Le Boeuf Brothers Group

Critical Reactions to Pascal & Remy Le Boeuf

*****************************

“This group has an impressively self-assured new album, "House Without
a Door" which reaches for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present
era.”
“New York Times”

*****************************

“House Without A Door is one of the most engaging and original albums
to emerge in 2009." "The brothers' writing and playing is technically
skilled, but unlike many other young jazz musicians they also invest both
with some genuine emotion and originality. As a result, the entire album
has a maturity that is rare in players who are barely into their early
twenties.”
“All About Jazz”

*****************************

Ken
Franckling's
Jazz Notes
“"It is fresh and forward-thinking, blending strong jazz roots with
inescapable rock influences (particularly Radiohead) into an emotional
and energetic sound that grabs the ears and won’t let go."”
“Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes ”

*****************************

“Identical twin brothers Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf, Santa Cruz natives
and conquerors of much of the known jazz world, have hit that mark and
flown past it.” “The brothers play a rich brand of modern jazz, with
performances and compositions that display an impressive level of
sophistication. Textured harmonies and shifting time signatures are
handled with aplomb.”
“San Francisco Chronicle”

*****************************

“Two of the most promising jazz musicians to come out of the region in
thepast decade, assured improvisers who have already filled a mantel
with awards and honors.”
“San Jose Mercury News”

*****************************

“Pascal Le Boeuf’s ‘Piece of Mind’ [is a] harmonically sophisticated
mosaic”
“Washington Post”

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“Brilliant!”
“Sirius Satellite Radio” - Washington, DC

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“Very creative, modern, but with a great respect for the great tradition of
bop. A perfect mix of contemporary and classic.”
“Animajazz” - Pisa Italy

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“[Pascal & Remy le Boeuf] reek with talent! Full of energy and originality.”
“BLU-FM 89.1” - Katoomba, Australia

*****************************

“Both brothers are excellent players, […] burning through modernist
grooves with poise, emotional depth and creative fire.”
“All About Jazz” KZSU-FM - Stanford, California

*****************************

“Great compositions, great musicians.”
"U-FM Radio Stanvaste” - Rotterdam, Netherlands

*****************************

“Outstanding!! …fantastic new album (“House Without a Door”).
I'm deeply impressed.”
“Radio X (Frankfurt), DJ Jazzmadass”


“This group has an impressively self-assured new album, "House Without
a Door" which reaches for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present
era.”
“New York Times”

*****************************

“House Without A Door is one of the most engaging and original albums
to emerge in 2009." "The brothers' writing and playing is technically
skilled, but unlike many other young jazz musicians they also invest both
with some genuine emotion and originality. As a result, the entire album
has a maturity that is rare in players who are barely into their early
twenties.”
“All About Jazz”

*****************************

Ken
Franckling's
Jazz Notes
“"It is fresh and forward-thinking, blending strong jazz roots with
inescapable rock influences (particularly Radiohead) into an emotional
and energetic sound that grabs the ears and won’t let go."”
“Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes ”

*****************************

“Identical twin brothers Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf, Santa Cruz natives
and conquerors of much of the known jazz world, have hit that mark and
flown past it.” “The brothers play a rich brand of modern jazz, with
performances and compositions that display an impressive level of
sophistication. Textured harmonies and shifting time signatures are
handled with aplomb.”
“San Francisco Chronicle”

*****************************

“Two of the most promising jazz musicians to come out of the region in
thepast decade, assured improvisers who have already filled a mantel
with awards and honors.”
“San Jose Mercury News”

*****************************

“Pascal Le Boeuf’s ‘Piece of Mind’ [is a] harmonically sophisticated
mosaic”
“Washington Post”

*****************************

“Brilliant!”
“Sirius Satellite Radio” - Washington, DC

*****************************

“Very creative, modern, but with a great respect for the great tradition of
bop. A perfect mix of contemporary and classic.”
“Animajazz” - Pisa Italy

