... This band played for the first time at the Edmonton Folk Festival in 2006 and I can assure you it won’t be their last... Porkbelly Futures would be an excellent addition to any lineup
- Terry Wickham, Producer, Edmonton Folk Festival
Porkbelly Futures is a musical group. Their music is self-described as "north-country born of the blues." They stared out as so many have, as a straightforward bar band, emulating the Chicago sound of the great Paul Butterfield. But as they began to write their own music, country influences began creeping in.
The group is named in honour of Porkbelly Futures, an obscure singer/songwriter who played various musical instruments of his own design and invention. There are no recrdings of the Porkbelly Fututres' namesake, but it's been said that his music made people weep!
Porkbelly Futures takes, writers, rockers, classical musicians and does the only logical thing. It creates a sort of jazzy blues band. The Porkers reunite the singer/song-writing team of Paul Quarrington and Martin Worthy, whose 1980 album produced by John Capek and engineered by Daniel Lanois yielded the #1 hit single "Baby and the Blues".Quarrington is one of Canada’s best-known literary figures, having won awards for his novels, TV scripts, screenplays and songwriting. Completing the exciting new Pork Belly Futures band are three of Canada’s busiest musicians. Stuart Laughton substituted his classical trumpet for guitar/harmonica and ace bassist Chas Elliott continues to do what he does best and keyboard wizard Richard Bell filled out one of Canada’s hottest new bands. Pork Belly Futures’ debut release Way Past Midnight was produced by David Gray, former guitarist with Parachute Club and Paul Butterfield. Assisting artists include award-winning Nashville guitarist Colin Linden (O Brother Where Art Thou / Blackie & The Rodeo Kings,) vocalist extraordinaire Rebecca Campbell and The Canadian Brass.
“Their first CD, Way Past Midnight, is a masterful effort distinguished by some exceptionally colourful and unusual songs and an authoritative dedication to fundamental folk, roots and blues grooves.
-Gregg Quill - The Toronto Star
