Québec and the blues, a longstanding love affair.
Les Québécois love the blues, and small wonder… it's a music with heart and soul, a music without compromise, the secret ingredient that seems to strike the bullseye in our collective unconscious. Could it be that the blues never shirk the responsibility to speak a message of truth, both private and public?
With this album, following the example of last year's release celebrating jazz in Montréal, we wanted to arrange an encounter between an array of Quebec stars and the blues. There are some artists who surprise us, some who slide into the music like a glove, and those who've given our culture some of its most beautiful recorded blues moments en français.
The hero of this most enjoyable cause is none other than Paul Deslauriers. An infinitely skilled guitarist, a peerless arranger, his mission was to weave the magic from these musical encounters. Without his expertise and enthusiasm, this beautiful musical summation of the local blues spirit would certainly not have been the same. He and his musician friends were able to bring the perfect coloration to every facet of every track they worked on. We've bolstered these new interpretations with tracks from the vaults which simply could not be overlooked. Québec has been part of the blues tradition for ages and ages, and those who devoted themselves so masterfully to the music should be saluted. Consider it done.
André Ménard and Jacques-André Dupont
Nos stars chantent le blues à Montréal :
- Shake Your Money Maker, Yann Perreau (with the Blues Camp Choir)
- Midnight Special, Zachary Richard
- Aline, Patrick Huard
- You Can Have My Husband (Don't Mess with My Man), Nadja
- Who Do You Love?, Jonas (with Frank Marino)
- Bordeaux Beach Blues, Plume Latraverse (bonus track)
- Les Blues d'Elvis, Mario Pelchat (with Paul Deslauriers)
Medley: Heartbreak Hotel, Reconsider Baby, Lawdy Miss Clawdy
- I Just Want To Make Love To You, Catherine Major (with Steve Hill)
- Blue Valentines, Éric Lapointe (with Stéphane Dufour)
- Bad To The Bone, Dan Bigras
- Que-Can Blues, Robert Charlebois (bonus track)
- Dimanche Blues, Offenbach (bonus track)