Since the untimely passing of Brian “The Count” Harrison and COVID, we’ve been away. Now we’re back. The New Guilty Pleasures continue to live in the grey area between jazz and blues. Drawing from the earliest roots of jazz to jazz rock fusion, their repertoire extends from Jelly Roll Morton to Donald Fagen. The band features Don Hardy on piano, organ, trumpet and vocals; Olaf de Shield on guitar and vocals; Tim Stacey, electric bass; and Mike Ferguson, drums.
Here’s what clients say about the band:
“Thanks for the music! It was instrumental in making the event a success!” Chef’s Table Society of B.C.
“Always great to have you play at Jazz Waves.” The Silk Purse
The weather was wet – check out the puddle under the keys – Vancouver in mid May, but the show must go on. Here they are at the Spotted Prawn Festival, May 2022.
The weather got better for the Wild Salmon Festival in August, 2022.
At the Silk Purse Jazz Waves series, the band undertook several pieces from Oscar Peterson’s Canadiana Suite. Hogtown Blues is Oscar’s tribute to Toronto..
Here’s a couple of links to interviews with Don. The first video came from a gig at the Central Bistro, a Vancouver jazz club that is sadly no longer in business. The “Blue Side” interview features excerpts from a recording project and subsequent interview. “Jazz Spoken Here” is the conclusion of that interview.
Other Audio and Video Links
Caught live at Blue Light Studio performing Sister Sadie.
Guilty Pleasures at the Silk Purse in June 2017. Here’s Thelonious Monk’s Well You Needn’t and Blues of the Prairies from Oscar Peterson’s Canadiana Suite.
Here’s some highlights from the first and second sets at that concert, and Don Hardy’s New Orleans Funereal Blues. The photos are from his many trips to the Crescent City.
On the funkier side of the tracks, here’s a Don Hardy original “B Funkin’ ” featuring Don at the Hammond organ.
B Funkin’ with Andrew Davies (bass) Michael Aioshi (guitar) and Doug Jang (drums)