Back Door Slam

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.