Concert review

Caribbean / R&B

FIJM 2026 I Naïka Brings The Caribbean to Jazz Fest

by Vitta Morales

A hot and humid night did not deter music lovers from bumping shoulders to get a glimpse and an earful of Naïka’s brand of Caribbean-RnB fusion. The city, having just endured conditions akin to a chicken cage at the Angine de Poitrine show, was now braving the heat to dance and sing along to music that was at least equal in hotness to a 30-degree Montreal evening. A testament to people’s ingenuity and to Naïka’s popularity was perhaps the thirty or so people who climbed atop a shipping container bar to get a better view, as well as their reluctance to leave their spots when the barmaid gave them a scolding. All around, others had similar ideas, standing atop the concrete base of lighting poles, sneaking into the elevated VIP terraces, all in order to see her more clearly.

As the show began, the stylish artist wasted almost no time in removing layers from her person, revealing a very weather-appropriate outfit. I will defer any personal thoughts about this moment to the lady standing behind me who exclaimed “she’s so pretty!” A volume spike in the crowd as a whole seemed to second this. 

As concerns the music itself, Naïka would offer for those in attendance selections with elements of dub, kompa, reggaeton, and rock. Truly, most everything in her repertoire seems to prioritize being danceable, melodic, and vibey. Often the camera would pan to audience members singing along to her tunes.

I particularly enjoyed her performance of “For Gerard” which some will remember from a viral video in which she explains that the intro was sampled from an album recorded by her great-uncle, who was adept at whistling. Another highlight for me was “Layers” which she prefaced by saying that it was for all people of complicated origins and backgrounds, as she often felt like she had difficulty belonging in one place or another. It’s little wonder why she might write a song like this when you find out that she was born in the USA but has roots in Haiti, France and Madagascar, and grew up in multiple countries during her youth.

During the entire show, her band really held down the fort and functioned as a rock solid base on which she could impress vocally but the band too had moments to shine. In particular the guitarist Christopher (she did not provide us a last name during the intros), had more than a few impressive minor mode solos squarely in the rock idiom which were complemented by what were mostly caribbean and latin grooves on the drums.

Indeed, her brand of Pan-Carribean RnB is difficult to describe and is, of course, better experienced. I believe the crowd fundamentally understood this as they sang, danced, and scrambled to find a decent view well into the night.

Publicité panam
Hip Hop

FIJM 2026 I The Alchemist Exhibits Why He’s Hip Hop’s Beat and Sampling Master

by Stephan Boissonneault

Alan Daniel Maman has spent two decades building a reputation as hip-hop’s most patient archaeologist—the man behind some of the most well-known beats for Mobb Deep, Snoop Dogg Eminem, Freddie Gibbs, Larry June, Armand Hammer, Action Bronson, and Earl Sweatshirt, who dredges soul and jazz samples most people forgot existed out of crates, then warps them into something that sounds like a like a welcomed memory. Yes, under the name The Alchemist, he has been responsible for popularizing the sounds of the underground, a lackadaisical rap sound that incorporates boom bap, lo-fi, and a whole lot of samples. He’s why I know rappers Larry June, Conway the Machine, and Curren$y exist. He’s the reason I still listen to everything Freddie Gibbs has put out since Fetti in 2018. The man is also a beat-making monster at putting out new material. He put out a new Larry June and Curren$y collab album in February called Spiral Staircase, and dropped a new EP called LIQUID FORM in late June. He’s also about to drop another new album with Boldy James and a super not-so-secret album with Erykah Badu…

I had no idea what to expect from his live DJ performance at Club Soda during JazzFest. Was it just going to be a soundtrack of his recent and old greatest hits? Honestly, it was that and a bit more. The Alchemist has an indefinable energy to him, a guy who has LA energy that can get anyone moving. He had the fists pumping and the head bopping during his set. His setup was pretty standard: a DJ mixer with some scratch pads that ring in that nostalgic boom bap West Coast rap sound. He also had his own microphone to scream out a few “WHAT” or “You Feeling and Fuckin with me Montreal?’

