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Is That Jazz I Hear?

Many believe that the Carrefour mondial de l’accordéon is solely focused on traditional music. But the event’s programming reflects wide range of musical styles. Several big names in jazz have performed at the festival, including Martin Bellemare and Jean-Claude Laudat.

Martin Bellemare

Martin Bellemare studied accordion at the Cégep de Saint-Laurent and later at the Université de Montréal. His rich and diverse repertoire includes compositions by Richard Galliano and Django Reinhardt. He has also mastered classic French songs and musettes, along with American standards. A member of François Cousineau’s band, he has also recorded film scores with René Lussier and Robert Marcel Lepage. Listening to Martin Bellemare will help you fully appreciate the subtleties of jazz-style piano accordion.

Colour photograph of Martin Bellemare standing and playing piano accordion, as he faces the audience with his eyes closed.

Martin Bellemare at the Carrefour mondial de l’accordéon in 2016

 

Martin Bellemare, Appellation Musette Nouveau- To know more

Jean-Claude Laudat

Jean-Claude Laudat grew up in the Bastille neighbourhood of Paris, where he took classes to learn the basics of the chromatic accordion. He started to play jazz and swing-musette after watching a performance by Jo Privat, Patrick Saussois and Didier Roussin—all masters of the musette style. Jean-Claude Laudat met Jean-Yves Dubanton, his guitar-playing alter ego, in 1994. They began performing as a duo at numerous festivals and other events worldwide. They played in Montmagny on several occasions between 1999 and 2017.

Jean-Claude Laudat and Jean-Yves Dubanton— (captions available in both FR and EN) View the video with a description

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