News/Reviews/Etc

Nov. 14, ‘08

Ketchum concert kicks off tour

By Karen Bossick

Times-News correspondent

Got the credit crunch blues?

Bruce Innes has a song for you.

The Ketchum singer/songwriter who always seems to have his tongue planted against his cheek recently penned a new tune, "You're All Guitar Players Now." And he'll belt it out Tuesday when he and Las Vegas/Nashville singer Jilla Web perform in concert at the nexStage Theatre.

"People have been telling me, 'Credit's so tight. My stocks are worth nothing.' Well, credit's always been tight for me and I have no stocks," he quipped.

If Innes is not flush with cash, he is rich in musical talent. He recorded his first album in the 1960s and toured the world with The Original Caste, which recorded "One Tin Soldier" and "Mr. Monday."

He has performed with John Denver, Glen Campbell, The Carpenters, Ian Tyson, Paul Butterfield, Arlo Guthrie, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills and Nash and the New Christy Minstrels. The proud owner of a couple of gold records and a couple of top-10 hits, he has written songs for such performers as Ray Stevens and Mickey Gilley.

His most recent recording is "Nothin' But the Blues."

Web has sung around the world - from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville to the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The daughter of a lead singer with Harry James, she has opened shows for Wayne Newton, LeAnn Rimes and Brooks and Dunn and been a featured artist with Las Vegas' "Superstars Live in Concert."

She has long leant her voice to commercial jingles that Innes wrote for Ford Motor Co., the Ice Capades and others, as well as for such shows as "Regis and Kathy Lee," "Rosie O'Donnell" and even "CBS Football."

The two performed two concerts at the nexStage in the past couple of years, and Web's amazing vocal talents and Innes' guitar picking finesse enraptured listeners both times.

"I've long been a fan of Bruce's," said Ketchum resident Pat Hanggi. "I really enjoy his easygoing style and his rapport with the audience."

"Jilla's voice is incredible. The harmony of the two of them together blew me away," said Hailey resident Michael Hobbs.

The musicians, who are using the Ketchum concert to kick off a nationwide tour, sing a wide repertoire of songs, including "Ain't Misbehaving," "Me and Bobby McGee," "Georgia On My Mind," "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry," "Back in the USA," "God Bless the Child" and "Chain, Chain Chain."

This concert will include such songs as "Honeysuckle Rose" and "You Can't Take That Away From Me," as well as Innes' newly penned, tongue-in-cheek "What Really Happened to Elvis Presley?"

"A guy once asked me what was the biggest place I had ever played, and I told him it would have to be an auditorium in Tokyo that holds 29,000 people," Innes said. "But that's not as much fun as the nexStage. It has that old coffeehouse feel. And that's the best."

Sept. 11, ‘08

Listen for a feature of Bruce’s music coming soon to the “9 to Noon” show hosted by Lionel Rault on CKUA radio (Alberta, Canada).

Aug., '08

Folk music legend returning to Sundre

Folk singer and songwriter Bruce Innes, who had international hits such as “One Tin Soldier” and “Mr. Monday” as a member of The Original Caste, will be performing in Sundre. Innes will play songs from his decades long career at the Arts Centre on August 29. In an interview last week, Innes said his Sundre show will include his hits as well as other songs. Folk music is still popular. I play a lot of folk and blues and I also play some pop stuff and I’ve written lots of country songs too,” he said.

Dan Singleton, Sundre Roundup

Aug., '08

You can now find Bruce on Facebook as well as Myspace.

Jan.10, '08

Review excerpts from Bruce and Jilla's show at The NexStage Theatre on Jan. 3. "Innes and Web thrill the crowd". Web "a rare talent". Innes sang his songs to "plenty of laughs" and "thunderous applause".

Jan.1, '08

Bruce's latest CD "Nothin But The Blues" is now being played on blues radio stations in Canada, France, Spain and Argentina. The blues is truly a genre which has a global audience.

Nov. 10, '07

Bruce now has a My Space page. You can be his friend at: www.myspace.com/bruceinnesmusic.

