Growing up in Snow Lake certainly didn’t give Jimmy Guiboche the blues – far from it.
What it did do was set him on a musical path and help him to develop a great appreciation for the genre that he’s made his own.
Guiboche started out life in Snow Lake, but after moving west as a young man, he became a student of the blues – and he learned his lessons well.
He’s an exceptional purveyor of the music and a skilled slide guitar player who is well known and respected in a business where the talent is as creative and wide-ranging as the nicknames.
The Snow Lake Motor Inn was the venue for a two-night stop on a short northern Manitoba tour for Jimmy and the Sleepers.
Being Guiboche’s first-ever foray home to play for a crowd of childhood friends and acquaintances; he brought along a special guest, Big Dave McLean. A legend in the industry, McLean has a Juno Award and no less than seven albums to his credit.
The pair didn’t disappoint. The vocals were gutsy, solos were nothing short of mesmerizing and the crowd was appreciative, not only for the band’s talent and effort, but for the fact that you could talk and be heard over their impressive music.
Jimmy Guiboche’s musical background evolved after he moved to Edmonton in early ’90s. In doing so he was exposed to the blues.
Guiboche, 45, says his influences are vast and that his friend Big Dave is included foremost amongst them.
“You know, also guys like T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf,” Guiboche says of his inspirations. “And Dave was a big influence. He was the first guy I saw and this is such a special thing for me to be playing in my hometown with a guy who helped me get hooked on the blues.”
McLean, 62, says his brother Grant got him started listening to the folk albums of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, and that he learned to appreciate the efforts of the ‘Bluesy Folk guys’ at that time.
McLean began to immerse himself in the blues after a 1969 trip to the Mariposa Folk Festival.
“I was watching a guy named John Hammond, and he was the first guy I’d ever seen playing country blues,” McLean recalled. “He had such energy and a conviction, you know, he was like a locomotive.”
The men’s friendship began a number of years ago at a gig Guiboche played at McLean’s Winnipeg haunt, the Windsor Hotel.
“Dave was out in the crowd,” he explained. “I did a couple of Muddy Waters slide solos. When I was done the set, he came over to me and almost broke some ribs he hugged me so hard. We became instant friends and have built on it since then.”
Asked what it was like to come back home, Guiboche stated: “It’s great. I’ve been back several times since originally leaving, but this is the first time I’ve come here to play. I didn’t really know what to expect, but that ended three songs into the set last night.”
McLean concurred: “We seemed to be accepted very nice. It was a very warm crowd and such a comfortable room. I love it. I’m in love with Snow Lake.”
Asked why he plays the blues, Guiboche was philosophical.
“There is just an honesty and purity to the music and it connects with you deep down inside,” he said. “I’ve never wanted to do anything else. It is the only thing that I can really play honestly with a passion and desire.”
My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