*****************************
“[Pascal & Remy le Boeuf] reek with talent! Full of energy and originality.”
“BLU-FM 89.1” - Katoomba, Australia

*****************************

“Both brothers are excellent players, […] burning through modernist
grooves with poise, emotional depth and creative fire.”
“All About Jazz” KZSU-FM - Stanford, California

*****************************

“Great compositions, great musicians.”
"U-FM Radio Stanvaste” - Rotterdam, Netherlands

*****************************

“Outstanding!! …fantastic new album (“House Without a Door”).
I'm deeply impressed.”
“Radio X (Frankfurt), DJ Jazzmadass”

- Miscellaneous

By Bruce Lindsay

Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf, horn player and
pianist respectively, are precociously talented
identical twins who have already received
awards for their composition and playing.
House Without A Door is their second album
and on this showing there are more awards to
come.
The New York-based brothers play well-crafted
original tunes: all 12 of the pieces are written by either Remy or Pascal
although, interestingly, none of them are co-compositions. Their style is
mainly modern, straight-ahead jazz. While both brothers proclaim
influences as disparate as Radiohead and Claude Debussy, these are not
so upfront as to detract from the brothers' own styles. Although on some
tracks, such as Remy's “Tabula Rasa,” classical influences are obvious,
most of the album owes more to the Le Boeufs' jazz predecessors than it
does to those from other musical genres.
The brothers' writing and playing is technically skilled, but unlike many
other young jazz musicians they also invest both with some genuine
emotion and originality. As a result, the entire album has a maturity that
is rare in players who are barely into their early twenties. This maturity
is assisted by the quality of the album's other instrumentalists, although
most of them are also still in their twenties. The compositions give all of
the players the opportunity to stretch out and all of them take that
opportunity and use it to good effect. Ambrose Akinmusire's trumpet
playing is exemplary throughout, especially on “Save Me from Myself,”
where his raw, at times almost ragged, sound adds an edge to the
brothers' more polite tones. Marcus Strickland's soprano saxophone on
“Coffee Suite III: Exhaustion” also stands out both in his solo and his
duets with Remy's alto.
Remy's “Chocolate Frenzy” displays fine ensemble playing. The five
musicians--altoist Remy, pianist/Fender Rhodes pianist Pascal,
Akinmusire, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Clarence Penn--create a
sound that, at times, has the power and strength of a much larger
group, while Brewer and Penn also provide sympathetic backing to
Pascal's solo playing to produce one of the most immediately enjoyable
tunes on the album.
House Without A Door is one of the most engaging and original albums
to emerge in 2009. It shows the promise of the Le Boeufs and their band
mates as players and, in the Le Boeufs' case, as composers. If the
brothers can maintain the progress that they have already displayed in
their short careers they could well become major figures in the future of
jazz.
Track Listing: Code Word; Wetaskiwin; Morning Song; House Without a
Door; Siddhartha in California; Tabula Rasa; Save Me from Myself;
Coffee Suite I: No Drink, No Think; Chocolate Frenzy; Valentine; Coffee
Suite III: Exhaustion; Introspective Moment.
Personnel: Remy Le Boeuf: alto sax, flutes, bass clarinet; Pascal Le
Boeuf: piano, Fender Rhodes; Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Marcus
Strickland: soprano and tenor saxes; Janelle Reichman: tenor sax; Matt
Brewer: bass (3, 4, 6-9, 11,12); Billy Norris: bass (1, 2, 5, 10);
Clarence Penn: drums (3, 4, 6-9, 11, 12); Greg Ritchie: drums (1, 2, 5,
10). - All About Jazz

By NATE CHINEN
Published: May 7, 2009
THE LE BOEUF BROTHERS (Thursday) Jointly led by musically precocious twins —
Remy, an alto saxophonist, and Pascal, a pianist — this group has an impressively selfassured
new album, “House Without a Door” (Le Boeuf Brothers Music), which reaches
for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present era. Their supporting cast here includes
the tenor saxophonist Mike Ruby and the drummer Greg Ritchie. At 9 and 10:30 p.m.,
Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, at Spring Street, South Village, (212) 242-1063,
jazzgallery.org; for the first set, $15 and $10 for members; second set, $10 and $5.
(Chinen)
www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/arts/music/08jazz.htm - The New York Times

