Concerts comments of the 33rd FIJM!
Richard Galliano - Thursday, June 28
Vic Vogel - Friday, June 29
Colin Stetson - Friday, June 29
Grégoire Maret - Saturday, June 30
Dr. Lonnie Smith - Sunday, July 1st
Get the Blessing - Sunday, July 1st
Colin Vallon - Wednesday, July 4th
Médéric Collignon - Thursday, July 5th
Tom Harrel - Friday, July 6th
Neil Cowley - Friday, July 6th
Tord Gustavsen - Wednesday, July 4th to Saturday, July 7th
Please visit our interviews section at FIJM Interviews
Pianist Tord Gustavsen, stripping down to the basics (Gesù July 4, 5, 6 & 7)
At the Gesù, the mood is uplifting and quasi-spiritual. From the very first subdued notes - that you can hardly hear - the space is very silent. Because whichever group pianist Tord Gustavsen presents, any heavy breathing from the audience troubles the serene ambiance the pianist instills the moment he touches the keys.
Either in quartet, with drummer Jarle Vespetad, bassist Mats Eilertsen & saxophonist Tore Brunborg, or in duo with singer Solveig Slettahjell, Gustavsen has found the ideal musicians to recreate the space of his unique musical vision. Leaning forward, curved back, head deep in between the shoulders, dressed all in black, he's like the extension of the piano.
I admit being spellbound at his solo concert, letting myself get absorbed by the quintessence of his soundscape, slow, spacy, fragile. I daydream and my mind wonders to a window on a rainy day, in the meditative space of another world.
Getting back to the reality of a noisy city after a Tord Gustavsen is quite a shock. He is the embodiement of sublety, sobriety, a very stripped-down, yet beautiful jazz.
by Chrystelle Maechler
Translated by Claude Thibault
To see a clip of Tord Gustaven in duo with singer Solveig Slettahjell, click here
Tord Gustavsen
Série Invitation series
Neil Cowley Trio, bring them back to à Montréal! (L'Astral, July 6th)
Caution! this music has possibly been in contact with pop, rock and other elements that'll shake you up.
Well served by bassist Rex Horan and Evan Jenkins on the drums, pianist Neil Cowley brought the house down at L’Astral ! The three exhuberant mates were having a lot of fun surprising the crowd with astutely placed breaks and punches and strong pulsating rhythms. In a thunderous groove, bursts of rock, pop and hints of classical, Neil Cowley goes behond conventions and lays downa new form of jazz unlike any other.
Furiously hammering the keys of his piano, Cowley shakes his head like metal fans, stomps his foot, rising a knee over the keyboard, making the crowd very excited at L'Astral.
I saw them in 2009, and their stage presence has evolved considerably. The full control of their repertoire is so that they master it with LIBERTY and contagious playfulness. Two sets and two standing ovations later, the trio runs to get more CDs, out of stock.
Irreverent, energetic, entertaining, bring them to Montreal...my god, their music IS good!
by Chrystelle Maechler
Translated by Claude Thibault
To see "Hug the Greyhound" at L'Astral, click here
Neil Cowley Trio
Série Le Club series
Tom Harrell, trumpeter and buglist, meditation and a master's lesson in jazz (Upstairs, July 6th)
Following the Seal tornado at Place des Arts's Wilfrid-Pelletier, I head to Upstairs where fine trumpeter/bugle player Tom Harrell was doing his thing. This was more than just a time of introspection. A master's lesson in jazz from a man who hasn't always had an easy life. So many moments of emotion arose from this intelligent, sometimes harmonically complex jazz, with moments of genius.
A man of few words, Tom Harrell, fragile, tender and spectacular - yes, all three can happen together - gave us some hard-bop and more with the ghosts of Miles et Chet. Surrounded by a rhythm section worth it's weight in gold : Billy Drummond on drums, Wayne Escoffery, on tenor sax and bassist Ugonna Okegwo, it was a time of meditation.
A joy that you can share again tonight, Saturday, July 7th.
