Category: Press/Presse

Alex Lefaivre: Naufragés 
Multiple Chord Music 

Based on the merits of YUL (2018) and now Naufragés (“Castaways”), electric bassist Alex Lefaivre should be better known outside his Montreal home base. As a course lecturer, label co-founder (of Multiple Chord Music), and on-call musician for numerous local artists, he’s a valued property in his home province, but Naufragés argues Lefaivre’s talents deserve to be recognized beyond its borders. Five of the eight pieces are by him, with the rest covers of tunes by Miles Davis and Gil Evans, Pierre F. Brault, and—quel surprise—Led Zeppelin.

Apparently Naufragés encountered some logistical hurdles along the way, with attempts to record derailed by the pandemic. Tracks were finally laid down in two sets on April 5th, 2021 at Montreal’s Studio Madame Wood, with the bassist joined by alto saxophonist Erik Hove, guitarist Nicolas Ferron, and drummer Alain Bourgeois. With only four musicians involved, the material has lots of room to breathe, and while personality and character differentiate one composition from another, ample space for individual expression is also present.

The Davis-Evans tune, “Time of the Barracudas” (from 1963’s Quiet Nights), receives an inspired reading. Hove elevates the performance with a bright tone and acrobatic display, after which Ferron begins his solo with a chords-heavy attack before unleashing a bluesy exploration. With Bourgeois and the leader powering the quartet with locked-in playing that’s both tight and free, “Time of the Barracudas” sets the bar high for what follows. “Passe-Partout,” whose title references musical material Brault wrote for a children’s TV show that began airing in Quebec in 1977 and still airs, receives a breezy treatment that’s equal parts highlife, jazz, and dub. If the quartet’s rendering of “Immigrant Song” (from 1970’s Led Zeppelin III) doesn’t match the original for heaviness, the performance still grooves mightily when the four refashion its familiar roar.

Concerning the Lefaivre originals, “Boiler Room” tickles the ear with a melodic design that’s as winding as a Möbius strip. Mobilized by a rock-styled groove, the piece nevertheless engages as strongly as the Davis-Evans opener thanks to the breathless clip at which it’s delivered. The infectiously swinging “Sneaked” slinks in like the title music from an espionage soundtrack before achieving liftoff with dynamic interplay. As enticing are “Reset,” which drapes a lyrical melody across a funky strut, and “Sin City,” a languorous beauty whose relaxed tempo bolsters its seductive allure.Throughout Naufragés, Hove and Ferron show themselves to be solid front-liners, with Bourgeois and Lefaivre as impactful. The material allows the four to play with subtlety and nuance but to also let it rip when required. Control and abandon sit comfortably side-by-side in these performances, the contrasts effectively balanced in the quartet’s execution. On a release that’s definitely worth checking out, Lefaivre’s bass playing is stellar, but he distinguishes himself as a composer also.

September 2021

https://www.textura.org/archives/l/lefaivre_naufrages.htm

Via Google translate:

Every now and then a release pops up that excels, not because of a surprising urge to innovate but thanks to a clear and straightforward classical style. This is one of them.

Canadian bassist and composer Alex Lefaivre is active as a sideman in various groups, provided the soundtrack for various series and co-founded the Multiple Chord Music (MCM) label. He also has his own quartet. ‘Naufragés’ is the sequel to the 2018 debut ‘YUL’.

The intense dialogue annex solo passages by alto saxophonist Erik Hove and guitarist Nicolas Ferron, framed by a closely playing rhythm section (bassist Alex Lefaivre, drummer Alain Bourgeois), immediately set the tone. The sharp exchanges and the powerful outline betray an approach that clearly goes back to the past, while the approach and elaboration testify to a fresh modernity. The fact that the set list not only includes a cover by Miles Davis (‘Time Of The Barracudas’) but also by Led Zeppelin (‘Immigrant Song’, at breakneck speed) also points to the attitude of this quartet. In ‘The Boiler Room’ they seek (and find) a sophisticated balance between pop, jazz and rock. A pattern that they are constantly developing further with distinct accents and angles.

