Been Around A While represents a watershed moment for the Canadian blues duo, Dalannah and Owen. Filled with a bold mix of well-constructed original compositions and carefully selected covers of artists such as Son House, Louis Jordan, and Marvin Gaye, it’s the result of two world-class talents combining to create something fresh and new. Dalannah’s impassioned, gospel-soaked vocals and Owen’s versatile, mood-setting bass come together to form a sound that’s emotionally potent, musically unforgettable, and spiritually transcendent.
With 90 years of music between them, this unlikely duo came together in July 2014, one week before British Columbia’s White Rock Blues Society Regional International Blues Challenge. Been Around A While, their first disc as a duo, is about the love of music and Dalannah and Owen’s respect for one another.
Dalannah Gail Bowen is a 69-year-old of African-Canadian/Cherokee heritage who has sung blues, jazz and gospel for 49 years. Her recordings have received airplay and positive reviews from around the globe. Outside of her musical career, Bowen is well known as a volunteer and advocate within Vancouver’s downtown eastside, the poorest postal code in Canada.
Owen Owen Owen is a jazz and classically trained, award-winning bassist and composer who has performed with a veritable “who’s who” of musicians in the Vancouver music community and beyond. His 41-year career has taken him all over the world to perform in a wide variety of genres.
“Bowen’s powerfully expressive voice and Owen’s smooth and complimentary bass lines make for an uncommonly intimate experience you aren’t likely to forget. There’s no other word for it; Been Around A While is stunning.” – John “The Rock Doctor” Kereiff, Gonzo Online
“Dalannah and Owen pretty much break the mold on their first release together. As a duo of only vocals and electric bass guitar, the combination ought to be light on entertainment value over the course of a full-length album, but this wizened couple makes every track shine in one way or another.” – Jeff Monk, Winnipeg Free Press
“Extreme talent both vocally and musically… Powerful, tender, emotional and heartfelt…Pleasing to the heart and soul!” – Sonny Rock, NYS Blues Hall of Fame drummer/radio host
Artists: www.dalannahandowen.com
Label: www.questrecords.ca
