alt-rock / Blues / expérimental / contemporain / Jazz

Anti Jazz Police festival – Day 4

by Frédéric Cardin

Since everything, even the best, must come to an end, the fourth and final evening of the Montreal Anti Jazz Police Festival at Ursa took place yesterday in an atmosphere of complete satisfaction. The small venue on Avenue du Parc was packed to the rafters with a colourful, happy, attentive, multilingual and warm audience. Totally Mile-End-ian.

Listen to my interview (in French) with Martha Wainwright about the Montreal Anti-Jazz Police Festival

This final session of musical bliss began with the Martian dreams of harpist Sarah Pagé, who presented material that will feature on her forthcoming album Utopia Planitia. The great plain recently visited by a NASA rover served as levitating inspiration for the evocation of strange landscapes, to which layers of arpeggios and ethereal echoes added a touch of more earthly colour. Saxophonist Charlotte Greve followed, and she too won us over with her symbolic, spiritually-inflected minimalism, on which she deploys some beautiful, floating and inspiring vocal lines. Greve’s tenor expresses itself with a beautiful roundness that reminds us of Garbarek at ECM. Somewhere in the ⅔ of the performance, the rhythm was activated to give a more pop finish to the whole, to which the excellent Sarah Rossy has come to add her own touch of vocalism. An impeccable dynamic and stylistic progression that set the table for the second act of the evening.

The latter took the shape and sound of Oren Bloedown, singer, guitarist and bassist from New York, known for Elysian Fields, but also with the Lounge Lizards, Bruce Springsteen, Meshell Ndegeocello… The guy knows the Ursa genre quite well: he owns and skilfully manages The Owl Music Parlor, a great little place that supports good local music in Brooklyn. Bloedown does jazz with a rock, pop, blues and R’n’B twist, or vice-versa. Effective riffs and an engaging music mastered by his friends of the moment, Rémi-Jean Leblanc on bass and Samuel Joly on drums, superb. Martha, always there, came to give us her usual song… Wait, no: two! What an honour, but this was the final, so a little give away bonus is understandable. Joel Zifkin on violin and then Charlotte Greve added a not inconsiderable layer of complementary colours. The feeling was great, and the evening was only half over.

Martha Wainwright – Photo : Pierre Langlois

The penultimate set of this eventful conclusion was held by Unessential Oils, the latest incarnation of Warren Spicer (Plants and Animal). He was joined by Tommy Crane, Sergio D’Isanto and Claire Devlin, among others. Unessential Oils is nothing but feel-good groove, dynamic but not rushed, with a sunny character and a beautiful fullness of sound, and enwrapping emotions. Devlin’s lyrical, choral-like sax lines are like flights of fancy that carry us along with them. What we heard will be available on the band’s eponymous debut album, on sale on 24 May. Reserve your copy now!

The grand finale of the Montreal Anti-Jazz Police Festival seems to have been designed for the ‘Jazz Police’ of fame, the snobs and purists to whom few flowers have been thrown in these four days of very, very broad music, heart and style. The Nashville duo Concurrence, made up of Paul Horton on piano (Alabama Shakes) and Greg Bryant on bass (with the addition of Tommy Crane on drums) gave us the most ‘authentically’ jazz set of the whole festival. And what a great hour it was! A very high level of improvisation, mutual listening, rhythmic versatility and technical quality. Original compositions tinged with social commentary and a few well-launched standards/homages like Bird’s Now’s the Time, completely and brilliantly reinvented.

A perfect finish that will perpetuate in the minds of music lovers the image of an event of the highest quality, despite its good-natured and somewhat spontaneous side, which, in truth, is exactly the reason for its success. Montreal DIY in all its splendour and honesty, even its occasional mistakes. Everyone present, a panorama of the city’s beauty and diversity, felt the festival’s friendly, family-like atmosphere. Well done!

No promises have been made about a potential second edition. We certainly hope there will be one. But, just in case, we’ll hold on to these superb memories.

Thank you Martha, thank you Tommy Crane, thank you Ursa team and thank you to the large and enthusiastic audience. Mission accomplished.

