In the SuperOption concert series, SuperMusique presents Pierre Cartier and his “Chansons de la belle espérance.” With musicians Pierre Cartier (voice and double bass), Jean Derome (alto saxophone and flute), Jean René (alto violin), Tom Walsh (trombone), Bernard Falaise, (electric guitar) and Pierre Tanguay (drums). At Montréal’s La Sala Rossa (Montréal), on Friday March 14 and Saturday March 15, 2003.

«Dis, Blaise…» chanson du Transsibérien is the new work by Pierre Cartier. Inspired by the famous Blaise Cendrars’ poem, «Dis, Blaise…» chanson du Transsibérien is a double CD on which {nbio:cartier_pi} joins forces with musicians Jean Derome, Bernard Falaise, Jean René, Pierre Tanguay and Tom Walsh for an inspiring journey.

Many DAME musician will be performing this summer. First, the Fanfare Pourpour will take part in Saint-Fortunat’s incredible music festival, June 21 and 22. Then, at the Festival international de jazz de Montréal, L’Orkestre des pas perdus will play outside from July 3 to 7. Also playing during the festival at the museum of contemporary arts, Les Projectionnistes July 3 and world renowned guitar player René Lussier July 6. This edition of L’OFF Festival de Jazz de Montréal also proposes plenty of DAME-related shows. Jean Derome will play at Lion d’Or June 27, July 3 and 5. Pierre St-Jak June 27. Rouge ciel June 29. Normand Guilbeault with an hommage to Mingus July 1. Martin Tétreault and Pierre Cartier July 3. Lee Pui Ming in duo with Joane Hétu aith also the {nbio:derome_je}-{nbio:guilbeault_no}-{nbio:tanguay_pi} trio July 5. Go see them all!

On retrouve toujours un peu les mêmes interprètes d’un enregistrement à l’autre, issu du collectif montréalais. Mais ici, on se situe moins dans l’optique des musiques «hors étiquette», que dans la sphère jazz. Pierre Cartier, contrebassiste et leader, nous offre en effet un jazz élégant, plus ou moins intimiste, agissant comme une légère brise qui vous caresse en ces temps de canicule.

Pierre Cartier is a bassist based in Montréal. He has released a handful of records in the jazz spectrum like Dirigeable (an independant LP release) and Les fleurs du tapis (a CD on Ambiances Magnétiques), while being part of Jean Derome’s Dangeureux Zhoms band and performing the music of Thelonious Monk with the trio Evidence (with Derome and drummer Pierre Tanguay). If these records showcased Pierre Cartier mostly as a jazzman, Chansons de Douve (Songs of Douve) reveals a very gifted composer. This 2-CD set revolves around excerpts from Yves Bonnefoy’s 1953 book Du mouvement et de l’immobilité de Douve (“Of Movement and Stillness of Douve”), stripped-down poems evoking presence and emptyness, the ghostly existence of a woman: Douve. These poems are sung by soprano Angela Trudeau and mezzo-soprano Noëlla Huet, along with Cartier himself who also plays electric bass. The other musicians were mostly recruited from the Ambiances Magnétiques roaster: Jean-Denis Levasseur (sax), Jean Derome (sax and flute), Ivanhoe Jolicoeur (trumpet), Sylvain Jacob (trombone), Tom Walsh (trombone), Pierre Tanguay (drums) and Julien Grégoire (percussion). The music maintains strong connections to chamber and small orchestra contemporary music spiced up with jazz. The influence of Philip Glass and Thelonious Monk are the most obvious. Other references would have to include Montréal guitarist Tim Brady, especially for his cycle Revolutionary Songs, written for his similar Bradyworks ensemble. The beauty emanating from the poems gets amplified through the music: textured moods, at times warm, at times disquieting. Impressive orchestral skills are enhanced by a soothing way of using dissonance. The usually self-effacing bassist has committed an ambitious and strongly poetic work which deserves to be discovered. Strongly recommended.