Alexandre Côté - Portraits d'Ici (2013) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Winner of Montreal’s International Jazz Festival’s TD Jazz award in 2011, Alexandre presents his latest album, PORTRAITS d’ICI (Portraits of Home); a suite of 8 musical paintings inspired by his travel memories in the beautiful province of Quebec, Canada; places, landscapes, regions and people all in music.

Starting with “Nord Perdu”, a 10 minute, 7 seconds melody which transports us through Quebec’s inaccessible and perilous Great North region, we travel through bumpy country roads in “Rangs de garnotte et espaces vides” to La Malbaie’s coastline and then to the mysterious Madeleine islands in the gulf of the St-Laurence river with the track “Ile d’entrée Oubliée”. “Jarrets Noirs” is a song for Alexandre’s origins in the Beauce region, “Paysages Laurentiens” for the famous, very ancient, Laurentian Mountains and “Metropole” for all that is city. When closing one’s eyes, the listener will join the musical journey and see the region in his mind’s eye.

Tracklist:
1. I. Nord perdu 10:05
2. II. Rangs de Garnottes et Espaces Vides 08:30
3. III. Les Hautes-Gorges 05:41
4. Interlude 1 00:58
5. IV. A l'est du Bic 07:10
6. Interlude 2 00:45
7. V. L'ile d'entree oubliee 05:33
8. VI. Jarrets noirs 04:26
9. VII. Paysages Laurentiens 06:13
10. Interlude 3 01:30
11. VIII. Metropole 08:26

Personnel:
Alexandre Côté, alto saxophone
David Bellemare, tenor saxophone
Bruno Lamarche, baritone saxophone
Aron Doyle, trumpet
Dave Grott, trombone
John Roney, piano
Dave Watts, double bass
Richard Irwin, drums