Group brings hybrid energy to Morinville

After listening to the Polyjesters, even just on the Internet, it’s hard to bypass their knee-slapping danceable tunes.

Part Bill Monroe, part Django Reinhardt, part Elvis Presley, this Carstairs-based band has developed an infectious hybrid sound that mixes swing/jazz music with classic country/folk harmonies and a rockabilly/bluegrass backbeat. It quickly gets your toes tappin’ and fingers snappin’.

Although the energetic foursome has scaled back its extensive 200-concert a year tours to about 20 gigs, it will be featured at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre on Friday, Nov. 18.

“Our show relies heavily on what the crowd is like. If the crowd is old, we might do the Mills Brothers or Ella Fitzgerald. If it’s a younger crowd, we’ll do the Tragically Hip, classic rock or our own version of Metallica,” said frontman Jason Valleau.

Founded by two brothers Jason and Sheldon Valleau, on upright bass and baritone ukulele respectively, the duo set out for Europe in 1999 looking for adventure. While travelling, the brothers refined their chops and paid their dues busking their way through Amsterdam and Nice, France.

Singing for chump change, they slowly made inroads from alfresco venues to restaurants. An agent spotted the brotherly harmonies and booked them as floating yacht entertainers.

“We even played for Prince Albert of Monaco at Hotel Paris in Monaco. That night some of the tennis greats were there – Boris Becker and John McEnroe. John wasn’t in too good a mood. He had a television show that was on six nights a week and it just got cancelled,” Sheldon explained.

After a five-year musical odyssey, the brothers returned to their roots in Alberta and kick-started Polyjesters, a new band with a smooth, high-energy blend of old swing, Celtic and bluegrass.

Seduced onto the Live Tour Artists roster they landed a gig as a Disney band at Epcot Centre, and were billed extensively across the United States and United Kingdom in many concert series tours and festivals.

Whether Polyjesters performs for the silver-haired crowd or at family shows, their “CHUNK” groove always dominates and sets them apart.

“The ukulele is the heartbeat and the rhythm of our band. It has a chunk, chunk, chunk sound and it has its roots in Django Reinhardt and Buddy Green. It’s what we do,” Jason explains.

With the additions of drummer John May and guitarist Aaron Young, the band has shifted into writing and performing more original works.

“Aaron for instance is one of Canada’s great Canadian guitarists. He is so smart and can play anything. There is no way you can hear some of these pieces played by someone else,” adds Sheldon.

The foursome are all highly-trained musicians with diverse backgrounds and that’s part of what gives their chemistry greased lightning.

“We appreciate a wide variety of music,” Jason says. “We’re not jazz Nazis or rock heads or country snobs. We’re everything.”