You don’t judge a book by it’s cover, and you don’t judge a band by its name.  Toronto-based Shuffle Demons may sound like a retro-blues band, but in fact the sounds they have captured on their latest album, Are You Really Real? (Alma/Universal ) don’t easily get categorized.

There’s the jazz-funk of “X Marks The Spot,” swinging “Good Mourning,” and more intricate “Ride the Wave” among a set of tunes heavy in high-energy improvisation. The band presents a unique lineup of instrumentation featuring Richard Underhill (alto and baritone sax), Kelly Jefferson and Matt Lagan (tenor sax), Mike Downes (electric and acoustic bass) and drummer Stich Wynston.  The result is an always interesting listen that will hit both your mind and bottom.

Richard and Stich joined me for our conversation,  as we followed the band’s history from busking on the streets of Toronto forty years ago, to personnel changes which shifted the band’s core sound, to today’s ensemble. Aided by the Canada Council for the Arts, the band has been able to record and release albums that try – and even succeed – to capture the energy of their live shows.

Musical selections include “Good Mourning” and “Scala Rosa.”