Home » Jazz Musicians » Hugo Blouin

Hugo Blouin

Montreal bassist and composer Hugo Blouin writes songs using the musicality of the spoken word. He published three albums, including Sport national (2023), a set playful, historical and quite physical hockey jazz songs that reflect on the role of this sport in Canadian culture, for better or for worse. His previous two albums of Charbonneau ou les valeurs à' bonne place (Volume 1 in 2018 and Volume 2 2022) rendered a tongue-in-cheek homage to a Quebec inquiry commission on organized crime, political funding and the construction industry. They received notable praise and attention, both at home and abroad.

Hugo Blouin plays with the band L’abîme and the Christine Tassan Quintet, as well as with poet Veronique Bachand in “Avec le rire de ma grand-mère”. Blouin has also toured with bands MAZ (folk, official selection at WOMEX) and Brasser Brassens (tribute to French songwriter Georges Brassens). In the last 15 years, he contributed to 25+ albums, as interpret, composer and producer, and his work has been heard in Canada, Mexico, and the US, as well as in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland and Ghana.

Awards

2019 Opus Award for Jazz Concert of the Year, from Conseil Québécois de la Musique (Quebec Music Council) for Charbonneau ou les valeurs à' bonne place
2018 GAMIQ Award for Jazz Album of the Year at the Gala de la Musique Indépendante du Québec (Gala for Quebec's Alternative Music) for Charbonneau ou les valeurs à' bonne place
2018 Stingray Rising Stars Award at the Montreal International Jazz Festival with the Jonathan Turgeon Trio

L'Abîme: L'Abîme II

Read "L'Abîme II" reviewed by Katchie Cartwright

by Katchie Cartwright
August 4, 2026

Montreal-based composer and pianist Jonathan Turgeon, double-bassist Hugo Blouin, and drummer Jean-Philippe Godbout have been together as a rhythm section since 2015, performing, recording, and following in the footsteps of musical heroes as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Olivier Messiaen, and Radiohead. L'Abîme II is their second release as the ensemble L'Abîme (The Abyss), following L'Abîme I (Multiple Chord Music, 2021). L'Abîme's “earlier incarnation" released two recordings as Trio Jonathan Turgeon: Au Fil des Feuilles que Craquent (Self-Produced, 2015) ...

Interview

Hugo Blouin: Jazz Sérieux, Jazz Fun

by Katchie Cartwright
March 16, 2026

Growing up in southern Québec, not far from the US border, Hugo Blouin studied music from an early age in school. Both parents were writers, so creative work came naturally. “It was normal to do art," as he put it. As a bassist, Blouin describes himself as an “auto-didact," but he studied piano in primary and secondary school, wrapping his head and fingers around Schumann and Debussy, practicing seriously. In his first round of college, he studied and worked in ...

“Hugo Blouin scores big time! A bold musical vision, reminiscent of Frank Zappa.“ — Arnaud G. Veydarier, sortiesjazznights.com, June 1st, 2023.

“It’s comical, inventive and refreshing. It’s total fun and very well done. Forget jazz elitism – everybody’s going to have a good time. “ — Marc-André Mongrain et L.-P. Labrèche, Plaque tournante, Episode 11, April 13th, 2023.

“A great moment of iconoclastic fun, everything to satisfy my taste for the absurd and for excellent jazz. Brilliant!” — Jérôme Daviau, Sorstu.ca, April 19th, 2023.

Read more