POP Montréal | Yves Jarvis, The Power Trio Chapter

Since he moved to Montreal a decade ago, I’ve been assiduously studying the work of Jean Sébastien Yves Audet under his aliases: Faux Fur, Un Blonde, and finally Yves Jarvis, for quite some time now.

The Anti- label even saw it in its soup, and we believed it would propel us into the first division. We’re still waiting, and yet the interest is still there.

Yves Jarvis and his predecessors have explored many musical territories, and they continue to do so.

On Friday at Casa del Popolo, we were packed in like pickles to enjoy Jarvis’ trip through the Hendrixian power trio, sometimes inclined towards Joni Mitchell harmonies, then roots reggae and more, as you’d expect. Blues, rock, funk, folk, reggae, jazz, and a picture of John Coltrane on his chest. Nothing to test this ever-young man, so gifted, so free.

Yves Jarvis may use familiar references, but he’s anything but a clone of a pop-rock classic.

This Friday, we saw and heard that the man has matured enormously, occupying space with such resources and taking so much time to tune his guitars.

Excellent guitar riff, excellent soloist, gifted singer, accompanied by bass and drums. Solid across the board, the power trio episode is thrilling and illustrates once again the total freedom of thought expressed by Yves Jarvis. As the embodiment of anti-strategy, will Yves Jarvis be able to keep on taking the back roads for much longer, and keep his character alive? Only time will tell.