A B.C. duo is bringing its special shade of the blues to Turner Valley on Saturday, Oct. 21.
Blue Moon Marquee, consisting of A.W. Cardinal and Jasmine Colette, accompanied by Darcy Phillips on piano, will be playing the Flare n’ Derrick as part of the Beneath the Arch concert series.
“We’ve played in Alberta a lot over the years. It always feels nice to be coming back,” said Colette. “We’re both originally from Alberta; I grew up in the badlands, and Al grew up outside of Rocky (Mountain House).”
Now based on Vancouver Island, the pair has toured the world, bringing its particular sound to multiple continents.
"We’ll definitely be playing a lot off the new record, and we have our fabulous piano player, so we’re going to be a trio,” Colette said, speaking of Phillips, who has accompanied Jann Arden, leading her band for almost 30 years.
One of the fan favourites from the latest album, Scream, Holler & Howl, is Old Alberta, a slower, thoughtful homage to the little community hall gatherings that paint the Prairies.
“When I was growing up, it was very common that a couple times a month, all the families would go to these dances at the old community halls. There would be a live band, and all the other farming families and community's people would come and dance all night to these live bands,” Colette said.
“It was one of my favourite memories growing up; I love those dances and cherish them.”
Some of the duo's tunes, such as Thunderbird or Big Black Mamba, tangle with Indigenous themes drawn from Cardinal’s background.
“Al is Cree and Metis, and while I'm not Indigenous in blood, I grew up with my stepfather was Indigenous and my mom worked on a reserve, so I spent a lot of time in the culture,” Colette said.
Some of the tunes tell a story, especially with the music video for Big Black Mamba referencing a Lakota legend of a big black snake, and a story of greed poisoning the land.
“We both grew up in Alberta, so we’re very familiar with the oil industry, and it’s not like we're for or against it – we're simply storytellers,” Colette said. “It’s more about greed; industry can be there, but it’s about how they go about it.”
Listeners can take or leave the messaging, she added, and enjoy the beauty of the music.
“Even if people don’t quite read into the deepest part of the message, they still just really love the tune,” Colette said.
“That’s what a lot of our songs are: you can lean in and you can go deep or you can just appreciate the tune and the groove.”
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m.
For tickets and information visit beneaththearch.ca/concerts.
