For years Blues lovers in the Vancouver area haved tuned in to Stormin' Norman's "Sunday Blues", and now he's all over the world on the internet and every Sunday pm pst on ROCK 101 Vancouver
The show is about Something Old, Something New and Always Something Just A Little Different. News, Reviews & Interviews. Tons of "in studio" jams and lots of support for the local talent. With special attention or effort directed toward new releases and current artists. Stormin' Norman Casler was born and raised in the quaint little village of Fruitvale in the mystical East Kooteney mountains of British Columbia. The picturesque Beaver Valley is quite enchanting and Norman claims "they still know how to grow their own in the Kooteneys man" (nyuk, nyuk, nyuk). Starting out as a drummer and harmonica player who found himself working with many bands over the years, Norman arrived on the Vancouver scene in 1986. It didn't take him long to approach C.J.I.V. FM at the Simon Fraser University campus about doing a blues program. With S.F.U.'s massive 1.5 watts of transmission power (snicker), he started broacasting "Blues Power". (Little did they know what they had done) While secretly trying to commandeer the station, Stormin' worked under the guise of Promotions Representitive and then with the grace, speed and dexterity of an olympic athlete he expropriated the Station Manager's position. Now he was in control of the station, having the authority and ability to manage and direct all the progamming being broadcasted to the poor unsuspecting students attending S.F.U. "Noooorman, Noooooorman, *SLAP*, wake up man, that records been skipping for like fifteen minutes." *Editor's Note (a small excerpt from the recurring dream Norman started having shortly after coming to S.F.U. Hmmmm, might be something in the water. The truth was that Norman never had all that much "control", the station was run by a characteristic group of inexperienced adolescent human beings participating in a shared and common individualistic culture (to much student input, everybody had their own idea about how the station should do things). It almost drove Norman to the brink of in-sanity!!!!! The Music Director at S.F.U. had his own definition of music and what should be broadcast. His choices were usually an undesired, irrelevant, meaningless, unpleasant, persistently disturbing random loud group of sounds masquerading under the affectation of the genus music. All Norman really wanted to do at S.F.U. was create a station that was a litle more accessible to the masses. Good programming doesn't mean broadcasting top 40, but he couldn't convince the majority of the governing society of that. The best thing that happened during Norman's stay at S.F.U. was that he befriended the infamous "Great One". His co-host and most trusted advisor.
This tale begins many moons ago in a time almost forgotten by our ancestors "The Hominidae". On any given Sunday it was the young Norman Casler's regular practice to be in the studio broadcasting his show "Blues Power" at C.J.I.V. This particular Sunday was a little different, as if out of nowhere a stranger incarnated himself in the studio and began revealing a stack of printed material he was maintaining a grip on. Resembling thick stiff paper, they were made of pressed paper pulp and inside each unit was a tough, flexible, shiny curvilinear plastic object. Both sides of the object had a continuous groove on the surface that went from the outer most reaches to the centre. The purpose of the strangers visit was begining to manifest itself to Norman. "Wow!!! where'd you get the killer stack of rare Jazz and Blues records man? Very cooooool, lemme see 'em!!!!!!!" Norman shouted with jubilant delight. The stranger was none other than Steve "The Great One" Oliver who asked Norman "if it would be alright to play some of these rare gems on the show?" Norman replied "Hell this is campus radio man, anything goes, just ask the Music Director" That day Stormin' Norman and "The Great One" ordained a covenant and sealed their agreement with the drinking of the most sacred fermented alcoholic beverage brewed from malt and flavored with hops, along with the ceremonial burning of a preparation made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of a very mysterious plant. The smoke filled the room as they consumed many bottles of the sacred drink and a feeling of euphoria soon overtook them. This Sunday was a significant day in Norman's life, so much so, that he circled the date in his daytimer to remember it and then lost the whole book somewhere. "The Great One" has been Stormin' Norman's co-host ever since and is the resident Bluesologist/Jazzman. Stormin' refers to him as "The Ed MacMahon" of the show. Quite often Steve works out of town and then will fly in on the week-end just to do the show with Norman, NOT!!!!!!!! He really comes back to spend time with his wife and if he can, drops by the radio station to do the show.
In 1990 Norman approached THE FOX about them letting him have a spot to do a blues show. The stack of albums under his arm clinched the deal and the rest is history. In January 2000 Storman made the switch from CFOX to Vancouver's Classic Rock station, ROCK 101 a much better fit for the blues. June 10th was the 10 year anniversary celebration at Vancouverās Yale Hotel·.there was a lineup, literally, around the block at 7:30 Storman is currently also hosting the All Request Saturday Night on Rock 101 as well as filling in various other shifts. Over the years Norman has fulfilled his dreams of meeting and interviewing his mentors and idols, he has even had the opportunity to jam in studio and/or on stage with Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, J.J. Cale, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pinetop Perkins, Blues Traveller, Brother Caine, Colin James, The Cadillac Tramps, David Gogo and so many of the great Vancouver Bands. Don't be surprised if you find Stormin' Norman jammin' and sittin' in at your favourite haunt. Since it's inception "Sunday Blues" has presented more than 1000 live shows in Vancouver and the surrounding area.
Norman is a good man with real heart and soul. 1996 he released a limited edition (1000 copies only) CD featuring recordings from the "Sunday Blues" broadcasts called "Best of Sunday Blues Volume 1". The 19 tracks include Buddy Guy, John Hammond, Colin James, Kenny Neal, and so many more. They are just about sold out. Norman raised $3000.00 for the British Columbia Children's Hospital from the sales of this release. In 1998 Live at Rhinos hit the stores, a live CD recorded during The Sunday Blues live broadcast and featured an allstar lineup of Vancouver areas finest. Nov. 2001 Marks the release of Storman Norman's Sunday Blues "Live at THE YALE" featuring another lineup of Vancouver's finest. Proceeds go to Vancouver's Broadway Youth Resource Center
Check out Sunday Blues or send Norman some e-mail and let him know Johnny V has started talkin' about him. As Norman always sez: "Keep on lovin' The Blues" Hats off to Stormin' Norman Casler a fine hard working Canadian Blues Lover and Supporter.
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