Thea Neumann

Clinton Pelletier and Thea Neumann perform a song from their "Hot Club Edmonton" CD, which won a 2010 Western Canadian Music Award!!
- City TV Edmonton

HOT CLUB EDMONTON

Their group is officially just over a year old, but guitarist Clinton Pelletier and violinist Daniel Gervais have really been cooking up the vibes embodied in Hot Club Edmonton for most of a decade.

Hot Club is a homage to the Gypsy jazz of the great Quintet of the Hot Club of France, founded by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli in the 1930s, with a little bit of their own western Canadian musical heritage thrown in. So what attracted a couple of guys in their mid-20s to play such old music?

"Gypsy music is very lighthearted, passionate and fiery," Pelletier notes. "When I listen to those great musicians, I hear so much humour, love for life and love of music. Given the swing and the musical feel, I'm not surprised it's becoming more popular again. I'm not a Gypsy but the raw emotion behind the music hit home to me.''

Between Pelletier, Gervais and their guests, the Hot Club Edmonton self-titled debut CD does a terrific job of capturing that spirit. Several of the 13 tracks feature singer Thea Neumann with cameos from Calvin Vollrath, Mike Lent, Jeremiah McDade and others. While much of their material comes from the Gypsy jazz and standard jazz traditions, there are originals from Gervais and Vollrath, even a clever adaptation of Robert Palmer's pop tune Johnny and Mary, and Neumann's vocal on La Vie en Rose is a highlight.

Saskatchewan-raised Pelletier started playing guitar at 11 and soon joined in the Pelletier family band, while St. Paul native Gervais has played violin since age five. They first met back in the late 1990s and got together to play when the guitarist was making a demo CD in 2003. A couple of trips to Europe since then solidified their dedication to and love for Gypsy jazz. The album was recorded last winter. It recently won a Western Canadian Music Award for instrumental album of the year.

Rhythm guitarist Tim Campbell and bassist Keith Rempel will fill out the Hot Club Edmonton at the Yardbird Suite (102nd Street and 86th Ave.) Friday at 9 p.m. Tickets are $14 for members, $18 for guests, in advance from Ticketmaster or at the door.



Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/Banjo+without+boundaries/3910257/story.html#ixzz16sYmWPOu
- The Edmonton Journal

Promoting the SOLD OUT CD Release of "Hot Club Edmonton," Thea and Clint showcase their version of the Jazz Classic, "Misty." - Brad Kelly

Daybreak: June 6, 2010 - Edmonton Jazz Fest Preview with James Clarke, Thea Neumann and Junetta Jamerson
We get you set for the Edmonton International Jazz Festival with music and chats featuring pianist James Clarke, singer Thea Neumann and Gospel singer Junetta Jamerson


http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/daybreakab_20100606_33460.mp3 - CBC Daybreak Alberta; Russel Bowers