Ollie Vee
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Ollie Vee

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Band Americana Country

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"5 Stars"

Tapping the same roots as have Chris Isaak and Marshall Crenshaw before them, this sharp Ontario four-piece delivers a convincing retro sound and songs both lyrically fresh and true to those roots. Guitarist Jesse Adamson is a legit retro-rock crooner and lead guitarist Johnny Vassos makes very tasty use of his space. Not a weak track present here but dreamy opener “Ruby Red” and the ballad “Right Out Of The Pictures” do stand out.

- Roots Music Report


"5 Stars"

Tapping the same roots as have Chris Isaak and Marshall Crenshaw before them, this sharp Ontario four-piece delivers a convincing retro sound and songs both lyrically fresh and true to those roots. Guitarist Jesse Adamson is a legit retro-rock crooner and lead guitarist Johnny Vassos makes very tasty use of his space. Not a weak track present here but dreamy opener “Ruby Red” and the ballad “Right Out Of The Pictures” do stand out.

- Roots Music Report


Discography

Ruby Red EP

Photos

Bio

Ollie Vee hails from a desolate Southern Ontario farm town called Seagrave. The 3-piece combo stumbled upon each other when front man, Jesse Adamson grabbed a late night taxi home from a roadside dive bar in a neighboring town.

As the blue moonlight hit the blacktop, the slim silver haired driver revealed himself as Howard Linscott. Their conversation began with modern song writing and how popular music had no guts or soul, but their repartee quickly turned to traditional rock ‘n’ roll. With pompadours piled high, the unlikely strangers pined over the black Boogie Woogie and Rhythm & Blues music of early Memphis and New Orleans recordings. As farm fields with cattle and old broken-down barns flew by in the night, the conversation rolled on to the revolutionary rednecks of rockabilly who emerged from this legendary southern sound. From Junior Parker, Fats Domino and Little Richard, to Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Johnny Burnette – There was a mutual love for Rock ‘n’ Roll in its purest form.

Adamson directed the strange rock ‘n’ roller towards his house in the country and explained that he played roots music on a flat top guitar that had a swing and rockabilly influence. Linscott turned to him and said, in no uncertain terms, “I’m the best Rockabilly double bass player on the planet”. Adamson chuckled and invited the cabbie around to his place to prove it. As the cab turned down increasingly narrow country roads and approached the driveway, he stopped dead in his tracks. In the cold black night he turned with a pale face and said “I used to own this house.” 48 hours later, the bass player proved his bold statement to be true and the creaky old house became the home of a new sound with old roots.

The combo knew that they needed to find a finger pickin’ guitar player – not one like the great Setzer and definitely not one from the Psychobilly realm – This man had to reach back to the great players of the 30's, 40’s and 50’s with hints of early R&B, Country, Rockabilly, Jazz and Swing.

After auditioning a few weak players with no style and even less imagination, luck pulled into town. A young man with an old soul named Johnny Vassos was on his way to meet a man at the cross roads. With Jack Daniels as his partner in crime Johnny stumbled onto a weathered old poster stuck to a lamppost outside of the very bar where Linscott and Adamson crossed paths for the first time. Johnny could only make out two phrases and a phone number on the tattered, sun bleached poster – “Scotty Moore” and “Wanted”. Ollie Vee met for the first time that evening. Johnny’s long black truck rolled down the dirt driveway and got out. The 3-piece band setup in the vaulted living room of the old country house and played “Luck Like Me” for the first time. It was undeniable. Pure-magic. Ollie Vee hires in drummers as needed, but they will light up the stage with the original 3 just as fast.