Gary Kendall

Gary Kendall is a Canadian bassist, vocalist and band leader, best known for his longstanding association with the Downchild Blues Band and co-creator of the Kendall Wall Band.

Biography Gary Kendall, originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, has been a working musician since the late 1960s. He is a multiple Maple Blues Award winner as bassist of the year and a Juno Award winner with the Downchild Blues Band. His distinguished musical career was so honoured by the Maple Blues Awards as early as 1993 and a Juno Award in 2014. Since 1999, Kendall has acted as the musical director of the Maple Blues awards program.

Kendall played with the Downchild Blues Band during the 1979–1983 period. With fellow Downchild alumnus Cash Wall, Kendall subsequently formed the Kendall Wall Band, which was well known in Toronto and area during the 1980s and early 1990s. As the house band at Toronto's Black Swan Tavern, the Kendall Wall Blues Band played with such blues musicians as A.C. Reed, Pinetop Perkins, Eddy Clearwater, Tinsley Ellis, Little Willie Littlefield, Chubby Carrier, Bernard Allison, Eddie C. Campbell, Lefty Dizz, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Eddie Shaw, Carey Bell, and Fenton Robinson.

Kendall has also performed with such artists as Snooky Pryor, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Big Jay McNeeley, Bob Margolin, Big Dave McLean, Duke Robillard, Morgan Davis, Zora Young, and Phil Guy. He has recorded with Downchild, The Gary Kendall Band, The Maple Blues Revue, Son Roberts, Ray Edge, David Vest, Chris Murphy, Little Bobby & The Jumpstarts, Peter Schmidt & Shane Scott, Brian Blain, and Maria Aurigema.

From 1994 to 2010, Kendall was the talent buyer/publicist for the Silver Dollar Room, one of Toronto's best known blues bars, which has operated continuously, in various formats, since 1958.

Kendall rejoined Downchild in 1995 and has continued to play and record with the band since that time, in addition to contributing to the work of other musicians and leading his own band, The Gary Kendall Band. Kendall performs with noted bands as the Hogtown All Stars, The Mighty Duck Blues Band, The Swingin’ Blackjacks, and Big Groove. His association as musical director of the Maple Blues Awards resulted in the formation of the Maple Blues Band, with which Kendall continues to be associated and to tour.

Documentary In 2012, Kendall was involved in a live concert documentary that was produced outlining the 40-year career of the Downchild Blues Band. Through their musical legacy Downchild, had a huge impact on Canadian and American culture, influencing a new generation of young musicians including Colin James, Jeff Healey and many more to continue the blues tradition in Canada.

Downchild was the inspiration for actor Dan Aykroyd's Blues Brothers phenomenon. This will be the second documentary Kendall has been interviewed and involved with, in 2015 Kendall released a documentary about the Kendall Wall Band, the band he co-created with the late Cash Wall. This documentary outlined the band arrived at a time when it was a crucial period for blues music in Canada, let alone in the city of Toronto. They provided upcoming musicians the opportunity to perform with a working band then, when International and Canadian blues musicians came to town to play the Black Swan they had the Kendall Wall Band backing them up.

Awards and recognition Blues with a Feeling Award 1993 Toronto Blues Society – Honouring distinguished career

Maple Blues Award 1997 Bassist of The Year 1999 Bassist of The Year 2000 Bassist of The Year 2002 Bassist of The Year 2005 Bassist of The Year 2007 Bassist of The Year 2012 Bassist of The Year 2013 Bassist of The Year 2023 Bassist of The Year Jazz Report Award 1998 Blues Group of The Year – Downchild

Keeping The Blues Alive Award 2002 Thunder Bay Blues Society

Thunder Blues Award 2002 City of Thunder Bay

Juno Award 2014 Blues Album of the Year – Can You Hear The Music – Downchild

Hammer Blues Award 2015 Ensemble of the Year – The Mighty Duck Blues Band

Discography With The Maple Blues Band 2023: Let`s Go-Cordova Bay Records With The Downchild Blues Band Studio albums 1979: We Deliver 1980: Road Fever 1980: Double Header (double album re-issue Straight Up/We Deliver) 1981: Blood Run Hot (with Spencer Davis) 1982: But I’m on the Guest List 1988: We Deliver/Straight Up (double album re-issue) 1997: Lucky 13 2004: But I'm on the Guest List (re-issue) 2004: Blood Run Hot (re-issue) 2004: We Deliver (re-issue) 2004: Come On In 2007: Live at the Palais Royale 2009: I Need A Hat 2013: Can You Hear The Music 2017: ``Something I`ve Done 2020: " 50th Anniversary, Live At The Toronto Jazz Festival Compilations 1998: A Case of The Blues – The Best of Downchild 2000: A Matter of Time – The Downchild Collection 2003: Body of Work – The Downchild Collection Volume 2

Solo 2004: Dusty and Pearl 2021: Dusty & Pearl Revisited Volume One

With the Gary Kendall Band 2008: Feels Real Strong

With the Maple Blues Revue 2008: Live at Twisted Pines

With the Kendall Wall Band 2013: The Way We Was (re-issue of the almost lost studio recordings from 1987 to 1988)

With other artists 1999: Blowin' The Horn – Chris Murphy – (Co-producer/with Michael Fonfara) 2001: Tickets in the Glove Box – Little Bobby and The Jumpstarts 2002: Live at Healey's – Jeff Healey & Friends 2003: Blues Approved – Peter Schmidt and Shane Scott 2004: I'm A Happy Guy – Chris Murphy 2004: Take Me – Maria Aurigema 2005: 20 Years – Toronto Blues Society 2005: Overqualified for the Blues – Brian Blain 2005: Soul Connection – Ray Edge – (Producer) 2007: 4 On The Floor – David Owen – (Producer) 2011: Tell That Story – Son Roberts 2012: East Meets Vest – David Vest – (co-producer) 2014: Roadhouse Revelation – David Vest – (co-producer) 2014: Collective Blues Agreement – Tobin Spring 2014: Long Way Home – Maria Aurigema 2015: Our Sunday Best – Braithwaite and Whiteley 2015: Livin` Life – David Owen (Producer) 2016: Devestatin` Rhythm – David Vest (co-producer) 2016: The Long Road Home – Rootbone 2016: Blues Country – Braithwaite & Whiteley 2017: Duck Soup – The Mighty Duck Blues Band 2018: Say It Judy Brown (co-producer) 2020: I'm Not Fifty Anymore-Brian Blain 2021: Instramentalz (compilation) feat. The Maple Blues Band, Chris Murphy, The Gary Kendall Band (producer) 2022: "Hog Wild"-The Hogtown Allstars (bassist, songwriter, co-producer) 2023: "Let`s Go"-The Maple Blues Band (bassist, band leader, musical director, composer, producer) 2026: "Never Tire, Never Stop"-The Swingin` Blackjacks (bassist, co-producer)