Articles – Remi Bolduc

The ever-busy Montreal musician and professor pays tribute to Oscar Peterson with his new album and upcoming concerts.

by Peter Hum – Ottawa Citizen
Published Mar 06, 2017

Montreal saxophonist Remi Bolduc

Today the blog catches up on Montreal saxophonist Remi Bolduc, who as is typically the case has multiple projects on the go, even as he passes along jazz wisdom to his students at McGill University.

Bolduc’s begun touring the latest of his tribute-themed projects, and will be staging four Swingin’ With Oscar concerts in Toronto and the vicinity, feting the launch of his Les Productions Art and Soul disc of the same name. Bolduc’s quartet, playing a program based on the compositions of Oscar Peterson, also plays Gatineau next month, on April 12.

But that’s not all. In less than two weeks, Bolduc will be recording a live album in Edmonton at the Yardbird Suite, with his five-saxophone band Sax Zenith, an all-star Canadian horn band if ever there was one.

Below, Bolduc chats a bit about what he has on the go.

When and why did you decide to do an Oscar Peterson tribute project?

The first concert of Swingin’ with Oscar was on Oct. 15, 2015 in Montreal at Salle Bourgie. The project started there. I was then to present the music of Oscar. It was an opportunity for me to learn more about Peterson’s music and to play with Taurey Butler.

2. What was involved in choosing the personnel and material for this project?

First I wanted to feature the compositions of Oscar. Often people think of him as a player. I wanted to present his compositions. I listened to many CD and found 80 compositions. I then chose the one that I felt would sound good in quartet with a sax. Also, I wanted different style. Swing, Latin, 3/4 etc. I found pieces that talked to me and I found that his music was really happy and uplifting.

What impact did Oscar Peterson’s music have on you a) when you were first getting into jazz and b) more recently, now that you have a lot more music under your belt?

Oscar’s music was not part of my upbringing. At the time I really focused mostly on sax players. I knew of Oscar but I did not really know his music. So this project, same with the Brubeck, inspired me to dig more into Oscar’s music and playing. Playing these projects is challenging. I find that the music calls for high energy and hard swinging solos. It is inspiring to me to focus on those important aspects of music and improvisation

What have you learned about Oscar and his music as a result of pulling together this project?

I got more familiar with the kind of chord progressions that Oscar liked. The IV – #IVo – I progressions. Also, it’s amazing how much Oscar swings. Often his band would rush but it is that rushing that gives it this energy.

You already have gigs lined up into 2018 for the Oscar project. What has been the reception of audiences and promoters to this music?

People love the music. I have really positive feedback for the audience and everyone that heard the project.

You recently took a step back from your responsibilities at McGill. Tell me about what you did and how it felt to do it.

I am not Jazz Area Chair anymore. It is just something we do. We usually change area chair every two years. I did three. Jean-Michel Pilc is now area chair. It does feel good to have more time to focus on playing for sure.

As far as McGill goes, I am a tenured professor. So I am there to stay, teaching improvisation both at the grad and undergrad level. Plus, I teach private lessons.

What else do you have on the go?

Beside this project, I am recording on March 17 and 18 a live CD at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton with my project Sax Zenith. This project is mainly my compositions and arrangements. The project features P.J. Perry, Phil Dwyer, Kirk MacDonald and Kelly Jefferson on saxes, me, Me, Fraser Hollins and Dave Laing.

Photo: Maxime Tremblay A musically curious man, saxophonist Rémi Bolduc frequents great artists like pianist Kenny Werner and saxophonist Jerry Bergonzy.

We like Rémi Bolduc. We like him because he’s a fighter, a worker, a man of projectS with a capital S, an active man, a man who moves forward steadfastly, who doesn’t let himself be discouraged by the amount of adversity inherent in the world of jazz. We like Rémi Bolduc because he composes, he arranges, he transcribes day after day the pieces written by the ancients as well as the moderns, because he has been teaching for ages, because on his instrument, the saxophone, he sculpts the sound more than he plays it.

We like Bolduc because he is to jazz today what the late Bernard Primeau was to jazz yesterday. But then again? In the ’60s and beyond, drummer Primeau was what was said of Bolduc. In fact, it was with him that Bolduc really got his start. That he learned more than just the rudiments of the trade.

In an interview ahead of his appearance on Jazz en rafale, the saxophonist confided: “When he was in hospital, I obviously went to see him. So did Alexandre [editor’s note: Alexandre Côté, alto saxophonist]. Still, he used to say to us: ‘I’ve done my time. What I’m interested in is what project you’re working on.” He asked us a lot of questions without ever feeling sorry for himself. He was a great man.”

So there’s Primeau in Bolduc. We should even point out – and it may seem strange at first – that there’s also Buddy Johnson, the great saxophonist of whom the famous producer Norman Granz once said: “When Buddy’s in the studio, you’re at peace because you know he’s going to make the others work. That he’s going to do everything he can to get the best out of them.”

Bolduc dit Rémi is also characterized by a pronounced inclination for curiosity. More precisely, the kind of curiosity that drives him to associate with musicians who are also great artists. Pianist Kenny Werner and saxophonist Jerry Bergonzy come to mind. “Kenny taught me a lot about myself. During rehearsals, he was always very generous with his advice. He helped me discover new facets of my playing.” And Bergonzy? “He’s a great musician. A musicians’ musician. He’s very inspiring.”

For his March 22 show at L’Astral, he drew on the repertoire of a musician’s musician. As the Jazz en rafale program was conceived with the double bass in mind, Bolduc set about transcribing pieces written by the highly influential Oscar Pettiford: Tricotism, Bohemia After Dark, and so on. “This will be a more ‘straight ahead’ concert than usual.” He will be accompanied by the excellent Dave Laing on drums and André White on piano. And on double bass? He’s invited the gentleman made man, Toronto’s Dave Young, who has long accompanied Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones, as well as having played with Clark Terry, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Hank Jones, Cedar Walton, Barry Harris, Zoot Sims, James Moody and others. Let’s conclude with a truism: it’s something to see and hear. ~ Le Devoir, by Serge Truffaut, 10 mars 2012 (translated from french)