LeBoeuf Brothers, House Without a Door (LeBoeuf Brothers Music)
Identical twins Pascal (piano and keyboards) and Remy (alto sax) LeBoeuf (the name is pronounced "le
buff") have produced a gem with their latest recording project.
It is fresh and forward-thinking, blending strong jazz roots with inescapable rock influences (particularly
Radiohead) into an emotional and energetic sound that grabs the ears and won’t let go.
These young natives of Santa Cruz, Calif., still in their early 20s, are now making their mark in the Big
Apple jazz scene. My favorites on this sometimes fiery quintet session include “Code Word,” the
introspective and sometimes delicate “Wetaskiwin,” the title track and the uptempo “Chocolate Frenzy.”
The LeBoeufs are composers and players of great merit, as evidenced by the consistent quality of all 12
tracks. The quintet on most tracks includes tenor player Marcus Strickland or trumpeter Ambrose
Akinmusire, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Clarence Penn. Tenor player Janelle Richman, drummer
Greg Ritchie and bassist Billy Norris work into the shifting ensemble elsewhere. The appearance of two
classical-influenced tracks, “Coffee Suite I: No Drink, No Think” and “Coffee Suite III: Exhaustion” begs
the questions “Where’s ‘Coffee Suite II’ hiding and what’s it all about? Caffeine Jitters, perhaps - Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

