Reviews

 

THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS
Blues rock band has Right Attitude

Mike Beggs
May 18, 2005
There are flashier bands around, but the Soulsetters play some of the most
consistent blues rock heard in GTA clubs.
They return to the Rooftop Pub this Friday with their debut CD, Right
Attitude, grabbing airplay on selected blues stations across the country.
Lead guitarist and vocalist Mike Rende, blues harp player Andre Fredette,
drummer and vocalist Norm Stenoff and bassist Mick Acerra are all into their
50s and well-steeped on the classics of Howlin' Wolf, Otis Redding, Junior
Wells, Wilson Pickett, B.B. King, Sam & Dave, etc.
"I think we take the music seriously, the arrangements seriously...because
you're charging someone for it," said Fredette. "And there's pride in the
musicianship."
Rende's vocals and solos are understated, but soulful. Leaning towards the
R&B side of things, they know how to strike up a groove. And their harmonies
are on the mark.
Rende, Stenoff, and Acerra's musical hijinx date back to an R&B band of
the early 70's. After a lengthy musical hiatus, Fredette stumbled onto a
good thing here, about three years ago -- at his day job.
"Mike and I are in the same business. I'd known him for about 20 years,
but I didn't know he was a musician," he relates.
While "really admiring" the bluesmen who do this for a living, Fredette
says as a part-time band, "We're not fretting about the money, we can enjoy
the music."
"We keep working at it," he added. "It's not massive, giant steps. We will
use the CD to get better bookings, and to get into festivals. And if we do
another CD, it should be half original material. We will have to work on the
songwriting."

Soulsetters hit stage Friday at 9:30 p.m. at the Rooftop Pub, 714
Lakeshore Rd. E., at Cawthra Rd.

THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS