Marc-Andre Seguin is a local working Montreal Jazz Guitarist who I had the pleasure of listening to just under an hour ago. I was doing some updating for Jazz Guitar Life at a coffee shop on the corner of my street when I noticed that there was some activity with a small crwod gathering on the outside terrace. I glanced over to the corner and noticed a Guitarist holding an ES-137 getting ready to play a set with a Vocalist, so I grabbed my coffee and took a seat outside. In a few moments I was hearing some very nice voicings alongside a familar melody.

Over the next two hours, with a short intermission thrown in, Marc-Andre ran the gamut of solo Guitar work from fat voicings and walking bass lines to chord melody shots and improvised single line sections. His playing was tasty and complemented Jazz Vocalist Maurice Charland nicely. In fact, Marc-Andre should get an extra pat on the back due to the chilly evening air. I noticed Marc-Andre had to blow warm air onto his hands a few times to keep his fingers moving smoothly over the fretboard. Just one of those pesky situations that face working musicians from time to time, distinguishing the professional from the “complainer”.

Hearing Marc-Andre Seguin, and Maurice Charland,  was a nice unexpected surprise for me as well as for the small, but very appreciative audience. And as I was working on Jazz Guitar Life stuff, it really enforced the idea that almsot any place can act as a “venue” for gigging, and a weekly gig at that, since that duo will be playing every Thursday evening between 7 and 9 PM during the Summer months.

So if you are around the vicinity of Sherbrooke St. West and Westmore in NDG, drop by the Second Cup and enjoy some great Jazz Guitar with your coffee or tea. Later all…