Pascal Tremblay Jazz Faction
Prévost, Quebec, Canada | MAJOR
Music
Press
The coloring of these 19th century melodies by Tremblay is very interesting and it reveals his curiosity and his sharp sensibility. He developed these pieces according to his personal view, leaving in all their original charm. Experiencing a jazz musician inspired by the classics and achieving the abolishment of all frontiers between the genres is very exciting. - Journal des Citoyens / Sylvie P.
The least we can say the saxophonist and Pascal Tremblay Jazz Faction his training is that they do not lack ambition. For this project dazzling finesse and daring, Smith drew the starting material in Debussy, Massenet, Rachmaninov, Poulenc and Fauré. Surrounded by his accomplices solid - the guitarist Sylvain Provost, bassist Fred Alarie and drummer Jean-Francois Barbeau - and members of the quartet-Canimex Claudel, the leader revisits his own original arrangements in these works of inexhaustible interest with passion and invention, proving, if need be how the border between the genders is thin, permeable sometimes, downright useless. Bright. **** - Stanley Péan / Voir
«Evoking the 70’s Stan Getz, Pascal Tremblay masters the art of fusing genres with an innovative spirit, without erasing the essence of compositions that have marked our musical universe.» ****½
- Christophe Rodriguez / Journal de Montréal
A remarkable piece… this original concept showcasing the talent of eight exceptional musicians, deserves to be heard by many more ears. - L'Écho du nord / H. Prevost
«Lueurs’ concert was full of sensuality, tasty arrangements and original creations taking us between impressionsm and modern jazz. It was way too short...»
- Nicole Deschamps / Le journal de Prévost
«The coloring of these 19th century melodies by Tremblay is very interesting and it reveals his curiosity and his sharp sensibility. He developed these pieces according to his personal view, leaving in all their original charm. Experiencing a jazz musician inspired by the classics and achieving the abolishment of all frontiers between the genres is very exciting»
- Sylvie Prévost / Journal des Citoyens
«A jazz quartet with a classical string quartet interpreting original compositions but also an audacious vision of known classical standards (Rachmaninov, Fauré, Debussy, Poulenc) with an inspiration that puts this project miles ahead other attempts often too tacky. Bravo.»
- Stanley Péan / Radio-Canada
«Pascal Tremblay is a mature musician and excellent at improvisation, his tenor’s tone is beautiful. We can feel the experience, he is no beginner, has a deep knowledge of jazz and was successful in putting together excellent musicians… his work is beautiful, impressionist, French and very modern…»
- Alain Brunet / Radio-Canada
His search for the particular sound, the pertinence of his speech, shows in him a man of taste. Pascal Tremblay knows the use of sensuality, elegance and delicacy; he reveals a profound knowledge of acoustic jazz, at least within the boundaries of his own composing and improvisation or interpretation – for example, his jazzy rendition of Fauré’s la Pavane is a just illustration of the close relationship between impressionism and modern jazz. The quality of that “speech” relies not only on the limpidity of the proposed structures, but also on the great complicity established by the leader between the drummer Jean-François Barbeau, the guitar player David Gauthier and the double bass player Shane McKenzie and himself. All of it makes for a very well conceived album that you will pop into your machine not to be bedazzled by amazing technicians but instead to listen and enjoy music. Lets consider this Work to be the syntheses of a well accomplished and sensitive jazzman - Alain Brunet / La Presse
Discography
2011 > Pascal Tremblay Jazz Faction & Claudel-Canimex / Lueurs
2006 > Pascal Tremblay Jazz Faction / Racolages
2005 > Pascal Tremblay Jazz Faction
Photos
Bio
Nominated Best Jazz album of the year - ADISQ 2011
About the project >
The quality of that band relies not only on the limpidity of the proposed structures, but also on the great complicity established by the leader between the drummer Jean-François Barbeau, the guitar player Sylvain Provost, the double bass player Frederic Alarie and himself. -Alain Brunet / La Presse.
