Snowbound session yields warm collection: American picker glad to saddle up
with Blue Rodeo

The Edmonton Journal (05.04.02)
Peter North.

Twenty or so years ago, when Bob Egan was first taken captive by the sounds of rock 'n' roll, he had a handle on what kind of musician he wanted to be.

Glancing over his impressive resume, history shows that the multi-instrumentalist who specializes in stringed instruments definitely walked down that path he dreamed of.

"I had always taken notice of David Lindley and how he played on all those great southern California albums. I thought that would be the coolest thing to back all these people you really like," says the American picker, who has called Canada home for the last couple of years.

It was mission accomplished as Egan was a member of Freakwater before joining Wilco, which opened the door to play sessions with the likes of Billy Bragg and The Tragically Hip.

"When I recently moved, though, I found boxes of tapes and they're proof that I have been writing my own songs since the late '80s."

Egan has just released The Promise, his second solo album, and first since moving to Ontario to become a member of Blue Rodeo.

It's a wonderfully warm and very organic collection of tunes that sonically reflect the surroundings they were recorded in. That place happened to be Greg Keelor's inviting farmhouse, complete with lots of close musical friends and a crackling fire on cold winter nights.

"We, that being friends like Travis Good of The Sadies and Cam Grioux from Luther Wright and The Wrongs, were snowbound.

"We just let the vibe take over. I co-wrote all of the songs with help from Bazil Donovan but one, that being Just A Dream, which Richard Bell helped put together on the spot on Gregg's out-of-tune piano," recalls Egan, who has become a landed immigrant and is extremely grateful for the opportunities that have presented themselves in this country.

"After I left Wilco, I moved to Oxford, Mississippi, and things weren't going well and I was a week away from hanging it up.

"I got a call from a friend named Sue in Austin and I ended up promising her I'd make another album. That's why this album is called The Promise."

Shortly after that call, Egan ended up in Ontario to do a couple of dates, one opening for Blue Rodeo.

"I remember Jim (Cuddy) took me on the bus and it was one of those life-changing moments when he asked me to join the band.

"Everything felt like it was in slow motion and I knew I was leaving being a poor starving solo artist to become a member of a great band.

It's been a definite plus for the Canadian roots music scene and you can find out why, when Egan brings his arsenal of guitars to the New City Likwid Lounge stage tonight.