Additional Information
Pianist and composer Marianne Trudel is a prominent figure on the Montreal jazz scene and one of the founding members of the Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ), which has been active for over a decade. The ONJ will perform at the Cinquième Salle of Place des Arts this Thursday, October 30, in a concert paying tribute to the work of female jazz composers throughout history. PAN M 360 had the opportunity to speak with Marianne Trudel before this concert.
PAN M 360 – Are there any unique pleasures or opportunities that arise when playing with the ONJ?
Marianne Trudel – We started about twelve years ago, and it works a bit like a classical orchestra, with regular members who have great chemistry with each other. We also have excellent composers and arrangers. We play very diverse music with very interesting ideas and themes. The quality of the musicians and the music is outstanding!
PAN M 360 – How did you select the repertoire for this upcoming concert? You are presenting some of your own compositions, but apart from that, were there any other composers or pieces that you felt were essential?
Marianne Trudel – For this concert, the goal was to highlight women composers in jazz. I wanted to present a diversity of eras and styles. Therefore, there will be pieces by Mary Lou Williams, one of the first women composers and arrangers, who wrote pieces for the jazz orchestras of Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, among others.
She was an extraordinary musician, pianist, and composer who also mentored several renowned jazz musicians such as Monk and Gillespie. We will also be presenting pieces by Toshiko Akiyoshi, a Japanese musician who led an incredible jazz orchestra with her husband, Lew Tabackin. And of course, some pieces by Maria Schneider, who brought a very different, more orchestral sound. Her music is melodically rich and departs from the swing style.
Then, I also wanted to present more contemporary pieces, including some by Satoko Fuji, one of the most prolific and exciting Japanese pianists and composers, and Anna Webber, a Canadian who has been living in exile in the United States for years and whose music presents a very modern language and approach. I will also be presenting one of my own compositions. This concert is therefore a unique opportunity to hear this magnificent music, which is performed far too rarely.
PAN M 360 – Are there any musicians in the ONJ that you are particularly looking forward to showcasing?
Marianne Trudel – Honestly, I’m a huge fan of all the musicians in the orchestra! They each have their own sound, their own personality, their own unique style. For this concert, Kevin Warren, our regular drummer, couldn’t be with us, but we’re lucky to have Alain Bourgeois on drums, who has incredible drive and energy! I’m really looking forward to this concert!
PAN M 360 – As a composer for groups of all sizes, how does your writing process change when writing for a large ensemble? Do you see it as an extension of a smaller work or is it a completely different challenge?
Marianne Trudel – Let’s just say that a large orchestra is a very different beast! Writing for these ensembles gives me a lot more headaches (laughs). It’s a writing process that’s both incredibly exciting and quite challenging. I don’t just think in terms of melody and chords, but a lot in terms of energy, color, and contrast. The whole question of orchestration and timbre becomes an integral part of the writing.
PAN M 360 – It’s clear that the jazz scene tends to be largely dominated by men. Have you noticed any significant changes in the gender dynamics within the jazz world during your career so far? Do you have any advice for young women or non-binary people starting out in this field?
Marianne Trudel – I would tell them, “Do your thing, with commitment and determination. Period.” I’ve never really understood why there aren’t more women in jazz. There has been progress in that direction, but we’re still a long way from 50/50. Little by little, women are carving out their place. There are now several female pianists playing jazz in Montreal – Lorraine Desmarais, of course, the veteran, Kate Wyatt, Marie Fatima, Gentiane Michaud-Gagnon, Ariane Racicot, and so on.
There’s also Rachel Therrien (trumpet), Jennifer Bell (saxophone), and Claire Devlin (saxophone), who are all fantastic. Then, sometimes, excellent musicians don’t stay in Montreal and leave for other provinces or the United States. Christine Jensen spent several years in Montreal, she conducted our orchestra, and recently left for the United States. Anna Weber also went to the United States, and then a very talented young trombonist, Margarett Donovan, left.
It’s not so easy, then, to bring together feminine and masculine forces. With the ONJ, we regularly have female guests: Caity Gyorgy, Virginia MacDonad, Kim Richardson, Malika Tirolien, Miho Hazama, and others. There’s still a lot of work to be done, that’s for sure. For me, the coexistence of masculine and feminine energies remains one of the richest and most fruitful.
PAN M 360 – Are there any female artists who are not appreciated for their true worth whose work you would like to draw attention to?
Marianne Trudel – To be honest, I find that ALL our jazz musicians, men and women and non-binary, in Montreal are not appreciated for their true worth! We live in a society that favours other types of music.
Jazz receives virtually no media coverage. PAN M does excellent work in this regard, as does Sorties Jazz Night, Stanley Péan’s radio program, and occasionally, though rarely, a newspaper article here and there… but that’s about it. It’s clearly not enough. In fact, one of the ONJ’s primary goals was to showcase the richness of jazz in Montreal. And the audience witnesses this at every concert: the intensity, integrity, and heart that these musicians put into their art is magnificent. People are moved and transported.
