Garnetta Cromwell & DaGroovMasters

Twilight Jazz & Blues Series Pass - 7th Edition

JANUARY BLUES with 2024 Maple Blues Award Nominee

Garnetta Cromwell & DaGroovMasters

Monday, January 22, 2024

The Hare Wine Co. 769 Niagara Stone Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake

7:00pm -9:30pm (doors @ 6pm)

Fee: $39.00 + HST + Fees

Fee: $19.00 + HST + Fees (MAWS Discount: Musicians/ArtsWorkers/Students)

Series Pass: $99 + HST + Fees


About the Artist: 

Once upon a time, in the city of music, Hamilton, Ontario, emerged a band that would grace the stages with the richness of soulful blues. GARNETTA CROMWELL & DaGROOVMASTERS are not just a band, but a delightful musical tale that weaves through time.

GARNETTA CROMWELL, the magnetic lead vocalist, embarked on her musical journey as a young girl in Montreal. Being the youngest of eight siblings, she was raised in an Afro-Metis household, where music became her solace.  Despite facing a hearing impairment during her childhood, that required surgical treatment, Garnetta’s passion for music remained unwavering.  She found inspiration in gospel, blues, country, reggae and soul music, and started performing at talent contests.  Her music also seerved as a tribute to her mother, Marva Ann Fairfax, who used music to survive and thrive.

Garnetta later became the lead vocalist and drummer for Torornto’s first all female reggae band, Sweet Sensation. Garnetta has performed on the same stage with Platinum/Grammy Award artists Maxi Priest, Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, Gregory Issac, Sean Kingston and Platinum/Grammy soul legends Percy Sledge, Dorothy Moore ,The Manhattans and have recently performed on stage with the King of Boogie Woogie, Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne.

She performed at the 35th Annual Women Blues Revue held at Massey Hall, in Toronto , Ontario, with some of Canada's top female blues singers and has since been invited back to perform at the 36^th annual Women’s Blues Revue on November 17/23.

In 2021, after facing numerous personal challenges, she decided to take full-time control of her band, GARNETTA CROMWELL & DaGROOVMASTERS, determined to create music that reflected her life’s journey.

Garnetta reflects on recording “Miss Marva Ann” - “I felt compelled to write a song tribute to my mother, Marva Ann Fairfax. She was raised in the 1940s, in a very strict home as the only daughter with two brothers. My mother’s strength to feed, clothe and most importantly, protect her children, empowers me to this day”.

The band itself, DaGROOVMASTERS, is composed of talented musicians specializing in soulful blues.

ABOUT DaGROOVMASTERS

Mark Howe, also known as “DaFunkmaster”, who plays the bass.  Mark, an extraordinary bassist, has mastered the groove across genres but specializes in Blues, Soul, and Funk. He played with the Jeff Healey Band in the mid-80s and led his own band, Spectrum, until 2020 when he became a full-time bassist for GARNETTA CROMWELL & DaGROOVMASTERS.

Toshihiro Otani, the lead guitarist known as “Toshi”, was born and raised in Japan. Toshi taught himself to play guitar at the age of 12. He was part of Tokyo’s Chicago-style blues scene before moving to Canada in 2013.

Juan Arce, a Colombian born sax player. Juan graduated from York University with an honour’s degree in fine arts, specializing in jazz performances. He started his musical career in 2003 working with his father at an early age. Since then, he has developed a highly versatile playing style performing, recording, and touring with several jazz, funk, and pop ensembles as well as various Latin groups and salsa orchestras. Juan has collaborated on several projects with Toronto band Shuffle Demons, and performed with several international Latin artists, including Gabriel Romero, Luis Felipe Gonzales, and Armando Hernandez, among others.

Robin Houston was born in a small Northern Ontario community. His mother was a musician and he always listened to her play the piano, which inspired him to pick up a set of drumsticks. Robin received his first drumkit when he was 8 years old. Robin played with local bands and would often sub in when needed. Robin moved to Southern Ontario in 1980 and his drums were a hobby until he joined The Whiskey Chasers, a band from the Hamilton, ON region. He continued to play with The Whiskey Chasers until he fully committed to become the full-time drummer for GARNETTA CROMWELL & DaGROOVMASTERS.