Brandon Isaak is an authentic, heartfelt roots and blues songster who always delivers the goods. Be it as his one-man band, dynamic duo, hard-hitting trio, or even his five-piece Saints of Swing all-star group you always get 100% of this artist.
Brandon was born in Whitehorse, Yukon to a family who has always been in the music business. His folks owned a couple of blues clubs. His father, Ed Isaak, is a full-time musician and has been his whole life. Young Isaak grew up in a bluesy, artistic, and musical atmosphere which shaped his identity and future profession. He backed up many blues masters who would take up residency for 2 or 3 weeks in his family’s clubs/hotels. This is where he learned his chops and cut his teeth and began the journey to the gritty, soulful player he is today.
Brandon Isaak is an award-winning musician with a passion and a thirst for the history of music and the origins of the blues, and this is apparent in his live shows. He is an entertainer as well as a gifted musician. “Entertaining an audience and making a connection with them is as important as delivering great music or clever lyrics”, he says. So many artists today just sit and play and don’t connect with their audiences.”
Featuring Isaak and bassist Keith Picot, the new album, Modern Primitive, is an eclectic mix across the blues landscape. “It was such an honour to sit down and record these songs with one of my very best friends and a guy who I admire for his talent and friendship, Keith Picot”, recalls Isaak. “We had a lot of laughs recording this album and we always wanted to do one away from any other band projects. The addition of Conrad Hillis made the whole thing work and he was a joy to work with. I’m very proud of this collection of tunes and it’s another chapter of my life that I can look back on with mixed emotions.”
The opening track, “Lost Loves & Loose Women,” is a gritty Chicago-style shuffle that talks about overcoming hard times and finding a silver lining.
There are some heavier grooves on this album, found on the tracks “Three Simple Questions” and “I Wish I Did What I Said I’d Do.” There are even some upbeat, swing songs on Modern Primitive such as “Valentine Blues,” “Back To New Orleans,” and “I Wanna Swing For Christmas.”
With 11 perfectly crafted songs, incredible guitar playing and smoky vocals, Isaak has once again produced an incredible and accessible album for blues fans of all sub-genres.
Modern Primitive track listing:
- Lost Loves & Loose Women (4:20)
- Three Simple Questions (3:07)
- Lucky So ’n’ So (3:14)
- Valentine Blues (3:47)
- I Wish I Did What I Said (4:34)
- One Too Many Blues (4:03)
- Something New (3:11)
- Six Little Letters (3:58)
- Back To New Orleans (4:33)
- Walk That Road Alone (3:10)
- I Wanna Swing For Christmas (3:13)
