Kendall Wall Band

Kendall Wall Band
LR: Chris Burgess, Gary Kendall, LF: Cash Wall, Jeff Baker
Background information
Also known as	Kendall Wall Blues Band
Genres	Blues, Canadian blues, Blues rock
Years active	1983 (1983) – 1993 (1993)
Website	kendallwallband.com
Past members	Cash Wall Gary Kendall Jeff Baker Ted Leonard Richard Smyth Martin Alex Aucoin Larry Bodnar Duncan McBain Bob "Cadillac Eddy" Adams Chris Burgess Kevin Higgins Mike McKenna John Cleveland Hughes

The Kendall Wall Band originally known as the Kendall Wall Blues Band, was a Canadian blues band formed in September 1983 by award-winning Canadian bassist, vocalist, Gary Kendall and alumnus and collaborator drummer Cash Wall who was the band's co-leader and lead vocalist. Both Wall and Kendall are former members of the Downchild Blues Band which is commonly known as 'the premier blues band in Canada'. The addition of harmonica player Bob 'Cadillac Eddy' Adams and guitarist Richard Smyth, completed the band.

The Kendall Wall Band entered into the Canadian blues music scene in the early 1980s in Toronto, Ontario at a time before blues societies and organizations were popular if known about, there were no Juno Awards or Maple Blues Awards for the blues music genre, blues radio stations and shows were minimal if not non-existent in many areas.

Blues societies have flourished, most notably the Toronto Blues Society, established in 1985 and honoured as blues organization of the year at the 1986 W.C. Handy Awards in Memphis. In 1997 the society founded the Maple Blues Award, Canada's only national blues awards program. Blues categories have also been presented at the Juno Awards (beginning in 1994).

For the next nearly 11 years the Kendall Wall Band was the house band at the Black Swan Tavern in Toronto, Ontario's East End, a feat at the time very few bands could accomplish in any genre of music let alone in the blues genre. They hosted the Saturday Afternoon Blues Matinee. Over the years the band would have a baker's dozen of members, with Cash Wall, Gary Kendall and Jeff Baker the trio of the organization. Long standing guitarist Richard Smyth would be followed by Mike McKenna, Ted Leonard, Kevin Higgins and Chris Burgess, with each musician providing their own flair and expertise to the growth of the band, pianist Martin Alex Aucoin and saxophonist Larry Bodnar joining the band when funding would permit. In 1984 the Black Swan Tavern changed owners, a move that provided the Kendall Wall Band the opportunity to showcase special guest musicians and include an afternoon jam session allowing upcoming musicians the opportunity to perform with a working band making the Saturday Afternoon Blues Matinee the most popular go to destination for blues fans in Toronto. The Saturday Afternoon Blues Matinee continued to provide success for the Kendall Wall Band and the list of guest musicians would be just as impressive, happening at a time when it was a crucial period for blues music in Canada, including the city of Toronto, Ontario what commenced as an opportunity to provide a setting where musicians could jam, turned into an essential part of Toronto’s blues history when international blues musicians came to town to play the Black Swan having the Kendall Wall Band backing them up.The Kendall Wall Band would see blues musicians come to perform with them from both International and Canadian destinations of blues or the band would be sought after to back musicians appearing with such notables on the short list as Eddie Shaw, Carey Bell, Fenton Robinson, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Snooky Pryor, Big Jay McNealy, Honkin' Joe Houston, Phil Guy, Johnny V Mills and Cash McCall.Club owner's and promoters started seeking the Kendall Wall Band, with their reputation now established the band had proven they could open shows, headline and provide backing for travelling blues artists.