Most of the songs were basically quick mixes that he blended with other ones. Everyone lost it for his collab song with Nas’ “No Idea’s Original,” which he morphed into the piano-led “89 Earthquake,” from his first collab with Larry June, The Great Escape. He spun “60 Days” from the same album a few minutes prior, and surprised me and some of the crowd genuinely when he rapped his own verse. I never really clued in to this, and I feel dumb for it, but The Alchemist can rap like a seasoned pro, and whenever you can’t tell who is rapping on his albums without the feature, it’s usually him. This makes total sense when you dig into his history. He was in a rap duo called The Whooliganz and went on tour with Cypress Hill and House of Pain back in the 90s.as part of the rap collective Soul Assassins.

He brought a bit of that 2000s East Coast rap flavour as he led the crowd through “We Gonna Make It,” by Jadakiss. I never really cared for the song, but live, you can’t deny the energy, especially when ALC is on the mic. We, of course, heard some Alfredo 2 tracks, his big follow-up album with Freddie Gibbs, and it seems like The Alchemist’s favourite album he’s worked on is the fantastic Life is Beautiful with Larry June and 2 Chainz. Overall, the set was thoroughly enjoyable, especially from above. It lasted close to two hours and made me realize there are so many beats made by The Alchemist that I haven’t dipped my toes into.

Contemporary Jazz

FIJM 2026 | Ostara, femmes de jazz

by Michel Labrecque

Lundi soir, le club de jazz et restaurant Upstairs de la rue McKay était plein à craquer pour le premier de deux concerts du Ostara Project, le « super groupe » féminin qui regroupe six compositrices, qui dirigent chacune leur propre ensemble.

Les membres actuelles (ça change régulièrement) sont les deux initiatrices du projet, Jodi Proznick à la contrebasse et Amanda Tosoff, au piano. Flanquée de la saxophoniste ténor Claire Devlin, la trompettiste Rachel Therrien, la batteuse Valérie Lacombe et la chanteuse Kim Zombic. 

Ce double concert marquait la fin d’une tournée pan-canadienne des nombreux festivals de jazz, de Vancouver jusqu’à Montréal. Financée en partie par le Conseil des Arts du Canadas.

Certains politiciens québécois pourraient y voir un « sombre » exemple de « Nation Building »musical au profit du fédéralisme, à l’instar du projet de train à grande vitesse. Mais ce n’est pas du tout comme ça que ces femmes le vivent. « Elles sont devenues une espèce de famille », s’est exclamé la lavalloise Valérie Lacombe en anglais, devant le public, oubliant sans doute dans quelle ville elle se trouvait.

« C’est une plateforme extraordinaire pour promouvoir le travail des femmes en jazz » m’a confié Rachel Therrien, dans une entrevue publiée sur PAN M 360. 

Le sextette a repris beaucoup de morceaux de son plus récent album, Roots (2025), dans lequel chacune des membres explorait ses racines. Cela a donné une pièce savante inspirée des origines bulgares d’Amanda Tosoff; ou encore un jazz métissé d’influences ukrainiennes, issu de la famille de Jodo Proznick, transformé en hymne anti-guerre.

Puis, pour nous surprendre, Kim Zombik, la Bostonienne devenue Montréalaise, nous a entonné Avec Le Temps de Léo Ferré, s’excusant à l’avance pour son accent anglais un peu trop prononcé. Ça a fait mouche avec le public.

Le groupe, qui n’est évidemment pas permanent, était bien soudé à l’issue d’une tournée pan canadienne. Au niveau de l’improvisation, le saxo de Claire Devlin et la trompette et le flugelhorn de Rachel Therrien se démarquent. Ces deux femmes semblent éprouver un grand plaisir à échanger musicalement.

Le projet Ostara a déjà un troisième album en banque. À suivre donc. En  attendant, restons attentif à la production solo de toutes ces artistes. Solidaires. 

