Saturday, July 10, 2010

Montreal Jazzfest @ Night 7/2/10

After the Jack DeJohnette show, I hung out to check out the free outdoor shows. It was a nice night and I love how it's set up. Every band has a 1 hour set. Often, there is more than 1 opportunity to see a band.

I enjoyed a bit of Sally Folk & le Shoop Shoop Band. It is a very good cover band. They picked good songs from lots of different genres. I only remember they did a Johnny Cash song. It was also a good band. You know me, it's rarely about the singing. From what I gather in my web search, it was special for the Shoop Shoop Band to accompany Sally.

The fest listing:
Sally Folk is a sexy, free-spirited and wild-hearted Montreal singer-songwriter and performer who revels in a glam-cabaret style inspired by the music of the '60s. Just this past January, she released her very first album, Sally and me, but she's already preparing her 2nd-the critical and audience reception that greeted her debut have only fired her ambitions to further pursue her musical adventure... For this Festival concert, she'll be accompanied by the 11-member Shoop Shoop Band.

http://www.shoopshoopband.com/en/
It is the Shoop Shoop Band, conducted by pianist Daphnée Boisvert, that will accompany Sally Folk on stage. Founded in 2009, le Shoop Shoop Band brings together seasoned musicians, possessing classical and pop music backgrounds.

Enhanced by an exceptional brass section, the Shoop Shoop Band’s versatility and ability is such that it fits many styles, including a special touch and soft spot for Sally Folk’s music.
Daphnée Boisvert Keyboard, Conductor
Sébastien Jalbert Guitar
Miles Dupire-Gagnon Drummer
Alexandre Côté-Fournier Bass
Mario Allard Saxophonist
Dominic Léveillé Trompeter
Matthieu Van Vliet Trombonist
Gaël Huard Cellist
Stéphanie Laliberté Chorister
Gabrielle Fournier Chorister
Mylène Robitaille Chorister

I was taken with Caravan Palace. It was also a bit much for me, so I couldn't stay for the whole thing. I can only think "jazz meets techno" while watching them. It's a little insane. I see they are from Paris. They were actually here in NYC last night at LPR. I wanted to go. I was very curious to see them in a club setting, even though they looked pretty comfortable on that big stage with all of those people in the audience. I didn't get a long enough nap and I didn't want to risk being too tired for work, so I bailed before even leaving.

The musicianship was great. I'm still thinking about them, so I do want to give it a chance again, if I ever get the chance. Also, I have a theory that only great bands come here from France. It's a huge effort to get over here.

http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/1170

The Paris-based Caravan Palace is an improbable but seamless fusion--at once futuristic AND reverent of a dance style of the '20's, '30's and '40's.

With a look inspired by Parisian proto-punks of the 1940s), they combine Django-style gypsy jazz with DIY electro, house, dub and hip-hop. Their music echoes such disparate luminaries as Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, Daft Punk, Vitalic and Justice. The band's live shows draw both club kids and veterans of the manouche jazz scene.

The group's genesis lies in an order placed by a film production company in 2005: to compose a soundtrack for a silent porn feature. Arnaud Vial (guitar), Hugues Payen (violin) and Charles Delaporte (double bass) banded together for the score and found the collaboration so fruitful that they put aside their other projects to build a repertoire.

Since then, Caravan Palace has released a series of free MP3s that have been hits on dance music blogs -- and toured extensively. In 2008, they sold out five shows at Paris's 2500-capacity Café de la Danse, Paris in 2008. In 2009, they sold out two shows at the prestigious Cigales and one at the Olympia -- two months in advance. Over the last two years, the outfit has achieved tremendous commercial success in France: their self-titled debut album on Wagram (a French independent label) has sold over 120,000 units and reached #11 on the top albums chart. It was nominated for a Victoires de la Musique (French equivalent of a Grammy) in 2009.

In early 2010, an incendiary industry showcase in New York City has culminated in a US release and major market debut tour.

As the band's music and inspiration has evolved Caravan Palace has grown to be a six-piece: Vial, Payen and Delaporte are joined by Sonia Fernandez Velasco (vocals and clarinet), Camille Chapelière (clarinet) and Antoine Toustou (trombone and synth beats). And then there's the petulant vocalist Colotis Zoé, the saucy voice of the group's single, "Jolie Coquine."

Wrasse Records will release the group's eponymous debut on July 6, 2010 in the US.

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I saw some other bands briefly, but none held me long enough to talk about. It was a very good day.

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