Emilie-Claire Barlow has never presented large-scale Christmas shows in Quebec. Good news: the Canadian jazz singer will offer two holiday evenings on December 5, in Montreal, and on December 6, in Quebec.
Emilie-Claire Barlow has the impression of coming full circle with the Christmas concerts she will give in La Belle Province. Notably because the Palais Montcalm and Old Quebec (Place D’Youville, the skaters, the lights, the snow) are among the places that gave him inspiration for his album Winter lights, released in 2017.
“I fell in love with Quebec and the holiday season. It’s really a joy for me to offer concerts there,” explains the 48-year-old singer originally from Toronto and now residing in the Old Capital, in the Limoilou district.
Baptized Winter Lights/Winter Wonderlandthis great concert will give pride of place to the songs from the album Winter Wonderland (celebrating jazz classics from the 40s and 50s) and those on the record leaning towards jazz-pop, Winter Lights (on which we hear Ingrid St-Pierre singing Hey Santa and Mitsou, Have you seen Santa Claus?).
The singer, twice Juno winner, selected six times and with 13 albums in a 24-year career, sees a real gift (to give and to receive) in these two gatherings with her Quebec audience and her long-time musicians , Reg Schwager (guitar), Amanda Tosoff (piano), Jon Maharaj (double bass), Fabio Ragneli (drums) and Kelly Jefferson (saxophones).
Emilie-Claire Barlow confides that she will also be happy with a trio of backing singers and a string quartet who will add “magic and richness” on stage.
“It’s my job to give spectators a special moment where they can be transported and forget their worries. It’s the magic of music,” says the artist, who can’t wait to present his version of River, by Joni Mitchell, which she considers her piece de resistance.
Photo STEVENS LEBLANC
Love letter to Quebec
“My life is full of music at the moment,” says Emilie-Claire Barlow, who, in addition to rehearsing for her Christmas concerts, is continuing the recording of a new opus completely in French with director François Richard.
Among the eleven pieces on the album are covers of songs by Quebec artists she likes, including Diane Tell, Michel Rivard, Louis-Jean Cormier, Damien Robitaille, Daniel Bélanger and Gilles Vigneault.
The singer, who won a Juno and a Félix award in 2013 thanks to her first record in French, Alone tonight, says she was warmly welcomed upon her arrival in Quebec.
“I felt a true friendship and I wanted to write a love letter to Quebec for this new chapter of my life. I love the French language and being in Quebec, and I love covering songs that I love to honor them,” adds the artist, who is aiming for a launch in spring 2025.
– Emilie-Claire Barlow will present her show Winter Lights/Winter Wonderland on December 5, at the Outremont Theater in Montreal, and December 6, at the Palais Montcalm in Quebec.