The crowd at Ursa – Photo : Pierre Langlois

Avant-Garde / Avant-Rock / Contemporary Jazz / Experimental / Contemporary / Free Improvisation / Indie Rock / Jazz / Post-Rock

Montreal Anti Jazz Police Festival – Day 3

by Frédéric Cardin

Yesterday was the third day of the Anti Jazz Police Festival at Ursa here in Montreal. We came away less satisfied than the previous evenings, not so much for reasons of musical quality, but rather of overall coherence and preparation, due to unforeseen absences. I’ll come back to that later. That said, it was not without its moments of ecstasy, thank you.

Listen to the interview I did (in French) with Martha Wainwright about the Montreal Anti-Jazz Police Festival

It was the artistic excellence of Montreal bassist Rémi-Jean Leblanc that launched this third opus from the new festival. Leblanc, in top form and supported by Jonathan Cayer on keyboards, Nicolas Perron on guitar and Kevin Warren on drums, took us on a journey of sound adventures with a rock bent, both prog and post in certain rhythmic-harmonic details, or McLaughlin-style fusion elsewhere. Also invited to the stylistic party were a few funk wiggles and even a brief extravagance that I felt was a nod to punk. On top of all that, Erika Angell, masterful, allowed herself a series of vocal outbursts as she knows how to propel them, at once modern, astonishing and lyrical. It was a good start, in front of a more sparse audience than on previous evenings. A pity, because RJ Leblanc is one of the great musicians of his generation.

The second act of Day 3 showed us the surprising experimental tendencies of Liam O’Neil (Suuns) on drums (and other percussion). He was replacing at the last minute Parker Shper (sick?) That explains why the set was so very short, but not why it started somewhere around the same time as the soundcheck ended. As the boundary between the two proved non-existent, and above all very imprecise, the performance was perhaps already half over when we realised he was playing for real! Felt weird, but hey, good cover up anyway. Besides, O’Neil creates new colours by tapping his tools in all sorts of ways, and even dares to do so with a microphone, thanks to which he collects the resonances induced to create feedback that he transforms live into so many new colours and atmospheres. Avant-garde at the highest level.

This was followed in the same second act by the Montreal quartet Bellbird, who play modern jazz/free jazz/scholarly contemporary music/American minimalism. I couldn’t wait to hear them live. Unfortunately, it was a trio that turned up, as (spectacular) saxophonist Allison Burik was home sick. Another absence. It happens, of course, and we don’t blame them (neither do we the Festival, of course), but the result, while excellent, didn’t reach the high polyphonic levels found elsewhere, and also on their album Root in Tandem, released in 2023 (read my review HERE). But hats off to Claire (Devlin) on tenor sax, Eli (Davidovici) on double bass and Mili (Hong) on drums, for pulling out all the stops and giving us a quality set that would be the envy, albeit diminished, of any other band.

Simon Angell at Ursa – photo : Pierre Langlois

The third act was reserved for a duo we’d been hoping for for a long time: Simon Angell on guitar (and lots of electronic tampering) and Tommy Crane on drums. We’d been promised guests, and after a fine duet of atonal mischief, contemplative abstractions and bursts of rhythmic energy, Greg Bryant from Concurrence (performing tonight on Day 4) took to the stage with his purring bass. Suddenly, the whole set was spiced up. Then the other guy from Concurence, pianist Paul Horton, came in to add a layer. He’s a good pianist, yes, but he also plays the melodica at the same time! Wow. It’s a solid performance, and the room is lifted by a lightning energy and doped by an explosive adrenalin boost. But wait, that wasn’t the end of it: as if out of the blue, saxophonist David Binney and singer Sarah Rossy turn this four-piece trip into an ecstatic six-piece sound orgy. It doesn’t last long enough, but we’re well fed up all the same.

It was an uneven evening, to be sure, but one that ended with great satisfaction. If the important thing is to get off to a good start and finish well, Day 3 has proved that the Anti Jazz Police festival is very good at getting its priorities right.

