Mike Goudreau
Wednesday March 11th 2015 at 8pm

Lancement d’un 17e album,
le 2e dans un genre musical presque inédit
à la 21e édition de Virée Blues Boréale

Launching of a 17th album,
the 2nd in this unusual genre
at the 21st edition of Viree Blues Boreale

The prolific composer/singer/guitarist and producer from the Eastern Townships, Mike Goudreau is coming to present his most recent opus, his 17th album in his 25 year career: « Je reste accroché ». According to many, as one of the very few Bluesmen to master this genre without spoiling it, Mike Goudreau is at it again with a 2nd Blues album in this rather unusual musical genre, the Blues sung in french! His previous album, « Nous avions rendez vous », from 2000 was featured in concerts at Montreal’s Francofolies in 2001 to rave reviews. The French branch of the CBC, Radio-Canada liked it enough to record it `Live`, to broadcast it on it’s nationally-heard program « Silence...on jazz! ». Some of Mike’s Blues compositions sung in french had reach the top of the United States’ Blues charts! As Mike Goudreau made it tradition, now slightly less than a year after publishing his last album «T.G.I.F.», he is first coming to Viree Blues Boreale to launch his all new opus «Je reste accroché».

Born in Newport Vermont in 1965 of an English-speaking mother and of a French-Canadian father and raised in a music-loving family, Mike Goudreau learned his first chords on the guitar at age 14 and never stopped playing since. First influenced by Rock’N’Roll (Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, etc.) to then get inspiration from Country music (Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakham, etc.), and then by jazz (Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, etc.), he finally got hooked on the Blues (Albert, Freddie & B.B, Albert Collins, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dutch Mason, Downchild and the Powder Blues Band). Hailed by his peers as a virtuoso guitarist, the actual instigator of your faithful producer, Alexandre Petit’s deep love of the Blues, Mike’s guitar playing stands out among hundreds and his groove sparkles at length. He never gets into never-ending guitar solos though; he concentrates instead in bringing his guitar part to impact in the center of his carefully tailored arrangements and to complete it all with his bluesman and crooner voice.

17 albums in 25 years, more than 7 musical projects successfully driven together on top of performing at thousands of concerts - among which the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Tremblant in Blues and Viree Blues Boreale – numerous prizes, nominations and rave reviews, and more than 700 original compositions which can be found either on his 17 albums or on many “Jazz and Blues compilations” and on credits listings of programs sold around the world. This is the shortest and most humble version of this Blues mainstay’s track record that we could come up with.

This new opus, « Je reste accroché », is made of 12 all new original songs, mixing contemporary as well as traditional Blues with various shades of Chicago Blues, Swing, Jazz, Rock, R&B, Country and even Reggae! Mike Goudreau is accompanied by highly skilled musicians that are long time friends as well: Maxime St-Pierre (Michel Cusson, Jean-Pierre Ferland, Alain Caron) on trumpet and brass arrangements, brilliant saxophonist Dany Roy (Garou, Bet-E & Steph, Suzie Arioli), Nino Fabi (Garou, J.-C. Lauzon) on keyboards and with, in the rhythmic section, Jean-François Begin on drums and percussion and Jonathan-Guillaume Boudreau on bass. Goudreau composed every song on the album and was helped by Michel Aubin, Lise Gaudreau and Jacques Mege from France who all three contributed to words writing.

Recorded by Jimmy Lord at Studio `Plante Verte` of Ste-Julie and mastered by Steve Corrao at Sage Audio Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, this recording of the highest American productions’ quality is proof once again of Mike Goudreau’s high quality and brings his work to world recognition which supports the choice of many of his works by American TV Networks for, among others: Everybody Hates Chris (CW), Dirty Sexy Money (ABC), Army Wives (Lifetime), Kath & Kim (NBC), George Lopez Show (TBS), Justified (FX), Scoundrels (ABC), Friday Night Lights (ABC), Let’s Make a Deal (CBS), Memphis Beat (TNT), Auction Kings (Discovery), American Pickers (Discovery), Oddities (Discovery), Hung (HBO), Defiance (FX), The Fosters (ABC Family), for the Hollywood movie West End, for the made-for-TV film Bonnie & Clyde, for Bacardi commercials for England, for the French movie Love Is In The Air and more recently for another made-for-TV film, « North Pole » (Bravo/Hallmark).

Mr Mike Goudreau will be launching his all new opus in an almost 3 hour show of Blues sung in French with his impressive 6 piece band. 25 years on stage and always the same energy and power ... Mike Goudreau launches his all new album: «Je reste accroché» on this 21st edition of Viree Blues Boreale, on Wednesday, March 11 2015, around 8h00 p.m. at the famous bar Le Petit Chicago, 50 Promenade du Portage, in the Old-Hull sector. Tickets are on sale right now at: www.vireeblues.ca and will be available at the door for 20$ only. Back for this edition, you can take advantage again of our interesting, practical and pleasant diner and show package to enjoy the delectable grilled dishes of Galo Piri Piri Restaurant (www.galopiripiri.com), just 2 doors from Le Petit Chicago, which will also reserve your assigned places at the show. Reservations can be made at: (819)771-7474. In the meantime, you can find further information on our featured guest at: www.mikegoudreau.com. You should also visit our site which will provide you with links to all our guests’ sites and lots of other interesting information at: www.vireeblues.ca . For inquiries and to arrange interviews, please do contact Alexandre Petit at: info@vireeblues.ca. Also be sure to take part in the facebook event for this show at: www.facebook.com/events/660427594102656/ and be sure to also like us on our facebook page at: www.facebook.com/vireeblues.