LUEURS’ repertoire is the illustration of a parallel between impressionist era musicality and modern jazz. Melodies from Debussy, Faure, Massenet, Poulenc and Rachmaninov have been chosen and totally rearranged - like it's never been done before. The new project LUEURS really is remarquable for its originality, the quality of all its elements and its successful hybrid concept. As many original songs included and written in the same spirit, confirm that LUEURS transcends styles - above all else, it's music.
Impressionist era compositions, according to Pascal's first perception, are (for the most part) different in the way that they are built with a melody over an harmony, rather than built out of counterpoints, like most of the predecessors were. Based on this personal vision, Pascal has taken some portions of melodies and created new songs with new harmonies, rebuilding forms, adding bridges and twisting them into a jazz standard form.
He also included a string quartet on 7 songs, 4 of them inspired by the impressionist era, and 3 original songs. The CD includes 2 other songs with no string: an original and a melody from Claude Debussy, again twisted in a jazz standard. This adds a majestic sonority and makes for an interesting hybrid: a repertoire from a precise era (1850-1925), a sound fitting this particular era with the string quartet, but voiced with a modern jazz language… which is the nature of this project.
Everything's on the website > http://jazzfaction.ca/
<<< You can also see and hear the project on videos >>>
http://www.youtube.com/jazzfaction
The project may be available in a jazz quartet version (but there's no string).
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About the band >
"It was a few years ago that his project - Jazz Faction - saw the light of day; and after a first critically acclaimed recording, they were selected to represent Canada at Expo 2005, Aïchi (Japan). The quality of this band relies not only on the limpidity of the proposed musical structures, but also on the great complicity established between the drummer Jean-François Barbeau, the guitar player Sylvain Provost and the double bass player Frédéric Alarie and leader" - Alain Brunet / La Presse.
Constantly searching for a clearer expression, the second CD Racolages testified strongly about the group’s evolving cohesiveness. It also got the group it’s nomination to the Grand Prix General Motors in the 2006 Montreal International Jazz Festival as well as in the Galaxie (CBC) contest. Jazz Faction has been selected to represent Canadian culture during UNESCO summit, Ottawa 2007, and they proudly are the «reference jazz band» for Donald K. Donald, a leading canadian producer.
The band's members
Pascal Tremblay>
He knows the use of sensuality, elegance and delicacy; he reveals a profound knowledge of acoustic jazz, within the boundaries of his own composing and improvisation or interpretation. His experience grows up from the age of fifteen by playing every weekend. He attends college at Vanier then goes on to play in the Carabeans and throughout Europe where he starts to write his own music. He helps maintain jazz in the Laurentians and around Saint-Jerome by playing in many clubs for years. First a saxophone player, he also records and plays with diverse artists like Gilles Vigneault and Gary Boudreault as a bass player; just like with La Corde de Bois, a band that he co-founded. A pillar of the jazz scene in the laurentiens, his project named jazz faction earned him to be chosen to represent Canada at the 2005 Aïchi International Exposition, in Japan. It also got him to be nominated at the Grand Prix General Motors in the 2006 Montreal International Jazz Festival as well as in the Galaxie contest. On the road since 2008, Jazz Faction’s third project - LUEURS, specifically illustrates the bond between impressionist era compositions and modern jazz.
Sylvain Provost>
Guitarist Sylvain Provost is a leading light in Québec’s Jazz scene. In 1983 he won the «Yamaha Prize» with the group QUARTZ at «The Montreal Jazz Festival». With his Trio, he has recorded a number of broadcasts for Radio-Canada and Radio Québec. With his long-time bassist cohort, Norman Lachapelle he has produced a host of recordings, winning nominations and awards at the ADISQ, JUNO’s and Opus Awards. For 25 years now, Sylvain has taken part in countless professional collaborations in concerts and recordings with the likes of Gerry Boulet, Oliver Jones, Yannick Rieu, Karen Young, Jean-Pierre Zanella, Térez Montcalm, Sylvain Leliè
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