Noosa Arts Theatre will come alive next Friday 11 August with the soulful sounds of hinterland resident Andy Cowan, whose soulful Ray Charles’ voice and dazzling keyboards style has been entertaining audiences all over the world for almost 50 years, performing with his band, Big Mama’s Door.
A fixture on the Australian music scene, Andy’s style massages the soul-blues-R and B idiom in an acoustic jazz format.
Blues has always been at the core of his work, but it is the emotional quality of his earthy voice, soulful piano-playing and the diversity he displays as a songwriter and interpreter that have helped make him one of the best live performers in Australia.
Andy received Blues Album of the Year 2000, Blues Performer of the Year 2001, Male Performer of the Year 2003 and was an ARIA nominee for his “10.30 Thursdays” CD. He was also awarded second place at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee in 2002. He has toured internationally and across Australia for four decades.
In the ‘70s and ‘80s Andy was a hired gun for legendary Australian bands, Madder Lake, Ayers Rock, Kevin Borich Express, and Renee Geyer, to name but a few, and also guested with Skyhooks on keyboards.
The members of Big Mama’s Door have an equally impressive pedigree. Christian Dunham (electric and double bass) is best known in Australia for tours with Matt Moffitt, Margaret Urlich and Kevin Borich. Duncan MacQueen (drums, percussion) has played clubs, TV, and session work in Australia and the US, working in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Nashville and Austin, Texas. Special guest at Noosa Arts, Doc Span is well known to Sunshine Coast blues lovers. The US expat has spent a life on the road, performing, writing, and recording, and has shared stages with the likes of Screaming Jay Hawkins, Kevin Borich and Jon Lord (Deep Purple).
7pm Friday 11 August, Tickets from $33 available at noosaartstheatre.org.au