As mentioned in the intro, no holy houses are knocked down here, but neither is this a stranded quartet wandering aimlessly. What an unfortunate choice of CD title, but a fascinating soundtrack.

https://www.jazzhalo.be/reviews/cdlpk7-reviews/a/alex-lefaivre-quartet-naufragés/?fbclid=IwAR21kU4eTHtWNGd2bJslLugbIqmUx1bVCiC9NcW3AqT0RWUjIoylFbeiLSU

Via Google Translate:

The second work of the cutting-edge quartet led by the bassist Alex Lefeivre who is active in Montreal is a work that develops various rhythms such as drum & bass, punk and reggae while following the format of the jazz quartet. Five hip original songs, a cover of Miles Davis & Gil Evans, and a homage to Pierre F. Brault, a leading Quebec film music composer who passed away in 2014, and Led Zeppelin’s straight hard rock cover works as a strong spice.

Pour l’émission complète:

http://www.radio-canada.ca/util/postier/suggerer-go.asp?nID=4713955

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/media/track-immigrant-song-by-alex-lefaivre

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The Canadian jazz bassist, Alex Lefaivre, has previously marked himself as a more than capable composer, conductor and sideman. He is thus known and appreciated as a jazz musician in and around Montreal – most, perhaps, for his participation in the award-winning Parc X Trio, which has released well over a handful of critically acclaimed records. He made his record debut as a soloist with YUL in 2018, but the new quartet record Naufragés is still some of the best he has to date performed in his own name. The unmistakably modern jazz music on this has a propulsion that is captivating – much thanks to Lefaivre’s own electric bass. Lefaivre leaves no doubt that he technically and artistically has pondus. But most notable is his interplay with the three sidemen: alto saxophonist Erik Hove, guitarist Nicolas Ferron and drummer Alain Bourgeois. 

The interplay between the four leaves the impression that they are in telepathic contact. And just that – combined with the momentum and the eminent solos makes the album a joyful acquaintance. Especially own tracks like Boiler Room and Sneaked kick ass. And the fact that Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song ends the album also says something about the level and nature of the music on the album. This is jazz in a hurry.

http://www.ivanrod.dk/2021/08/27/alex-lefaivre-quartet-naufrages/

August 26, 2021

Bassist Alex Lefaivre is yet another example of the excellent jazz musicians across this country who are less well known than they should be.

Lefaivre has been an award-winning musician/composer and educator for years in the Montreal area. His new album was patiently assembled in April this year when the COVID rules relaxed enough to get the band into the studio. The title, Naufragés, means castaways, perhaps reflecting the realities of the last several years with the music business. The quartet here has Eric Hove on alto, Nicolas Ferron on guitar and Alain Bourgeois on drums, along with Lefaivre on bass. It features three covers and five original compositions with a consistent energy and funky style. It’s possible that Hove might be the best known of the group, and while his solos are excellent (especially perhaps on Sin City), they are not any more substantial than the offerings of the other members. Guitarist Ferron is also very impressive.

It’s always fun to be pleasantly surprised by a playlist. The original compositions here offer excellent scope and variety, with nudges into a funky rock groove at times. Several of the cover choices are interesting. Time of the Barracudas is a Gil Evans/Miles Davis tune that explores the modal world of the era, while Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song is a straight-up, no-apologies tribute to the original. A very bouncy and perky original tune is Hommage Jazz á Passe-Partout (a tribute to a Quebec children’s TV show called Passe-Partout.)

This is a fine quartet that offers a perfect blend with the each of its players, and as a result the album is extremely enjoyable throughout. These castaways have found a way home. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THESE: Reset, Time of the Barracudas

Keith Black

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/music/575170582.html

ALEX LEFAIVRE QUARTET/Naufrages: The bass player that’s a real spark plug on the Montreal jazz scene, multi tasking like his life depended on it, he’s got the protean that it takes to power through such a heady regimen. Not being one to repeat himself, in this current guise, he dishes up a delightful program of head jazz that goes back to the groovy side of the seventh galaxy, by way of Miles and Zep, and invites you to fire up another legal doob–for the road. Super smooth and well honed chops guide you on your way and never let you down. 
(Arteboreal) 

http://midwestrecord.com/MWR1805.html

August 14^th, 2021

Алекс Лефевр и музыканты его квартета живут и работают в Монреале, во франкоязычной части Канады. Композитор, бас-гитарист и педагог Алекс Лефевр – заметная фигура местной джазовой сцены. Ансамбль Parc X Trio, одним из основателей которого он являлся, еще в 2010 году взял Гран-при Международного фестиваля джаза в Монреале. Алекс – частый участник проектов других монреальских музыкантов. Первый его альбом с квартетом, в состав которого вошли гитарист Николас Феррон, альт-саксофонист Эрик Хоув и ударник Ален Буржес, увидел свет в 2018 году, назывался он YUL и получил хорошую прессу и признание слушателей. Путь к новому альбому оказался долгим и мучительным из-за пандемии, музыкантам никак не удавалось собраться вместе в студии. Произошло это только в апреле 2021 года, когда за две сессии в Studio Madame Wood в Монреале музыканты все же записали Naufrages.

