Dave Babcock & The Nightkeepers Play the Dark Side of the Blues

Inspired by the classic blues and soul artists topping the R&B charts in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Nightkeepers are known for their decidedly ‘uptown’ jump blues style and high energy shows. Their tight five-piece lineup features Dave Babcock’s soulful voice and sultry saxophone, Alex Herriot’s fiery guitar, the driving keyboards of Rooster Davis, anchored by the rock solid feel of bassist Harry Gregg and drummer Jamie Cooper.

No stranger to Canadian blues audiences, Dave Babcock was inducted into the Edmonton Blues Hall of Fame in 2024 and won the Calgary Blues Music Association ‘Horn Player of the Year’ Award in 2013. He’s appeared on two Juno Award-winning blues albums from Stony Plain Records and appears regularly with Canadian bluesmen Jack de Keyzer, Colin James, Steve Marriner and Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne. A long time member of Maple Blues Award-winning band The Rockin’ Highliners, Alex Herriot plays the guitar with an intensity matched by few. Steeped in the New Orleans piano tradition and an accomplished organ player, Rooster Davis won the Edmonton Blues Society ‘Album of the Year’ award in 2016. Harry Gregg is a first-call bassist, a fine producer and is a co-owner of Edmonton’s Riverdale Recorders. Known for his versatility, chops and superb time, Jamie Cooper is arguably Edmonton’s most musical and in-demand drummer. Harry and Jamie, along with Dave and Rooster, are all members of Edmonton supergroup Secondhand Dreamcar, whose debut album “Answer The Call” was nominated for a 2026 Juno Award for ‘Blues Album of the Year.’

Whether Dave Babcock & The Nightkeepers are playing a nightclub or a festival stage, they always put on a great show, delighting audiences with their signature brand of original and vintage blues. Their debut album Dusk Till Dawn received significant airplay on CKUA Radio, finishing 55th in their Top 100 Albums of The Year. Dusk Till Dawn also garnered airplay on CJSR Radio and was featured nationally on CBC Radio’s “Saturday Night Blues.”