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Montreal's
Jazz & Blues diva, Dawn Tyler Watson is an accomplished performer,
who in recent years, has become a major force on the Canadian Blues
scene with her group the Dawn Tyler Blues Project. She's a two-time
winner of the Quebec Lys Blues, for Best Female Artist (2003 and 2004),
the 2002 International Screamin' Jay Hawkins Award for live performance
(France,) and has earned numerous Maple Blues Awards nominations including
two-time Entertainer of the Year and seven-time Female Vocalist of
the Year (Canada).
Dawn's debut CD, "Ten Dollar Dress," is an eclectic mix
of original blues, that pushes the limits of the traditional "Ma
Momma Done Told Me". From Folk to Jazz to Rock 'n Roll and beyond,
the album spotlights an exceptional songwriting talent as well. The
effort received much praise upon its release earning her two more
MBA nominations for Best Album, and Best Producer in 2002.
Though she has been dubbed Montreal's "Queen of the Blues"
Dawn is equally adept in Jazz, and has become one of the city's finest
sirens. In addition to writing and touring, she recently re-booted
her acting career, earning herself the lead role of Curly Brown opposite
famed Quebec heartthrob Roy Dupuis in the feature film "Jack
Paradise - Les Nuits De Montréal". The film, which is
set in the city's Jazz hey day of 1930 thru to 1970, opened to much
acclaim in February of last year. Dawn is also the featured vocalist
on the original soundtrack by pianist/composer James Gelfand, which
is poised to receive a nod in the upcoming Jutra Awards (2005).
Born in Manchester England and raised in southwestern Ontario, Dawn
started singing in church at the age of five. By the age of ten she
had picked up the violin, and by thirteen, the guitar. She began her
professional career while studying Jazz and theater at Concordia University,
and adopted Montréal as her new home when she graduated in
'94.
She has spent the last several years touring the festival circuits
in Canada, Europe and into the U.S. She has worked with such great
blues artists as Jeff Healy, Colin James, Corey Harris, Kelly Joe
Phelps, Sue Foley, Susan Tedeschi, Bob Walsh, Sonny Landreth, Penny
Lang, Steve Hill, Lonnie Brooks, and Ray Bonneville.