В альбом вошло пять композиций Лефевра и три кавера, каждый из которых, на мой взгляд, символичен. Time of the Barracudas, пьеса Майлса Дэвиса и Гила Эванса, словно олицетворяет связь музыки Алекса с его джазовыми предшественниками, с модальным джазом, одной из важнейших частей современного мэйнстрима. Несколько неожиданно было увидеть в программе джазового альбома знаменитую композицию Led Zeppelin Immigrant Song. Квартет Лефевра практически полностью сохранил рок-н-ролльную энергетику этой вещи, добавив к ней саксофонные пассажи от Хоува – привет джаз-року! Наконец, пьеса Hommage jazz à “Passe Partout” Пьера Брао – это название мало что скажет людям за пределами провинции Квебек, зато в ней все узнают эту музыку из популярнейшего детского теле-шоу – чем не символ глубокой укорененности музыкантов в почву здешней культуры. Собственные композиции Лефевра аккумулируют в себе самые разнообразные влияния, ретранслируя их в живой современный электро-акустический джаз, по звучанию, на мой вкус, близкий к нео-фьюжн. В пьесах поочередно, а иногда вместе солируют саксофонист Хоув и гитарист Феррон. Я с удовольствием слушал и балладу Sin City с сентиментальным соло Эрика Хоува, и энергичную «гитарную» пьесу Reset. В целом альбом оставил приятное впечатление. Это работа из тех, которую хочется рекомендовать послушать друзьям, что я и делаю, имея ввиду наших читателей.

                                                                                                                        Leonid Auskern

via Google Translate:

Alex Lefevre and his quartet’s musicians live and work in Montreal, French-speaking Canada. Composer, bass player and teacher Alex Lefevre is a prominent figure in the local jazz scene. The ensemble Parc X Trio, of which he was one of the founders, took the Grand Prix of the International Jazz Festival in Montreal back in 2010. Alex is a frequent contributor to the projects of other Montreal musicians. His first album with a quartet, which included guitarist Nicholas Ferron, alto saxophonist Eric Hove and drummer Alain Bourgeois, was released in 2018, it was called YUL and received good press and audience recognition. The path to the new album turned out to be long and painful due to the pandemic, the musicians could not manage to get together in the studio. This happened only in April 2021, when, in two sessions at Studio Madame Wood in Montreal, the musicians nevertheless recorded Naufrages.

The album includes five Lefevre compositions and three covers, each of which, in my opinion, is symbolic. Time of the Barracudas, a piece by Miles Davis and Gil Evans, as if personifies the connection of Alex’s music with his jazz predecessors, with modal jazz, one of the most important parts of the modern mainstream. It was somewhat unexpected to see the famous composition Led Zeppelin Immigrant Song in the program of the jazz album. The Lefebvre quartet almost completely retained the rock and roll energy of this piece, adding to it saxophone passages from Hove – hello to jazz-rock! Finally, the piece Hommage jazz à “Passe Partout” by Pierre Brao – this title will say little to people outside the province of Quebec, but in it everyone will recognize this music from the most popular children’s TV show – which is not a symbol of the deep rootedness of musicians in the soil of the local culture. Lefevre’s own compositions accumulate a wide variety of influences, relaying them into live modern electro-acoustic jazz, sounding, for my taste, close to neo-fusion. In the pieces, saxophonist Hove and guitarist Ferron alternate, and sometimes together. I enjoyed listening to both the Sin City ballad with Eric Hove’s sentimental solo and the energetic “guitar” piece Reset. On the whole, the album left a pleasant impression. This is the kind of work that I would like to recommend to listen to friends, which I am doing, meaning our readers.

https://jazzquad.ru/index.pl?act=PRODUCT&id=5994