Blue Moon Marquee on tour: Canada’s swamp-blues bouillabaisse duo

Blue Moon Marquee is a Gypsy Blues band born of the wild rose country. Home is an island shack on the coast of the Salish Sea. A.W. Cardinal (vocals/guitar) and Jasmine Colette a.k.a. 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 tradition, with distinctive thick and smoky vocals that barrel out like a raging bull. His guitar crackles with the swinging energy of jazz tinged blues.

Appreciated for their authenticity, Blue Moon Marquee was nominated for a Maple Blues Award as Best New Artist of 2016. The duo was also the most requested band for the 2016 and 2017 TD International Jazz Festival circuit across Canada. BMM was nominated for Indigenous Artist of the Year (2017), presented by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN). With a heavy dose of atmosphere and texture, the songs have a penchant for poet characters and gritty settings. This connection to the working class draws people to their music, crossing many of the usual genre, age and cultural bounds. Most importantly, they 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, highly listenable and great for dancing. Blue Moon Marquee's passionate performances and smoldering onstage chemistry is their trademark, and the way Colette's tones lift A.W.'s mystique is something that enthralls audiences from back room bars to festival stages to velvet seated theaters.

To date, Blue Moon Marquee has released three full length albums of their original compositions: "Gyspy Blues" (2016), "Lonesome Ghosts" (2014), "Stainless Steel Heart" (2013), and one online E.P. "Last Dollar" (20??). Their album "Gypsy Blues," charted at number 3 on the Earshot National Roots and Blues charts. The group has appeared on many radio stations around the world, including a half hour special/interview on Holger Petersen's Blues Hour for CBC.