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Dexterity on display for this dynamic duo

Blue Moon Marquee to play at Lazy Mike's House of Music on March 19
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A.W. Cardinal

Blue Moon Marquee is a little band with a big sound.

The duo, which features A.W. Cardinal on vocals and guitar and Jasmine Colette as the entire rhythm section, will bring their unique playing style to Lazy Mike’s House of Music on March 19.

“I’ve never really seen (our set up) before,” said Colett, who sings while playing the stand-up bass with her hands and drums with her feet. “We have an interesting spin on it.”

The duo’s dexterity gives fullness to their original compositions, which Colette describes as a blend of delta-style blues, swing, elements of early jazz, gypsy jazz and a modern energy. According to a news release from the group, Blue Moon Marquee’s sound is influenced by artists such as Lonnie Johnson, Blind Willie Jonson, Charley Patton, Howlin’ Wolf and Django Riendhart.

“I really liked the style of music they were doing,” said Lazy Mike’s co-owner Mike Mallon, who mentioned that the venue has yet to see a group like Blue Moon Marquee.

“We like to conjure up (the image) of a smoky old bar,” said Colette. “A hole-in-the-wall, murky old jazz club.”

Colette also said that her and Cardinal’s music tends to bring out a sense of nostalgia in a “huge demographic.”

“It has a warm-place in so many people’s hearts,” she said, explaining that somehow the music makes “you feel like you’ve heard something like it before.”

The duo has been perfecting their sound for nearly three years now. Cardinal and Colette, who are both self-taught musicians hailing from Alberta, joined forces in 2012 after he spent several years performing in Montreal and New York City and she toured much of North America with musicians including Bill Bourne. They were originally billed under A.W. Cardinal’s name, but formed their current identity shortly after they starting to write songs together.

Blue Moon Marquee has also been on the road about as long as they’ve been playing together. They’ve completed four provincial tours of BC and Alberta, one of the North and two national tours, sometimes bringing up to six musicians onstage with them.

“We’ve been such gypsies,” said Colette.

And while the duo just moved to Vancouver Island, Colette said they’ll be touring around the Island and elsewhere again before too long. “We just want to play,” she said.

If you’d like to hear their music, or find out where they’ll be playing after Lazy Mike’s, visit bluemoonmarquee.com

Tickets to all house concerts cost $15 and can be purchased at the door or reserved by phone at 250-594-9951. Doors open at 7 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m. There are also $3 eats, drinks and treats available for sale at each show.