Smokey Fennell hears music in his head all the time. And when he hears the first few chords from an Emmylou Harris or Flying Burrito Brothers or any classic rock piece, he funks it up with a bluegrass twist.
He can’t help it. It’s in his blood.
And Fennell’s many steel guitars just add to the itch. A single-neck pedal steel purchased for $300 was his first big love, a passion that remains undiminished.
“A fellow in our home town got it and it was so fascinating I made a steel when I was 23,” said Fennell.
For years he tried to find musicians eager to share his vision and play in bluegrass style band. Few took the bait.
“There was no money in that. Most people want to make money and I was in it for the art,” Fennell said.
But while playing as a sideman, he met Chris Tabbert (guitar), Matt Grier (drummer) and Curtis Ebner (bass), and together they are Smokey Fennell and Wheel in the Ditch, a smokin’ bluegrass steel band.
And they’ll be showcasing their hot grooves at LB’s Pub on Jan. 8.
Fennell is a California boy who moved to the Great White North after the Canadian band Lonestar Cattle Company invited him on tour. After meeting a girl, he settled in St. Albert for 20 years raising kids, working as network analyst and playing music on the side.
Over the years, he’s recorded with Brett Kissel, Danny Hooper, Krysta Scoggins, Dolly Rotten and St. Albert’s Leah Durrell. But Wheel in the Ditch is different.
“It’s mostly attitude to music. We’re not there to reproduce what we hear on the radio, but to present our interpretation and have fun with the lyrics. We are not a jukebox. We play a collection of the kind of music we like.”
In addition to reworking covers, Tabbert, the band songwriter, has written a few originals with an Everly Brothers or Beatles feel. The vibe is so authentic, says Fennell, you’d swear they were old tunes you can’t remember.
“We’ve been sidemen for so long and played so many different styles, we’re able to pull on our experiences and create any sound.”
One of Tabbert’s tunes is Evil Leaving Ways, a two-part harmony with simple, repetitive lyrics similar to the Everly pop songs. Another is I’m Going to Get You, a love song with a classic 1960s rock vibe.
At LB’s, Wheel in the Ditch has one goal – come in and have a good time.
“We want to draw people into the party. The objective is to infect the entire room with a musical feeling.”
The show starts at 9:30 p.m. No cover. LB’s Pub is at 23 Akins Dr.