Publicité panam
Indie Pop / Indie Rock / Modern Classical / pop symphonique / Post-Minimalist / post-romantique

FIJM 2026 | St. Vincent Symphonic: Pure Ecstasy

by Alain Brunet

Annie Clarke, known by her stage name St. Vincent, added another symphonic gem to her body of work on Sunday. Dressed in a simple yet elegant suit paired with scarlet shoes, she shone brightly from the first to the last second of this superb performance.

St. Vincent performed her classics with poise and authority, weaving together guitar solos and stage movements with carefully choreographed gestures, all punctuated by lavish orchestrations that elevated the entire performance.

There is no doubt about this American artist’s sensual charisma; her intellectual presence continues to impress and blends seamlessly with her rock persona—sexy, queer, electric, and incandescent. The symphonic complexity here serves a woman deeply rooted in rock culture, who is completely at ease in this context, striking a perfect balance on the tightrope connecting the two worlds.

Composed of local musicians, an orchestra of some sixty instrumentalists accompanied the fifteen or so songs on the program at the Maison symphonique, featuring arrangements by Jules Buckley, Rachel Eckroth, Sam Gale, Jochen Neuffer, Peter Riley, and Tom Trapp. Brilliant.

These arrangements are not uniform; one can observe different styles from one song to the next—sometimes post-Romantic, sometimes post-minimalist, sometimes modern, sometimes contemporary. The day after the performance, we listened to the brand-new album Live in London! and concluded that it has a beautiful cohesion.

Generally speaking, the spirit of the songs is surprisingly well preserved; the soloist’s guitars are often brought to the forefront, and the rock band backing her achieves a remarkable balance with the orchestra. We know how incredibly difficult it is to blend pop/rock and symphonic aesthetics—a feat that is still all too rarely accomplished. Here, however, the arrangements are varied and well-suited to rock expression—that of one of the most unique artists to have made a name for herself internationally since the golden age of indie rock.

St. Vincent’s symphonic repertoire is performed under the baton of British maestro Jules Buckley, who has created a wealth of orchestral arrangements tailored to various contexts and contemporary styles: today’s pop culture, jazz, and contemporary music. The conductor of the now-famous Metropol Orkest (a different ensemble from the one performing at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on Sunday) draws from a wide range of artists, from Patrick Watson to Louis Cole, including Emilie Claire Barlow and… St. Vincent.

For a long time, symphony orchestras enhanced popular songs by smoothing out their rough edges and emotional intensity. What we’re seeing today is quite different: the talented arrangers of our time have grasped the essence of rock’s energy, and we had a compelling example of this on Sunday—in the service of St. Vincent.

Publicité panam
Bebop / Jazz / Jazz Fusion / Jazz Rock

FIJM 2026 I Hiromi Uehara: A Musical Journey Full of (Sonic) Wonder

by Harry Skinner

Last night, the Montreal Jazz Festival hosted the Japanese piano phenom Hiromi Uehara. She took to the stage with her band, Sonicwonder – an apt name given the electric energy and sense of exploration with which they played. Trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, bassist Hadrien Féraud, and drummer Gene Coye joined Hiromi in an evening of music that left no path unexplored.

After two opening pieces, Hiromi gave the audience a chance to catch their breath and introduced her band, announcing that they would be playing her four-part suite “Out There” straight through without stopping. You could have been forgiven for losing track of the number of movements, though, as each one underwent several changes in tempo, time signature, or groove, to feel like a whole suite in and of itself. The effect was that the reprise of each movement’s theme felt like coming home from a long journey to a home that feels different upon return. 

There can be no doubting the musical abilities of Hiromi and the Sonicwonder members. Hiromi’s piano sound is ripe with influence, and her ability to offer a glimpse of her bebop or stride foundation in the midst of a jazz/rock fusion epic is something to behold. Each band member shone with solos that blended tasteful melodic content with complex rhythmic and harmonic ideas. As a unit, they played with great understanding, navigating maximalist grooves and jarring transitions with apparent ease. 

