Born in 1965 in Newport, Vermont into a musical
family with an English mother and a French
Canadian father Mike Goudreau picked up his first
guitar at age 14 and hasn’t stopped playing
since. His early influences included the Beatles,
Chuck Berry, Ricky Skaggs, Johnny Cash, Nat King
Cole, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and later,
when he discovered the Blues - Albert King,
Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Powder Blues and
Downchild - to name a few With such diverse
mentors it helps explain why Mike is so versatile
in so many musical genres – but especially jazz
and blues.
In
the early ‘90’s Mike formed The Boppin’ Blues
Band with a group of fellow musicians from
Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Taking its name (and
some of its style) from Vancouver’s Powder Blues
Band the BBB blew on to the Canadian music scene in
1994 with the release of its first CD, independently
produced & recorded in less than 35 hours,
called “Sold Out”. It remains one my favourites
to this day. 10 songs that run the gamut from solid
bottom end Chicago blues to jazz influenced
‘40’s & ‘50’s swing/jump/shuffle with a
few country and gospel tunes thrown in for good
measure. The CD showcases superb guitar work and
strong, soulful vocals from Mike with a great back
line of drums, bass, piano, horns and harp.
Excellent arrangements and production too -
something else Mike is really good at. Upon hearing
it Andy “Blues Boy” Grigg of Real Blues Magazine
called them “one of the most talented bands in
Canada”. I think that is still true.
6
more excellent CD’s – 3 blues, two jazz and a
Christmas album - followed over the next 10 years:
“I
Dig My Job” in 1996 featured mostly original tunes
including a couple en francais which was unique.
There are very few (any?) bands out there that can
play great blues in both official languages. Real
Blues Magazine continued its love affair with the
band rating it one of the 5 best blues CD’s in
Canada that year and named them as Best Group in
Eastern Canada for 1996 and 97. They were also
nominated as Best New Artist at Canada’s Maple
Blues Awards in 1997. And a California radio station
(KKUP FM) rated I Dig My Job #1 of the Top 25 Blues
CD’s of that Year!
“Happy
Go Lucky” was released in 1999 with 9 of the 13
songs originals. More accolades. Real Blues Magazine
called it one of the 5 best CD’s of the Year and
named the Boppin’ Blues Band Best Swing Band and
Best Unsigned Band in Canada that year. It was also
nominated for a Maple Blues Award as Best Album of
the Year.
The
following year Mike indulged his passion for his
other favourites musical genre – jazz – when he
released “Stardust Memories” (2000) – a
compilation of 14 classics including Route 66, The
Lady is a Tramp, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,
etc. – making these old tunes come alive again
with his unique arrangements, refined guitar work
and soulful singing.
In
2001 Mike receives the Research and Creation Grant
from "Conseil du Québec" and takes a leap
of faith and released “Nous avions rendez-vous”
–12 original blues songs all en francais! Perhaps
disappointed at the lack of recognition outside of
Quebec he decided to focus on the large
French-speaking market in his own province thinking
it would gain him further awareness and gigs. Sales
were not as forecasted however. It seems the Quebec
blues fans preferred their blues in English after
all!
In 2002 he released “Thank You Louis” – a
tribute to one of his favourites, the great Louis
Armstrong. It was very well received in the jazz
community and garnered him many interviews on
Radio-Canada, CBC radio and TV in Quebec. Both of
Mike’s jazz CD’s have sold very well and he is
in high demand at many of Quebec’s top jazz clubs
and festivals.
“My
Favourite Time of the Year” – a Christmas album
followed in 2004 with a nice collection of some of
the old classics plus 3 original songs. Slip this CD
on, sit down with a cup of hot cider and tell me if
it doesn’t bring back fond memories of Christmas
past.
Over
the past decade Mike Goudreau and the Boppin’
Blues Band have performed at some of the most
prestigious Jazz & Blues Festivals in Quebec
including a record number 6 appearances at the
Montreal Jazz Festival, 4 times at the Tremblant
International Festival de Blues, 6 appearances at
Edmunston (NB) Jazz and Blues Festival. Festivals in
Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Granby, Magog, Mansonville,
Joliette, Jonquiere, Trois Rivieres, Drummonville,
Rimouski, Riviere du Loup, Maximum Bleus de Carleton
as well as some of the best in the Maritimes -
Fredericton Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, Saint
John Jazz Festival, Festival by the Sea &
Shediac. Their Shows are always enthusiastically
received.
When
asked why he plays both jazz and blues Mike replied
“I get bored doing just one type of music. I love
jazz for its beautiful melodies, chord structures
and improvisation. I love blues for its energy, soul
and getting the most out of its three chord
structure. I enjoy playing rock ‘n roll once in
awhile too. But no matter what music I play it has
to SWING!” That it does.
Despite
all the accolades and notoriety within Quebec (and
to some extent the Maritimes) Mike Goudreau remains
largely unknown in the rest of Canada. Hopefully the
new CD “The Grass Ain’t Greener” (2006) will
change that. On it Mike has moved away from the big
band with horns style that characterized the Boppin’
Blues Band – thus the name change to The Mike
Goudreau Band – and has stripped down to guitar,
drums, bass, keyboards and some great wailing harp
from Harmonica Zeke. You still get a great mix of
rockin’, swingin’, up tempo, Chicago blues with
a nice remake of Mike’s “Give It To The Lord”
gospel tune included. 8 of the 12 songs are
originals. The mix reminds me a lot of “Sold
Out” – so the wheel has come round 12 years
later!
Let’s
see if some dates in English Canada on the CD Launch
Tour starting in February 2006 will help this multi-talented
artist achieve more of the recognition he deserves
but even if it doesn’t Mike won’t stop. “I
love playing for people who dig and understand what
I do. Achieving more recognition would be a nice
bonus but I’ve already done more than I ever
imagined. I thank God every day for the musical
ability He has given me and for my health, my family
and my friends”.
|