Mike Ruby/Le Boeuf Brothers Quintet Concert Review
By Peter Hum TUE, AUG 25 2009 JAZZBLOG.CA
Filed under: Concert Review, Le Boeuf Brothers, Mike Ruby
I went last night to the Mike Ruby/Le Boeuf Brothers Quintet show without my notepad, intending just to
take in the music for fun. But the show proved too noteworthy/newsworthy, and so here I go, writing from
memory...
First off, all the guys in the band -- maximum age: 24 -can really play. Make that really, really play.
Furthermore, they never lose sight of the point of the jazz exercise is to play together. This is a quintet
whose members are bound by a common esthetic and who rightly stress shared purpose and interaction on
the bandstand. You'd expect no less, I suppose, given several factors: a) Pascal Le Boeuf, the pianist, and
Remy Le Boeuf, the alto saxophonist, are identical twins; b) they and tenor saxophonist Mike Ruby (above,
flanked by Pascal on the left and Remy on the right... I think) have been tight for several years now in New
York, and c) last night, these core members of the group were winding down their three-week blitz of
California and Canada's major jazz venues including The Rex in Toronto, the Cellar in Vancouver, and
Upstairs in Montreal.
The California-raised brothers and Toronto-raised Ruby were more than comfortable with their complex but
tuneful original music, while Toronto bassist Dan Fortin and Montrealraised,
New York-based drummer Marc Beland were quick studies, finding their places and playing
authoritatively. While Fortin, with good reason, relied on charts, the rest of the band knew the music by
heart and played with plenty of heart, expressing themselves freely and exploring deeply. The packed -- and
youthful -- house at Cafe Paradiso could tell.
The quintet played two high-energy sets filled with detailed, modern sounds. Chocolate Frenzy and Code
Word, which I think were both penned by Pascal Le Boeuf, were brisk, boisterous, take-notice set-openers.
Not that the band was limited to roaring and racing --Wetaskiwin, by Pascal Le Boeuf, was a plaintive,
expansive change-up that featured lyrical but strong turns from Remy and then Pascal.
Overall, Remy Le Boeuf played with a winning combination of urgency, tartness and logic. He's a deeply
motific improvisor, drawing in listeners with long lines fashioned from smaller components. He's wellpaired
on the front line with Ruby, a more burly presence with a keen ear for harmonic twists and those
jump-out-at-you notes and ideas that Joe Henderson most notably found. At the piano, Pascal Le Boeuf was
constantly going for it. A rhythmic hard-hitter, he revelled in his hookup with Beland. Many tunes featured
his fleet lines and were shaped by his compelling harmonic stamp. He seemed like someone who is
basically filled with music, letting it flow. During House Without a Door, he even turned some manageable
feedback in the sound system to his musical advantage.
Note to Terry Teachout: The average age of the listeners was considerably less than 46. In fact, the band's
networking and a bit of advance coverage filled the room with a crowd heavy on -- to my surprise -- young
women. Ottawa singer Jenna Glatt, who is still a year away from finishing high school, was one of them.
Her take on the quintet's music? It had youthful energy, she said. I know, I know -- this anecdote won't
dispel the gloom caused by those U.S. statistics pointing to the greying of the jazz audience. But the fact
that 20-something musicans could attract and hold a predominantly youthful audience last night must be
more than a mere anomaly. The way of the future, one might hope.
It probably helped that some songs like Wetaskiwin and Ruby's Downward Leaves brought alt-rock
influences into the mix (without, I believe, prompting a Massarik response from any of the older folks in the
room). Ruby's Summer Skunk was flat-out funky, betraying his love for both saxophonist Joshua Redman
and Redman's deep-groove, easy-on-the-ears Elastic Band.
Jazz-standard fans were not left out either. The group tore throught It Could Happen To You in its first set
and How Deep Is The Ocean in its second. I do have one small gripe here. It seemed to me that the
rendering of the melodies of these tunes was overly on the casual side. I didn't hear the heads of these tunes
played with the same kind of specificity and strength that the saxophonists brought to their own
compositions. I wondered if the horn players knew the words to the well-worn tunes they played --
something which I think can inform and guide jazz musicians who want to approach "the tradition"
reverently. I look up to Dexter Gordon's playing of standards and I don't think he was being frivolous when
he famously recited bit the lyrics to tunes when he introduced them. A younger player -- but not as young as
the Le Boeufs and Ruby -- who is a consummate player of heads is the 40-ish guitarist Peter Bernstein. But
my complaint here applies to other 20-something monster jazz players that I know and have heard, and
perhaps my 40-somethingness is simply showing.
The night ended with Remy Le Boeuf's anthemic Morning Song, and then the sale of many CDs. The highspirited
music, full house on a Monday night, and presence of new young faces pleased Paradiso's owner
Alex Demianenko, who told me that he feels that vital new
http://communities.canada.com/...awacitizen/blogs/jazzblog/archive/2009/08/25/mike-ruby-le-boeufbrothers-
quintet-concert-review.aspx - Ottawa Citizen

August 4, 11:17 AM · David Becker - Bay Area Jazz Examiner
If, like me, you sometimes wake up in cold sweat wondering if
serious jazz can survive in its current state, allow me to direct you
to a relieving antidote.
The New York-based Le Boeuf Brothers (identical twins Remy and
Pascal) are all of 22, yet they play with assurance and verve of
players who've digested and understood all the important bits of
the jazz canon.
What's more, they play like they live in the real contemporary
world instead of some hermetically sealed conservatory chamber.
Pianist Pascal takes periodic breaks from jazz to indulge his jones
for rock and electronica, while saxophonist Remy explores modern
classical music.
Those influences nicely season their original jazz tunes, which marry propulsive rhythms with a sure sense of melody and a
penchant for surprising breaks and changes.
Catch the young 'uns Wednesday at Yoshi's Oakland. Shows are at 8 and 10 p.m., and tickets are a measly $10.
Send tips, comments and good karma to the author.
David Becker is an Examiner writer from San Francisco. You can see David's articles - Bay Area Jazz Examiner

