UNGAVA

An odd Canadian trio, which propably originated from Charlevoix, north of Quebec City.Ungava were Andre Devito on guitar, Jacques Marois on drums/vocals and Richard Fortin on bass/vocals, but for their only self-titled album they were helped by Martin Perron on keyboards and Maurice Bouchard on sax and flute.The album was recorded at the Studio Mobile Filtroson in St. Fereal and released in 1977 on the small 36 label.

First and foremost it appears that Ungava were heavily influenced by YES, not the symphonic side of YES, as keyboards and long suites are either limited or absent, but the guitar work of Devito and the deep bass lines of Fortin are recalling the talents of STEVE HOWE and CHRIS SQUIRE respectively.Ungava's sound was much more ethereal and less complicated with plenty of soft acoustic parts and discreet use of electric piano and flute for a folkier atmosphere, but they had also their intricate moments with a complex, instrumental sound, featuring some strong jazzy vibes and the display of some synthesizer and sax plays.''Calcium'' and ''Tete de rock'' are nice examples of their style, showered by French vocals and containing some cool guitar solos and upfront bass lines next to keyboards and sax, while ''Hors d'Eden'' and ''Coyote'' are the Canadian version of YES, challenging music with the guitar workouts in evidence and complicated structures.The rest of the album are a mix of smooth, jazzy underlines and Folk Rock, having a more pronounced lyrical level and a dominant acoustic sound for a rather poetic exhibition of music.

Not much are known about the members, after Ungava dissolved.Jacques Marois worked as a sound engineer, appearing in Malicorne's live album ''En public'', while Richard Fortin guested on 1989 GNP's album ''Safety zone'', a project by Jim Gilmour and Steve Negus.

Pretty genuine Canadian Prog, a bit reminiscent of FLASH and YES, trying to control its Folk, light jazzy and progressive influences.The result is mostly satisfying and the album is recommended to all lovers of the mellower side of Prog Rock.