At 17, Jake Soberlak of Kamloops, BC, plays the blues like someone three times his age and half a century removed. Inspired by his grandfather’s old records, he sings and plays the guitar, slide guitar, and harmonica. He is also one of the most compelling young blues musicians in Canada.
At the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival recently he did a workshop with Monkey Junk then ended up sitting in with them on the Main Stage and brought the house down. At Nanaimo Blues Festival he was backed by Russell Jackson (B.B. King) on Bass and Phil Wipper (Mark Crissinger) on drums. He killed it and even got an encore in the middle of the day - something you don’t see often at festivals. Now he’s opening for his heroes Garrett Mason and Steve Marriner - two separate shows coming to Salmon Arm.
It started with his grandfather’s collection of old blues albums brought over from England, discovered almost by accident. For Jake, it wasn’t just an introduction to a genre. It was a recognition. “There’s a realness about it that I really enjoy,” he says.
His debut album, recorded at Vancouver's Afterlife Studios, demonstrates his respect for tradition. Producer and drummer Leon Power (City and Colour, Frazey Ford) brought in Darren Parris on bass, Darryl Havers on piano, and engineer John Raham behind the glass. Every track went down live-off-the-floor. Jake’s debut album, I'm In Trouble arrives September 11th, 2026.
If you’re a blues fan, you cannot miss this show!
Website Link: https://jakesoberlak.com
