THE BIG O STRING BAND
is a 5 piece bluegrass band based out of Montreal, Qc, Canada.
Tommy Gauthier
-Fiddle-
Originally from the Lanaudière region, a cradle of traditional music, it's no surprise that Tommy Gauthier chose the violin as his instrument of choice. Among the most talented violinists of his generation, he has accompanied, among others, Yves Lambert, Richard Desjardins, and Robert Charlebois. He is part of the groups Little Misty and Veranda, as well as teaching violin at Cégep de Drummondville, the University of Montreal, the University of Quebec in Montreal, and Concordia University.
Joe
Grass
-Mandolin-
Acadian by origin, his recent solo album "Falcon’s Heart," released in 2023, features pieces with folk and country sounds. Joe Grass has been making a mark on the music scene for over 20 years as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer. His talent has allowed him to work with several well-established artists, such as Pat Watson and Elisapie. It is his voice and mandolin that will resonate in the Big O String Band.
Léandre Joly-Pelletier
-Banjo-
The highly talented multi-instrumentalist Léandre Joli-Pelletier has chosen the banjo within the Big O String Band. In addition to this project, this native of the Quebec city has accompanied several renowned artists including Sara Dufour, Émile Bilodeau, and Laurence Jalbert. Bluegrass runs in his veins, so much so that he is one of the 2 founding members of the duo Veranda. He is THE reference in the group for everything related to the history and classics of this genre... A true living encyclopedia of the bluegrass repertoire.
David
Lafleche
-Guitar-
David Lafleche has settled in the Laurentians after growing up in the northern outskirts of Montreal. After several years of acting as a musical director and producer for a multitude of popular TV shows such as "The Voice Canada", the gifted guitarist released his first solo album, "Everyday Son" in 2021, a country folk project that takes him on tour across the province. It's without any surprise that you can hear him on guitar and vocals in the Big O String Band.
Alain Lafrance
-Bass-
Freshly graduated in jazz performance from the University of Montreal, bassist and singer Alain Lafrance has distinguished himself within several ensembles, currently with Les Jacks, and earlier with the The Phly Boyz. After honing his vocal technique in France during a four-year tour that took him to four continents, he returns to Quebec, to his native Lower-Laurentians, to begin his studies. He stands out for his talent to such an extent that he won in the spring of 2024, The Fichman Prize given to an UDM student for the best jazz interpretation of a piece from the tradtionnal repertoire