Led by acclaimed Edmonton horn man and singer Dave Babcock, the Nightkeepers are a fresh

take on a vintage sound in the Canadian blues and roots scene.

Inspired by the classic blues and soul acts topping the R&B charts in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the

Nightkeepers are known for a decidedly ‘uptown’ jump blues style and their high energy

performances. Their five-piece lineup showcases Dave Babcock’s soulful voice and sultry

saxophone, the fiery guitar of Alex Herriot, the driving keyboard style of Rooster Davis along

with the rock solid rhythm section of bassist Harry Gregg and drummer Jamie Cooper.

No stranger to Canadian blues audiences, Dave won the Calgary Blues Music Association’s

‘Horn Player of the Year’ Award in 2013 and was nominated for a Maple Blues Award in 2009.

He’s played on two Juno Award-winning albums, appearing on Long John Baldry’s “Right To

Sing The Blues”’ and “The Return Of The Formerly Brothers” with Amos Garrett, Doug Sahm

and Gene Taylor. Dave has also been a regular member of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival

House Band since 1995. Alex was a founding member of the Maple Blues Award-winning band

‘The Rockin’ Highliners’ and plays the guitar with an intensity matched by few. Steeped in the

New Orleans piano tradition and a heavyweight organ player, Rooster won the Edmonton Blues

Society ‘Album of the Year’ award in 2016. A co-owner of Riverdale Recorders, Harry is a

first-call bassist and a very fine producer in his own right. Well known for his versatility, chops

and superb time, Jamie is arguably Edmonton’s most musical and in-demand drummer.

Whether they’re playing a nightclub or a festival stage the Nightkeepers always put on a great

show, delighting audiences with their signature brand of original and vintage blues and R&B.

The Nightkeepers debut album “Dusk Till Dawn” received significant airplay on CKUA Radio,

finishing at number 55 in their Top 100 Albums of The Year. “Dusk Till Dawn” garnered frequent

airplay on CJSR Radio and has also been featured nationally on CBC Radio’s “Saturday Night

Blues” hosted by Holger Petersen.

“As a record producer myself, Dave has been my first call sax player on records with Long John Baldry, Amos

Garrett, Jay McShann, Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne and many more.

Holger Petersen – Stony Plain Records

“Babcock and his quartet have taken their cue from the golden years of rhythm and blues sounds in the mid-20th

century. Some of the bandleader’s favorites from that era include Junior Walker, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson and Bill

Doggett. Filling out the album are four originals in a similar vein written or co-written by Babcock, including a new take

on the song he penned with Amos Garrett back in 1989, Bert’s Boogie.”

Roger Levesque – Edmonton Journal