music that will make that drive up Island over too soon, it just exudes vibe.

Not sticking just with cuts from "Tiger", Monkey Junk pulls on a number of blues standards and their rendition of Hoochie Coochie Man was a smoker and they kept it up with others inserted with their own compositions throughout the night.

The intros into this gig had Monkey Junk heralded with some amazing kudos, including a third place finish at the Blues Foundation's annual staging of some of the best blues bands in North America, and for a band that has only a few years under the MJ banner this was a huge accomplishment without a doubt, and while their CD is excellent and very nicely produced by Steve Marriner and recorded at Raven St. Studios by Marty Sobb with additional recording at Metropolitan Studios by Jason Jaknunas.

The gig was something to remember and the three Monkey Junk members are quite personable and took a lot of their break times to chat with VBS members, something that was notable and appreciated.

Monkey Junk will return to Victoria next year, you certainly won't want to miss them.

Doug Willoughby

Visit Monkey Junk's web presence at: http://www.myspace.com/monkeyjunkottawa & at www.monkeyjunkband.com 

Note: VBS would like to thank Rob Edwards for once again undertaking M/C duties and Donna Purdy and the VBS Volunteers for their help.