Papa John’s Blues (L to R): Debbie Profit, John Perry and Fred Dugdale.
Blues has always been a mainstay of the Manitoba music scene, as well as in the lives of John Perry and his wife, Debbie Profit.
The two carry a guitar with them almost everywhere they go and have been practicing for over 25 years. So, it was a fairly short step from campfire to public performance when they launched their band, Papa John’s Blues, in 2011.
Profit usually plays the tambourine, Perry is on guitar, while Fred Dugdale uses a rather large selection of harmonicas on stage.
In August 2012, while Perry was involved with the 1st Annual Winnipeg BBQ and Blues Festival, he met Dugdale who was also a member of Blues Manitoba (the Manitoba Blues Society) and was there playing blues harp. Adding Dugdale, who also does vocals and harmonies, was an instant success and Papa John’s Blues has never sounded better.
This trio does cover songs and original music in the Blues genre as they get around the city to entertain a large selection of audiences.
The group’s sound reflects the ‘60s and ‘70s music that members grew up listening to and playing (Eric Clapton and such). Preferring to be mainly acoustic but playing through microphones into an amplified sound system, PJB continues to present music with an edge.
The group has performed and entertained at banquets, birthday parties, house concerts, charitable events, private functions and windups. They’re also known for attending the Bell Tower Community Café at 745 Westminster Ave., where music, meals and Food Bank happen every second Friday.
Papa John’s Blues band’s next events are at Sam’s Place, Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m. with a cover charge of $5; and then at Millennium Library as part of the Thursday Virtuosi concert series for a lunch hour show during the next Sky Walk Concerts and lectures events on Feb. 25.
John Perry and Debbie Profit recently stopped by the studios at CKUW 95.9 FM for a feature interview and to play some live music on the show, People of Interest:
