Aquarelle - Live a Montreux. 1979 Canada

For their second album, Aquarelle took the unusual step - at such an early stage of the band's career - of releasing a live album. Even though it is a live recording, most of the material is entirely original with the exception of the closer. Throughout this engagement, the composition style is similar to Sous un Arbre, except there are obvious ploys to appease the jazz crowd, perhaps to be expected at such a famous jazz festival. For example there’s the inclusion of electric piano, more soloing (especially saxophone), the addition of some funk (which was popular then), less female voice, and the electric bass playing has more of that "warm" jazz sound as opposed to the more direct rock approach of the debut. All of these are slight distractions from the special sound of the first album, and thus rates slightly less, but scores a little better with traditional fusion fans.

The newly penned tracks 'Second Réveil', 'Récital des Grenouilles', and 'L'Étranger' are all excellent and would have been fine additions to their prior effort. The only disappointment is 'Estérel', where 'Part I' is a snoozer of a chamber-like piece and 'Part II' is really annoying, where the sax honks and the new female vocalist caterwauls her way through it. This leads to the raucous closer, the 9 minute extended version of the riveting 'Magie des Sons' from the debut. One of Aquarelle's best tracks, the extra time is padded with an incredible piano concerto from bandleader Pierre Lescaut (my, what a talent!) as well as a bit of a drum/violin hoedown. Pierre Bournaki is clearly the other great talent in the band. The crowd really seemed to love it as well.

As noted above, the album scores a notch below the studio effort, but is still not be missed by fans of crossover jazz fusion and progressive rock.

Personal collection
LP: 1979 Atlantic

There does exist a CD on Belle Antique from Japan. The source was provided by the band. I didn't hear this CD, but if their version of Sous un Arbre is any indication of the quality, I'll pass. Both of these really need to be reissued properly.

Aquarelle - Sous un Arbre. 1978 Canada-Quebec

Aquarelle's debut is far from a typical jazz fusion album. In the late 1970's, there were literally hundreds of albums that featured musicians showing off their technical chops. They couldn't help but parade their considerable talent on the latest synthesizer, while trading solos back and forth with the next rendition of Allan Holdsworth, Al Di Meola, or Bill Connors. To many listeners, including yours truly, this was met with a big yawn. Might be great listening to those wanting to learn the trade, or were participants in the scene, but I want something more than that. Like songs for example. Or compositions. And Aquarelle delivers on both fronts. They are the antithesis to the normal fare of the era. As I dig deeper, I begin to think of band leader and primary composer Pierre Lescaut as some sort of genius. It's the blending of the instruments that makes the album so special. Violin, flute, sax, female wordless voice, and mostly Pierre's piano that stand out, but in ensemble form. Guitar, bass, and drums give it the rock feeling they were striving for, but only that - as an underlying structure.

Despite the profound statements from the last paragraph, I wouldn't say it's all that obvious on a casual listen. Read some reviews online and you'll see terms like "dated fusion", or "nothing out of the ordinary". Indeed, it is just that - out of the ordinary. I didn't recognize it myself for many years. In fact, not until my Gnosis review some 15 years after initial purchase, did I register in my memory banks that this wasn't a garden variety late 70's Quebec fusion band.

It was only for 'La Magie des Sons' that I recalled anything different. A smoking violin led piece, and what seemed to me to be the most progressive song on the album. Today, I scratch my head on why I would think that. Perhaps it's the most obvious song on the album. But on multiple spins, it's really 'Sous un Arbre' and 'Aquarelle (Part 1,2,3)' that are the truly progressive oriented numbers. The title track takes a bit to get going, but features a wonderful mid-track break with a complex meter and some fine rhythm guitar work. 'Aquarelle (Part 1,2,3)' gives off more than a whiff of classical chamber music all within the context of jazz and rock. Splendid really. It's only on 'Bridge' and closer 'Esperanto' that there are any hints of the funky fusion of the day. Even still, these are far from cheap skeletons on which to solo endlessly on. And both are fine tracks, if only less exceptional than the others.

That leaves the two brilliant pieces in my estimation. 'Francoise' features a stunning flute melody, and is as happy a song as you will ever hear. The Caribbean festival bit on the last third of the track embodies the spirit of the mood, while adding a progressive twist to an already great song. But it's 'Volupte' that wins the grand prize. Words cannot describe the stunning beauty of this composition. How could I not hear it 20 years ago? Or even 4 years ago on a deep dive review for Gnosis? It's the kind of mid-album piece one would discover on an Italian progressive rock album. The moment that hits you and you can only utter "it's brilliant!". Ah, the beauty of discovering what you already have.

LP: 1978 Atlantic
CD: 2010 Belle Antique (Japan)

I found a sealed LP in a Kansas City record store back in 1991. Ah, the days when the classic Midwest cities all had cool record stores with import gems like this - all for under $10. KC was one of the great record store towns, with many excellent stores in the Westport district alone. No more of course. I miss those days of traveling to cities for the sole purpose of buying records (and eating the local cuisine and drinking the local swill - fortunately we can still do this!). Oh sure, some of these stores still exist, but are a mere skeleton of what they once were. Until 2010, no other LP or CD presses existed. So I was much surprised when I heard that Belle Antique of Japan managed to obtain the licenses for both of the Aquarelle albums. I know there had been some talk of ProgQuebec reissuing these, and they still might (I really hope so!). Unfortunately the CD is taken from vinyl and sounds tinny at that. It's licensed from main songwriter and keyboardist Pierre Lescaut, and I suspect he's responsible for the mastering. Very disappointing. I decided to part with this CD in April of 2019 and will patiently await a better reissue. It desperately could use one!