Myriam Gendron - Lazzaro

"The Montreal-based artist has sharpened her set of timeworn tools: voice and guitar strings, as fleet and restless as a sparrow in her hands."

Mayday is the third LP by Montreal-based artist, Myriam Gendron. It follows her earlier, critically acclaimed albums, Not So Deep As A Well (2014) and Ma délire – Songs of love, lost & found (2021). Prior to her debut album, Myriam's primary musical focus was busking in Paris Metro stations, performing the songs of Leonard Cohen and others, accompanying herself on guitar.

Through her day job, working at a Montreal bookstore, Myriam discovered the poems of American writer, Dorothy Parker, who was better known for her cutting wit than her verse. Inspired by Parker's words, Myriam wrote music to accompany a suite of them, then recorded the results in her bedroom.

These recordings were issued as her debut LP, and continue to delight listeners who discover them, with their freshness, clarity and humor. After a brief hiatus, Myriam began exploring the complex folk traditions of Quebec (and beyond), recording the 2LP, Ma délire, which combines traditional and original songs (largely in French) with arrangements that make space for avant-garde musical interludes by such folks as guitarist Bill Nace (Body/Head) and renowned jazz percussionist Chris Corsano. Mayday is an even more syncretic fusion of these elements.

Most of the songs are original, in both English and French, and blend traditional and avant elements with abandon. Additional players this time include drummer Jim White (Dirty Three), guitarist Marisa Anderson, Montreal bassist Cédric Dind-Lavoie (a fellow fan of trad/avant dynamism), Bill Nace and saxophonist Zoh Amba (whose horn actually gets the final “word”). Mayday is a thoroughly thrilling effort that manages to create new vistas of sound while maintaining a feel that is both intimate and familiar. Beautiful work.

LAZZARO

Under  the  name  of  Lazzaro,  Geraldine  Vanspauwen  explores  the  intersections  between  poetry, songwriting  and  ambient  composing.  The  classical  clean  and  raw  experimental  find  a  space  to blend into an ethereal yet physical world of sound forever guided by a subliminal force of life’s fire, subtle  winds,  dreams,  desire.  She  is  currently  performing  solo  (guitar,  tape  orchestra,  voice,  fx), with the bands Zemlya (drums, voice) and Sergeant (guitar, voice) and hosts a monthly radio show, Unburdened Bones, on Kiosk Radio. Her  first  home-recorded  EP,  The  Inner  Land  is  Wide  and  Free,  was  released  digitally  and  as  a limited  edition  of  tapes (2022,  Bonambi). Meanwhile,  Lazzaro  has  been  invited  to  open  for  artists such as Jessica Moss, Mary Ocher, David Eugene Edwards, Extra Life, Fiesta en el Vacío, Forest Swords, and is currently working on a full-length album.