Lionel Rault

The blues has a history in Edmonton, and Lionel Rault deserves recognition as one of the city's first-generation blues musicians. He was a founding member of Pontiac, which used to play The Hovel about a quarter of a century ago. And Pontiac, as well as Hot Cottage, were arguably responsible for establishing a live blues scene in this town.

But don't get caught up in his historical trappings; Rault has grown with the music. He's still a blues guitarist, but he's also a songwriter, and other influences--such as reggae, country, gospel and folk--can also be heard in his music.

So, while he's played venues across Canada and the U.S., he can still be found laying down an acoustic set one week, and doing a hard rocking blues gig the next.