Pat Carey

Patrick Leonard Carey (born 1960) is a Canadian baritone and tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, vocalist and is best known for his longstanding association with the Downchild Blues Band.

Pat Carey, originally from The Pas, Manitoba, was born into a musical family.

At the age of six he began his early musical learning studying the piano, which lead him to start learning the saxophone by age thirteen.

He earned a degree in music, with a Major in Performance from the University of Manitobafrom 1977 to 1982.

Carey during those years went on to perform with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra sharing the stage with many of the visiting jazz greats.

In 1979, Carey partnered with Tom Jestadt, noted Canadian drummer and formed the Pat Carey and Tom Jestadt Jazz Quartet.

Carey then joined Rocki Rolletti, the group went on to win the TransCanada Rock Contest in 1982 which secured them a recording session with producer Bob Ezrin.

Working for many years as a studio musician, Carey made several recordings for CBC TV, CBC RADIO, CKY TV and CKND TV.

While still a member of the Rocki Rolletti, he opened for the Reunion of The Guess Who.

Carey found himself being featured on numerous jingles, radio and TV shows for CBC, CTV and Global Television.

In 1984 Carey moved to Toronto, Ontario where he has continued as a working musician and music educator.

In 1984 he performed with George Olliver and the Gang Buster, Tony Flaim and with Hock Walsh of Downchild.

From 1984 - 1989, he was the Entertainment Director for Madame’s Restaurant in Toronto.

In 1985 Carey joined the Downchild Blues Band and has continued to play and record with the band since that time, in addition to contributing to the work of other musicians.

While with Downchild, Carey remained a member of the Labatt Double Blues Band from 1986 until 1989.

Then with the elite of what Carey considered to be the prime pick of musical talent, he fulfilled his dream of sharing his musical skills in the forming and leading of his own band, the Jazz Navigators.

Carey is a multiple Maple Blues Award winner, as horn player of the year and a multiple Juno Award winner.

His distinguished musical career was so honoured by the Juno Awards as early as 1992 and with the Maple Blues Award beginning in 1999.

Carey has remained a member of The Maple Blues Revue, which was formed by both Carey and Gary Kendall.

This eleven member group of Canadian blues musicians whom are all multiple Maple Blues Award winners or nominees, perform at the annual Maple Blues Awards Ceremony in Toronto, Ontario as the Maple Blues Band and have released one recording, Live at Twisted Pines.

Carey and the Jazz Navigators recorded their first CD Starlight in 2002, in 2007 followed the release of their second CD South By Southeast and in 2008 they released Jumpin in Jersey.

In addition to his recordings, Carey has performed with Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Buddy Guy, Sam Moore, Little Anthony, The Drifters, Tommy Roe, Ron Hynes, Powder Blues Band, Dan Aykroyd, Junior Watson, Steamboat Willie, Lesley Gore, Colin James, Lionel Hampton just to name a few, as well as in Israel and Cypress for the Canadian Armed Forces and toured in Europe, North America and Scandinavia.

Carey has recorded with Downchild, Gary Kendall Band, Maple Blues Revue, Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne, Rita Chiarelli, Raoul and The Big Time, Heidi Lange, Ray Edge, Fathead, New Millennium Orchestra, amongst others.

When not performing with Downchild, Carey continues to perform with local bands, the Hogtown All Stars, Lou Pinto, Maple Blues Revue, Raoul and the Big Time, Sophia Perlman and the Vipers, Chuck Jackson's Allstars and Bradley and the Bouncers.

A diverse group of Canadian musicians and business people formed the Iridescent Music Company, in 2002, which Carey became the President and Director of Music Production and Promotion Jazz and Blues.

Sharing his musical skills, with this new company his next project is an all-original Jazz CD featuring many of the greatest Canadian Jazz musicians.

Q107 Toronto Music Awards

Jazz Report Award

Juno Award

Maple Blues Award

Over the years, Carey has been an integral part of many Canadian recordings, he co-produced three of Downchild's CD's, with Come On In being nominated in 2004 for a Juno Award.

In 2012, Carey was involved in a live concert documentary that was produced outlining the 40-year career of the Downchild Blues Band.

Through their musical legacy Downchild, had a huge impact on Canadian and American culture, influencing a new generation of young musicians including Colin James, Jeff Healey and many more to continue the blues tradition in Canada.

Downchild was the inspiration for actor Dan Aykroyd’s Blues Brothers phenomenon.