JP LeBlanc’s album “All In My Blood”/ “Je l’ai dans le sang” on the Acadian Connection label was crafted in Canada, and recorded in Nashville with Colin  Linden producing.

Rooted in his Acadian heritage and seamlessly shifting between French and English, the album delves deep into themes close to JP’s heart—growing up within his tight-knit Bathurst, New Brunswick community as well as the push-and-pull between his life touring Canada, Louisiana, and Europe, and his central roles as a family man, and a father.

“When I first heard JP’s demos, I thought there was an honesty I was drawn to,” Linden recalls. “I also heard a very unique take on his influences and culture that was very compelling.”

The nine track album is the result of two years long-distance songwriting between the Maritime blues guitarist, and Toronto-based music industry journalist Larry LeBlanc.

“Larry had earlier co-written the song ‘Memphis’ recorded by Johnny Reid,” recalls JP. “It’s a high-energy Stax Record-inspired track about two Scottish friends who grew up together, and later regretted not visiting Memphis together while younger. Just for fun I worked up a French version, and sent the lyrics to Larry. He then asked if I’d be interested in co-writing with him, and I agreed.

“The first set of lyrics Larry sent was ‘Wanda’s Bar (In The French Quarter)’ about a raucous New Orleans bar where the party never stopped. I immediately imagined a Cajun tune with a syncopated Bo Diddley rhythm beat. After what seems like endless revisions, we finally nailed what we had first heard in our minds, and went on to co-write song after song for the next two years. We really pushed each other hard to write the best songs possible.”

“Larry and I have been friends since I was a kid,” Linden says. “He was always an insightful music person, and a knowledgeable resource. A really creative guy who has seen generations of musicians, and has a strong sense of what will last. So it didn’t surprise me that he was a gifted songwriter…. Made me happy though.”

As JP and Larry first began to write, they soon discovered a profound common ground. “Our music is about making reconnections—reconnecting to our roots, to our shared Acadian culture, and to both of our families,” says JP

This is most evident with such songs as “All In My Blood,” “Ashes In The Wind,” “I’ll Keep On Movin’,” All On Your Own,” and “I Still Dance In The Rain.”

Other songs touch on the duo’s shared Acadian/Cajun background, and travels, as found in the rollicking swamp rockers “Louisiana Checkbook,” and “Wanda’s Bar (In The French Quarter),” as well as in songs like “Danger Zone,” and “NOLA,” the latter recorded fully in French.

“Both Larry and I spent time in Louisiana, so that definitely shaped the album,” says JP. “I can’t speak for Larry, but I’ve never felt so at home while being there. I have deep connections with the people there. It first felt like a pilgrimage, especially in meeting distant cousins in Lafayette. They welcomed us like family, inviting us for supper, and offering us a place to stay without really knowing us. I guess family is family, no matter how long we’ve been apart.”

“This recording has brought me face to face with my Acadian roots that I share with JP,” adds Larry. “It’s been fascinating hearing the album on the streaming services and on radio, and reliving memories in writing specific lyrics.”

The album was recorded at a fairly fast clip in a pair of 2024 sessions.

“A beautiful aspect of ‘All In My Blood’ was the freedom in the studio,” says JP. “Working with Colin and with such incredible musicians felt like the culmination of everything I’ve worked for. It was a dream come true. I soon realized that I could play whatever my imagination called for, and knew that the musicians would make it sound awesome in minutes. I just let Colin do his job, and he brought out the best in every song, and raised the bar for me.”

“JP had such a positive attitude,” recalls Linden. “He had faith in me and in the process, and all the other players—none of whom he had previously known—really enjoyed him.”

Asked about JP’s strength as a guitarist, Linden without hesitation answers, “JP knows how to go for the sweet notes.”

Of the significance of dual French/English album title, JP explains, “When we realized we had an album of the best songs possible, we decided we’d name it, ’All In My Blood’ which in French translates to ‘Je l’ai dans le sang.’ I felt it was important to acknowledge where I come from in the album’s title. It’s a way of connecting directly to my roots, and showing pride in my heritage.”

“All of these songs inform each other,” explains Linden. “JP’s French singing tells you so much about his English singing.  His sense of blues is heavily informed by the French Acadian music of both Canada and Louisiana. It’s a unique combination.”

