Joel Fafard

Harlan Howard used to say that all you need for a great country song is three chords and the truth.

Maybe so, but when you take simple, southern-style country, folk and blues music and put it in the hands of a killer guitarist, a whole world of people who never even knew they liked country, folk and blues music in the first place, start sitting up and paying attention.

Award-winning guitarist Joel Fafard performs Southern roots and blues classics with the soul of a purist and the showmanship of a seasoned entertainer.

He sings with the sexy, sandpapered-sounding vocal style of the new-generation bluesman. He tells his hilarious between-song stories with the confidence of a late show host delivering his monologue. And when he lets rip a solo on his resonator guitar, it’s easy to hear how he once earned both a Juno nomination and a Western Canadian Music Award for his skills on the axe.