By Andrew Gilbert
for the Mercury News
Posted: 07/30/2009 12:00:00 AM PDT
The Le Boeuf Brothers Quintet with Remy, right, and Pascal Le Boeuf, left
Whether the final destination is Broadway, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center or the Village
Vanguard, there's an enduring and quintessentially American myth that actors, dancers and
musicians scale the heights through persistence, a little luck and the singular force of their
creative drive.
But artists don't thrive in a vacuum. Far more often than not, success is the product of a
group endeavor, and — with its dependence on intuitive bandstand communication — no art
form depends upon finding sympathetic collaborators more than jazz.
For the prodigiously talented alto saxophonist Remy and pianist-keyboardist Pascal Le Boeuf,
making a mark on the fiercely competitive New York scene has required forging strong ties
with equally ambitious and capable players interested in immersing themselves in the
brothers' intricately constructed music.
The Santa Cruz-raised identical twins return to Northern California with a significant slice of
their musical world for performances at Yoshi's on Wednesday, where they celebrate their
23rd birthday, and Kuumbwa on Aug. 6. Featuring Toronto-raised tenor saxophonist Mike
Ruby; Malaysian-born, Australian-raised bassist Linda Oh; and San Jose-raised drummer Mike
Davis, the gigs _are part of an August tour that also takes the quintet across Canada.
"I think we've definitely found our niche within the New York scene, and we've started to form
a clique," says Remy, who finished a master's program at Manhattan School of Music in May.
"It's hard to come up as an individual, but when you have a supportive group all influenced by
each other, that's when you've succeeded. You're not just yourself, you're part of something
larger.
"I wouldn't have understood this so well a few years ago."
"Remy and I have really been working on developing a community," adds Pascal, who finished
the first year of a master's program at the same school in May. "You not only develop together
as musicians, when one person does something it reflects on the community as a whole.
"It's been very good for our careers and as developing musicians and artists, and we're
starting to gain some recognition."
Pascal notes that the sheer profusion of jazz musicians in New York practically requires
subdivisions, which can center on a neighborhood or school affiliation. But niches tend to
develop around venues where players can work out ideas and connect with an audience.
The brothers have gravitated toward the Jazz Gallery, a nonprofit venue in the South Village
that often showcases rising young players with a progressive bent. Which isn't to say that the
brothers have locked themselves out of other associations.
The permeability of the Le Boeuf posse is evident on their thought-provoking new album,
"House Without a Door." The brothers' writing gets the lion's share of attention — not
surprising considering that their tunes have won a bevy of awards, such as first place in the
2008 International Songwriting Competition's jazz category for Pascal's time-shifting "Code
Word."
But it's the confidence and fluency with which the musicians interpret the compositions that
make the album such an effective statement.
A third of the tunes feature a rhythm section of Le Boeuf contemporaries Billy Norris (bass)
and Greg Ritchie (drums), while an older cohort (bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Clarence
Penn) powers the other tracks. And about half the tunes feature contributions by commanding
horn players who arrived in New York a few years before the Le Boeufs: Bay Area-raised
trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland (who often plays with
his identical twin brother, drummer E.J. Strickland).
"There are bunch of different cliques that intersect," Remy says. "The Stricklands are older,
but we've worked with them quite a bit. Marcus has played our music a lot and really made a
place within it. But it's more like we're intersecting in his land."
But the brothers' closest associate is tenor saxophonist and co-leader Mike Ruby, a passionate
improviser who also contributes sturdy tunes to the band. They met a few years back at the
Banff Centre, which runs a prestigious summer jazz program. In a vivid illustration of how
artists evolve through contact with peers, Remy's sound has taken on a piquant lyricism in
response to Ruby's high-energy attack.
"Mike is very percussive and exciting to watch," Pascal says. "He really brings the fire, and he
and Remy have learned to balance each other. After touring with Mike, Remy had been
emphasizing the more melodic and softer sounds. I think Remy is trying to balance that fire
with subtlety."
Le Boeuf Brothers
With: Mike Ruby, Linda Oh and Mike Davis
When: 8 and 10 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Yoshi"s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland
Tickets: $10-$16, www.yoshis.com
Also: 7 p.m. next Thursday, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $12 in
advance, $15 at the door, www.kuumbwajazz.org - San Jose Mercury News

Pascal and Remy Le Boeuf come home to
Kuumbwa Jazz Center on Thursday, August 6.