See you tonight for the final.

DETAILS, PROGRAMME AND TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE FESTIVAL WEBSITE

Alt Folk / Alt-Pop / Contemporary / Contemporary Jazz / Dream Pop / Experimental Folk / Indie Folk / Indie Rock / Jazz / Post-Rock

Montreal Anti Jazz Police Festival – Day 2

by Frédéric Cardin

Day two (or rather, evening) of Montreal’s newest music festival, and almost the same result. Once again, three well-crafted and complementary acts follow on from one another at the Ursa music club on Avenue du Parc.

Listen to my interview (in French) with Martha Wainwright about the Montreal Anti-Jazz Police Festival

Martha Wainwright sings an intro song before giving way to the soothing, gentle, melodic folk-pop of harpist/vocalist Émilie Kahn (ex Emilie & Ogden), in duet with Thanya Iyer on pastel synth sounds (a Yamaha’s Reface CS for the techno-curious). We’re settling in quietly to keep us going until past midnight. If we want to! After all, you can arrive and leave whenever you like. Then came Ivy Boxall’s quintet (Christopher Edmonson for real), playing keyboard and sax. Piano, bass/guitar, trumpet and drums are combined in an expansive, epic sound panorama interspersed with calmer, atmospheric pauses. In terms of musical technique, it’s very good. The ensemble clearly has excellent potential, and can build something solid. That said, I have to give a bad mark for the stage attitude of the leader, who rarely seemed satisfied with what he was doing and cut short certain ideas by announcing that the product “isn’t ready yet”, and that it’s a “work in progress”. Unease. If you’re not ready, my friend, you need to rethink your working methods. Music lovers didn’t buy tickets to come and see a rehearsal (unless it was advertised as such!). Or get on with it, improvise a proper finish and don’t spend your set sulking and making us feel it. We call that professionalism. But, I repeat, the potential is great and only needs to be better presented.

The second act begins with New Yorker Claire Dickson, whose dream-pop is steeped in strangeness and seasoned with experimental alt-folk. Claire sings with a beautiful voice, the full range of which you can only guess at as she generally uses it in sighing, sussing and whispering lines, which she is quick to manipulate, stretch and butcher in all sorts of ways thanks to her digital lutherie. A few minor problems with the logistics of her equipment made my friend Monique Savoie (from SAT), who was present and knows a thing or two about this field, cringe. Personally, I rather liked the result. The other artist on the programme for this 8.30pm set was Sarah Rossy. Sarah sang a duet with Eugénie Jobin the day before, and it was superb. This time, all the attention was on her (and her musicians, who were all excellent), and it’s easy to see why she’s considered one of the rising stars of the alt/indie scene. The young Montrealer packs an emotional punch thanks to a versatile and malleable voice, as well as being beautiful and tonally assured. But it’s how she uses it, and the music that supports it, that really impress. Her compositions take us back to aesthetic sources as rich as Zappa, Radiohead, Björk and maybe even (did I dream?) Prince, occasionally. I’m just mentioning names to give you an idea, but Sarah Rossy is much more than that. She has a strong musical personality, and a beautiful psychological transparency that gives her an irresistible charm on stage. Her rise has only just begun, believe me.

This second day of festivities concludes with the third act, at 11pm, performed by the Little Animal quartet (pedal steel, bass, drums, trumpet). Sensory power, slow but irrevocable musical constructions and epic cathartic climaxes make us hesitate to describe them: Post-Rock with Jazz colours or Jazz with Post-Rock accents? Whatever, it’s pretty trippy and contemporary, the way Bad Plus is, but in a visceral Montreal spirit. I said quartet, but yesterday it was a quintet, because alongside Tommy (Crane), Joe (Grass), Morgan (Moore) and Lex (French), we were lucky enough to find David (Binney) on sax, who added his touch of swirling flamboyance to this already pretty strong ensemble. Binney is spending the week in Montreal, both for the festival and for the launch of his album In The Arms Of Light (read my review HERE), which takes place at the O Patro Vys bar on Saturday 30 March.