If there is one way the show suffered, it would be from the sheer volume of ideas on display. Each musical moment in the show was worthwhile and together these moments took the audience on an exhilarating journey, but perhaps the set could have found moments for levity, a calm between storms. While the maximalist nature of the set could be overwhelming at times, it is also a pleasure to hear a band that truly keeps the listener guessing throughout the performance. The Sonicwonder journey is certainly one worth taking.

Photos by Benoit Rousseau

cosmic jazz / Jazz

FIJM 2026 I Kamasi Washington Brings Us to Space

by Stephan Boissonneault

After an absolutely stellar performance from St. Vincent with the Montreal Symphony in the Salle-Wilfrid Pelletier, I raced outside to witness my first-ever Kamasi Washington performance at the Scène TD. It was kind of a big moment for me as I’ve missed Kamasi Washington every time he has played Jazzfest and his solo Montreal shows for the last five years, and I listen to his cosmic jazz epics while writing quite frequently.

The 45-year-old jazz saxophone god was dripping in style, wearing a black kimono, and clutching his tenor saxophone like a child in awe while watching singer Patrice Quinn absolutely belt out some vocals about space and the universe. She was finishing up the 12-minute song, which really stretched into 15, “Askim,” from the 2015 album The Epic. Washington led the song to a close with a spirited saxophone squeal, which seemed to stretch out for minutes. The lungs on this man are insane.

Next was “The Pslamnist,” from my personal favourite album, Heaven and Earth, which featured live solos on trumpet by Ryan Porter, thundering Double bass from Miles Mosley, and rapid drum work by Ronald Bruner Jr. (brother of Stephen Bruner aka Thundercat). Washington’s saxophone mastery is a marvel in itself to witness, but his not-so-secret weapon is his band. Every player could easily lead their own band. Take Cameron Graves’ beat-to-beat keyboard opening with Bruner. You could joke that this is just as good as Domi and JD Beck, honestly. “Any anime fans out there?” Washington asks the crowd of 10s of thousands.

The track is “Lazarus,” a song that Washington hoped would be the opening to the newer anime by Shinichirō Watanabe, Lazarus. Instead, Watanabe chose “Vortex,” but we are feeling the monolithic “Lazarus.” The backing vocals, led by Quinn, are this track’s true formula for success. Washington’s otherworldly saxophone is also, again, unreal. Mosely also unleashed a fierce bass solo on his double bass, his fingers moving like frenzied airplanes as he switched on a phaser pedal. I’ve never seen a double bass solo actually rival one of the electric bass. Mosley is another god of his craft.

After a wonderful and extended cover of “Prologue” by the Argentinian Tango composer, Astor Piazzolla, Kamasi said he will be back in Montreal soon. This was Washington’s third Jazz Fest performance, so I have no doubt we will see him again.

Photos by Victor Diaz Lamich

Jazz

FIJM 2026 | Charles Lloyd: An Icon, a Legend, and So Much More

by Alain Brunet

An octogenarian, soon to be a nonagenarian, playing the tenor saxophone and the flute. Usually, when you attend a concert by a musician of that age, you find yourself reflecting on his glorious past, since you’re standing before a living legend—or at the very least, a respected artist. Usually, the image you have of him far outweighs the actual quality of his performance. That’s what I expected from Charles Lloyd on Saturday night. And I was wrong.

At 88, the American musician would normally have seen his skills seriously decline. His sound would have grown thinner, his articulation noticeably less precise than it once was, and his ideas less sharp, prone to repetition. Surprisingly, Charles Lloyd manages to defy the predictions and the prejudice of ageism. Of course, he’s not at the level he once was, but he admirably succeeds in performing superb improvised music without revealing anything that might suggest his own decline or even his impending demise.

With his back barely hunched, Charles Lloyd remains standing for a long time; he looks 20 years younger as he paces, observes, listens, and plays. The consistently rich, rounded tone of his tenor sax is punctuated by sparkles that give it a unique texture, especially in the slow sections of his performances. His phrasing is still there on the saxophone, just as it is on the flute, from which he still draws a decent sound.

