Staymer, Hans Band

Websites:  https://www.facebook.com/HansStaymer/, https://www.edmontonblueshalloffame.com/presenter/hans-stamer/, https://hansstamer.ca/
Origin: Hamburg, Germany - Edmonton, Alberta - Vancouver, British Columbia, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Hans Stamer was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1938. In his teens he discovered British Traditional Jazz, and American Blues music.

In 1955, after he discovered the music of Django Reinhardt, he learned to play a bit of guitar. In 1957 Stamer saw Louis Armstrong and numerous American Jazz artists on tour in Germany, inspiring him to become a frontman and vocalist.

Upon his parents’ insistence he spent the next five years learning to be a Goldsmith – a trade he still practices today.

When his apprenticeship ended he decided to move to Canada, making Edmonton his home in 1962. He immediately found work as a Goldsmith, and started exploring the local music scene, performing blues and folk songs in the style of Leadbelly, while accompanying himself on 12-string guitar.

During this time he performed for the first time on CKUA Radio, on a show hosted by Bob Rhodes, covering songs by Leadbelly as well as Woody Guthrie (“The Songbook of Woody Guthrie”). Stamer joined his first band in Edmonton in 1964/1965, consisting of Jerry Ford on sax, Al Gerrard on drums, Rich Terry on bass, and Archie Southern on guitar. This band morphed into “The Famous Last Words”, gigging around Edmonton and Prairies until it broke up in 1967.

Following the demise of this band, a new band was formed in 1967 called “The Mighty Preachers” (Rich Terry, Archie Southern, Dennis Ferby, Stu Mitchell, and Gaye Delorme on guitar). The band unfortunately lasted only 6 months. In 1968 Stamer moved to Vancouver, BC, where he formed a band called “Django” with Gaye Delorme (guitar), Wayne Kozak (horns), Tommy Doran (drums), Mike Hanford (hammond organ) and Kenny Passarelli (bass).

In 1971 Stamer left “Django” to form the Hans Staymer Band, with Robbie King, Eddie Patterson, Paul Burton and Wayne Kozak. (He had inserted a “y” in his surname, as it was often mispronounced.) The band recorded a classic album featuring the minor hit “Dig a Hole” in 1972. Another album followed in 1974, this time with Doug Edwards on guitar and Geoff Eyre on drums. The band broke up in 1975.

After a 5-year hiatus Stamer joined the R&B Allstars in 1980, fronting the legendary club band for 15 years, until 1995.

When the Allstars broke up, Stamer formed the Hans Stamer (Blues) band, with Jerry Adolphe, Robbie King, Russell Marsland and Steve Hilliam. The band, with the addition of organist Mike Kalanj, recorded a live album in 1995, which was released in 2011.

Shortly thereafter, in 1997, Stamer and producer/guitarist Andreas Schuld formed the acoustic blues duo “Schuld & Stamer”. Their first album, recorded with Edmonton’s Bill Bourne, received a 1997 Juno nomination for Best Blues album. The duo recorded another album in 1999, this time with legendary British blues legend Long John Baldry and drummer Chris Nordquist.

In 2009 Stamer fulfilled a life-long dream and recorded an album of classic Jazz songs, produced by Schuld. The album, “Everything Happens To Me”, received extensive airplay on CBC and US radio.

In 2012 Schuld & Stamer started recording again, this time combining elements of various musical styles and modern production techniques with the blues. The album, entitled “Kuddelmuddel” was released late in 2014. During his long career, Stamer has performed with countless artists including Ike & Tina Turner, James Brown, Bob Seger, Sonny Terry, the Beach Boys, and John Lee Hooker.

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY:
The Hans Staymer Band – 1st Album (GRS Records, 1972)
The Hans Staymer Band (RCA, 1974)
Schuld & Stamer w/ Bill Bourne – “No Special Rider” (Blue Streak/brouhaha 1997)
Schuld & Stamer w/ Long John Baldry and Chris Nordquist – “You Got The Bread…We Got The Jam!” (Blue Streak/brouhaha 1999)
Hans Stamer – “Everything Happens To Me” (Blue Streak/brouhaha 2009)
The Hans Stamer Band – “Live Blues” (Blue Streak/brouhaha 2011)
Schuld & Stamer – “Kuddelmuddel” (Blue Streak/brouhaha 2014)