Larry Kurtz has been a member of the Orangeville community for a long time. Whether through his business, Kurtz Millworks, or his involvement in the Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival, Larry wears many hats within the community. However, as of May 16th, Larry and his band, Larry Kurtz & The Lawbreakers, have introduced the community to yet another side of his personality.
Music has been a part of Larry’s life for as long as he can remember. He grew up performing in the church choir and listening to his parents’ old-school country music. However, it was a chance interaction with the radio that defined the direction of his music career. He was 15 when he heard Little Walter playing the harmonica on the radio. He loved the sound, so he went and bought one for himself. It has been his instrument of choice ever since.
As is often the case, music was just a hobby for a long time. In fact, his first band, Trouble & Strife, was initially just a bunch of guys jamming out in Larry’s workshop. Larry and the guitarist, Bruce Ley, worked closely together during the growth and development of their blues band. They performed around Ontario and Quebec and recorded an album. They were nominated for Best New Artist at the Maple Blues Awards and won Favourite Blues Artist at the Canadian Independent Blues Awards. However, when Bruce teamed up full time with Leisa Way as her band leader, it became harder to coordinate shows. Eventually, the band changed players so much that he felt it made the most sense to continue performing under his own name, with a rotating set of musicians collaborating with him.
The current lineup of Larry Kurtz & The Lawbreakers have been playing together for 15 years now. Larry plays the harmonica and shares both writing and vocal duties with their guitarist, James Legere. Of course, they’re just two parts of a four-man band. Sam Carothers, who played with Ronnie Hawkins for 20 years, plays bass, and they share their drummer, Scott Bruyea, with The Campfire Poets. 15 years is a long time to play together, and it has really helped them find their own sound. They are a fixture in the local music scene, playing many festivals in Southern Ontario. One of their favourite places to play is right in Orangeville, at Revival 1863. Having turned the old train station into a split between a restaurant upstairs, and a jazz bar downstairs, Revival 1863 has an energy that really suits their music, and Larry Kurtz & The Lawbreakers typically play there around five to six times a year.
With so much experience, it was time for a new project. Released on May 16th, their debut album features 15 original songs, all recorded locally at Escarpment Sound in Belwood. Larry and James shared writing and singing duties, which gives the album a wide range of styles, sounds, and inspirations. Of the 15 songs, Larry wrote 9, and James wrote the other five, with one co-write between Larry & James.
Larry loves the process of creating a song. While he is not constantly writing, he enjoys the transformation that occurs when he takes a spark of inspiration and turns it into a song that he can share with others. He considers his songwriting style playful and straightforward. While he may choose to say what he means over layering metaphors, the songs he creates are uniquely Larry. The opening track, “Headwaters Hill Country” is Larry’s homage to the beautiful land of the Headwaters region. For those not aware, the Orangeville and Caledon area is known as Headwaters, as it’s the meeting place of the Grand, Credit, Humber, and Nottawasaga rivers. This creates a unique beauty and ecosystem that Larry wanted to capture through song. Musically, he drew inspiration from a blues variant known as Hill Country Blues, which originated in Mississippi. Larry drew on the connection between the two hill countries, creating a variant in his music that is entirely Ontario – just like Headwaters Hill Country.
Alternatively, Larry describes James’s songs as moodier, drawing on more somber and emotional storytelling, which can be heard in his song “One Step on the Devil”. This song, which is about staying ahead of trouble, has a sound that hits deep and plays into life’s struggles.
Larry plays a lower octave harmonica on the track to create a fatter tone, drawing out that relatable emotion of trying to keep trouble behind you. Musically, this song inverts another well-known blues trick known as the 12 Bar Blues. “One Step on the Devil” borrows this formatting, but twists it to create a new tune that is both familiar and different – maybe just like trouble.
The new album is available on major streaming platforms or you can purchase a CD at one of Larry’s live shows. To find out where he is playing next go to www.larrykurtz.ca.
WRITTEN BY: JILLIAN KENT | RESOURCES/PHOTOS: LARRY KURTZ
