In an age when attitude frequently overshadows substance and the tuning of instruments can be an afterthought, Edmonton's Tacoy Ryde remains one of Western Canada's best rock bands.
Thirty plus years on, this sextet is enjoying the benefits of long-term membership while also dealing with the realities of replacing a few players who've gone on to other projects.
But no matter who's in the lineup, friction is never part of the equation for making music. This is a band that believes in rehearsing, ongoing writing sessions and a lasting commitment to a project. The desired end is to bring everyone into a freewheeling musical headspace that collectively gives a nod to those who first fuelled the jam band scene, while also embracing the newest disciples of a sound that convincingly fuses heady lyrics with both rock solid arrangements and improvisation.
Working through the week at Blues On Whyte, Tacoy's vibe on Monday night was akin to a greyhound waiting to be unclipped from the short end of a tight leash. Founding members Barrie Nighswander and Duane "Wink" Smith—along with drummer Bill Hobson and keyboard player Dennis Meneely, who have been in the band for a quarter of a century—used spirited romps to open the first and second sets and in doing so made more than a few listeners sit bolt upright.
Working from extensive set lists that include originals from their "Here's the Picture" recording and a new batch waiting to find their way to tape, Tacoy Ryde also slung grooves like grenades on tunes like The Temptations' Can't Get Next To You and Willie Dixon's I Just Wanna Make Love to You.
"We're going to keep switching up these sets all week long, you're not going to see the same set twice," Meneely said from behind his keyboard rig. No less than three tunes associated with the Allman Brothers made the cut Monday. Nighswander's slide created both bullwhip cracks and siren-like screams on Trouble No More, a Muddy Waters tune that Gregg and Duane Allman put a grip on 35 years ago, while Al Brandt's lead vocal got to the heart of Statesboro Blues in the first set.
fter almost a decade of singing together in this band, Brandt and vocalist Dale Ladouceur have found a comfort zone that makes for smooth and satisfying interplay that was best showcased on a new R&B-based original titled I Don't Know Why. Ladouceur also pasted a soulful wail on a funky take of Ben Harper's Ground On Down and she also contributed to a layered vocal attack on the Santana-meets-The Zombies rendition of She's Not There.
That deep set list also included hot takes of material recorded by the Derek Trucks Band and the late Jerry Garcia and another new groove-driven original titled Advocate of Love.
Tacoy Ryde will add a few friends to the show as the week progresses including Ken Kirkwood on guitar Friday night, while timbale player Tilo Paiz sits in both Friday and Saturday. The group plays three sets a night. Blues On Whye is located in the Commercial Hotel.
PETER NORTH, Special to the Journal, Edmonton, November 30, 2005
