A quintet of friends who met near Highway 55 in the Drummondville area, that’s what TransQueb is (Highway 55 is nicknamed the “Trans Quebec”). A first album, Station, released in 2022, had already shone a good and advantageous light on the band nurtured on Prog, repetitive Minimalism (occasionally), Jazz fusion, and Rock.
On the menu, six tracks of rhythmic, energetic constructions with felt urban atmospheres (although the band is based in Quebec, one can easily imagine the panorama of a metropolis like Montreal, Toronto, or New York, dense and buzzing), and with the melodic ease of a modern jazz that does not deny the pop simplicity as a hook towards more harmonically complex universes.
The youngsters are having a blast. Radiant and flamboyant keyboards (not often enough in my opinion), sharp guitar, lyrical and soaring saxophone, deep, purring bass, and athletic drums. The title is appropriate: it twirls and churns solidly, but not in a tearing way. It remains elegant in expressive gymnastics.
No fewer than three launches are planned for Maelstrom: on September 12 at the Palais Montcalm in Quebec City; on September 17 at L’Entracte Cabaret Jazz in Montreal; and finally on September 22 at the Petite Boîte Noire in Sherbrooke. TransQueb will also be performing on October 24 at Le Bien Le Malt in Rimouski, as well as on October 30 at Bistro des Balcons in Baie Saint-Paul.
Nicolas Gosselin: drums and percussion
Jeffrey Gagnon: guitars
Maude Gauthier: saxophones
Raphaël Côté: bass and synthesiser
Francis Grégoire (guest artist): piano and synthesisers
