Here perhaps the best kept secret in jazz Quebec. 
pianist / trumpeter Claude Allaire is one of the lesser known Quebec jazzman, even among fans of jazz. He was never invited to Montreal Jazz Festival and his name is not even in the complete Bible by John Gilmore: "A history of jazz in Montreal."
Why? Perhaps because he never lived in Montreal. But because he has only released one album with a jazz ensemble. Or maybe all these people simply lack curiosity.
Yet all those who have heard, can not deny the quality of "Jazz Province" (1965 / Kébec). This is a quartet in his cozy lounge. A sound that evokes the "chic" of another era. The game of Claude Allaire and casual use of the vibraphone are for many. The musicians were: piano / Claude Allaire, vibraphone / Raymond Nadeau, bass / Gaston Jutra, battery / Pierre Nadeau.
Strangely, this album is one of the few to have been reprinted more than once, the year after its release (Niagara on the label), and since 2001 (on the website " CD BABY" ). So the few people in the music industry who know its existence, still had to know they were dealing with a great album.
Recording starts with an original component: "Blues to the map." A play that summed up as the original cover of "Progressive Jazz". No connection with what it will be under the same name later in the 70s. Superb rhythmic piece that you will slam fingers.
But there are also several rides melodic as "Blue Moon" and "Darn That Dream" and a walk-bossa version of "Have You Met Miss Jones".
The most dramatic recovery is perhaps the version of "Summertime" by Gershwin. Allaire begins with a long intro piano solo 1:40, then the orchestra embarks and changes the pace completely. It is as if the room was divided into two parts: first half and the second classical, jazz.
But the highlight of the album is clearly the other original components: Jazz in the provinces. The album is also named. In this piece we hear from some Theme notes played simultaneously on the piano and vibraphone. The bass and drums are also particularly catchy. Bassist (Gaston Jutra) is quite convincing demonstration of "walking. In short, a piece that should be a become a" standard ".
use of the word" province "in the title" Jazz Province "was for expression meaning "outside of Montreal." This choice of title was not a coincidence. Claude Allaire there was a sort of statement, like what the talent was not the monopoly of the metropolis . Today, we hear much more the term "province", but the phenomenon of rural exodus is unfortunately still crying.
Mr. Allaire recently took time to answer my questions. In an interview, he discusses his debut, circumstances of registration; various Jazzman he has rubbed shoulders and he has done all these years.
Listen to the interview:
Mr. Allaire also kind enough to lend me some photos or can be seen in action at the time. In both courses (Trio & Quintet), he played trumpet.
These two groups have no connection with the album Jazz in the provinces, but the photo above, one can still see the drummer (Pierre Nadeau) and bassist (Gaston Jutra) accompanying disk . We can also note that in an era in Quebec, we could hear the Jazz away from Montreal, or to paraphrase Mr. Allaire, Jazz in the provinces. 
Psyquébélique is usually online to download albums never reissued. In this case (for once) the album was reissued on CD. I invite readers to get it to even CD BABY site. I put online scans of covers and labels of both versions of the album.
Download sleeves and labels
