Biography
Andrea Menard
With a voice that brings chills to the surface of your spine and an exciting talent that brings audiences to tears, Andrea Menard is an extremely versatile, powerhouse performer. She dazzles audiences on screen and stage, alone - on a bare stage, singing a cappella, or accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra.
Her powerful voice is lyrical, raw, and reminiscent of the jazz and blues singers of the 1940's, yet she captures the simplicity of the great folk artists.
The creative spark inside Andrea Menard has caught fire on her third album, a multi-genre original work that celebrates the glittering winter, but also embraces the beauty of summer. Sparkle is a Christmas release, but it encompasses roots and jazz songs for all seasons.
The original songs, written with long-time collaborator and producer Robert Walsh, cover a wide spectrum. Sparkle describes the crisp, clear winters, “full of icicles, stars, snow, tinsel, and crackling fires,” yet it also contains songs for all seasons including Evergreen, which describes Menard’s own talent – fresh and evolving, with roots that run deeply into her Métis heritage.
The talented songstress’ first two award-winning albums, Simple Steps (2005) and The Velvet Devil (2002), both feature original songs, written by Menard and Robert Walsh, long time collaborators. Simple Steps, produced by Walsh, is “a little bit country, and a whole lot of folk”. It won a number of awards for its outstanding performance and production. Menard's debut CD, The Velvet Devil, is the music of her hit one-woman jazz musical play that swept up awards all across the country. She continues to tour her show across Canada in 2009. The Velvet Devil was also made into a made-for-television movie, starring Menard, and was nominated for the top Canadian performance awards.
Both CDs have received much acclaim and interest across the country and internationally. Original music from The Velvet Devil was featured on the television series Queer as Folk as well as the soundtrack CD for Season IV. As a standout vocalist, Andrea is also featured on numerous compilation CD’s including: Real Divas, a national compilation CD featuring Canada’s finest female jazz artists.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Andrea’s reputation as a powerhouse performer has earned her many invitations to perform for royalty, prime ministers, premiers, senators, ambassadors, and governor generals.
In celebration of Saskatchewan's Centennial, Andrea joined an acclaimed cast (including Joni Mitchell, Buffy Saint Marie, Leslie Nielson, Colin James) in the Lieutenant-Governor's Celebration of the Arts, performing for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. Andrea performed with a grand combination of both the Saskatoon and Regina Symphony orchestras for her original jazz song, Sunny Makes Me Sunny. She has also given command performances for His Royal Highness, The Earl of Wessex, at Regina's Globe Theatre and His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, at the Saskatchewan Premier's Community Luncheon.
Andrea toured western Canada with a fundraising concert tour for the Food Banks with country music star Brad Johner, and toured the country with Tom Jackson on the Huron Carole. To follow up her success as part of an all-star cast on the George Canyon Christmas Special, which aired on CBC in December 2007, Andrea will be starring in her own Christmas special, Sparkle, this winter. She will also be touring again during the 2009 holiday season.
Instrumentation
Andrea Menard - Vocals
Robert Walsh – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals,
John Taylor - double bass, electric bass
Discography
Sparkle (LP)
Sparkle - released to radio December 2008
Evergreen
Simple Steps (LP):
My Laughing Fool – # 1 – NCI Radio, MBC Radio
100 Years – "Best Single" - Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, country music stations across Canada, U.S., Europe, Australia and others
The Velvet Devil (LP):
If I Were a Man – jazz stations across Western Canada
Sonny Makes Me Sunny – jazz stations across Western Canada
Links
| http://www.andreamenard.com |