Montreal’s brass ensemble L’Orkestre des Pas Perdus, whose name roughly means “Lost Steps Orchestra,” shifts between a sextet and a nonet while placing equal emphasis on unbridled enjoyment and rigorous musicianship. Trombonist and composer Claude St-Jean launched the group in 1993, assembling saxophones and trumpet above a rhythm section built around drums and either sousaphone or tuba rather than bass. Every piece is written and arranged by St-Jean, resulting in compact compositions that lock into buoyant funky grooves, precise background riffs, and abundant fiery solos from the frontline horns.
The band’s recordings radiate good-natured, high-energy character by fusing New Orleans or European street-band timbres with contemporary touches drawn from Frank Zappa, Carla Bley, and Italian soundtrack composer Nino Rota. Embedded in Montreal’s avant-garde musique actuelle milieu, L’Orkestre des Pas Perdus has released material on Ambiances Magnétiques, the imprint associated with bandleader Jean Derome and guitarist/saxophonist René Lussier. The two albums issued on that label stand among its most accessible offerings, displaying a comparatively conservative stance that nevertheless remains a point of distinction rather than a flaw.
St-Jean and his colleagues continue to produce original, engaging music that satisfies both experimental listeners and anyone drawn to jazz enlivened by adventurous, high-spirited fun. After departing Ambiances Magnétiques, the ensemble has sustained its quirky, inviting, and often danceable sound into the twenty-first century through releases such as 2004’s Mondo Cuivro, 2007’s Projet 9 (expanded, as the title indicates, to nine pieces), and 2011’s L’Âge du Cuivre, which features an octet with a substantially revised lineup.
