with guest appearance by David Vest
After nabbing their first ever Juno win last year for Best Blues Album Cowichan Valley swing blues duo Blue Moon Marquee is over the moon to be nominated in the same category this year for their new album New Orleans Sessions.
Blue Moon Marquee write and perform original compositions influenced by anything that swings, jumps or grooves. A.W. Cardinal (vocals/guitar) and Jasmine Colette (Jasmine Ohlhauser) a.k.a. Badlands Jass (vocals/bass/drums) have played for a vast gamut of crowds at jazz clubs, lindy hop dance halls, folk venues, blues haunts, hospitals, prisons, markets, motorcycle joints, dive bars and prestigious festival stages.
The result of 9 years of rigorous crisscrossing Europe and North America is a distinct energy & style from this acclaimed duo. Carving a path through blues, jazz, jump jive, folk, Country, swing and Indigenous soul with an authentic spirit, their sound does not idle easily in one certain category. It stomps and struts through the wilds, conjuring a blend that pulls the different parts of their musical worlds together, taking the tones of early blues, the expressions of jazz, the heart of country, the spirit of folk, the swagger of soul & the rhythm of roll Their gift is they bring all these elements together without anything sounding out of step. They collect the roots and smoothly braid them with lyrics that often touch on the underbelly of society, woven with elements of Indigenous storytelling and poetic cadence.
Guest Appearance by David Vest
David Vest is a six-time Maple Blues Award winner who has been rockin’ and shoutin’ the blues (and bringing audiences to their feet) since 1957. He’s a boogie-woogie piano legend, a highly original songwriter, and a spellbinding storyteller.
What they’re saying:
“To say A.W. and Jasmine are old souls is an understatement. They are poised for worldwide recognition in a brilliant and unique genre-bending ride through American blues and folk, Gypsy jazz, Native American themes, jump blues, swing and more. These century-old traditions have been redefined and delivered in a new light here. They are astounding in their depth, groove and soul”
•Duke Robillard, Grammy Award-winning guitar player and producer
“They embrace the retro vein celebrated for decades between ragtime blues, shady mambo and vintage swing. With a smoldering live performance and outrageous vocals…welcome to the baroque cabaret, where the Charleston disjoins itself!”
Paris Blues Magazine, France
“The sound of Blue Moon Marquee is delicious and sacrosanct cross-border blues”
Philip Verhaege, Keys and Chords, Belgium