On slow or medium tempos, a long life comes to expression here with the sure touch we’ve come to expect from this legendary jazz hippie, accompanied on Saturday by James Francies on piano, Harish Raghavan on double bass, and Kwebu Sumbry on drums. My only reservation is Francies’ extremely powerful style, which is somewhat reminiscent of McCoy Tyner, whereas the pianists recently associated with Charles Lloyd—Jason Moran and Gerald Clayton—seem to me to be a better fit for their venerable employer’s Zen-like and contemplative approach.

Still, it was beautiful overall, especially given the youthful vigour of a musician we were there to admire without expecting anything spectacular from him. Against all odds, it was larger than life.

Publicité panam
microtonal / prog / Rock

FIJM 2026 | The polka dot alien Québécois craze has landed

by Vitta Morales

The polka dot alien Québécois craze has landed, ladies and gentleman. Your average festival goer and casual listener will doubtless hear the name Angine de Poitrine increasingly uttered as their career trajectory, as well as their mothership, continues its stratospheric rise.

Prog-esq math rock, which has historically skewed male, (and at its worst snobbishly suspicious of outsiders), now has a mainstream poster child in Quebec and perhaps the world at large. A bold claim, but I estimate their mass appeal was evidenced by the sheer number of those anticipating their performance; an absolutely enormous sardine-like crowd had formed in front of the TD stage a full two hours before they were set to play. I had heard rumours that some dedicated fans waited the entire day in order to secure a good spot, and therefore sat through every other performance scheduled at the same stage on the day in question.

And when Angine would finally perform, I heard some estimates placing the total number of those in attendance at one-hundred thousand. I honestly could not see the end of the crowd from my vantage but am told it continued all the way to boulevard René-Lévesque. As I looked upon it, I saw men, women, and children of various ages, with many donning the same polkadot tops and face paint as their microtonal heroes. What’s more, modified Quebec flags waved in the night; a flash of strobe betrayed their gold fleur de lys and black and white polka dots. An indication of what a large cultural jewel this alien duo from Saguenay has become in very short order.

The music was heavy as expected. During most songs, Khn de Poitrine layered three looped guitar parts and one bass part creating a foundation for his solos and for Klek de Poitrine to play his drums linearly matching the rhythm of the melodic lines note for note before ramping up the intensity with a loud groove. This seems to be Angine’s winning formula logistically as the duo is able to be hard hitting without relying on other aliens or humans for assistance. Many microtonal riffs would be familiar to those who gobbled up the band’s recorded music, and the requisite bobbing up and down together with triangular symbols made their appearances. It was a powerful thing indeed to witness thousands of people putting their hands together to form a triangle and raising it above their head when prompted by the band while bobbing to odd metered tunes.

Truly, the entire night, from the technical prowess of the players, the loudness, and the enthusiasm of the crowd, had one going “hell yeah, brother!” during the entire show; and after seventy-five minutes or so, one-hundred thousand people dispersed suddenly snapping back to their non polka dot alien realities. They will doubtless remember where they were on the night, however. Cries of “Olé, olé, olé” rang out after the final chord; a chant normally reserved for the city’s iconic sports teams and Fête National was now being used to honor Angine de Poitrine. Safe to say the province full heartedly embraces their homegrown alien sons.

Photo credit: Benoît Rousseau

Publicité panam

Jazz-Funk

FIJM 2026 | MA:Q, a Healthy Dose of Vancouver Jazz Groove

by Michel Labrecque

The Molson Pub, located on Place Tranquille, is the place where true FIJM jazz fans gather for the free shows. Here, you won’t find any blues, folk, or “world” music. Instead, you’ll find jazz in all its forms.

It’s a nice spot: near the stage, it’s covered. Further away, there are places to sit. You can also play pétanque or ping pong. But the audience is there first and foremost to discover lesser-known sounds and get a feel for jazz. And it’s often really thought-provoking!

This Thursday, June 25, we were treated to a Vancouver-based quartet led by Filipino-Canadian keyboardist Mary Ancheta. The group’s name: MA:Q. The lineup included Dominic Conway on saxophone, Matt Reid on electric bass, and Paul Clark on drums, in addition to the pianist and arranger.

