Ville Émard Blues Band
| Company type | Collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Defunct | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
| Products | Progressive rock music |
Ville Émard Blues Band was a progressive rock ensemble based in Montreal, Canada, playing a key role in shaping francophone rock music within Quebec throughout the early 1970s.[1] Their achievements included a nomination for the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year at the Juno Awards of 1975.[2]
Contrary to what their name might imply, their sound incorporated elements from rock, jazz, and world music rather than focusing predominantly on blues.[1] The group functioned as a collective with a fluctuating lineup ranging from seven to twenty-five musicians per show. Leadership was provided by bassist Bill (Roland) Gagnon, with vocal contributions from Lise Cousineau and Estelle Sainte-Croix. Other key members included pianist Pierre Nadeau; percussionists Denis Farmer, Michel Séguin, and Christian St-Roch; saxophonists Carlyle Miller and Renald Montemeglio; as well as guitarists Rawn Bankley and Robert Stanley.[1] Numerous participants were also affiliated with notable acts such as Harmonium and Contraction or served as session players for artists like Robert Charlebois, Claude Dubois, Franck Dervieux, and Renée Claude.[1][3][4]
History
In 1973, the band independently issued the demo Minute! Ville Emard Blues Band S'en Vient Is Coming, which was followed by two studio albums released under the Funkébec label: Live à Montréal (1974)[5] and Ville Émard (1975).[1] Their touring schedule included a 30-city circuit across Quebec in 1974, as well as performances on the Toronto Islands.[1]
Although the band disbanded after 1975, their Funkébec releases were reissued in 1979 as a double compilation entitled 2 Disques incluant 2 oeuvres inédites. Later in 2004, ProgQuébec released Complete VEBB Au Complet 1973-1975. Reunion concerts featured new vocalist Kathleen Sergerie,[6] and a live recording of their 2007 Montreal appearance was issued by ProgQuébec in 2009 under the title Live au Festival des musiques progressives de Montréal 2007.
Discography
- Minute! Ville Emard Blues Band S'en Vient Is Coming (1973)
- Live à Montréal (1974)
- Ville Émard (1975)
- 2 Disques incluant 2 oeuvres inédites (1979)
- Complete VEBB Au Complet 1973-1975 (2004)
- Live au Festival des musiques progressives de Montréal 2007 (2009)
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcanenc - ↑ "Most Promising Group of the Year: Yearly summary: 1975". JunoAwards.ca. Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedInc.1973 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedLaroseRondeau2016 - ↑ "For the Record". Gary Dean, Brandon Sun, July 17, 1974 , page 25
- ↑ "Kathleen vise un retour sur disque". TVA Nouvelles, March 6, 2017.