Stemming from the badlands of the Rocky Mountain prairies, Blue Moon Marquee is a self-styled Canadian gypsy blues band.
This authentic duo writes and performs original compositions influenced by early blues, folk roots, swing, and ragtime.
A.W. Cardinal, a Metis of Cree heritage, howls with a distinctive thick and smoky vocal while playing a jazz-tinged blues guitar. Jass Colette, aka Badlands Jass (Bill Bourne, Paul Pigat), is the rhythm section who not only commands the upright bass but also keeps the swing with both feet while singing harmonies.
Blue Moon Marquee’s passionate performances and smoldering onstage chemistry is their trademark, and the way Colette’s honey tones lift A.W.’s beaten down “bukowski-esque” mystique is something that enthralls audiences from the back room bar to the public square.
Now West Coast-based, they have been steadily touring for the last four years. They were the most requested Canadian band for the 2016 International Jazz festivals across Canada, playing 15 jazz, blues and folk festivals in total.
They have been on Holger Petersen’s Saturday Night Blues(Canada’s National Blues Program) as his featured artist twice in the last two years, and have received substantial airplay on CBC, which took our 2016 album to #1 on the National Roots and Blues charts.
In Nov 2016 Blue Moon Marquee were nominated for a Maple Blues award for Best New Artist and received requests to return to every jazz festival they performed at for 2017. They were also nominated for Indigenous Artist of The year at The 2017 Western Canadian Music Awards.
Be sure and catch this amazing duo at Studio Live, Cumberland on Saturday, March 31 at 8 p.m., doors open at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets, $20, available at Bop City Records, Courtenay and Rider’s Pizza, Cumberland or online by e-transfer to studiolivestudio@gmail.com. $25 at the door.