Roots Music Report

About the Band

Jay Moonah, the man behind Broke Fuse, has been active on the Canadian music scene for more than 30 years and is a former member of a number of bands including indie-roots-rockers Uncle Seth and retro-folk act The McFlies. Jay is also co-founder of the Scarborough Uke Jam.  While probably best known on the Toronto blues scene as a harmonica specialist, Jay plays a number of different instruments and is also a singer and songwriter.

In 2014, Jay decided he wanted to form a band to play the original blues songs he had been writing as well as classic songs from Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, Lead Belly, Bob Dylan, and many others. After struggling to find people who could commit, he decided to embrace the challenge of being a one-man band using all available limbs playing guitar, harmonica, suitcase kick-drum and tambourine all at once.  As Broke Fuse, he released two EPs The Underground in 2015 & Broke Down + Blue in 2017, which offered Moonah some success, securing opening slots for acclaimed artists such as Suzie Vinnick, Tim Williams, Al Lerman and Greg Godovitz, as well as a showcase at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. 

In 2017 Jay teamed up with legendary guitarist Mike McKenna (Luke & The Apostles, McKenna Mendelson Mainline) to form McKenna Moonah Blues Duo.  Mike and Jay later formed the rockabilly band the Rockin' Redcoats, which also included Cleave Anderson (Battered Wives, Blue Rodeo).

Early in 2020 Jay decided it might be time to add some additional members to Broke Fuse and began rehearsals with other musicians toward that end. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 crisis put the breaks on this plan, so Jay switched gears and decided to engage as many of his musical friends as he could to collaborate remotely. The recording experience was a bit of a bumpy process, but the resulting album "Why Should I Be Blue?" speaks for itself.

Discography

change album image	Why Should I Be Blue? - Details Label: Self-Release Genres: Blues, Folk Styles: Acoustic Blues, Blues, Folk Songs on the Album Track # Song Title Style Genre 1 Blow All the Blues Away - details Acoustic Blues Blues 2 Rack 'Em Up - details Acoustic Blues Blues 3 Night Before - details Acoustic Blues Blues 4 You Know It's True (feat. Sandra Bouza) - details Acoustic Blues Blues 5 Whisky Bottles - details Acoustic Blues Blues 6 Bluffer's Blues - details Acoustic Blues Blues 7 The Runner Duck - details Acoustic Blues Blues 8 Why Should I Be Blue? - details Acoustic Blues Blues
change album image	Broke Down + Blue Label: Self-Release Genres: Blues Styles: Acoustic Blues Songs on the Album Track # Song Title Style Genre 1 Beer Drinker's Blues Acoustic Blues Blues 2 Roads & Rails Acoustic Blues Blues 3 River Rouge (When I Die) Acoustic Blues Blues 4 Broke Down & Blue Acoustic Blues Blues 5 Where You Wanna Go? Acoustic Blues Blues
change album image	The Underground Label: Self-Release Genres: Blues Styles: Acoustic Blues Songs on the Album Track # Song Title Style Genre 1 Subway Blues - details Acoustic Blues Blues 2 Been Up So Long - details Acoustic Blues Blues 3 I Won't Go - details Acoustic Blues Blues 4 Monday Blues - details Acoustic Blues Blues