See you on Day 3, Thursday (what? That’s already today!). On the programme: Rémi-Jean Leblanc at 5.30pm, Bellbird and Parker Shper at 8.30pm, then Tommy Crane and Simon Angell with guests (surprises). And as always, the incomparable ambience of Ursa, a Martha’s song, and her home cooking made with love.

See you later.

DETAILS, PROGRAMME AND TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE FESTIVAL WEBSITE

Alt Folk / Ambient / Americana / Avant Folk / Contemporary / Experimental / Contemporary / Folk / Free Jazz / indie / Indie Folk / Jazz

Montreal Anti-Jazz Police Festival at URSA – Day 1

by Frédéric Cardin

We were promised a festival without blinkers, free from the uptight purism of the ‘Jazz Police’ (the snobs of the genre). A promise made, a promise kept. The first night of the inaugural edition of the new jazz festival founded by Martha Wainwright, with the invaluable help of drummer Tommy Crane and the entire Ursa team, is sure to be a success that will make music lovers happy and confident.

Listen to my interview (in French) with Martha Wainwright about the Montreal Anti-Jazz Police Festival

The evening, like all the others to come at the festival, is divided into three acts. The first concert takes place at around 5.30pm (approx, because we’re all about the fluidity of experience here. No stopwatch…), the second at around 8.30pm, and the third at 11pm. Three acts, then, and three dissimilar universes, only the second of which can be linked fairly directly to the world of jazz.

It all kicks off with Montreal’s Edwin de Goeij, who gets the festivities off to a gentle start with a soaring instrumental sound supported by a combination of lo-fi (background music generated by a 4-track cassette, as they used to say in the old days) and hi-fi with modern synthetic equipment. A cosmic keyboard floats above it all. It’s a neo-kitsch ambience, with no big surprises, but a very pleasant one. After this chill intro, Erika Angell introduces herself and reprises some of what she gave us at the launch of her album The Obsession with Her Voice at Ausgang Plaza two weeks ago. Against de Goeij’s rather placid interstellar cloud, Erika’s music is a fascinating extra-dimensional nebula of sound. The originality perceived on listening to the album and the launch show is confirmed beyond any doubt. Here is a proposal of ferociously new and impressive artistic uniqueness and audacity that deserves to make the rounds of the world of the most advanced indie music of our time.

When the break comes, we order tacos made and served by Martha Wainwright herself! If you want to live the experience, you’ve got three nights left! The second concert is by Californian saxophonist David Binney, a musical UFO who can combine avant-garde dazzle with Musakian levitation or tight post-bop. After an intro with Martha on guitar (she’s promised to sing one of her songs every night, so be there for the next ones), Binney sets off in a muscular quartet, accompanied by a double bass (Morgan Moore, an amazing virtuoso) and two… drumsets! Yes, TWO drumsets, one held by Tommy Crane and the other by Andrew Barr. The groove, which is totally acoustic but packs a punch of power and square decibels, is simply thrilling. You’re swept off your feet by the sheer force of the sound, and Biney’s free-flowing, stratospheric flights are as exciting as they come. A few calmer pauses balanced out a memorable show (split into two sets) that will live long in the memory. OMG, that was some seriously good shit!

11pm arrives and we’re ready to continue the adventure, although our tushes are a little grumpy (the benches and chairs are a little ‘hard’ for such long sessions, the only downside to this excellent first impression). This time, we’re back to less exalted feelings, with a surprising trio: two beautiful voices (Sarah Rossy and Eugénie Jobim) and drums/percussion (Aaron Dolman). We find ourselves immersed in a post/avant-folk with ghostly softness and unexpected melodic lines, at times almost atonal. You could almost imagine the Boulay Sisters (famous Quebec folk singers) singing Schoenberg! The choice was well thought out, for this first evening ends in calm, serenity and intellectual and emotional nourishment that satiate us, just enough to look forward to the second evening.

I’m talking about a qualitative success here, but it’s also worth noting the quantitative success of this first evening of the brand new festival. The hall was full, from quite so to packed tight, for every concert! That’s very encouraging.

