Marie-Véronique Bourque and Christine Tassan Have a good time the Sounds of Nature on New Album, Bruissement boréal
When two of Canada’s most completed jazz artists—flutist Marie-Véronique Bourque and guitarist Christine Tassan—joined artistic forces throughout almost 3,000 kilometers of forest, plain, and display screen time, the consequence was greater than music. It was a shared name and response with nature itself. Their collaborative album Bruissement boréal (“Northern Rustle”), out now, is an bold 13-track journey impressed by the pure soundscapes of Quebec and Saskatchewan, mixing jazz, Latin, classical, folks, and ambient textures with the rustle of leaves, frog croaks, and the faint chirps of grasshoppers.
Joined by double bassist David Meunier-Roy and drummer/percussionist Olivier Bussières, the quartet captures the quiet energy of a northern breeze and the rhythmic chatter of prairie creatures in a undertaking that’s equal elements jazz report and ecological tribute. The album’s first single, “Bruissements,” was launched on April 17, and its lyrical, sonic sibling, “Là où les vagues sont d’or,” adopted on Might 2, with the total album launched reside on Might 16 at Le Ministère in Montreal.
Bruissement boréal started as a three-day daring problem: 5 unique compositions written in 5 hours by every artist, finished concurrently however remotely, with solely the pure sound recordings they collected as artistic prompts. “We’d every seize chicken calls, rustling bushes, frogs, or waves with only a cellphone, after which compose from that second of listening,” says Bourque. “That’s the way you get a monitor like ‘Le practice de la première heure’—the place the flute actually mimics a prairie practice whistle—or ‘Dialogue entre sauterelles’ the place the grasshoppers appear to chirp in concord with the melody.”
The duo’s chemistry emerged lengthy earlier than the primary monitor was recorded. Launched by folks legend Michel Lalonde of Garolou, the pair bonded over a shared musical sensibility and love of nature.
“After a present in Regina, I invited Marie-Véronique onstage,” remembers Tassan. “Backstage I stated, ‘We actually ought to do one thing collectively.’ A couple of months later, we have been already dreaming up Bruissement boréal”.
Tracks like “Ça croasse en masse,” with its funky frog solos, and “Les rayons de l’automne,” a reggae-swing ode to a sun-dappled forest bike experience, showcase the group’s playful sophistication. Although each “Rainettes dans la nuit” and “Aurore boréale” are impressed by the evening, they diverge utterly in tone and magnificence. “Aurore boréale” is a meditative piece, evoking the huge, silent great thing about northern skies. In distinction, “Rainettes dans la nuit” is a joyful samba, representing a fab reunion of frogs at a pond below the celebrities—the place rhythm and celebration take heart stage.
Recorded at Studios Opus and engineered by Steeve St-Pierre, the album glistens with readability and nuance. “We needed to battle a 70 cm snowstorm to even get to the studio,” Bourque laughs, “however the vibe inside was pure artistic circulate. Steeve didn’t simply engineer—he formed the album’s sonic signature.” The album’s visible design was created by Bourque and Marc Guevarra, with images by Sylviane Robini, finishing the immersive aesthetic.
Marie-Véronique Bourque, a semifinalist within the 2024 Worldwide Songwriting Competitors, brings her textured flute tones and nuanced vocals to the forefront. Christine Tassan, a genre-defying guitarist with Juno, ADISQ, and OPUS nominations, counters with a melodic readability honed from years main her Gypsy jazz band Christine Tassan et les Imposteures. Collectively, they honor the quiet drama of their landscapes—and remind us of our place inside them.
Upcoming Tour Dates
- June 19, 2025 – La Brassée, Montreal, QC
- July 11, 2025 – Dièse Onze, Montreal, QC
- July 17, 2025 – Centre d’artwork Diane Dufresne, Repentigny, QC
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