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Normand Guilbeault On This Month’s Groove – The No Treble Podcast

Normand Guilbeault is this month’s conversation on Groove – The No Treble Podcast.

You can listen the new episode right here: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #104 – Normand Guilbeault.

Who is Normand Guilbeault?

Immerse yourself in the vibrant rhythm of a maestro’s journey, Normand Guilbeault, who has been at the heartbeat of Canada’s jazz and improvised music sphere for over 40 years. This virtuoso double bassist, composer, and multi-talented artist continues to command respect, being both the puppeteer and star player of a plethora of ground-breaking projects. His finesse on the bass strings, coupled with his leadership in crafting musical narratives, has made him a sought-after accompanist for both homegrown and international artists. This has also earned him a string of accolades and recognition from esteemed institutions like the Canada Council for the Arts. Norm’s musical romance with Montreal’s jazz royalty, such as Nelson Symonds and Bernard Primeau, are well documented. He himself became the headliner in the late ’80s, with his ensemble even bagging the Du Maurier Jazz Prize at the Montreal International Jazz Festival in 1994. A few years later, The Jazz Report honored him with “Acoustic Jazz Group of the Year.” International artists, like Paul Bley and Kurt Rozenwinkel, were enchanted by Norm’s distinctive style and rhythmic prowess. Quebec’s eclectic creators, including Karen Young and René Lussier, became regular collaborators. Norm’s Anishinaabe-Algonquin Métis heritage is a proud melody that plays throughout his life’s symphony. His contributions to the First Nations art scene are significant, involving dynamic collaborations with talents like filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin and poet Natasha Kanapé Fontaine. Besides music, his social work resonates with the First Nations’ cause, manifesting in his tenure as an Indigenous liaison officer at a federal penitentiary and his current role as a spiritual advisor at the Waseskun Healing Center. Noteworthy works like ‘Hommage à / to Mingus and Kawandak’ echo his inspired artistic endeavors. And let’s not forget his role as a co-founder of the Montreal Off-Jazz Festival, adding another vibrant string to his bow. This kaleidoscope of daring endeavors affirms Norm as an indispensable force in jazz’s vibrant music scene. Decades into his career, his music continue to jazz up the canvas of our musical landscape. Whether he’s putting music to the poetry of Jack Kerouac or bringing his Tribute To Mingus at this summer’s Montreal International Jazz Festival. Enjoy the conversation…

What is Groove – The No Treble Podcast?

This is an ambitious effort. This will be a fascinating conversation. Our goal at Groove is to build the largest oral history of bass players. Why Groove? Most of the content about the bass revolves around gear, playing techniques, and more technical chatter. For us, bassists are creative artists with stories to tell. They are a force to be reckon with. These are the stories and conversation that we will capture. To create this oral history of why these artists chose the bass, what their creative lives are like, and where inspiration can be found.

Listen in: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #104 – Normand Guilbeault.

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends).

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.