Mike Goudreau & Boppin' Blues BandNous avions rendez-vous2001Productions Bros.BROS-11002

Mike Goudreau & Boppin' Blues Band - Nous avions rendez-vous - 2001 - Productions Bros. - BROS-11002

Written by Warren Dallin

I like this disc a lot. It's got infectious energy, a lively sense of swing, solid, unpretentious playing, strong vocals…

But, I have to admit the fact that every word here is in French is off-putting. Now, before y'all go labeling me a reactionary redneck, let me explain that I have nothing against the French, nor any other language. And as a white, middle-class Canadian, I can hardly accuse anyone of cultural appropriation; I'm about as far removed as one can be from the conditions, both cultural and racial, that gave rise to the music I love.

Yet despite the fact that I've consciously and conscientiously tried to listen and support Canadian blues as best I can for many years, I've heard very little sung in the French language. So call it my own musical prejudice, or ignorance, if you will, but - sorry - it just sounds weird.

Now, the burden of bridging the two solitudes should by no means be laid upon Goudreau and friends' shoulders. They're musicians, for goodness sake, and judging by this release, are very good at what they do. Goudreau co-wrote all the tunes here, and while most lie firmly within 12-bar tradition, every song sounds fresh - no mean feat given the relative limitations of the blue palette and that fact that it's been plumbed for many years now.

He allocates resources, including a killer horn section, wisely, with nary a note out of place. It's clear that his skills as an arranger are top-notch. He keeps things primarily upbeat throughout, with an exuberance that may well be emblematic of the renowned "joie de vivre" of his native province. (Although the melancholy of Blues on blouson, with its accordion straight from the banks of the Seine, is one of the disc's most delightful surprises).

Goudreau's guitar work is perfectly adequate, if not a little on the journeyman side, and everyone else acquits themselves well enough. (Guest turns by Harmonica Zeke on both Tout le monde s'ennuie and Ma meilleure ami are nothing less than jaw-dropping in their intensity). And Goudreau's a fine vocalist. His voice may not plumb the very depths of sorrow and suffering, but he comes across sounding easy-going and friendly; quite simply, it's hard not to like the guy.

In short, almost everything about this outing is enjoyable; no, it doesn't illuminate the darkest corners of the soul, but as "good-time blues," this one's as good as it gets. Whether it'll be to your tastes, I suspect, will depend on either your own comfort with blues sung in the French language, and/or on just how much emphasis you place on lyrical content.

Me, I'm off to look for my old high school French textbooks. I think the rewards will be worth a little bit of work.

Copyright 2003. Review by John Taylor.

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