“Fast Emotion”
The genre of music that during the 1970’s became known as “fusion” is usually defined as an amalgam of jazz and rock. That definition is perhaps an over simplification that probably has more to do with our insistence on labeling everything as opposed to just letting the music speak for itself. It does need to be acknowledged however that the younger generation of musicians who had been raised on rock and roll wanted to bring those musical sensibilities to the more complex world of jazz. Most importantly, the replacement of acoustic instruments (the normal component of a jazz group) with electric instruments provided opportunities for a new sonic pallette, one that would allow the musicians to create and explore different sounds and techniques.
One of the better groups to perform this type of music were UZEB, who hailed from Quebec. The band started in 1976 as a duo comprising of Alain Caron on bass and Michel Cusson on guitar. The band evolved fairly quickly into a quartet with the addition of a drummer and keyboardist. They became quite popular in their home province performing a style of music that generally is more of an acquired taste. I suspect that had to do primarily with the band’s superlative musicianship, and to a lesser degree with the parochialism of Quebecois culture. The band has always been exclusively Francophone, although the members have worked with some very prominent musicians such as Michael Brecker.
In 1982 the band released “Fast Emotion”, their initial studio album, on the Quebec label Paroles & Musique. The album had nine tracks overall, with no song over six minutes, and was an excellent representation of the instrumental prowess and musical sophistication the group possessed. At this time, the members were the two originals Alain Caron and Michael Cusson being joined by Paul Brochu (drums) and Michel Cyr (keyboards). Typical of a fusion album, the music was all instrumental. An interesting aspect of this band was their headlong dive into cutting edge technology, and their enthusiasm for incorporating it into their sound. The album featured lots of guitar based synth as well as the keyboard based synth. Fast Emotion isn’t just a “chops-fest” with hyperdrive tempos and endless soloing by everybody all the time though. This is a record with songs (which may account for the bands popularity, both at home and abroad). Yes, there are lots of opportunities for the boys to strut their stuff (which the do with great virtuosity I might add), but always in the context of what works best for the song and in conjunction with the musical contributions from the other members of the group. Two of the my favourite tracks on this recording are “Slinky” and “Brass Licks”. The aptly named Slinky has Alain Caron on his fretless bass laying down a seriously infectious groove to start the song. Guitar, then drums and keyboard join in as things get underway. Brass Licks is an uptempo number that features Alain on fretted bass displaying his slap technique. The song has a simple but catchy melody, probably played by the guitarist through his synth. This song would easily put people out on the dance floor and is a good example of how accessible this band was to its audience in Quebec and Europe. I had the good fortune of acquiring Fast Emotion after its release, and of catching the band during their appearance at a small club in Toronto back in 1983 or 84. I can still remember watching Alain soloing, especially on Brass Licks.
UZEB would work as a quartet throughout most of the 1980’s before paring down to drums, guitar and bass trio. The band decided to take an extended hiatus in 1992. All of the musicians were in heavy demand as session players and as individual artists, which may have contributed to the decision. They reunited in 2017 for a tour, although it doesn’t appear the group has permanent plans to reform. To their credit, the band has received a number of awards; in 1984 and 1989 receiving the Félix (an award for Quebecois recording artists), as well as Jazz Album of the Year for 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1987, and most significantly the 1991 Oscar Peterson Lifetime Achievement, which was presented to the group that year during their performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival. During their heyday in the 1980’s they were regular performers at Jazz festivals not only here but also in Europe. They also enjoyed very strong record sales in excess of 200,000 copies of their various releases, really quite remarkable for an instrumental jazz fusion group.
