Sudbury band offers 'foot-stomping' bluegrass

A staple of the local bluegrass scene for much of the past decade, the Canucky Bluegrass Boys said they have one overarching goal — making sure their audience is having fun.

The band's upright bass player, Matt Naveau, said the group plays feel-good, “toe-tapping, foot-stomping” traditional bluegrass tunes.

“A lot of people seem to say we're the happy band,” he said. “We tend to not just stand there and play. There's other bands that will play to you and there's others that will play for you. We try to play for you every single time.”

The Canucky Bluegrass Boys features Naveau on upright bass, Lee Roy and Larry Carriere on guitar, RJ Nelson on banjo and Don Reed on fiddle.

Releasing their first CD “Standin' Up!” in 2009, the band has won awards at the Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards. Their first CD has two songs that were featured in the movie “Cas and Dylan,” which was shot in Sudbury.

All this from a group that features only one career musician — Reed. Roy is a real estate agent, Carriere a sign language interpreter, Nelson a retired vice-principal and Naveau the owner of Salon Elite.

Naveau, who grew up on the Mattagami First Nation, never played a musical instrument until 2004. His abilities have improved steadily to the point where he's become the band's songwriter.

The Canucky Bluegrass Boys' second CD, “Dirty Old Job,” is set to be released this week, and Naveau has penned the title track. The CD also features several cover tunes.

While Naveau is a hairdresser by trade, “Dirty Old Job” is about miners. He said his father was a miner, and he has many miner friends. “Being surrounded by it, it definitely kind of inspired me to write something about it,” he said.

The musician said he tries to write songs anyone can relate to. “I write the song, and you could be like 'Oh my God, the song is my life,'” Naveau said.

Roy said there's a fair few bluegrass fans in Greater Sudbury, with many making a pilgrimage to the annual bluegrass festival in River Valley each summer. “The place is full,” he said.

A CD release party for “Dirty Old Job” is set to take place Nov. 28 at the Howard Johnson Hotel. The doors open at 7 p.m., and the concert starts at 8 p.m. The band will play songs from its new album, as well as fan favourites.

Tickets, which cost $25 in advance or $30 at the door, includes the price of a CD. For tickets or more information, phone 705-560-8257.

Canucky Bluegrass Boys CDs are also for sale for $20 at Salon Elite, located at 2363 Bancroft Dr. They're also available through the band's Facebook page (search for “Canucky Bluegrass Boys” on Facebook) or by email at [email protected].

Learn more about the band at canuckybluegrass.com.