The Barking Sharks work out of Toronto, Canada. We play a dynamic mixture of blues, funk and swing featuring vocals, three part sax harmonies and tasty guitar. We are available for public as well as private events. For information on booking the Sharks, go to our Contact Us page.
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Lead Vocals, Tenor Sax
Born and raised in northern New Brunswick, his early vocal influences include Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams and Bob Dylan. Lead vocalist and tenor saxophonist for The Barking Sharks, Kirk likes to incorporate the tradition of the blues and swing feel into the band's material.
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Tenor Sax
Heavily influenced by the jazz of the fifties and sixties, this self-taught musician has spent over a decade playing in blues bands. Originally from Montreal he spent ten years in Vancouver where he played with the likes of Joe Mavety(Marianne Faithful), Terry Edmunds(Minglewood Band), and shared the stage with many others from Colin James to Jeff Healey.
Since moving to Toronto he was a previous winner of the Toronto Blues Society's Best New Band talent award while a member of the Dylan Wickens band.He has been featured on numerous recordings from rockers Sometimes Why and Jeff Jones to blues band Dylan Wickens.
Among his main influences on the tenor sax are Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Johnny Griffin.
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Guitar
Originally from the east coast, Al has been playing in and around the Toronto blues scene for twenty five years and has played with numerous local blues bands including Mark "Bird" Stafford, Kevin Tremblay (Son Seals), and Geoff Arsenault (Downchild Blues Band) just to name a few.
Al is a founding member of the Barking Sharks who have been around since 1986. Playing blues guitar for over thirty years, Al has developed an authentic blues style with a slight edge and great tone. His main influences include Jimmy Vaughan. Albert King, T Bone Walker and Ronnie Earle.
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Bass
Raised in England, heavily influenced by the strong punk and reggae scene as a youth and listening to his sister's Motown, funk and RnB records and his parents' jazz and blues records. Bass was always pumping in the house and seemed the only logical instrument to take up.
He has played in a variety of reggae, funk and soul, rock, alternative, dance and blues bands from London to Vancouver and has been featured on multiple recordings, Tv appearances and international tours.
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Drums
Born and raised in Muskoka, Mike's upbringing was a diverse, musical one indeed. His father, guitarist and vocalist Ed "Buddy" Burke, always had music ranging from 50's and 60's Rock and Country to the great Jazz standards playing on the Hi-Fi. Mike's love of music grew over the years and his musical journey took him in every direction imaginable.
While in University, Mike enrolled in several music courses that expanded his knowledge of the musical repertoire. After having spent the last few years playing with blues bands in the Muskoka area, Mike moved to Toronto and has become the latest member of the Sharks where he feels he has finally found the place he belongs.
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