Le Boeuf Brothers find Kuumbwa’s doors
3 AUGUST 2009

One plays saxophone, the other plays piano. One
spent the past year studying classical music, while
the other prepared to make an electronica album.
One grooves on Charles Mingus, the other cites
Danilo Perez as an early influence.
Jazz phenomenons Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf
may be identical twins, but that doesn’t mean the
23-year-old Santa Cruz natives don’t have their
differences. The Le Boeuf Brothers return to
Kuumbwa Jazz Center on Thursday, August 6, for
a hometown concert in support of their latest CD,
House Without A Door. The brothers, now New
Yorkers, will be joined by saxophonist Mike Ruby,
drummer Michael W. Davis and Linda Oh on bass.
The accolades laid upon these young jazz lions, who graduated the Manhattan School of Music together in
2007, is heady stuff. The New York Times called their new album “impressively self-assured.” All About Jazz
said “if the brothers can maintain the progress that they have already displayed in their short careers, they could well become major figures in the future of jazz.”
Chick Corea, Kurt Elling and Clark Terry are just a few of the greats Remy and Pascal have already had the
chance to jam with. The twins have been recognized by Downbeat Magazine and the National Foundation
for Advancement in the Arts. Their prior release, Migration, won Best Jazz Album and Best Jazz Song at the
2006 Independent Music Awards.
Pascal, who loves Danilo Perez’s 2000 Motherland album, was the youngest musician to ever win an
ASCAP/International Association of Jazz Educators commission in honor of Quincy Jones. His song, “Code
Word,” won 1st Place in the jazz category at the 2008 International Songwriting Competition. Remy’s
“Tabula Rasa” was an honorable mention among the 15,500 submissions. Both songs are on the new
album.
“Writing music is just as important to me as performing music,” said Remy, who plays saxophone and oboe.
“I think if I were to just perform, I would only be expressing about half of what I have to say.”
Pascal, the pianist of the duo, said composing is the way he learned to understand music.
“Even when I improvise, I understood it because I used techniques in compositions first,” he said. “When I
compose, I try to do it differently every time so that it’s always new, it’s always fresh.”
Both credit the jazz community in Santa Cruz, from the late Gene Lewis to Cabrillo College’s Ray Brown
and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, for expanding their horizons.
This past year found the Pacific Collegiate School graduates exploring different avenues of musical
expression. For the first time, the twins spent significant time apart — with Remy choosing to finish a
masters degree while Pascal took a year off to explore electronica. A rock/electronica album, iPascal, is in
the works.
“He went on a lot of adventures while I stayed back at Manhattan School of Music and was studying
classical music pretty deeply,” said Remy, who wrote a string quartet based on Hansel and Gretel and a Freud essay. “Now this year, he’s got another year left of grad school and I’m out. I’m done.”
While Pascal is finishing school, Remy plans to work on setting up tours in Europe and Japan. He also
wants to see some of his classical compositions performed.
“Classical music taught me a different way of seeing what I do. It’s a new lens that I can look at music
through,” Remy said.
Pascal has a similar attitude towards electronica. “It gave me an alternate universe in which to compose,”
he said.
As for jazz, the twins are using their knowledge of one another’s strengths and weaknesses to finesse ever
better performances out of one another.
Being twins “gives us the opportunity to do things harmonically that a normal piano and sax player wouldn’t
be able to do,” said Pascal. “I know what Remy’s limits are and I know what he’s capable of and he knows
that with me too.”
Though they refer to this knowledge as a “secret language” on their website, it’s not so much a “psychic twin
connection,” as one born of a deep understanding that many players have taken years to develop.
“When we’re playing together, we know each other,” Remy said. “We know what kind of choices

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