Guitarist, singer and composer Paul DesLauriers is part of Canada's blues elite. He first made a name for himself in the 1990s as part of the group Black Cat Bone for which he was a founding member. A sought after collaborator, he has most notably accompanied Amanda Marshall, France D'Amour, Garou and Nicola Ciccone. In 2006, DesLauriers released the fiery blues-rock album Ripping Into Red. Three years later, he appeared at the Festival alongside singer Dawn Tyler Watson, with whom he recorded the album En duo. In 2010, DesLauriers produced Nos stars chantent le blues à Montréal, an album of blues standards covered by local artists. Three years later, he released two collaborative efforts: Southland, with Dawn Tylor Watson, and Enter the Gate, with the renowned sitar player Anwar Khurshid. The Paul DesLauriers Band came out in 2014.