Upstairs (1254 Mackay), at 7pm and 9:45pm. 514 931-6808 ou www.montrealjazzfest.com
de Christophe Rodriguez
Translated by Claude Thibault
Tom Harrell
Série Les Soirées jazz au Upstairs series
Médéric Collignon, cornettist/pocket trumpet player, musical smoke screeen and Miles Davis (L'Astral, July 5th)
Last night, July 5th at 9pm, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal hosted cornettist/pocket trumpet player Médéric Collignon. Lover of an explosive type of jazz - an euphemism for the one who's brilliantly revisited Miles Davis (68-70 period), King Crimson or Porgy and Bess - Médéric Collignon gave a mind-blowing concert. From 9pm to 10pm, two pieces, I left after, the world of Bitches Brew (Miles Davis) reigned, but with less intelligence than the Black Prince's (Miles Davis) ideas.
Musical smoke screen and flashy playing, even though there was lots of energy on stage, we've heard this fusion a thousand times. Here and there I regretted that multi-instrumentist Roland Kirk had not given him some advice, as well as Pharoah Sanders or flutist/saxophonist Yussef Lateef. What was missing the most at this unbridled concert : a musical direction, because free jazz is not about playing just anything.
by Christophe Rodriguez
Translated by Claude Thibault
to see a clip from July 5th at L'Astral, click here
Médéric Collignon
Serie Le Club series
Colin Vallon Trio, musical poetry (L'Astral, July 4th)
Sided by the excellent musicians Julian Sartorius on drums and Patrice Moret on bass, swiss pianist Colin Vallon, was at l’Astral.
At first, he stands over the piano, delicatly placing small unidentifiable objects on the piano strings. Playing with one hand and moving the objects with the other on the strings, he intrigues us with this natural, yet unusual movement.
His piano techniques are intricately linked to the musical universe of the trio. He uses them like his persona, soft and sensitive. The musical colours created transform the room's ambiance. The concentration is at it's peak and the public is submerged in the beauty of his music.
The drummer plays with the sounds of his drums, supporting the unique poetry of the moment.
Musical loops and delicate changes of intensity bring a sort of mystic transe. It's captivating to enter the space of a modern trio that go behond technical mastery and that lift us to a form of musical poetry.
de Chrystelle Maechler
Translated by Claude Thibault
To see "Marel" at l'Astral, click here
Colin Vallon
Série Le Club series
Get the Blessing, cinematographic jazz! (Gesù, July 1st)
Bristol-based Get the Blessing (GB) played last night, Sunday, July 1st at the Gesù. With bass, drums, saxophone, trumpet, distortion pedals, they gave us some of their open musical structures where rock and electro-inspired grooves shared the space with jazz and acid-jazz. They masterfully mixed these different musical styles to uplift their music on a whole other level creating a very rich and imaged sound.
Their very sophisticated musical/dramatical art music allowed me to imagine a film for each track : from a B movie ambiance with dark unlight back streets, to explosions of colour, dramatic tragedy and burlesque…
Althought I was impressed by the whole concert, I personally liked the level of energy from the 5th piece on. From that point on, their grooves got demential. A special mention for bassist Jim Barr's deadpan humour - a treat!
Get the Blessing, it's the British jazz invasion!
by Chrystelle Maechler
Translated by Claude Thibault
To see the interview and some concert clips with Get The Blessing, click here
Get the Blessing
Série Jazz dans la Nuit series
Happiness is seeing Dr. Lonnie Smith (Upstairs, July 1st)
Happiness was seeing great organist Dr. Lonnie Smith at Upstairs, one of the great moments of this 33rd FIJM. This magician of jazz truly mesmerized the audience. The one that's played with the greats of jazz such as Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, George Benson and Lou Donaldson, gave us a consistent fare of blues, funk, smokin' riffs, Led Zeppelin style.
