January is blues month at the Errington War Memorial Hall and the second concert of the month features Blue Moon Marquee.
The concert is Friday, Jan. 27 at the hall (1390 Errington Rd.) at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $20 at Cranky Dog Music in Parksville, Heaven on Earth in Qualicum Beach and the Errington General Store. Tickets are also $5 at the door for young folk under 12 and children aged five and under get in for free.
For more information, visit www.erringtonhall.bc.ca.
This gypsy blues band originally from Alberta now makes their home in an island shack on the coast of the Salish Sea.
A.W. Cardinal (vocals/ guitar) and Jasmine Colette, also known as Badlands Jass, (vocals/bass/drums) write and perform original compositions influenced by anything that swings, jumps or grooves.
Artists such as Lonnie Johnson, Louis Armstrong, Blind Willie Jonson, Charley Patton, Howlin’ Wolf, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Tom Waits, Memphis Minnie and Django Reinhardt are deeply infused in the soul of their music.
Blue Moon Marquee is primarily a live duo with the energy and sound of a full band.
Colette, the rhythm section, not only commands the upright bass but also brings the swing with her feet on the kick drum, snare and high hat, all while singing harmonies.
Cardinal is of the screaming and hollering blues ilk with distinctive thick and smoky vocals that barrel out like a raging bull. His guitar crackles with the swinging energy of jazz tinged blues. For this show, Cardinal and Colette will be joined onstage by Morgan Onda on tenor sax.
Appreciated for their authenticity, Blue Moon Marquee have been nominated for a Maple Blues Award as Best New Artist of the Year in 2016. The duo were also the most requested band for the 2016 TD International Jazz Festival circuit across Canada, to which they’ll return to in 2017.
Their songs have a heavy dose of atmosphere and texture with a penchant for unforgettable characters and gritty settings.
Most importantly, Blue Moon Marquee make every song their own. After four years of playing together, the group has developed a distinct, personal voice that can be heard in each song. The result is an infectious mix of early blues, jazz, country and popular songs with a contemporary and relevant feel which is highly listenable and great for dancing.
Blue Moon Marquee’s passionate performances and smouldering onstage chemistry is their trademark, and the way Colette’s tones interweave with Cardinal’s honest vocals enthral audiences from back room bars to festival stages to the velvet seated theatres.
To date, Blue Moon Marquee has released three full-length albums of their original compositions: Gyspy Blues (2016), Lonesome Ghosts (2014) and Stainless Steel Heart (2013).
For more information on Blue Moon marquee, visit www.bluemoonmarquee.com.
Opening the concert and setting the mood is Errington musician, John Hamel.
— Submitted by Errington Hall
