Blue Moon Marquee
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. - Duke Robillard (Roomful of Blues, Fabulous Thunderbirds), Award-winning guitar player and producer
Blue Moon Marquee writes and performs original compositions influenced by anything that swings, jumps or grooves. A.W. Cardinal (vocals/guitar) and Jasmine Colette 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.
Colette not only commands the upright bass but also brings the rhythm with her feet on a custom foot drum kit, all while singing in her signature honey-dipped tone. Cardinal’s distinctive and soulful vocals barrel out like a raging bull while his guitar crackles with the swinging energy of jazz-tinged blues.
The result of 9 years of rigorous touring, crisscrossing Europe and North America, is a distinct energy and 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 where Howlin’ Wolf tangos with Django, Earnest Tubb shoots firecrackers with Cab Calloway, and Memphis Minnie throws dice with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
Their gift is bringing 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.
"Blue Moon Marquee has its own completely original style. Modern Blues doesn't really get any better than this. This is a tremendous sound by a hugely talented duo” says American Roots UK.
With their highly anticipated 5th album Scream, Holler & Howl (SHH), Blue Moon Marquee have captured their most sophisticated collection of songs yet. Co-produced by Duke Robillard and recorded live to tape, SHH blazes forward with a full band featuring some of Canada’s finest veteran players. While they have primarily performed as a duo since 2013, over the last couple of years they have been performing often as a trio or quartet with Darcy Phillips (Jann Arden) on piano and Jerry Cook (Colin James) on tenor and baritone saxophone.
With 2019’s Bare Knuckles and Brawn (BNAB), released on Spanish label FOLC Records, they were nominated as Blues Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and Indigenous Songwriter of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
With a “totally unique approach…such a powerful original mix of swing styles with jazz and blues, west coast swing and New Orleans feel” (Sound Guardian) the record topped both the Earshot National Folk/Roots/Blues Charts simultaneously with the National Jazz charts, a rare feat. Starring standout vocals and catchy hooks that speak to music lovers, BNAB instantly charmed first-time listeners and thrilled long-time fans.
Stylistically, the album is a swaying lantern, highlighting their unique diversity. From the potent Indigenous-storytelling calypso swagger of "Big Black Mamba” to the sultry laid back blue jazz of “Hard Times Hit Parade” to the hard-swinging Spanish-tinged “Smoke Rings for My Rider”.
News about the band was spreading from heavy touring and old-fashioned word-of-mouth. As word spread, so did interest from talent buyers, allowing Blue Moon Marquee opportunities to open for a range of artists like Lisa Fischer and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Appreciated for their lyrical candour, outstanding musicianship and vivacious live performances, Blue Moon Marquee was the most requested band in the country for the Canadian International Jazz Festival Circuit following their 2017 release Gypsy Blues.
This full-length album of original material also garnered the Indigenous Artist of the Year nomination from the Western Canadian Music Awards as well as a Best New Artist nomination at the Maple Blues Awards.
Gypsy Blues was an ode to their deep influences of jazz manouche and vintage blues, infused with verse having a penchant for poet characters and a heavy dose of atmospheric textures, “Blue Moon Marquee harnessed the best of vintage music that’s practically a century old and brought it into modern times. It’s part haunting, part joyous, and sneakily infectious” says Jim Hynes of Elmore Magazine.
Born of the wild rose country in Alberta, Canada, both Cardinal and Colette played in punk, metal and rock and roll bands. Leaving home at a young age, they both spent years traveling on their own, working a variety of jobs and touring with different acts. At one point Colette was hitchhiking throughout North America performing vaudeville with her appalling act of hula hooping, skateboarding and playing trombone simultaneously while Cardinal was living in New York City working as a bike mechanic and performing at open mics every night.
It was in 2012 that they came together in Vancouver, B.C. to record Cardinal's original material for his album Stainless Steel Heart which he had written while living in Montreal. A mutual old friend was engineering the project and they connected deeply on their taste and obsession over music.
The vast repertoire of this band is a reflection of bounteous years on the road, experiencing life through a wide diversity of lenses. The result is their trademark 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 and the rhythm of roll. The way Colette's velvet tones lift Cardinal's mystique is something that enthralls audiences from backroom bars to festival stages.
Unbound by genre or era, Blue Moon Marquee has an edge that demands you take notice. With an authentic mixture of tempo, melody and imagery, they are timeless artists perfect for this time.
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
“As a long-time fan of Blue Moon Marquee, I've had the pleasure of following and appreciating their development over the years. The combination of A.W. and Jazz with Duke Robillard takes their music to another inspired level. 'Scream, Holler & Howl' is a wonderful hybrid of their combined swing, blues, and gypsy jazz influences and unique songwriting often inspired by A.W.'s Metis Cree heritage. It's a joy to hear and to see their on-stage chemistry and natural showmanship. I encourage everyone to get to know them by checking out their website, videos, and original artwork.”
- Holger Petersen, Founder of Stony Plain Records and longtime radio Broadcaster
“Their presentation is spellbinding and their original songs are unforgettable. To me, they represent the real core of the folk-blues tradition. They would not seem out of place if they were on stage beside Lonnie Johnson or the young Memphis Minnie.”
- David Vest, Legendary award-winning American Blues Pianist.
“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
INFO ARTIST WEB SITE ! :
Blue Moon Marquee
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| Con Duke Robillard |
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