Released 2015
Musicians
Chantal De Villiers : Tenor saxophone
Burt De Villiers : Organ B3 et piano (5-8)
Taurey Butler Piano (all except 5-8)
Fraser Hollins : Double bass (voice on track 5)
Rich Irwin : Drum (all except 5-8) et percussion
Dave Laing : Drum (5-8)
Remi Bolduc : Saxophone alto (6)
Credits
Recorded at Studio 451, Verdun May 2014
Recorded by Paul Johnston
Mixed at PJ studio
Mixed by Paul Johnston
Mastering by Guy Hébert – Studio Karisma Audio Conception
Graphic Design Pascal Millette
Photos Maxime Tremblay
Produced by Rémi Bolduc and Paul Johnston
Review
“Hear ye, hear ye, good folk, or good morning, readers,, how are we going to convey the sonic joys of the week to brighten up every thatched cottage in America? Hmm… We’ll borrow the puzzle’s properties.
Right. Today, we’re going to trace the diagonal (not the crazy one) between Chantal De Villiers, saxophonist by trade, Tony Mastrull, composer and arranger, Jazz Nonet, Chicago, Oliver Nelson, Eddie Harris, Gil Evans, Thad Jones and Dexter Gordon. In short, everyone will have noticed that the coefficient of difficulty we’re facing is far higher than the FED’s financial aggregates. Wharf water?
The first nanosecond of the piece Groovy Step, composed by Chantal De Villiers, left us dizzy without having smoked carpet. For it was as if we were in the presence of the direct heir to the immense saxophonist Eddie Harris, the man behind Swiss Movement, a masterpiece, and Excursions, the album most “pirated” by disco rhythmicists. In short, it was clear from the nanosecond that we were in the presence of a musician bursting with talent.
From the first second of Rythmic Song, also written by De Villiers, we were stunned. Ditto with Piggy’s Dance, as our blower revealed her penchant for sounds sculpted by Harris, Johnny Griffin and other Chicago-school hobos. Funky Princess, which gives its title to this album released on CDV Music, seduced us.
When she introduced The Shadow of Your Smile, a classic written by Johnny Mandel, before introducing the theme from Dexter Gordon’s Panther – yes! -we thought the only thing that needed to be said was that Madame De Villiers is a woman of taste. The proof…
The proof: she’s surrounded by drummers Rich Irwin and Dave Laing, bassist Fraser Hollins, pianist Taurey Butler, her father Burt De Villiers on organ and piano on certain tracks, and Rémi Bolduc on viola on one piece, but above all, he’s responsible for the arrangements. All that’s left to do is bow our heads and say bravo.
No sooner had the instrumentalists who make up the Jazz Nonet presented Tony Mastrull’s first musical qualities than, once again, we were fooled. Immediately, we had the impression of being in the presence of musicians with a perfect mastery of the arrangements and compositions of the Gil Evans of Out of The Cool and the Oliver Nelson of Stolen Moments. In short, to put it bluntly, we fell off our chairs.
Entitled The Tony Mastrull Project, after the New Jersey-born trumpeter and arranger who moved to Montreal, this is a simply extraordinary album. The program, which includes originals and anthology pieces such as All Blues and A Child Is Born, and the playing of the musicians led by trombonist Richard Gagnon – Roberto Murray and Al McLean on saxes, Robert Ellis on trombone, Dominic Léveillé and David Carbonneau on trumpets, Jonathan Cayer on piano, Frédéric Grenier on double bass and Ugo Di Vito on drums – make The Tony Mastrull Project, produced by Louise L’Heureux, an album… perfect! From start to finish.” ~ Le Devoir – by Serge Truffault | February 7, 2015
