The Max Bent Band

Photo: Tarah Walsh

If you are interested in working with Kent MacMillan as a producer/writer for a project or ordering the critically acclaimed Max Bent CD's "The Weight Of The World" or "The Blues You Have" you can e-mail us at maxbent2003@yahoo.ca. Both CD's are also available at: "The Beat Goes On" in Guelph ON, "Sangreal" in Elora ON, "Woodshed Music" in Guelph ON, "The Echo" in Manitouwadge ON or at any of the band's live shows. If you are interested in seeing Max Bent live, please visit the show listings section of this website for details.

Photo: Talking Blues 

'Year of the Bent'

Welcome to the home of The Max Bent Band! Here you can learn more about one of Canada’s finest roots and blues bands. Chinese calendars will call 2007 "The Year Of The Pig" but in Canadian entertainment circles it could very well be called the 'Year Of The Bent'.

(Counter-clockwise from the left: Peter, Cliff, Lorne, Kevin, Kent, Brian, Scotty, Mike, and Arthur)

     With all three shows featuring the full 8 piece band,  The Max Bent Band received glowing reviews after releasing its sophomore CD “The Weight Of The World”. With festival shows lined up across Ontario the new material is sure to get a good work out. In addition to promoting the new CD the band is hard at work perfecting one of the most energetic, all-blues shows in the country with a new focus on Paul Butterfield's blues styles of the 60’s. The new CD is a bit of a departure from the hard edged blues of the debut CD. The most noticeable difference is the inclusion of all original material. The bands principal songwriter, Kent MacMillan, has long been well known in Ontario songwriting circles as a prolific and dedicated creator. The stirring and moody ambience surrounding the 11 songs on The Weight Of The World is a collaborative effort of the 6 band members and their background vocalists to maintain minimalism within the CD. As with the live show, the CD abounds in the tasteful guitar stylings of Kent MacMillan, Scott Fitzpatrick and Cliff Simon. Songs such as "Addicted To Pain", "Downtown Silhouette", "Union Station Blues" and "What She Does To Me" will appeal to those bluesy slide guitar fans. Mr. Lorne Ryder provides not only piano and organ on the CD but also some very emotional harmonica on songs such as “No Reason to Believe”. Lorne also contributes to the CD by singing his own original composition “Downtown Silhouette”. The year 2007 is also making many side projects a reality for The Max Bent Band.

     Both Kent MacMillan and bassist Peter Turpin are involved in the producing and engineering of a new Mo’ Kauffey CD due for release this summer. The Lorne Ryder Band is gearing up to put together some Toronto showcases featuring Max Bent alumni Kent MacMillan, Lorne Ryder, handsome Mike Barcomb and Cliff Simon.

     You can also catch Kent MacMillan and Scott Fitzpatrick during The Phonograph Alley Sessions at the Songwriter's Cafe. Watch as the killer duo performs the hard core, urban and rural sounds of Steve Earle, Ryan Adams, Robert Johnson and others.

- Picture courtesy of