What do you get when you mix southern blues and early jazz with a hint of Django Rinehardt and the influence of eastern European swing jazz? Gypsy blues, of course.
If that was a mouthful, prepare your ears because Blue Moon Marquee promises to be all that and more when the duo rolls into town May 27.
The term gypsy blues has not only come to define the band鈥檚 full-bodied sound, it is also the name of their latest album, which has won it numerous accolades from the music industry.
鈥淕ypsy Blues is where we found our sound,鈥� said Jasmine Colette, who sings while playing standup bass and uses her feet to play percussion.
鈥淥n our previous albums we had violin players, a full drummer, a piano and what not, which really shaped the sound, but then we had so many people comment that they would love to hear an album with just the two of us.鈥�
Taking that advice Colette and her partner A.W. Cardinal have been playing together for the past four years and touring across North America and Europe.
鈥淲e kind of have an interesting thing going on in that I play upright bass and drums at the same time,鈥� said Colette. 鈥淚鈥檓 a busy gal.鈥�
While the band鈥檚 music may be inspired by sounds from afar, its roots trace back to the wild rose foothills of Alberta.
鈥淲e both grew up in Alberta,鈥� said Colette 鈥淭he thing that we both love about country music and folk music are the stories and the descriptive atmosphere in songs.鈥�
Today the band lives on the coast of the Salish Sea in British Columbia.
Following their Jasper show, the duo will take off on a 27-date Western Canadian tour followed by a cross-Canada summer tour, which includes stops at seven jazz festivals with the TD International Jazz Festival Circuit including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
After that Blue Moon Marque will head off to Europe for two months.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very fortunate to be playing music full-time,鈥� Colette said, adding they鈥檝e been playing full-time for the past two and half years.
The band hopes to begin recording some new music after they return in late October or early November.
To catch the duo head over to the Olive Bistro and Lounge on May 27 at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $10 or $15 at the door.
鈥淲e鈥檝e never played Jasper before so it鈥檒l be our first time playing there. I encourage people to come out and hear our sound and our style. I promise it will be unlike anything you鈥檝e ever heard.鈥�
Paul Clarke | [email protected]
