Envolée is the debut album by Montreal pianist and composer Ariane Racicot. This audacious new modern jazz recording consists of five original compositions that fuse a range of styles together: from latin jazz to fusion, and from modal jazz to progressive rock. Her rock bonafides are tested and true: many listeners may already be familiar with her from her 22,000 subscriber-strong YouTube presence, where her cover of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody has racked up 18 million views. With Envolée, Racicot has established herself as an exciting new pianist to watch. This recording is the result of years of studying many of jazz music’s most progressive, genre-bending jazz pianists, including the likes of Hiromi Uehara, Tigran Hamasyan, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett. You can also hear the influence of the metal bands Racicot listened to in her youth, particularly on À ciel ouvert, where she calls on a second drummer to help turn up the heat. This album is a deeply personal project, recounting several years worth of musical and personal experiences. The title – ‘Takeoff’ – evokes her passion for music, her need for expression, her intensity, her perseverance, and her strength. Envolée will be released on all digital platforms on Friday, May 6, 2022 via the Montreal label Multiple Chord Music. The release will be celebrated with a concert at Dièse Onze in Montreal on May 6th.
Coming on the heels of his first full-length album demiLAN, (“teeming with originality and confidence” – Yoshi Wall, The WholeNote), trombonist Nick Adema has teamed up with saxophonist Alex Manoukas for a new recording project with their newly formed band the Adema Manoukas Octet. These eight young Toronto all-stars have been performing together in various combinations for years, providing an alternative perspective on the Canadian jazz sound. Together, they offer a glimpse of a new music full of blistering solos, thought-provoking melodies, and world-class ensemble playing. With their debut album New Roots, it is clear that the next wave of talented Canadian jazz artists is knocking on tomorrow’s door. This record is a refreshing celebration of the music of today by the musicians of tomorrow. Throughout this album, the octet masterfully weaves through stimulating original compositions by both Adema and Manoukas, engaging listeners with charming melodies and captivating swells of harmony. These lyrical pieces will stick in your head without losing any of the captivating, modern energy that is present throughout the entire album. The record also also includes masterful modern interpretations of songs by Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk, arranged by Adema and Manoukas.
Welcome to The Alberta Lounge, the club where Canadian jazz legend Oscar Peterson was first discovered in Montreal; Alberta – which also happens to be the name of the province where vocalist Deanne Matley grew up and started her music career ten years ago. Inspired by the Canadian jazz great, The Alberta Lounge features two new tunes of Matley’s: The Alberta Lounge and If You Were Here Today. She also made sure to include two Peterson originals, the haunting Hymn To Freedom and the tender ballad When Summer Comes. The rest of the album’s repertoire was chosen from Peterson’s vast recorded catalogue, including Lionel Hampton and Jeri Jones’s Je ne Sais Pas, for which Matley had the utmost honour of writing original French lyrics. The album also features a remarkable jazz-funk cover of Jorge Ben Hor’s Mas Que Nada, which Matley sings in Portuguese with added vocal harmonies for extra fun. For the project, Matley recruited some of Montreal’s premier jazz talent, including pianist Taurey Butler, bassist Morgan Moore, and drummer Richard Irwin. Also appearing on the album are her long-time pals pianist Paul Shrofel and guitarist Steve Raegele. Throughout the album, Matley shines as a first-rate vocal stylist. Her contemporary sound is still deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, but is unafraid of pushing the musical envelope. This anniversary album is dedicated to all Canadians. To quote Oscar, “People are Canada’s greatest resource.”
Way North is a cross-border mash-up of Canadian and American artists born out of the joy of playing together. Formed in Brooklyn, NY in 2014 by three Canadians and a New Yorker, the band features saxophonist Petr Cancura (Charlie Hunter/Down Home - JUNO nominee), trumpeter Rebecca Hennessy (Kevin Breit/Women’s Blues Revue bandleader), bassist Michael Herring (Peripheral Vision - JUNO nominee) and American drummer Richie Barshay (Herbie Hancock/Chick Corea/Esperanza Spalding). The quartet brings together four improvisor/composers with a shared love of folk and world music, whose unique creative connection touches audiences and builds community everywhere they play. Their third album, New Dreams, Old Stories, follows the release of two critically acclaimed records: Fearless And Kind ("a celebration of sound, with a rapturous elasticity" -AllAboutJazz); and Kings County, which was picked by the Ottawa Citizen as one of the best jazz CD’s of 2015. Way North’s music is a roots stew, seamlessly threading together blues, old-time, New Orleans, and South American folk music with jazz and improvisation, creating a unique sound that has been referred to as “Avant-Trad” (Nou Dadoun, 100.5 Vancouver).
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