Deja Blooze to Play Useless Bay Coffee Shed

The four-piece Deja Blooze line-up will play The Useless Bay Coffee Shed Saturday August 9th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. In addition to the original Deja duo of Ed Newkirk and David Gregor, the Blooze will be joined by our guest harpist Dave Gignac





and our newest addition Paul Goethel on electric bass. We are happy to be the first group to play the summer season at UBC and ease Langley visitors and residents into their Saturday activities with our own special brand of lively blues.

Deja Blooze at Recent Concerts on the Lane

The latest Deja Blooze lineup delivered a feisty 90 minute set of their signature "lively blues" on July 26th under the tent behind Angel 1 Chocolates in Langley. We were visited by two Dejettes (Doris & Kit) who provided enthusiastic vocal and rhythmic contributions to our version of Mind Your Own Business. We just recently added bass player Paul Goethel to our Deja family of players and after just one two-hour practice, Paul joined us On the Lane providing a nice heavy bassline to our original two guitar sound. Paul easily slipped into the Deja groove and, according to everyone present (including Ed and myself) the results were just great. You'll get a chance to hear Paul at our afternoon gig at the outdoor Useless Bay Coffee Performance Shed on Saturday August 9th from 11-2 pm. Thanks to Mona at The Angel for having us. Deja photo by Doris Newkirk

Deja Blooze at Choochokam

The Deja Boys did themselves proud today at the Choochokam Arts Festival in Langley. We played a tight 45 minute set from our lively catalog of blues to a great crowd of attendees and we had fun too. As I mentioned in a previous post, playing the main stage at Choochokam was my goal a year ago and when Ed Newkirk and I started getting together late in the fall the whole idea seemed like a possibility. And with the addition of Dave Gignac on harp whenever he's available, the show only gets better. Well, the possibility became a reality this afternoon and for me and the boys it was a thrill to be a part of this great community event.

Mail from a Deja fan:
Hi David, caught Deja Blooze yesterday and was impressed - I love acoustic guitars. You guys seemed like you were having lots of fun and you passed that on to the audience. Loved Who do you love as a final number. Greg G. Vancouver, BC.

All photos by Doris Newkirk

Deja Blooze at Choochokam

Deja Blooze will play the main stage of Choochokam on Saturday July 12th at 12 noon. We're looking forward to being a part of this year's festival lineup and hope to see all of you for the festivities. We have a snappy 45 minute that should get everyone engaged in the weekend of music, art and tom-foolery.

Deja Blooze to Play Choochokam Arts Festival

The Deja Boys have been booked to play the Choochokam Arts Festival www.choochokamarts.com/
on Saturday July 12th from 12 noon to 12:45 on the Main Stage at First St & Anthes. We are looking forward to being a part of this great Langley art and music celebration by providing a non-stop set of lively blues. We will be joined by our good friend David Gignac on harmonica and promise to keep your toes tapping and your head a-bobbing with our signature brand of blooze.

I have to say that, personally, playing Choochokam has been my goal since I experienced my first one in 2004. My goal six months ago in founding Deja Blooze was to be a part of the great lineup of local talent that I have seen over the years on the main stage and for DB to be booked this year is the realization of many hours of hard work with my main man and music partner, Ed Newkirk.

So...mark your calendar and dust off your high-heeled sneakers and join Deja Blooze for a fun and spirited set of Bloozy funk...Deja style.

David Gregor

Fan Mail Report

Received this email from a recent Langley visitor and GRB customer.

Hi David, I was in your shop on the weekend and we had a talk about learning to play the guitar and blues. You also gave me your CD. My friends and I played it on our way back to Ft. Ebey and the truck was rocking. What a great selection of songs - done excellently. We laughed and danced (limited by being in a truck) and sang along thru the whole set - and that was without the benefit of libations. Needless to say we are trying to figure out when we can come back and attend a live Deja Blooze.

Anyway you've inspired me to get more serious about the guitar and the blooze. Thanks for that.

Greg G. (Vancouver, BC)

Thanks, Greg. We look forward to seeing you and the crew at a live Deja event.

Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson is considered by many music historians to be the "most influential bluesman of all time and the person most responsible for the shape popular music has taken in the last five decades." While Johnson only recorded 29 songs between 1936 and 1937--including such blues standards as Terraplane Blues and Cross Road Blues--he nonetheless altered the course of American music. Eric Clapton has called Johnson "the most important blues musician who ever lived....I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson. His music remains the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice.” As a young man, Johnson roamed widely around the south playing juke joints and levee camps picking up songs and guitar skills from a variety of black players creating his own distinctive style and voice phrasing. Legend has it that Johnson brokered a deal with the Devil in order to learn to play the guitar. Supposedly the deal took place at midnight at an undisclosed delta crossroads; when Johnson emerged he was recognized as the king of the delta players. In 1986, Robert Johnson was recognized by the music industry for his influence on popular music and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.