Blues on Sunday with Nelson Checkoway – Freeport, ME

“They may not be household names, but they’ve played with people who are.” This is how Saco River Theatre owner Dana Packard introduced a recent concert by the Blues on Sunday Quartet.

The Blues on Sunday Quartet or BOSQ was founded last year by area musician Nelson Checkoway and two regional luminaries, drummer Per Hanson and guitarist Jon Ross, as a Sunday afternoon blues residency at Cadenza.Blues on Sunday Quartet welcomes special guest guitarist and vocalist Brad Faucher for a special pre-holiday-week show, Sunday December 17th at 4 pm. Brad is a musician, music teacher, short film producer and live music producer who has long been a first-call guitarist and vocalist on the Boston blues, jazz, R&B, and jam band scenes, who has toured with with blues legends Chicago Bob Nelson, Mojo Buford and Big Jack Johnson and has performed at Boston’s Symphony Hall, Tanglewood and Arlington’s Regent Theatre.Brad will round out the Quartet for this show (with guitarist Jon Ross on hiatus this month) that will also feature Nelson Checkoway on keyboards and guitar, Per Hanson on drums (and harmonica) and the return of Kris Day on stand-up and electric bass–and all four on vocals!“

Our originals and covers showcase traditional Chicago-style blues, New Orleans R&B, throwback country, Memphis soul and more,” says Checkoway, who has appeared on stage with as diverse artists as Commander Cody and Mike Bloomfield. “It’s music we love and it doesn’t get enough play these days. We’re hoping to change that!”The connective tissue in the band is the late Freddie King and Bonnie Raitt pianist Dave Maxwell: both Hanson and Ross played with Maxwell in James Cotton’s band and he was a teacher, mentor and friend to Checkoway. Rounding out the quartet at the upcoming Cadenza show on September 9th is standout bass player Steve Norris, who has also appeared with Maxwell, as well as Maria Muldaur, Sleepy LaBeef, Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson.

“Our originals and covers showcase traditional Chicago-style blues, New Orleans R&B, throwback country, Memphis soul and more,” says Checkoway, who has appeared on stage with as diverse artists as Commander Cody and Mike Bloomfield. “It’s music we love and it doesn’t get enough play these days. We’re hoping to change that!”

The connective tissue in the band is the late Freddie King and Bonnie Raitt pianist Dave Maxwell: both Hanson and Ross played with Maxwell in James Cotton’s band and he was a teacher, mentor and friend to Checkoway. Rounding out the quartet at the upcoming Cadenza show on September 9th is standout bass player Steve Norris, who has also appeared with Maxwell, as well as Maria Muldaur, Sleepy LaBeef, Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson.