Nicolas Boulerice & Frédéric Samson

Nicolas Boulerice & Frédéric Samson Photo: Tzara Maud

Quebec (Montérégie & Montreal)

Nicolas Boulerice (also a member of Le Vent du Nord) and bassist Frédéric Samson released their third album Cool Trad in March 2024. This project puts forward the lyrics and poetry of the elders, supported by music that respects tradition, but is also ready to make it shine in new contexts.

On the menu: 12 songs that bear witness to a certain kind of slowness and melancholy, 12 encounters on the frontiers of jazz between the rhythm of words and swing.


Festival schedule

On stage, Boulerice and Samson are always accompanied by their turntable, and play archival, trad or jazz samplings, as well as various sounds captured in town or country to illustrate the songs and melodies played. The two musicians also open up to other instruments such as a baritone guitar and a melodica, allowing them to explore new musical playgrounds.

“A beautiful approach to a beautiful repertoire. Inspiring! It marks a gradual evolution of Trad towards new forms and, above all, new content. It feels good!” [free translation]

Michel Faubert

“A contemplative album – indeed, cool – with hushed ambiences and inspired bass lines, sometimes accompanied by an accordion solo or a hint of percussion; the songs, on the other hand, stand on their own, with or without jazz: at the heart of the record, La Californie, Testament and Humains (more blues than jazz, half-recited, half-sung) are precious.” [free translation]

Philippe Renaut, LE DEVOIR

Nicolas Boulerice website, also featuring the duo