Smiling and happy to play, a nice change from some that do it as if it was just another gig, it was great to see the mastery of the man that gave us a quick history class on jazz and it's many shapes and forms. For the hot Behive to the very beautiful Frame For The Blues (Slide Hampton) and funky Play It Back, to the a New-Orleans tribute : World Weep, this 90 minutes of music was a true blessing. Alleluia! Highlighting guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg, confortable in the Wes Montgomery universe as well as on King Crimson licks plus athletic drummer Jonathan Blake.
by Christophe Rodriguez
Translated by Claude Thibault
to read the interview with Dr. Lonnie Smith, click here
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Série Les Soirées jazz au Upstairs series
Grégoire Maret, the new Toots? (L'Astral, June 30th)
Is there an harmonica player out there that can follow in the steps of quintessential harmonica giant Toots Thielemans ? Saturday, June 30th at l'Astral, young swiss harmonicist Grégoire Maret (Sting, Pat Metheny, Leon Parker) might've given us the answer. For his first stint at the Montreal Jazz Fest, presenting his first self-titled album, the wait was well worth it. Surrounded by a great rhythym section, including brillliant drummer Clarence Penn, that the departed Philly Joe Jones would've been proud about, the night was on a roll.Maybe it was nervousness but there seemed to be a lot of Toots in the music played that night. In a musical space that reminded me of the Affinity : Toots Thielemans / Bill Evans project, I had the real clear impression of listening to Toots in the early 80s on an already laid-out musical backdrop, even though the solos were spectacular.
by Christophe Rodriguez
Translated by Claude Thibault
to see a clip of June 30th, click here
to read the interview with Gréroire Maret, click here
Grégoire Maret
Série Le Club series
Vic Vogel raises the roof at L'Astral (L'Astral, June 29th)
We'd told you : Vic Vogel's Friday, June 29th concert would raise the roof of l'Astral. In a big band formation, bandleader Vic Vogel, icon of the Montreal jazz scene, presented : Influences afro-cubaines, or if you prefer, a quintessential explosion of latin creativity. From Chano Pozo to Dizzy Gillespie and Gil Fuller to Duke Ellington and Chucho Valdès, pianist and founder of Irakere, everthing you'd want to hear from this band.
A powerful orchestra, energetic, with new arrangements that haven't lost any of their original swing and a very surprising Besame Mucho. Happiness thanks to this well-seasoned musician and his musician collegues.
by Christophe Rodriguez
Translated by Claude Thibault
to read the interview with Vic Vogel, click here
Vic Vogel
Série Jazz d'ici series
Colin Stetson (Gesù, June 29th)
It's a cool looking Colin Stetson that climbs on stage at the Gesù. He immediatly puts the saxophone in his mouth and the hypnosis starts. Rocking back and forth in a pendulum-like movement, he blows his his sax non-stop. The public is fascinated, his technique being so original and the resulting sound, very unique.
Switching from bass to alto saxophones, he plays his compositions with a blowing technique that uses circular breathing (allowing him to play non-stop), speed and polyphony. He's like an athlete using technique, speed, endurance and posture that are as vital as the music itself. His face tenses up, turns red, his forearm muscles contracting faster and faster.
He blows without a break sometimes etching out a stuffled scream that you can feel in your stomach, like a wild beast roaring in melodic way.
He blew me over!
By Chrystelle Maechler
Translated by Claude Thibault
Colin Stetson
Série Jazz dans la nuit series
Richard Galliano, master of the accordion, takes on De Bach à Piazzolla in the Sommets acoustiques series (Maison symphonique de Montréal, June 28th)
In this first day of the 33rd Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, King Richard, master of the accordion, lays out his music in three themes. In the magnificent Maison symphonique de Montréal, high lieu of classical music, and maybe jazz, who knows, we heard Bach, Piazzolla and musette.
Surrounded by a string quintet that truly embodied his music in a festive way, the concert was a amazing. Even if I'd seen Richard Galliano many many times, the pleasure that just can't be put in words, is always there. Softly, the mind-blowing Piazzolla passages reached the noises of
de Montmartre et Ménilmontant, with a passage of Concerto pour hautbois (for accordion), all in good taste.
Just amazing !...and to top it off a Javanaise singalong with the public !
by Christophe Rodriguez
Translation by Claude Thibault
to see a clip of Petite Suite Française on June 28, click here
to read the interview with Richard Galliano, click here
Richard Galliano Sextet - De Bach à Piazzolla
Sommets acoustiques series