DETAILS, PROGRAMME AND TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE FESTIVAL WEBSITE

Folk / Indie Pop

POP Montréal : Becca Mancari, His His, Ellen Froese et l i l a

by Rédaction PAN M 360

l i l a est une artiste multidisciplinaire de Québec Cité. Son oeuvre étant inspirée principalement par la vie, la mort, le chagrin et la lumière, on retrouvera le son de sa musique quelque part entre le dark folk, l’indie, le dream pop et l’ambiant. Secrets bien gardés, ses performances et sa voix font écho dans chaque esprit/corps qu’elles traversent et s’espèrent être réconfort même dans les temps les plus noirs. nAprès la sortie de quatre EP (depuis 2018), l i l a travaille actuellement sur un tout premier album complet.

l i l a is a multidisciplinary artist from Quebec City. Her work is inspired mainly by life, death, grief and light, and the sound of her music can be found somewhere between dark folk, indie, dream pop and ambient. Well-kept secrets, her performances and voice echo in every mind/body they cross, and hope to be comforting even in the darkest of times. nAfter releasing four EPs (since 2018), l i l a is currently working on a first-ever full-length album.

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Ce contenu provient de POP Montréal et est adapté par PAN M 360.

Dream Pop / Neo-Yéyé

POP Montréal : Good Fortune, Laraw, Luella et Julia Finnegan

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Good Fortune est le projet de l’autrice-compositrice, musicienne et artiste visuelle torontoise Kelsey McNulty. Avec une affection autant pour la pop française des années ‘60 de Françoise Hardy et Serge Gainsbourg, que pour celle de Broadcast et Air, McNulty dépose ses mélodies intimes et sensuelles – en anglais et en français – sur des couches de claviers éthérés et de guitares surf bien assumées, le tout ancré par une solide section rythmique.

Good Fortune, the brainchild of Toronto/Kingston musician, songwriter and animator Kelsey McNulty, creates a cinematic collage of sound both new and old. With an affection for the ‘60s French pop of Francoise Hardy and Serge Gainsbourg, to space pop revivalists like Broadcast and Air – She delivers her intimate vocals stylings (in both English and French) over intentional layers of dreamy synth, surf guitar, and an airtight rhythm section.

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Ce contenu provient de POP Montréal et est adapté par PAN M 360.

Alt-Pop / Folk / Jazz

POP Montréal : Housewife, Boyhood, Lilian Blue Markin et KT Laine

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Basée à Toronto, Fry aime décrire Housewife comme un projet composé de tous ceux qui collaborent avec elle – dans les studios d’enregistrement de Nashville, Los Angeles et New York, ou en tournée partout en Amérique du Nord. Plus récemment, Fry s’est rendu à Nashville pour écrire et enregistrer ces chansons et d’autres avec des piliers de l’industrie musicale comme le producteur et multi-instrumentiste Gabe Simon (Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, Anderson .Paak), l’interprète et producteur Mikky Ekko (Rihanna, Vince Staples, Diplo) et l’artiste indie pop Young Summer.

Based in Toronto, Fry likes to describe Housewife as a project comprised of anyone who collaborates with her — in Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York City-based recording studios, or on tour everywhere across North America. Mostly recently Fry traveled to Nashville to write and record these songs and others with music industry mainstays like producer and multi-instrumentalist Gabe Simon (Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, Anderson .Paak), performer and producer Mikky Ekko (Rihanna, Vince Staples, Diplo), and indie pop artist Young Summer.

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Ce contenu provient de POP Montréal et est adapté par PAN M 360.

Experimental / Contemporary / Folk / Pop

POP Montréal : Thanya Iyer, Daniel Isaiah et Nicomo

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Thanya Iyer; auteure-compositrice-interprète et groupe énigmatique au son effervescent avec des accents expérimentaux et pop. Apres leur Polaris longue-liste, sophomore, deuxième album visuel, Kind, Ils ont récemment sorti leur nouveau EP, rest, chrysalide à l’été 2022.

hanya Iyer is an enigmatic songwriter and band who crafts sparkling experimental pop music. After their 2020 Polaris long-listed, sophomore visual album “Kind”, they recently released their new EP, rest in the summer of 2022 (Released on Topshelf Records).n

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Ce contenu provient de POP Montréal et est adapté par PAN M 360.

