Vue, the second CD by Claude St-Jean's Les Projectionnistes and first on the RIF label, finds the trombonist/composer and his band seemingly determined not to crank out a mere rerun of 1999's Copie Zéro, the cinematic avant jazzers' debut recording on Ambiances Magnétiques. St-Jean and group mainstays Bernard Falaise (guitar), Rémi Leclerc (drums), Pierre Labbé (tenor saxophone), and Tommy Babin (bass) are joined by L'Orkestre des Pas Perdus' Roberto Murray (alto saxophone), expanding the core lineup from a quintet to a sextet. And while the addition of Murray provides another capable soloing and ensemble voice, also important is guest keyboardist François Lafontaine on Hammond B-3, adding a bit of a soul-jazz feel to selected tracks. On average, Vue's tracks are a bit shorter than those on Copie Zéro, and so the debut disc -- which also includes an 11-and-a-half-minute live improvisation (accompaniment to a surrealist film) -- arguably showcases the group stretching out more. Yet Vue provides plenty of improvisational fire from all the soloists, sacrificing none of the group's spirit of adventure while delivering music that is concise, polished, and engagingly tuneful. There are a few more spices in the stew here, as Vue tilts toward a hybrid of jazz, rock (including a startling punkish break in the midst of the comparatively lyrical "Qui Est a l'Appareil?"), funk, Latin, and more.

1		Hors D'Oeuvre
2		Péril En La Demeure
3		Hebdromadaire
4		Transport
5		Promenade Solidaire
6		Série B
7		11H.16
8		Pile Ou Face
9		Qui Est À L'Appareil?
10		Poursuite Impossible
11		La Suite La Semaine Prochaine
12		Digestif

	Like us on Facebook
	@SoundHound	Follow