Nov. 1 '07

Bruce has just released a new solo CD 'Nothin But The Blues'. It's a fantastic collection of traditional and original blues featuring just Bruce and his guitar. You can purchase the CD at cdbaby.com.

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Evan McPherson

Nashville, TN

April, 2004

"Bruce Innes was in town last week and we had time for a quick visit over coffee. He always amazes me with his enthusiasm for the music business. I've known him for many years and he is like this cheerleader for everything to do with music. I think that's why he has so many good friends in the business and those friendships seem to span all the working generations of musicians and entertainers. He was good friends with John Denver, is close with Ian Tyson, and was a great friend of the Kingston Trio¹s Dave Guard before he passed away, and yet he seems to have a legion of young performer friends, as well. A couple of years ago he produced the Western Music Association album of the year for up and coming star, Brenn Hill, and last year he produced a very nice disc for extraordinary Las Vegas singer Jilla Web, and completed an extraordinary folk album for his dear friend Beth Pederson, with guitar wizard, Nina Gerber.

I first made note of Innes when I read Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, the Gonzo style narrative by Hunter S. Thompson. As an aspiring writer, I was fascinated with Thompson's account of he and Innes trying to buy a chimpanzee at Circus Circus. I discovered years later in a conversation with Bruce that he had met Hunter in Butte, Montana and they had become close friends. Bruce had a folk group then, The Big Sky Singers, and recorded an album for Dot Records in Los Angeles that same year. Innes is a gifted acoustic guitarist and plays piano in a simple, funky style, reminiscent of Johnny Mercer with a touch of Dr. John thrown in for good measure. Most of all, he can really sing and play the blues. He did a stint with the legendary Josh White when he was very young, and I think that shaped his music forever. He is also a terrific songwriter. He penned the classic Jack Daniels, You Lied To Me Again for Ray Stevens, a while back, and if you get a chance to see Bruce in person, you will be astounded by his humorous, insightful songs.

Some say that years on the road can sap a performer's enthusiasm and, eventually, the spark goes out. The reverse seems to be true with Bruce. He first started traveling the world when he hooked up with Los Angeles Dodger's shortstop, Maury Wills. Wills had broken Ty Cobb's base stealing record and was in huge demand for appearances during the off season. Bruce told me that Maury Wills was a decent singer and banjo player and all I did was write a few humorous baseball songs for him and we hit the road. They played arenas, big night clubs, and showrooms all over this country and the Orient. Bruce followed that experience by returning to his native Canada and forming one of the first internationally successful Canadian groups, The Original Caste. With their international hits One Tin Soldier and Mr. Monday as calling cards, The Original Caste toured The United States, Canada, and the Orient for several years. Bruce, with two children and divorced from his first wife, eventually married the niece of Lowell Observatory astronomers Vesto and Melvin Slipher, Wanda Slipher,( Phi Beta Kappa - Indiana University), and they settled in Spokane, Washington to raise John (Hamilton College '96) and Claire (Dickinson College '99).

I met Bruce at Emerald Sound Studios here in town, several years ago. He was producing a national jingle that he had written for Sign Pro and was using Suzy Ragsdale on vocals. He was open, friendly, completely tuned in to the production, and polite enough to grant an interview to a young journalist. I was fascinated to learn that he had written songs for country artists Ray Stevens and Mickey Gilley, as well as all the pop material he had written for The Original Caste and others. Over the last several years Bruce has invited me to several sessions at Emerald, and it is always a joy to watch him in action, whether it's a new effort by a young artist or a national campaign for a huge retailer. Where you really want to catch him, though, is in person, on stage. He is the consummate entertainer. He currently resides in Sun Valley, Idaho, but I wouldn't bet against him moving to town one of these years. I would be all for that."

“Bruce Innes” is always my first choice when guests request musical entertainment. He is outstanding.”

Kate Wood, Sun Valley Resort, Sun Valley, Idaho

“Wonderful songs like ‘Sweet Chicago’ from my friend Bruce Innes.”

Hunter S. Thompson (writing in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”)

“Good songs and great arrangements.”

New York Times