Vest’s story anything but Stir Crazy
’m Canada’s oldest living promising young pianist.” And for David Vest, he means it. Age to him, at 71, is only a number.
The award-winning blues piano player hit the stage at the Lyric Theatre to kick off the Blenders Music Series “Stir Crazy Blues Fest” on Thursday night, and wowed the sold-out crowd. In fact, Vest has been selling out crowds since he kicked off his cross country tour two weeks ago in support of his latest album.
“I’ve got my first release on Cordova Bay Records, it’s called Roadhouse Revelation, it came out last April. It went, to my amazement, straight to the number one spot on the Roots Music chart. CBC has been playing it a lot. So it’s not quite a year since it came out, and artists do check the charts, we need to see how we’re doing. I checked a couple of weeks ago at the start of the tour, and it was still at number six. And Leonard Cohen is at number 10. So I’ve got real good support from the record company, and people have responded to it well.”
So well, in fact, that during the first week of shows in Alberta, Vest had to have additional copies of his album sent out - he had sold out almost immediately.
Vest adds fans can also access his music on iTunes, Amazon, and even via his own app.
"I’m the oldest artist in the world to have his own iPhone app,” he laughed.
Though he has resided in Victoria, BC, for the past 10 years, Vest spent most of his life in the southern USA. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he used music as a way to engage with audiences and peers during a volatile time in history.
“I actually don’t ever remember not playing the piano. I never had any formal training. My grandmother played, and she would bring me records mother would take me to see piano players and other artists. She took me to my first rock and roll show; I saw Carl Perkins when he was a young artist – so incredible. Later on, I had older musicians who would just take my hands at the piano and say, ‘No, do it this way – you’re doing it wrong. You’ll break your wrist trying to play it that way, use this finger instead.’ So a direct laying on of hands.”
As he moved into his teen years, Vest discovered others were willing to pass on their talents and knowhow.
“I had a lot of teaching by African American blues musicians, back in the days of segregation. Because we location where the cops couldn’t find out about it, or the troublemakers. We would get there, and play with the blinds drawn. It was serious business. I felt these men and these women were taking a risk to pass on their knowledge, so I really respected that. This was in Alabama right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. Actually, my mother was born in Selma, and that whole time in 1963 with the assassination of John F. Kennedy Jr., and 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing in Birmingham that killed those four little girls… and then in 1964, was that march in Selma with Dr. King… which really, I’m glad they made a movie about it [Selma] because that’s the event that changed everything. That’s the thing that changed hearts and minds. As a young man at that time, you just had the sense that these massive changes were taking place in the world.”
Vest acknowledges he was lucky to learn the performance side of the music business from some very affluent musicians, including one he greatly respected – Roy Orbison. Early in his career, Vest had the opportunity to open a show from Roy Orbison, a performer Vest noticed would give his all – regardless of audience size.
“I remember one time, I was opening for Roy, and it was a two-show day… a matinee, and an evening show at a huge stadium. The promoter had left the matinee show off the concert poster, and something like 130 people had bought tickets for this show in this huge space. The promoter went to Roy and told him he could play a couple of songs for the afternoon audience, give a wave and then they would refund the patrons’ money. Roy refused, saying that they had paid for a full show, and that’s what they were going to get.” Roy Orbison went out and played for two hours as if performing for the whole world. Vest said that’s an attitude he’s carried with him through his entire career.
Vest’s increasing popularity in Canada is not going unnoticed. Earlier this year, he received his second Maple Blues Award as Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year.
“I think something like this lets people know I’m here to stay. I’m proud to be part of the Canadian music scene.”
Not only proud to be part of the music scene, Vest is especially touched by his chosen musical genre.
“This music means a lot to people. Music is historically a sign for freedom – it’s an opportunity for equality. If you don’t like those things, you’re probably not attracted to rhythm and blues music. To me, it’s the kind of music that’s always brought people together. It hasn’t mattered what colour you are, where you were from, what kind of money you have… if you can feel that beat, which is the thing, that to me, makes us human, it’s in everyone. That’s what keeps me interested in it.”
David Vest