VINCENT BEAULNE, Artistic Director
He also leads the Blues Delight Band.
Montreal-born Vincent Beaulne leads the group Blues Delight, and has loved the blues and jazz ever since childhood. A professional musician by age 16, he then went on to accompany numerous artists in Quebec, elsewhere in Canada, the United States and France. A singer, composer, musician and music teacher (he has a Bachelor's degree in music theory and composition from Concordia University, and a Bachelor's degree in music education from UQÀM). His favourite instruments are the acoustic guitar and the dobro with slide, while his sensitive, powerful voice expresses all the intensity of the traditional blues.
bluesdelight.com
YVES ADAM, saxophone
He played with Bob Harrisson, Bob Walsh and Guy Nadon.
A graduate of McGill University's music faculty in jazz performance, with a Bachelor's degree in performance on the clarinet as well, he is an accomplished musician. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in education from the Université du Québec à Montréal and currently teaches at École secondaire Ozias-Leduc in the Commission scolaire des Patriotes. At the same time, he is pursuing his career as an independent musician in the Montreal area, and has performed in a show of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal with Gregory Charles. In addition, he is a member of the Nelligan saxophone quartet, the Montréal Jazz Big Band, the Luc Hamel Band and the group Bathyscaphe.
SERGE ARSENAULT, trombone
Accomplished trombonist, he has played with many artists.
Serge Arsenault completed a Master's degree in trombone performance at the Université de Montréal. He is now teaching at cégep Lionel-Groulx and working with a number of different artists on the music scene. We have seen him alongside Jean Leloup, Bob Walsh, Gregory Charles, Stefie Shock, Claudette Dion, Vic Vogel and many others. He performed at the Bell Centre with Les Respectables, and in Elvis Story mega-production. He has also been a musical contributor on numerous albums, including those of Corneille, Jean Leloup, Bob Walsh, Kim Richardson, Gage, Mes Aïeux, Richard Petit, Garou, Stefie Shock, to name but a few.
ALAIN BERTRAND, guitar
Talented guitarist who did his university studies in the streets!
A genuine auto-didact! The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal opened its doors to him right from the beginning. Whether for a show series with Don Alias or a three-year tour with La La La Human Steps, Alain Bertrand has demonstrated enormous versatility. The world of recording studios holds no secrets from him. As for shows, we've seen and heard him alongside the big names on the Quebec music scene, such as Isabelle Boulay, Paul Piché, Richard Séguin and Gregory Charles. He is currently accompanying Ginette Reno. Alain Bertrand is also a songwriter-composer.
DANIEL BONIN, bass guitar
Talented bass player who has performed with numerous big-name artists.
A bass player who graduated from the Université de Montréal in jazz and pop performance, he also holds a music education diploma from UQÀM. Since 1982, Daniel Bonin has been the bass accompanist for many artists, including Robert Charlebois, Jean Lapointe, Patsy Gallant, Édith Butler, Nicole Martin, Pierre Verville and Kashtin, Marie-France (Souveraine) and Claude McKenzie (Innu Town), with whom he has recorded discs. He has also participated in a number of TV shows such as Beau et Chaud and L'Auberge du chien noir. He is currently teaching music in elementary schools and working as an active freelance musician.
SAMUEL HARRISSON, drums
Enthusiastic drummer for Corneille, Cage and several other popular performers.
After studying music at high school and college, Sam Harrisson made a name for himself as a Blues drummer with the Bob Harrisson Blues Band. He then accompanied the Steve Hill Band for nearly five years, recording two discs with them and making endless trips across the province. After this enriching experience, Sam made the acquaintance of singer Dawn Tyler Watson, going on to join her Blues Project, with whom he produces discs and performs in concert. As a freelancer, Sam has had the good fortune and pleasure to accompany numerous artists such as Paul Deslauriers and Ricky Paquette, with whom he recently recorded a disc. For the past three years, he has been working on a regular basis with Corneille, both in the studio and on stage.
JEAN-PIERRE LAMBERT, piano
Great Bluesman who brought his passion right to the Festival de Jazz de Montreux.
Jean-Pierre Lambert has a Master's degree in piano jazz and arrangements from Université Laval, and a Bachelor's degree in education from UQÀM. He leads a number of music groups at both the school and professional levels. He is also the musical director of the Pappy Hour Big Band of Saint-Hubert, and of Sortie 210, a senior stage band hailing from Victoriaville that we saw at the Festival international de jazz de Montréal, and at the jazz festivals of Montreux, Vienna and Fribourg. In addition, he works as the pianist and arranger for several artists, including Jean Lapointe, Pierre Verville and Jean-Guy Moreau, while collaborating as composer and orchestra conductor on a number of radio, television and stage productions.
DOMINIC LÉVEILLÉ, trompret
Trumpeter Dominic Léveillé came to Montreal from his hometown of Joliette in 1997 to study at Cégep de Saint-Laurent. From 1998 to 2001, he attended Vanier College, with teacher-trumpeters Jocelyn Couture and Joe Sullivan. He went on to complete a bachelor's degree in jazz performance at McGill University in 2006 under the watchful eye of Ron Di Lauro and Bill Mahar. Working mainly as a freelance musician, he has accompanied the likes of Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra Jr., Vic Vogel, Colin James, Claude Dubois, Gregory Charles, la Bottine Souriante, Elvis Story, Vénus3, Pink Martini, Chris Botti, Éric Lapointe, Ima, Nadja, Bob Walsh, DJ Champion, Nikki Yanofsky, Tricot machine, Daniel Boucher, among others. He has also participated in the last 13 editions of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, and appeared on the programs Gala des prix Gémaux, En direct de l'univers, Le grand blond..., Palmarès, En route vers l`ADISQ, L`enfer, c`est nous autres, Chabada, L'Écuyer, as well as in numerous telethons.
CHRISTIAN MALETTE, guitar
Guitarist, composer and arranger.
Christian Malette studied at the cégep de Saint-Laurent and the Université de Montréal, in jazz and big band-type orchestral arrangements. He has also been the guitar accompanist for Bluesman Bob Walsh for the past ten years. His career has taken him as a participant to many festivals across Quebec and in France. In addition, he has been accompanying rock singer Marjo for the past year in concert halls across the province. Christian also has his own big band orchestra of 20 musicians. He performed at the Festiblues de Montréal, where he gave a tribute show in honour of B.B.King, which he will be repeating again this summer. Passionate about his art, he loves to share it with young people and the not-so-young!