Jacques Labelle Page 1
Reviewed by Michael Gauthier

It was with a curious ear that I approached the listening of Jacques Labelle’s debut CD, appropriately called Page 1.

Labelle and I have been playing guitar on the Montreal scene for roughly the same length of time (20 years), and since our paths have rarely crossed, I was curious in hearing in which direction the jazz currents have taken him.

The recording is comprised of two separate CBC Jazz Beat radio shows (produced by Alain de Grosbois), and accordingly we are presented with two facets of Labelle’s musical personality- a duo from 1993 and a quartet from 1994.

The duo tunes are Straight No Chaser, Secret Love and two originals -Page One and Berceuse pour Karell, which feature the guitarist and bassist Guy Boisvert engaging in some very convincing comradeship. In their very acoustic sounding renditions they sound as one, and a judicious balance of interplay and mutual support (and respect) is achieved.

The quartet tunes, featuring the addition of pianist Eric Harding and drummer Kevin Coady, are Night and Day, Caravan and two more originals - Josia’s Waltz and Weird as Wayne. Here again Labelle’s choice of sidemen is sound, and Harding and Coady shine in their respective roles.

Throughout Labelle walks the line between the mainstream and the modern, without falling into either one. He is neither a vocabulary player of the established jargon, nor a disciple of the new and different. His sound is one void of the special effects presently in vogue, with the exception of Weird as Wayne, in which he employs a distortion device, and his harmonic concept is tonal with just enough out, giving spice and unexpected turns to the improvisation.

Overall with Page 1, Labelle presents a nice balance of pleasant originals along with perennial favourites. His choice of musical partners is without reproach, and in closing, hats off to Alain de Grosbois for his hand in the production of this well-mixed and excellent sounding jazz disc.

Michael Gauthier is a Montreal guitarist who released his first CD, First Installment (Magenta), in January 1996.

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