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Country

Originally from Marshalltown in Digby County Nova Scotia, Kempton’s influences range from traditional songs of the British Isles his father taught him, his father’s button accordion and harmonica playing and everything that was on the radio in the 1950s and 60s. He says he started trying to emulate Dean Martin as soon as he heard him.

Kempton’s songs range from simple earthy brand new but traditional-sounding country songs, painful soft jazz-influenced songs of love won and lost and up-tempo rock and roll and R&B-influenced dance tunes.

Pedal steel guitar, lap and dobro specialist Michael Flunkert is the featured instrumentalist in the Stellar Jays. At 9 years old Mike was introduced to the steel guitar by his immigrant parents who had "all those Hawaiian records lying around and so I picked up those tunes", says Mike. His teacher felt Mike was the most enthusiastic student in the class and advised his parents to buy an electric lap steel, "Thus the great mistake", Mike continues, "I thought I was getting an electric guitar!"

The teacher was onto something. Mike has persisted with his steel playing and has become a formidable player. He is in demand as a session player and plays with the Shiny buckle Band, El Dorado and Kat Wahamaa's band Texas Gait. He played on both Kat's CDs, Wise Woman and Cascadia. He uses two vintage electric 6 string Rickenbackers, a Guyatone double 8 string electric and a souped up Dobro. Bassist Michel Drouin is from Port Hardy and came to Vancouver in 1986. Since then he has played with the Hard Rock Miners and other Vancouver Roots and Country bands. Currently he plays the Shiny Buckle Band as well as in Hi Rise Dex and the Stellar Jays. Drummer and percussionist Bryan Siver was playing with a working swing band while still under legal drinking age. He has continued ever since as a percussionist. For many years he was a DJ who specialized in disco music and he still retains a collection of thousands of vinyl disco records. He currently also plays with the popular Brazilian style Carnival Band, and together with Mike and Michel he is part of the Tony Rees fronted band the Shiny Buckle Band. Lead guitarist and harmonic wailer Tony Rees has recently joined the Stellar Jays. Tony was born in Bristol, England and was drawn to the folk music scene which was flourishing in the UK during his teens. He started out playing bass on the folk circuit in the South and South-West of England. Some years after coming to Canada he became interested in North American roots music. With Shirley Burton he formed Shirley U Jest in Roberts Creek, BC. Then he joined up with Randy Schultz and Dave Clairmont to form The Caboose which has regularly played pubs and events throughout the Lower Mainland. The band specializes in blues of the 30s and 40s. One evening while flicking through channels on cable TV he saw Bob Wills playing an old blues tune by Tampa Red. From there Tony's interest in Western Swing grew in leaps and bounds. He has developed into an able Western Swing rhythm player and arranger and leads the Shiny Buckle Band. Hi-Rise Dex and the Stellar Jays have played many of Vancouver’s original music venues including the Railway Club, the WISE hall, the Press Club, the Pic, El-Cocal and the Whip.

The group’s debut CD “Other women, other men” was independently released in April 2000.

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