The quartet has just released its debut album, When The Light Comes To Play. It makes no secret of its influences from Weather Report, McCoy Tyner, and even David Byrne. The result is a funky or fusion jazz sound that’s very pleasing to our ears.

On stage, the band sounds funkier than on their albums. Drummer Paul Clarke pounds away at his drums. Matt Reid’s thumping bass is ever-present.

For their part, saxophonist Dominic Conway and pianist/keyboardist Mary Ancheta treated us to some truly inspired solos. This group isn’t reinventing jazz, but they gave us a performance that was a real pleasure to listen to. It will be interesting to see what they do in the coming years.

A fun anecdote: a rapper, whom the band had run into an hour earlier, was invited to perform a song with the quartet. Apparently, they do this at every concert whenever possible.

We know that Montreal has a very vibrant jazz scene, but Vancouver’s isn’t half bad either. MA:Q is a prime example.

Photo Credi: Victor Diaz Lamich

Publicité panam
Modern Jazz

FIJM 2026 | Cécile Mc-Lorin Salvant Wins the Ella Fitzgerald Award During a Thrilling Concert!

by Michel Labrecque

This Friday, June 26, was no ordinary day for Cécile Mc Lorin Salvant, the American-French-Haitian singer who grew up in Miami. Her brand-new album, titled With Every Breath I Take, was released on the same day. And here’s the bonus: she didn’t know it at the start of the evening, but the International Jazz Festival was going to present her with the Ella Fitzgerald Award, which honors a singer who has distinguished themselves on the international stage.

Incidentally, the concert opened with the title track from the new album. However, while the album was recorded with the Metropol Orchestra under the direction of conductor Jules Buckley, we were treated to a more intimate version. Right from the start, the trio accompanying Cécile—pianist and keyboardist Sullivan Fortner, double bassist Yashushi Nakamura, and drummer Kyle Poole—demonstrated their great skill and extraordinary musical sensitivity.

Ms. McLorin Salvant immediately set the mood, showcasing her mind-blowing vocal range, yet always with subtlety and restraint. At times, her voice bursts forth, but never excessively. Immediately afterward, she returns to calm, to a whisper. Above all, she displays consummate eclecticism and a most contagious curiosity.

After that first stop, we already felt like we were on our way to paradise. And off we went! It was a journey full of wonders and surprises.

After that musical number, we were treated to a track from Oh Snap, his most experimental album, featuring plenty of synthesizers and electronic drums. Then we were transported into the world of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, the famous German creators of The Threepenny Opera from the 1930s. Next came an unrecognizable version of “Until,” a Sting song lost amid the feverish improvisation of his highly versatile trio.

Since the beginning of the concert, she had spoken to the audience only in English. Just when I was beginning to think she was in denial about her French-speaking roots, she switched to French to perform three songs in a row in our language. A piece of early music, which she learned at the Aix-en-Provence Conservatory, showcased her classical vocal skills, with subtle jazz-inspired touches. A wild rendition of Charles Trenet’s “La route enchantée,” featuring synthesizers and vocal flourishes. Finally, a masterful performance of Jacques Brel’s “Ne me quitte pas.”

Cécile McLorin Salvant wrapped up her performance with a medley that began with the song “Oh Snap” (2025) and ended with “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer, the queen of disco.

We had arrived at our destination: musical paradise. Then came the presentation of the Ella Fitzgerald Award, and we were treated to three encores, the most surprising of which was “a song my parents made me sing when I was a child, but one I’ve come to love,” Cécile told us.

She sang “Stone” from *Starmania*. What a surprise!

This free-spirited and daring woman never ceases to surprise us. Did you know she also sings in Spanish? We’ll save that for next time. Until then, check out her extensive discography, including her brand-new album, With Every Breath I Take.

