LIVE AU FMPM, 2006

After having released the fabulous Molignak album, clearly Jérome Langlois got a new-found confidence and assembled a group form the Festival des Musiques Progressives de Montréal (FMPM organised by the Takashy/McFee team, also responsible for ProgQuebec's superb releases) in 2006. And indeed his band is something that most Maneige fans would consider calling Maneige: while having the participants to Molignak (the veterans Cormier and Légaré, his daughter on clarinet, as well as the Maneige king Gilles Schetagne), it includes as well, François Richard on keys and flute and Maneige's Paul Picard on percussion. The first iof the two disc affair is the set that the group played at the afore-mentionned festival, with an added two tracks recorded the year before at another event called Gesù, which had the same line-up bar Paul Picard.

As opposed to the studio album, the live recording brings on much more of a Maneige imprint that has simply astounded the '06- FMPM crowd, and gone are the few weaknesses of Molignak (this writer thinks of the drum programming), starting out on the tears-inducing Le Cri/Arrivée medley. The second medley Duo/Huard is a little less perfect but an up-tempo thing that raises the overall energy level of the concert. With Le Rafiot Rafistolé (the repaired raft), one can sense that Jérome has finally found peace with this lifelong obsession of a track. The 9-min+ version still holds some (not that) evident hints at the old tracks, but it will take an experienced ear to still link the two tracks. And indeed, I don't see how Jérome will improve this track more.

The septet then revisits an old Lasting Weep highlight of the Albatross sow, Chanson Des Iles and again the magic of this line-up operates and provides an excellent version of this almost-classic. L'Envol Du Papillon is another beauty with the father/daughter team on clarinet, but the second part is a bit awkward because of the fast rhythm imposed by the original version on Molignak. Ex-Conventum Bernard Cormier pulls a fantastic second part on his violin and pulls the whole band with him in a superb rendition of Mars 97. The following Tango 2000 just glides on the public conquered minds, but remains quite enthralling, ending the set as it started on dawn nature noises. The remaining two tracks are from a show, the year bore: with the 12-min Rhapsodie Molinienne, the group sounds typically itself, even if they are only a sextet, Picard not having joined yet. That track and the following Molinie are both pure delight and add much passion to the first disc.

For a review of Jérome's 84 album Thèmes (added as bonus on the second disc of this release), please see the separate entry; but this 2nd disc album comes with two 76 pieces that holds much our attention. The 5-min Ouverture is very well played piano- piece and recorded in a much different setting than Thèmes. The 12-min+ Sonate D'Hiver is a piece that was written at the end of 76 after a very uninspired summer. Unfortunately this superb piece would get no release until some 30 years later. Anyway, this double disc Live At FMPM affair is close to being a must haven especially for Maneige fans.