Uzeb
Encyclopedia
UZEB was a Canadian
jazz fusion
band from Montreal, Quebec, who were active from 1976 to 1992. The members were Alain Caron (bass guitar
), Michel Cusson (guitar
), and Paul Brochu (drum
s). UZEB had a blend of skilled playing and modern synthesized timbres, along with an emphasis on original compositions. The band won a number of Canadian awards during the 1980s.
By 1989, international sales of UZEB's first eight recordings had exceeded 200,000 units, which the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada calls "an unprecedented figure for a Canadian jazz group."
After 1987, UZEB became a trio consisting of Cusson, Caron, and Brochu. UZEB won Quebec Félix awards as group of the year in 1984 and 1989 (in competition with Quebec pop and rock bands). As well, the band won awards for jazz album of the year in 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1987. UZEB did Quebec-wide and several Canadian tours. In 1991 UZEB received the Oscar Peterson
Lifetime Achievement Award which was presented at the 1991 Montreal International Jazz Festival.
UZEB played its first European concert in 1981 at the Bracknell (England) Jazz Festival. In 1983, UZEB appeared at the Festival de Jazz de Paris and recorded at the Olympia in Paris. UZEB also played in other European countries and in Southeast Asia (in 1990). However, UZEB rarely played concerts in the US. UZEB's most popular songs include Junk Funk, Smiles and Chuckles, Mile 'O', 60 rue des Lombards, Spider, and Uzeb Club.
Interviews
General biographical information
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
band from Montreal, Quebec, who were active from 1976 to 1992. The members were Alain Caron (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Michel Cusson (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), and Paul Brochu (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s). UZEB had a blend of skilled playing and modern synthesized timbres, along with an emphasis on original compositions. The band won a number of Canadian awards during the 1980s.
By 1989, international sales of UZEB's first eight recordings had exceeded 200,000 units, which the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada calls "an unprecedented figure for a Canadian jazz group."
Career
UZEB was formed in 1976 in Drummondville, Quebec, by guitarist Michel Cusson. After the band's debut in St-Eusèbe, Que, the name Eusèbe-Jazz was used; this name was later shortened to UZEB. The band soon moved to Montreal. Drummer Jean St-Jacques and bassist Alain Caron joined Cusson in 1978. The drummer's position was next filled by Sylvain Coutu, and then in 1980 by Paul Brochu. Until 1987, UZEB also used a keyboard/synthesizer player. In the 1980s, UZEB had what was then a very technologically advanced MIDI system for its synthesizers.After 1987, UZEB became a trio consisting of Cusson, Caron, and Brochu. UZEB won Quebec Félix awards as group of the year in 1984 and 1989 (in competition with Quebec pop and rock bands). As well, the band won awards for jazz album of the year in 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1987. UZEB did Quebec-wide and several Canadian tours. In 1991 UZEB received the Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
Lifetime Achievement Award which was presented at the 1991 Montreal International Jazz Festival.
UZEB played its first European concert in 1981 at the Bracknell (England) Jazz Festival. In 1983, UZEB appeared at the Festival de Jazz de Paris and recorded at the Olympia in Paris. UZEB also played in other European countries and in Southeast Asia (in 1990). However, UZEB rarely played concerts in the US. UZEB's most popular songs include Junk Funk, Smiles and Chuckles, Mile 'O', 60 rue des Lombards, Spider, and Uzeb Club.
Recordings/CDs
- UZEB - Live in Bracknell (1981, Paroles & Musique, WL-532).
- Fast Emotion (1983, Paroles & Musique, WL-010).
- You, Be Easy (1984, Paroles & Musique, WL-021).
- Between The Lines (1985, Paroles & Musique, WL-027).
- Live à l’Olympia (1986, Paroles & Musique, WL-034).
- Absolutely Live (1986, Paroles & Musique, WL-035). (avec Didier Lockwood)
- Noisy Nights (1988, Paroles & Musique, PEM-047).
- Live in Europe (1988, Paroles & Musique, PEM-050).
- UZEB Club (1989, B.C.C.L., BCCL-060).
- UZEB World Tour 90 (1990, Disques Avante-Garde, AGCD-602).
- Entre Ciel Et Terre (1996, Cream (Fra), B000005FR7).
External links
Official websites- Alain Caron
- Michel Cusson
- The International Institute of Bassists - Alain Caron biography and discography
Interviews
- Alain Caron Interview with Anil Prasad of Innerviews
- Michel Cusson Interview with Anil Prasad of Innerviews
General biographical information