First Decade/Greatest Hits

Hailing from Vancouver, this lively and entertaining blues outfit had little success on the charts, but their fiery brand of Chicago-style blues was enough to give them a Juno award in 1981 (Canada's version of the Grammy) and the W.C. Handy award in 1985 for Best Foreign Blues Band, presented in Memphis, TN. First Decade/Greatest Hits is a delectable 19-track hits package that contains all of the Powder Blues Band's most important tracks, including a handful from both 1980's Uncut album and 1981's Thirsty Ears release, with the former going double platinum, selling over 200,000 copies. Brothers Tom Lavin and Jack Lavin lead the way on guitar, sounding especially sharp on "Doin' It Right" and "Thirsty Ears," the band's biggest singles, all with the help of some highly intoxicating saxophone bits. Mixing the blues with some solid sounding rock & roll, tracks like "Hear That Guitar Ring," "Joyridin," and "I'm on the Road Again" proved the band could integrate both styles effectively through Tom Lavin's wide-awake vocals and an even keel of piano, saxes, and trumpet. Best of all, the Powder Blues Band maintained a small-club sound without sounding amateurish, and this tasty bunch of tracks proved that their talents far exceeded their commercial accomplishments. ~ Mike DeGagne