Guy Bélanger - Harmoniciste
Thank you to the Maple Blues Awards and The Toronto Blues Society for the honour of "Harmonica Player of the Year"...Gratitude!!!
WHAT THEY SAID...In stores and online on all platforms now......
Wind blower Guy Bélanger presents VOYAGES & OTHER STORIES, his 9th album. The disc contains, as always, elements of blues as well as subtle touches of funk and folk. There are also majestic and cinematic instrumental compositions.
VOYAGES &...continues the momentum of previous albums with this skillful assembly of original tracks along with a few judiciously chosen rereadings including I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt and the brilliant Do I Move You by Nina Simone, a piece recorded in collaboration with singer Sylvie Desgroseilliers.
In addition to being surrounded by accomplices Rob MacDonald (guitar), Marc-André Drouin (bass), Alec McElcheran (bass and vocals) and Michel Dufour (drums) Guy has invited his friends Bruce Cameron on keyboards and Claude Fradette ( guitars) not to mention an exceptional collaboration with the great Nanette Workman!
VOYAGES & OTHER STORIES reflects on the search for lost riches and precious moments. It invites you to take a Journey into the unique and magnificent universe of Guy Bélanger.
WOW!! Merci à
Salut Bonjour pour la mention dans l'émission du week-end et à
Annie-Soleil Proteau pour nous inclure dans ses coups de coeur musicaux!!!
Bio
In the beginning, in 1974, Guy Bélanger, armed with his harmonicas in his belt, met Bob Walsh, also from Quebec City, who introduced him to the basics of the blues by sharing the various stages of the Old Capital.
Later, he joined the ranks of the Delta Blues Band with which he played for more than 4 years. It is with this formation that he will have the opportunity to rub shoulders with big names such as Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Big Mama Thornton, James Cotton and Dutch Mason. These different experiences contribute greatly to broaden his musical horizons.
In 1987, he joined bluesman Bob Walsh and his band. They will participate in 15 editions of the Montreal International Jazz Festival together. A succession of collaborations with more than 60 Quebec and French artists will follow, including Céline Dion and Cirque du Soleil.
In 2003, the meeting with guitarist Claude Fradette gave birth to the soundtrack of the film Gaz Bar Blues which won the Jutra prize for best film music and the Lys Blues for best album in 2003. Their collaboration is still alive and they sign the music for the film The Timekeeper (2009) and Vivre à 100 Milles l'heure (2019) by Louis Bélanger as well as the music for the television series Les Boys (SRC) by Louis Saïa between 2009 and 2012 and Séquelles in 2016 He also signed that year as the sole composer of the soundtrack of the film Les Mauvaises Herbes, nominated for the Prix Iris 2017.
The first solo album of compositions and collaborations, the eponymous Guy Bélanger will finally be released in February 2008 and will attract rave reviews from both the public and the press (4 Lys Blues in 2009 for album of the year, male blues artist, songwriter and breakthrough band).
Crossroads was released in September 2010 and also earned many accolades. In 2011, he composed, in collaboration with Benoit Charest, the music for the film Route 132, which was awarded the Jutra prize for the best original music.
The album Dusty Trails was released in October 2012 and the Canadian tour began a few weeks later. The homecoming album titled Blues Turn was released in 2014. It was recorded in Chicago, Toronto and Montreal and received a nomination as Independent Recording of the Year at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January 2015. Guy would also win the award for best harmonica player in Canada that year and tour his show in the country and in France.
In 2016, the ace harmonicist composed the soundtrack for the film Les Mauvaises Herbes by his brother Louis and participated as a special guest in Celine Dion's Quebec tour during the summer. In the fall, he received the 2016 André Gagnon prize from the SPACQ (Professional Society of Authors and Composers of Quebec). Recognized for his sensitivity, generosity and talent, Guy is admired for his ability to preserve sincerity in virtuosity.
Accumulating prizes and distinctions, he launched his 7th career album: Traces & Scars, which was nominated as Instrumental Album of the Year 2017 at ADISQ. This album celebrates Guy's songwriting talent. Created when the artist was celebrating great personal victories but also experiencing deep mourning, it contains ten instrumental pieces that navigate between folk and blues as well as two superb songs, one of which is performed by Luce Dufault. This inspired, luminous recording, dedicated to friend Bob Walsh (1947-2016) presents the best of the gentleman harmonica player and composer, whose pleasure in playing is evident, intact more than 45 years after his debut.
Guy Bélanger released the album Eldorado on October 25, 2019, continuing on this long road paved with musical adventures. He is accompanied by his crack team of musicians composed of Rob MacDonald (guitars), Marc-André Drouin (bass) and Michel Dufour (drums). In addition, distinguished musicians encountered during his travels and tours have joined him including Cellist Eric Longsworth, Franco-German singer-guitarist Mathis Haug and Paul Picard percussionist with Céline Dion are amongst others. Eldorado has received fabulous reviews from the English, American, Australian & Italian media to name a few.
And now, Guy is back with his 9th album Voyages & autres histoires/Voyages & other stories. Another page in his musical Journey!
To be continued....