JP was born and raised in Bathurst, a bilingual speck of a place in New Brunswick; a region rich in Acadian culture, and where singing, dancing, and playing music come as naturally as walking and talking.

“Growing up. my family didn’t really celebrate our Acadian heritage at home,” he reveals. “While we spoke French the music we listened to, and the TV shows we watched were all in English.”

At 11 years old, JP fell in love with the blues and began to play guitar. By his teen years, he was performing alongside seasoned musicians. At 17, he recorded his first album, “Take Me Back” which earned him an East Coast Music Award nomination, and a considerable reputation as a distinctive young Acadian blues voice.

As JP reflects on the road that brought him to present day, he mentions such revered American blues figures as Buddy Guy, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Muddy Waters, and Canadian blues players Colin James, and Garret Mason.

JP recalls that it wasn’t until 2004 when he and his band performed at the Congrès Mondial Acadien in Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia—-a festival of Acadian and Cajun culture and history held every five years—that he truly felt a sense of deep pride in the family’s culture.

“After our show, there was a big ceremony where they displayed the names of the Acadian families deported in the Grand Dérangement from that very spot in 1755, during an expulsion by which many families were separated, and many people drowned in shipwrecks. That hit me hard. It sparked a deep interest in my family’s history, and it inspired me to write more in French. Before that, I had mainly been performing and writing songs in English.”

A pivotal moment in JP’s  career came in early 2024 when he represented Atlantic  Canada at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the world’s leading blues talents.

That experience in his mind cemented his place on the international stage, and drove his passion for putting together what is his most ambitious album to date with Linden.

To JP’s immense delight, Larry recruited his friend, Cajun music legend Steve Riley of the Mamou Playboys, to play accordion on four tracks on the album, including doubling fiddle on “I Still Dance In The Rain.”

“Having Steve really brought the (Cajun) sound home,” exclaims JP. “That was the icing on the cake. What a joy it was this summer to play with Steve and the Mamou Playboys at the Acadian Festival in Caraquet (New Brunswick). So many of their songs are iconic to the folks in this part of l’Acadie; songs like ‘Bayou Noir’ and ‘Allons Danser’ just to name a few. There is a real strong bond between the Cajuns, and the Acadians, and that is why it was so special to have Steve as a guest on my album.”

For the two sessions at his 1,000 square-foot, stand-a-lone home studio in his Nashville backyard, dubbed Pinhead Recorders Studios, Linden recruited A-list players.

For the first session in April, 2024, there was multi-instrumentalist George Recile, one of New Orleans’ premier drummers, and Bob Dylan’s primary drummer from 2001 to 2019, who has also worked with Dr. John, Mavis Staples, Bonnie Raitt, and Keith Richard.

On bass was Linden’s lifelong Toronto collaborator John Dymond who has toured with celebrated Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster, and toured and recorded with k.d. lang, Bruce Cockburn, and Blackie and The Rodeo Kings. He’s a 5-time Canadian Country Music Assn. Bass Player of the Year recipient, and Hall of Honour inductee.

While the original musicians weren’t available for the second Nashville session in December, Linden matched the quality of the earlier session by bringing in some equally heavy hitters  Again he played guitar on all  tracks.

The session included drummer Bryan Owings who has recorded with Buddy Miller, Wanda Jackson, Alicia Keys, Delbert McClinton, and Lucinda Williams, and toured with John Prine, and Tony Joe White; and world-class bass player/educator/producer David Santos who has worked with Billy Joel, Toto, Melissa Etheridge, John Fogerty, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and the Neville Brothers.

Additionally, Kevin McKendree, played piano on “Wanda’s Bar (In The French Quarter),” and Janice Power played B3 organ on “All On Your Own,” and “Danger Zone” as well as being an invaluable production assistant for the project.

“I try and find out what the artist really wants, and then try to do it,” explains Linden about his production ground plan. ”And I try to ensure that it will be a fulfilling and transformative experience for the artist too. I make a bunch of suggestions, and see what resonates, and then come up with a plan that brings out the spirit If I can.”

JP is most thankful for Linden’s step-by-step approach. “’All In My Blood’ is kinda my Mona Lisa. There are no love songs, but each song tells a story about love—love for our families, love for our shared Acadian culture, and even (our love) for a small rowdy bar in New Orleans.”