Hornby Island Blues Workshop

Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Big Dave McLean is a masterful guitarist and top-notch harpist with a raw voice that is meant for the blues. He has been a significant influence on Colin James and Wide Mouth Mason and is commonly acknowledged as one of this country’s predominant acoustic blues musicians. Dave’s heart firmly beats to the ghosts of the Delta greats, especially the incomparable Muddy Waters, with whom he toured over two decades ago. Dave started out on harmonica in the early 1960s, but while at the 1969 Mariposa Folk Festival John Hammond gave him an informal guitar lesson. Now Dave plays guitar, slide guitar and harmonica. He plays a heady mixture of Delta Piedmont and early Chicago blues, as well as his original material. At the 2007 Maple Blues Awards Dave was presented with the Toronto Blues Society Lifetime Achievement award. He is currently nominated for the 2009 Maple Blues Acoustic Act of the Year award. Dave has been presented with the CBC Saturday Night Blues, Great Canadian Blues Award for a lifetime contribution to the blues in Canada. Dave has spent his whole life dedicated to the blues, with one voice, one guitar and one foot stompin’ on the floor.