Crédit photo: Victor Diaz Lamich

Publicité panam
musique de chambre / Neoclassical / Post-Minimalist / prog

FIJM 2026 | Flore Laurentienne, The Ultimate Honour

by Alain Brunet

On Friday, June 26, Flore Laurentienne reached its full maturity in a packed Maison symphonique. The ensemble led by composer and conductor Mathieu David Gagnon deserves our utmost respect and admiration, as its approach stands out from everything else on the neoclassical scene. This brilliant orchestra—whose aesthetic could be described as “chamber prog”—must now be considered a flagship of Quebec culture; its international visibility is at an all-time high!

Normally, I’m not particularly fond of purely tonal instrumental works composed in our time—that is, those that exclude dodecaphonism and other compositional systems that differ from the traditions of Romanticism and early 20th-century modern music.

Mathieu David Gagnon does not belong to the contemporary school; his signature lies elsewhere: in instrumentation and sound rather than in harmonies and melodies. He combines the strings (violins, viola, cello, harp, etc.) and percussion of his ensemble with various analog keyboards to create a truly unique textural effect. What’s more, the OSM’s stage-sized organ proves to be a substantial addition to the performance.

Thus, this brilliant textural innovation gives Mathieu David Gagnon’s compositions a truly unique character, at the intersection of prog, neoclassicism, and post-minimalism.

In the fortissimos, this harmonic power becomes simply dazzling! How can one not be swept away by such dramatic crescendos, which are at once profound and seemingly simple?

Ever since Fleuve 1—an iconic piece by Flore Laurentienne released in 2019 and performed on Friday to close the program—this “soundscape” has gained momentum; these surges in intensity were also evident in several tracks from the album released this spring, the excellent Volume III—which made up the first half of the concert, followed by Flore Laurentienne’s “big hits,” as described by their composer, impassively and deadpan.

There’s no need to conclude that this exceptionally talented musician from Quebec has carved out a unique path in the world of instrumental music; let’s just predict that this work will circle this small planet many times over… a planet that so desperately needs these healing vibrations.

Photo Credit: Frédérique Ménard-Aubin

Publicité panam
Alternative / Folk Rock

FIJM 2026 I The Barr Brothers say ‘thank you’ to Montreal

by Stephan Boissonneault

The Scène TD was packed to the edges of the plaza, the crowd that forms when a band has been away long enough for the reunion to feel like more of a celestial event. It’s been eight years since The Barr Brothers released a full-length album — eight years in which life pulled them in new directions, personally and professionally. Then they released Let It Hiss, an electrified comeback, a ‘thank you’ to all of Montreal late last year. You could feel all of that weight in the air, and then Brad Barr opened his mouth, and it all dissolved in smoke.

I arrived during The Barr Brothers’ fourth song in their set, “Naturally,” featuring Leif Vollebekk slaying on the axe alongside Brad Barr. The band had a string section, harp, bass, drums, and Brad switching between a legion of guitars. A row of incandescent bulbs hung from the sky over the band.

Next was “Moonbeam,” another track from the Let It Hiss comeback, and none other than Klô Pelgag herself came out to duet it with Brad, while he played keyboard. “Let It Hiss” itself — the title track — landed with a different quality at full volume, Brad’s guitar gone full garage-snarl, Andrew’s drum groove moving your whole body. The title track is built on a gritty R&B foundation and driven by slinky guitar work and infectious grooves, propelled by an energetic rhythm section. It’s an infectious track live. We then get “Baseball” as Brad rips some slide guitar on an ancient Gibson acoustic and Andrew leads the rhythmic shuffle. A Technicolour baseball game is on screen, adding to the surrealism. The tricks don’t stop, as the brothers sing “Burn Card,” utilizing a red string draped over Brad’s guitar (to make it sound like a violin) and the sweet duo voices of the Barr Brothers. I always knew Andrew could sing, but my god, his voice is much more beautiful up close.

The last song of the night was an old one, “Beggar in the Morning” from the Barr Brothers’ debut back in 2011. Brad’s son, who can’t be more than eight years old, came and sang backup while jamming on some maracas. It was a family afair, and for that hour and a half, we and all of Montreal were Barr Brothers.

Photos by Victoria Diaz Lamich

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