Jazz Articles about Alex Dodier

About Alex Dodier

Album Review

Montreal-based composer and pianist Jonathan Turgeon, double-bassist Hugo Blouin, and drummer Jean-Philippe Godbout have been together as a rhythm section since 2015, performing, recording, and following in the footsteps of musical heroes as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Olivier Messiaen, and Radiohead. L'Abîme II is their second release as the ensemble L'Abîme (The Abyss), following L'Abîme I (Multiple Chord Music, 2021). L'Abîme's “earlier incarnation" released two recordings as Trio Jonathan Turgeon: Au Fil des Feuilles que Craquent (Self-Produced, 2015) ...

Album Review

l'Oumigmag: Ce Qui Tourne Dans L'Air

Read "Ce Qui Tourne Dans L'Air" reviewed by David Bruggink

by David Bruggink
August 2, 2025

"Oumigmag" means “muskox" in Inuktitut, one of the principal Inuit languages spoken in Canada's northeast and central northern provinces. Sébastien Sauvageau, a multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Québec, drew on his province's musical and Indigenous histories to create the jazz-folk project l'Oumigmag--an effort, he writes, to explore “how past elements (traditional music), present experiences, and future innovations coexist and influence one another." l'Oumigmag debuted as a quartet on Territoires (The 270 Sessions, 2017), expanded to a sextet for ...

Album Review

l'Oumigmag: Habitant

by Matt Hooke
October 10, 2019

L'Oumigmag's Habitant is an ambitious reimagining of traditional Quebecois folk, based on the environment and natural beauty of the area around the St. Lawrence River. It has a feeling of comfort that is often reminiscent of a friendly bluegrass jam. Habitant is a reference to the first French settlers of the St. Lawrence River. The record is a tribute to them, not only with a primarily acoustic sound but with a great sense of adventure. The adventure is ...

Album Review

Sébastien Sauvageau - l'Oumigmag: Territoires

Read "Territoires" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
August 26, 2017

l'Oumigmag means muskox in Inukitut (the Inuit language spoken in the central and eastern Canadian arctic, which includes Quebec). Territoires is an impressionistic journey through the imaginary, spiritual and geographic territories of Quebec. Guitarist/composer Sébastien Sauvageau took inspiration from contemporary jazz and traditional music. Opener “Lac Arthabaska" (Lake Arthabaska) starts the album on a bright, upbeat note. Sauvageau's acoustic guitar and Alex Dodier's tenor saxophone front line call an ECM date with Jan Garbarek to mind. The introduction ...