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"Recordings this good don’t seem to come along often enough. New Brunswick’s
own Glamourpuss are preaching simple blues gospel through this fast-take gig at the Upper Cape United Church in
NB. A wonderful blend of blues, rock and accordion-thumping zydeco, the emotional connection to their music is
obvious. The magnificent seven that make up this seasoned group include a mix of vocals from Ron Dupuis - who is
also on drums - plus Travis Furlong and Larry Maillet. Special guest Michael Jerome Browne gets blending in with
harmonies.
"I was so impressed with both the simplicity of the lyrics and the high-quality sound recording. It is like
I have heard these songs before on an old crackly blues recording but now they are recovered and brought to modern
light. Ironically, the only cover on the whole thing is ‘Georgia’ at the very end, and it is a must listen. Ray Charles himself would not turn this
sound down, no way!
"Favourites, well, I had many to choose from these blues experts. ‘Leaving
on Sunday Morning’ eases me into quicker-paced tunes like ‘Addiction’ and ‘Drivin’
the 401’. Who doesn’t need to call upon a higher force when driving
the racetrack we call the 'collectors lane'.
"Not surprising is how many Atlantic-Canadian music awards these fellas have to their credit. I wish them
many more but mostly, want all of Canada to hear such sweet blues tunes. There is nothing like the real boppin’
thing and they are surely it!"
-Sue Andreychuk
701.com
May 2006
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"A melting pot of chugging chords, loose keyboard melodies, burning guitar
solos, bits of mouth organ and smooth vocals. It's "a mess of blues" to quote the King himself.
"There aren't many barn burning blues rockers here, but the guys in Moncton's Glamourpuss know how to lay
down a mean blues tune full of attitude perfect for any setting. "Ain't
No News", "Can't
Win For Losin'", "As
Blue As It Gets", and "Street
Walker" are all classic numbers that get better with every listen,
which is exactly what blues should do. It hasn't gotten old yet, and chances are it never will.
"According to the liner notes, Glamourpuss's fifth album was recorded live off the floor in the Upper Cape
United Church, built in 1891. Their hope was that recording this way would give the recording an organic, lush
sound. It worked. Chances are, what you listen to here is exactly what you'll get when you catch these cats live."
-Eric Lewis
Moncton Times & Transcript
April 12. 2006
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"Moncton, N.B.'s favourite sons, reputed to be the best saloon band in
Atlantic Canada, serve up on their fifth recording - and their second for Toronto-based Northern Blues - a heaping
helping of big fat roadhouse blues-rock, tinged with raucous Cajun inflections and soulful R&B ballads. Lead
track, pianist/organist Roger Cormier's "Leaving On Sunday," is a surprisingly tender and lonesome thing, almost liturgical in construction,
and the title track, a loping, minor-key blues, sounds like a relic from a New Orleans wake, thanks to the imagination
of producer and special guest Michael Jerome Browne."
-GQ
Toronto Star
April, 2006
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"Glamourpuss is a New Brunswick band whose one-sheet bio describes them
as "Canada's High Energy Blues/Rock/Zydeco Band." And that's all true, they are certainly high energy,
and they absolutely include a variety of styles in their repertoire, but Glamourpuss goes beyond categorization.
There are five members, each of whom adds to the band his own unique offering. Ron Dupuis is the drummer, a solid
timekeeper, who also sings. Travis Furlong plays guitar and sings. Roger Cormier is another singer, who also plays
piano, Hammond B3 and accordian, for those Zydeco touches. Larry Mallet is a guitarist, harmonicist, and singer.
And Paul Boudreau plays bass and provides the bottom end which is the foundation. Michael Jerome Browne (a bluesman
in his own right) produced, and adds a bit of harp. Listening to this album is like taking a workshop in blues
styles, but still it manages to sound like Glamourpuss from start to finish. From the straight-ahead Zydeco of
"Tu Peux Cogner"
to the ZZ Top blues of "Walk Away,"
they cover it all. There are three songwriters, and from the sound of it they each sing their own tunes. "Drivin' the 401" celebrates one of
Canada's highways, and sounds like just the stuff you'd be listening to on a hot summer night, with the window
rolled down, and Glamourpuss cranked up on the stereo.
"Bluesman's Prayer
is recommended!"
-David Kidney
Green Man Review
February, 2006
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"The Veteran Moncton blues band Glamourpuss returns with its fifth disc
in 10 years. It’s called Bluesman’s Prayer
(NorthernBlues), and that fits the religious themes that you’ll find on the disc. It’s not so much about religion,
since there’s no preaching here. Instead, the whole disc was recorded inside a church - the historic Upper Cape
United Church on the Northumberland Strait. It was built in 1891, made out of wood from the area, and the band
decided to record there to catch the natural acoustics of the building. Cymbals ring, piano notes reverberate,
the harmonica echoes. There’s a real clarity to the instruments on this disc, a warmth that’s undeniable.
