Blackie & the Rodeo Kings

Stephen Fearing, Colin Linden, and Tom Wilson were all highly acclaimed singer-songwriters themselves when they came together to cover the music of a songwriter they all admired -- Willie P. Bennett. Their name, "Blackie & the Rodeo Kings" itself comes from the title of a Willie P. Bennett song.

Tom Wilson (right) and Stephen Fearing

Stephen Fearing

Although I had long known Stephen Fearing's work (left) -- he was a regular visitor to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival -- I first saw them play together at that festival in 1996. Their appearance this year was, apparently, their first at the Ottawa Folk Festival.

Their double CD (at the price of a single) "Kings of Love" is a MUST BUY. As well as a number of outstanding Willie P. Bennett covers (I can't get enough of "The Lucky Ones") it contains a lot of their own material. Also included are covers of songs by Bruce Cockburn, Fred Eaglesmith, Murray McLaughlin and others. Bennett and Cockburn (among others) are guest musicians on several tracks.

Prior to their festival appearance, Blackie & the Rodeo Kings gave a free street concert at the Sparks Street Mall location of HMV in downtown Ottawa, and then autographed CDs.

At their mainstage concert at the festival, they opened with Eaglesmith's "49 Tons" and closed by blending into the Who's "Magic Bus," with everything else between!

Right now, RUN out and buy "Kings of Love."

Colin Linden