Biography
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Members
- Dawn Tyler Watson
- Paul Deslauriers
Dawn Tyler Watson
"Her fabulous voice and incandescent stage presence make her the Queen of the Blues in Montreal."
Le Journal de Montreal
It has been more than two decades that Singer/Songwriter Dawn Tyler Watson has been earning her place among Canada’s Blues elite. Born in England and raised in Ontario, she adopted Montreal as her home after earning her BFA in Jazz Studies and Theatre from Concordia University. An accomplished and dynamic performer, Watson’s fiery stage presence has earned her national and international recognition.
In 2017 along with her backing band The Ben Racine Band, Dawn took home the coveted 1st place spot out of over 260 acts at the 33rd International Blues Challenge, in Memphis TN. She's also the recipient of three Canadian Maple Blues Awards and nine Quebec Lys Blues Awards. She's earned the Screaming Jay Hawkins Award for Best Live Performance, a Trophées France Blues for female International Artist of the Year, and a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Best Vocalist.
Her artistic style is an eclectic influence of Jazz, Soul, and Gospel that pushes the boundaries of traditional Blues into a whole new dimension.
Playing festivals and concert halls across 4 continents, recording four albums, and appearing on numerous compilations, she has shared the stage with an array of premiere artists, including Oliver Jones, Jeff Healy, Koko Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, and Cyndi Lauper.
Between gigs Watson gives clinics & facilitates workshops in Vocal Expression & Improvisation while honing her chops on Montreal’s vibrant Jazz scene, and working with some of the city’s finest musicians. Her last album JAWBREAKER! was nominated for yet another Maple Blues Award for Recording & Producer of the Year. She has just finished recording her fifth album, again with the incredible talents of the Ben Racine Band backing her. Watson has an authentic, Soul driven sound that moves the soul and stimulates the spirit.
Website: Dawn Tyler Watson
Paul Deslauriers
A virtuoso on both electric and acoustic guitars, Paul Deslauriers (pronounced “day-loree-ay”) is part of Canada’s guitar elite and is considered one of Quebec’s overall best guitarists; but it doesn’t stop there, he’s also a powerful and expressive singer. Winner of the Lys Blues Award for Best Artistic Performance in 2011, Album of the Year in 2008 (En Duo), and Best Musical Performance in 2005, he was also a nominated at the Canadian Maple Blues Awards in 2008 for Acoustic Act of the Year along with Dawn Tyler Watson for their album "En Duo". In 2010 Deslauriers was musical director, producer, and performer on the “Nos Stars Chantent Le Blues à Montréal” CD for L’équipe Spectra and the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Paul's 2006 solo release Ripping Into Red garnered rave reviews in the April 2007 issue of Guitar Player Magazine. Editor in Chief Michael Molenda had this to say about him: "Deslauriers really knows how to grab your ears from note one… He's also a gifted songwriter and vocalist, and his solos, especially the slide lines, are short, but thrilling!"
Since 1997 he has fronted the Paul Deslauriers Band, and proudly showing his rock colors and his true to the blues roots. With over two decades of experience in the music industry (began his career in his early teens!!!), seven albums under his belt, and a list of fans that extends into Europe and the US, this guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer has truly mastered his art!
Paul first gained acclaim in the 1990s as a founding member of Black Cat Bone, deemed by many critics at the time to be “one of Canada’s hottest blues-rock bands.” Over the years has also been called upon to share his guitar and vocal talents on tour with the likes of The Respectables, Amanda Marshall, France D’amour, Garou and Nicola Ciccone, to name only a few. Today he continues to electrify audiences with his live performances and give workshops at Festivals and concerts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Website: Paul DesLauriers
Facebook: Dawn Tyler Watson & Paul Deslauriers
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