"Keyboard player Roger Cormier spent a night at the church and while he was there, he wrote a new song, "Leaving on a Sunday". By the next
day, it had been recorded and became the first track on the disc. Other songs also have a spiritual streak. They’re
about rough times in life. Personal trouble songs such as "Addiction" and "Street Walker" carry the underlying message that there’s strength out there that can help,
if you tap into it. As usual for the band, this is a strong ensemble disc, with songwriting, vocals, solos, everything
handled around in equal measure. The album was recorded pretty much live, cooking just like they do on stage. There
isn’t a tigher group in the Maritimes."
-Bob Mersereau
The New Burnswick Reader
February 4, 2006
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"When we reviewed this band’s CD Wire
& Wood three years ago, we predicted an award in the near future.
That prediction held true. Glamourpuss received several nominations and awards from the East Coast Music Awards,
the Toronto Blues Society and the 10th annual Real Blues Awards. The little band from New Brunswick turned a lot
of heads and Bluesman’s Prayer will gather more fans.
"This is the band’s fifth album and the second with NorthernBlues. As usual, all songs are penned by band
members Roger Cormier, Travis Furlong and Larry Maillet with the exception of Hoagy Carmichael’s Georgia On My Mind.
"Larry Maillet’s song Street Walker
is a particular favorite telling the tale of a Chicago lady of the evening. The tune features a fine solo. Glamourpuss
is in the habit of announcing their Acadian heritage. The last album offered Maman
Connait Pas Le Zydeco and the new release heralds Tu Peux Cogner, (You Can Knock But You
Can’t Come In) a traditional Acadian piece. Naturally, the accordion is prominently featured.
"Roger Cormier’s As Blue As It Gets
is blues in the classic style featuring the album’s producer, Michael Jerome Browne, on piano. The CD’s title tune
Bluesman’s Prayer strikes
a happy medium between blues and country music. Guitarist Travis Furlong penned the tune.
"Glamourpuss continues to please a wide audience with their new project. It’s good blues!"
-Richard Bourcier
JazzReview.com
February, 2006
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"Bluesman's Prayer is the fifth album from award-winning New Brunswick blues band Glamour Puss. Their
follow-up to 2003's Wire and Wood
finds the band in top form, providing a great blend of blues, rock and swing. The album was recorded in an old
rural New Brunswick church, and some of the setting seeped into the sound, subtly infusing the tracks with a sense
of serenity.
"Nothing about the album feels rushed or unfinished, which is all the more remarkable when you consider that
what you're hearing is the first or second take of songs written as recently as the night before the recording
was made.
"It might not be possible to precisely define Glamour Puss's sound but it's a sound that works for them -
a sound that really comes alive in front of an audience and invites you to sing along. Songs range from silly to
serene, from the fun "Drivin' The 401"
- a light one, in the classic blues-rock style - to the slower, atmospheric title track, which does something quite
unusual for a blues song by allowing the drum work to really stand out. However, as with the rest of the album,
all of the instruments work very well together, without a single element overwhelming the others.
"Other standout tracks include "Can't
Win For Losin'", a faster song (it's one to dance to!), with
some retro-organ fun and cheery fatalism; "Leaving On Sunday", a song about leaving home and finding your way back to where you belong, notable
for its relaxed, wistful guitar work; and the "bonus track", a sweet and soulful cover of "Georgia On My Mind" that lets the
beauty of the tune speak for itself, and adds a wonderful note of grace to a wholly pleasant album."
-Charlotte Stevens
Excalibur, York University
January 25, 2006
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"Moncton-based Glamourpuss breaks in a new member on their fifth CD.
Larry Maillet plays guitar & harp, adds a potent new singing voice plus he's a very good songwriter. They also
found a rural church with perfect acoustics for the recording. Michael Jerome Browne is back to supervise that
process and add some harp and harmony vocals. More of the songs are of the serious kind on this album with fewer
of the party songs they're so known for, although the rocking "Drivin'
the 401" should draw a hearty roar of recognition almost anywhere.
"Bluesman's Prayer"
though is more interesting. It's a country blues by Travis Furlong in the tradition of Fred McDowell, himself no
purist at mixing blues and spirituals. Larry Maillet brought along "Addiction", a country-ish ballad and plea for understanding. "Ain't
No News (I Got the Blues)" gets back to basics and "Tu Peux Cogner" keeps the Acadian
connection happening. Maillet can write the grinders too with "Can't
Win for Losin'" looking to be in the playlist for a while. A
poignant version of "Georgia On My Mind"
is included as a bonus track, bringing back fond memories of The Band. You should check out their web site at www.glamourpuss.ca."
-John Valenteyn
Maple Blues
February, 2006
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"I was thrilled to be asked to produce this album by Glamour Puss. They
were already among my favourite bands in the country, and I tried to capture their live, raw energy during the
recording sessions. Their thoughtful and passionate songwriting on Bluesman’s
Prayer brings a new dimension to the contemporary blues."
-Michael Jerome Browne
Musician/recording artist/producer
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