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Louis-Vincent Hamel
Montreal jazz drummer Louis-Vincent Hamel has played drums since he was 5 years old. After originally studying classical percussion in his hometown of Quebec City, he was awarded the McGill Graduate Excellence Fellowship in 2016, allowing him to move to Montreal to obtain his Undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Jazz Performance under John Hollenbeck. He is now recognized as one of the top drummers of the province, having earned a place in celebrated saxophonist Yannick Rieu’s projects: Génération Quartet and Machinations, as well as the Gentiane MG trio (winner of the 2018-19 prix Révélation Jazz Radio-Canada).
Louis-Vincent Hamel has toured extensively both nationally and internationally, and has performed or recorded with such renowned musicians as Ellis Marsalis, Luis Perdomo, Rémi Bolduc, Rafael Zaldivar, and Samuel Blais. Described as “so strikingly good… he makes the listener want another hour of music”, Hamel won a place in the Top Canadian Jazz Albums of 2019 for his debut album Self Enquiry (Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen).
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Nicolas Ferron Trio: Multiverse
by Glenn Astarita
The Nicolas Ferron Trio hails from Montreal's vibrant jazz scene where guitarist Nicolas Ferron has been slinging strings alongside local heavyweights like Rémi-Jean Leblanc and Benjamin Deschamps. With Multiverse, Ferron--joined by Jonathan Cayer on B3 organ and Louis-Vincent Hamel on drums--crafts a sonic wormhole that blends psychedelic rock, a punky attitude and experimental jazz. This eight-track 47-minute journey does not merely nod to jazz tradition--it teleports it into a kaleidoscope of modern energy. Ferron's compositions paired with the trio's taut ...
Continue ReadingGentiane MG: Walls Made of Glass
by Dan McClenaghan
Montreal-based pianist Gentiane Michaud-Gagnon, aka Gentiane MG, got her start in music with the classical side. It was Bill Evans' Portrait In Jazz (Riverside Records, 1960) that nudged her in the direction of the possibilities that improvisation offered. With this in mind, it seems fitting that the cover art for her third album release--Walls Of Glass--features a photo of a serious-looking artist gazing... where? Inward? Outward? Maybe both at the same time, as it was with Bill Evans on the ...
Continue ReadingYannick Rieu Generation Quartet: Qui Qu'en Grogne
by Dan McClenaghan
Veteran jazz man Yannick Rieu, based in Montreal, was tagged back in 1988 as one of the top saxophonists in the world, his name mentioned alongside Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano and Courtney Pine. That set the bar high. A bit over thirty years have passed since he was presented with that high praise. Qui Qu'en Grogne, released in April, 2022, says that comparison was well deserved. Rieu has crafted an enriched and distinctive language all his own, presenting it with ...
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The Moon, the Sun, the Truth
From: Walls Made of GlassBy Louis-Vincent Hamel
