The Stephen Barry Band, Quebec's and Canada's leading blues band, has been around since 1974, and this year celebrates 50 years of continuous career with the release of a new album on June 21, Only a Dream - 50 ans de blues, on the Bros. label. This anniversary is also accompanied by a new tour, which will bring them to L'Île-Perrot this Saturday, September 14. 

More specifically, it's at VIP en Blues, an annual autumn festival, that the band will be showcasing the songs that make up their 10th career album. “This will be our first time playing at VIP en Blues. We're really looking forward to meeting our fans. We've heard all about this musical event, and we're delighted to be able to take part in it too,” confides Stephen Barry on the phone. 

Starting at 6 p.m. this Saturday, the five-piece band, joined by two female vocalists including Sylvie Choquette, will present a 45-minute show. A short performance, but well worth the detour, promises the band's leader. 

“On the album, we cover hits by Marvin Gaye, Tom Petty and Robert Palmer. We also dare to cover, in our own way, the famous Si j'avais un char by Stephen “Cassonade” Faulkner, which represents a first cover in French for us, performed as a duet with the song's co-writer, Sylvie Choquette. I think it's funny that I, a hard-core Englishman, should cover this French classic. I really enjoy doing it,” adds the musician who grew up in Lachine, a borough of Montreal. 

A number of blues classics and original songs complete the 14-track album Only a Dream - 50 ans de Blues.

What does Stephan Barry like about the blues? I'm a self-taught musician who didn't take any courses. I have no particular musical training. I discovered this musical style in the '60s, when it was booming. What I like about this genre is that it doesn't require a few years' musical training to play like classical,” continues the man who has been at the head of the group that bears his name for five decades. 

What's the secret behind the Stephen Barry Band's longevity? As the man himself admits, there is none. 

 “Come and see us in large numbers. The show will be 45 minutes long, but it'll be worth the trip. We'll be playing several songs from our recent album. We'll be delighted to reconnect with our fans in Vaudreuil-Soulanges,” he concludes.