Back Door Slam

Artist Information

Biography

Kat Wahamaa, Jennie Bice, Tony Rees and Joe Samorodin are Back Door Slam. Collectively they’ve received rave reviews for their music all over the globe. Soaring vocals, strong harmonies, flying fiddle, swingin’ guitar, harmonica, bass, mandolin and washboard comprise their unmistakable sound.

Their name comes from a line in a 1946 version of the tune I’ll Get Mine and you’d better believe they are all invested in “getting their own” brand of music out to the hungry ears of the listening public.

The music they play? Roots and branches, down in the dirt stuff including old time country, blues, bluegrass and Western Swing; traditional music of the British Isles; and even Finnish folk. They infuse these styles with elements of East Coast kitchen party, punk rock-a-billy and a penchant for swing and rhythm. They play with such exuberance and feeling you’ll want to get up, dance like Jed, join them with a comb and a piece of wax-paper or cry like a baby!

West Coast Music Award nominee Kat Wahamaa is a songwriter/recording artist often compared to kd lang, Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams among others. With “a voice you can take a bath in” and her irreverent sense of humour, she shared the stage with notables Colin Lynden, Connie Caldor and Harry Manx to name a few. She has delighted audiences throughout Western Canada, Japan, and the US. Her experience as a disciple of the “danse du ventre” or so called belly dance is evident in her from the hip style rhythm guitar, mandolin and washboard.

Fiddle player Jennie Bice came to Vancouver in search of other musicians driven enough to play the speed she wanted, and bold enough to try some of her ideas. Jennie's various recordings and concerts span many genre's along with Celtic styles, including Cuban Latin, jazz, rockabilly, classical, country, and Cajun amongst others which account for her unique playing style. Jennie fronts the band Prydwen www.prydwen.com , also plays with such folks as “Mad Pudding” and has toured internationally.


Tony Rees was born in Bristol, England and was drawn to the folk music scene flourishing in the UK during his teens. He is a proponent of Bob Wills, Memphis Minnie and the Blasters! Tony plays swing, folk and blues guitar, harmonica and has a decidedly unique vocal sound. He and Kat tour as a duo internationally.

Joe Samorodin's roots stem from the west, a restless soul that causes him to redirect the energy of a performance into a non-stop dance that sometimes ends up in the audience. He feeds on this, and his fretless and stand-up bass playing reflects the many rhythms that have crossed his path becoming ensnared in his persona. Joe can also be found at www.prydwen.com.

Instrumentation

Kat Wahamaa - vocals, guitar, mandolin, bass, washboard

Jennie Bice - vocals, fiddle

Tony Rees - vocals, guitar, bass, harmonica

Joe Samorodin - upright and electric bass, vocals, guitar

Discography

A Little Jewel To Keep 2008 - Kat Wahamaa & Tony Rees
Cascadia 2001 - Kat Wahamaa
Off The Hoof 2000 - Mad Cowgirls! (Kat Wahamaa)
Wise Woman 1997 - Kat Wahamaa
Off The Deck 2002 - Prydwen (Jennie Bice/Joe Samorodin)
Blue Trees 1998 - Shirley U Jest (Tony Rees)

Audio

• Blues In My Swing
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• Joe Cormier/La Bastringue
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• Minun Kultani Kaunis On
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• Long Night Ahead
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• Step It Out Mary
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• No Expectations
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• Whatever That Spark Is
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• The Great Bye & Bye
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• I'll Get Mine
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• God Lives Up On A Mountain
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• Grey Funnel LIne
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• I Was Lost
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• In Harmony Festival [+ Show ]
  

  The In Harmony Music Festival had the pleasure of having Back Door Slam perform at our event in Sout...The In Harmony Music Festival had the pleasure of having Back Door Slam perform at our event in South Surrey. They proved to be festival favourites and we have invited them back repeatedly.
  
  Their musicianship is impressive and their vocal harmonies are at times riveting. Our festival features groups of many genres and we found that music lovers of all stripes soon became fans of Back Door Slam.
  
  Harriet Quint
  
  co-organizer
  In Harmony Music Festival
  
  

Setlist

Back Door Slam has the ability to slide from blues to bluegrass to babushka in seconds and with well crafted originals from singer songwriters Kat Wahamaa & Tony Rees they can play all night long!

The various backgrounds of these 4 players include celtic, jazz, traditional, gospel, contemporary & traditional folk, blues from the 20,30, 40,50 & 60's; old time, alt country and even Finnish folk!

Here's a sampling:

BLUES IN MY SWING - Tony Rees
CORNFLOWERS - Kat Wahamaa
EAST VIRGINIA BLUES - Trad.
WE WAS WRONG - Tony Rees
NO EXPECTATIONS - Jagger/Richards
ASHES TO ASHES - Kat Wahamaa
STEP IT OUT MARY - Trad.
MINUN KULTANI KAUNIS ON - Trad.
CAN’T LET GO - Lucinda Williams
WATER IS WIDE
BABY WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO - Jimmy Reed
GOD LIVES UP ON A MOUNTAIN - Gary Johnson
I’LL GET MINE - Trad.
GREY FUNNEL LINE - Cyril Tawney
LONG NIGHT AHEAD - Tony Rees
WAYFARING STRANGER - Trad.
FOLSOM PRISON - Johnny Cash
WHITE WATER GIRL - Kat Wahamaa
LOST HIGHWAY - Leone Payne
STRETCHED ON YOUR GRAVE - Trad.
LOVE ME LIKE A MAN - Chris Smither
NIGHT RIDER’S LAMENT -
WARM IT UP TO ME - Blind Willie McTell
MARIE, MARIE - Dave Alvin
JUMP JIVE & WAIL - Louis Prima
A MAN YOU DON’T MEET EVERY DAY - Trad

Basic Requirements

Calendar