Experimental / Contemporary / musique contemporaine

M pour Montréal présente Sarah Pagé

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Pour résumer la carrière de la harpiste montréalaise Sarah Pagé, il faudrait dessiner de longues constellations à travers les genres, les frontières et les histoires. Bien qu’elle soit peut-être mieux connue en tant que membre fondatrice et de longue date du groupe The Barr Brothers, un bref survol de son curriculum vitae révèle qu’elle est aussi à l’aise dans les traditions qu’en dehors. Son premier album solo, Dose Curves, confirme cette polyvalence et révèle Pagé comme une des expérimentatrices les plus accomplies du Canada.

To encapsulate the career of Montreal-based harpist Sarah Pagé, one would have to draw long, constellation-like shapes across genres, borders and histories. While perhaps best known as a founding and longtime member of roots rockers The Barr Brothers, a brief consideration of her resume reveals the fact that she’s equally at home within traditions as without them. Her first solo LP, Dose Curves, affirms this versatility and reveals Pagé as one of Canada’s most accomplished experimentalists.

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Ce contenu provient de M pour Montréal et de Sarah Pagé et est adapté par PAN M 360.

Indie Pop / Pop / R&B

POP Montréal présente Patrick Holland, Poolblood, Wild Black et Bells Larsen

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Le musicien et producteur montréalais Patrick Holland est principalement connu pour ses sorties électroniques sous des pseudonymes tels que Project Pablo et Jump Source. Pour accompagner sa première incursion complète dans l’indie pop à la guitare – You’re The Boss – vient un groupe de 3 musiciens.

Montreal based musician & producer Patrick Holland is primarily known for his electronic releases under aliases such as Project Pablo and Jump Source. To accompany his first full length foray into guitar-driven indie pop – You’re The Boss – comes a live 3 piece band.

Le premier EP de Poolblood, Yummy, a été produit par Shamir (auteur-compositeur acclamé par la critique, avec XL Recordings et Father/Daughter Records) et est sorti sous le label américain Accidental Popstar Records. Yummy a reçu des éloges de Jezebel, Flood Magazine, Clash et plus encore.

Poolblood’s debut EP Yummy was produced by Shamir (critically acclaimed songwriter, XL Recordings and Father/Daughter Records) and released on Shamir’s USA label Accidental Popstar Records. Yummy received praise from Jezebel, Flood Magazine, Clash and more.

Un mélange d’influences disco, pop, rock, R ‘n B et de la musique de danse des années 80 et 90 : Wild Black offre une fusion de sons nostalgiques et fluides. Ses prestations réunissent des éléments électroniques et organiques pour créer un paysage sonore à la fois rêveur et entraînant qui emportera facilement votre corps vers la piste de danse.

Wild Black blends influences of disco, 80’s and 90’s dance, pop, rock, and rnb into her nostalgic and genre fluid sound. Her captivating live show combines electronic elements with live instrumentation to create a dreamy yet upbeat, infectious soundscape, luring your body straight to the dance floor.

Bells Larsen (they/he/il) est un auteur-compositeur-interprète habitant à Montréal. Par ses chansons, il sait tisser des paroles cathartiques à des mélodies mémorables, faisant lumière sur la singularité des expériences universelles. La sortie de son premier album, enregistré avec du soutien du Conseils des Arts du Canada, est prévue pour cet automne. Cette musique explorera le deuil de l’amour queer.

Bells Larsen (they/he/il) is a Montreal-based singer/songwriter. Larsen’s songs weave together deeply cathartic lyrics and memorable melodies, distilling the personal within the universal. In the fall, Larsen will release their debut record, which was made possible with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. This music explores the theme of queer loss in its many guises.

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Ce contenu provient de POP Montréal et est adapté par PAN M 360.