Ten years have passed since the Emie R Roussel Trio produced their first album. In that time, the band has become an unstoppable force on the Canadian jazz scene, winning the Stingray Rising Stars Award at the 2018 TD Halifax Jazz Festival, the 2015 Félix at l’ADISQ for jazz album of the year (for their third record Quantum) and the 2013-14 Opus prize for jazz album of the year (for their second release, TRANSIT.) Their music has taken them to eleven countries on four continents, including stops in Tokyo, at Jazzahead! in Bremen, Germany, and at the legendary club Duc des Lombards in Paris.
The dawn of the new decade finds the trio energized and inspired, ready to begin a new chapter. United as a single indivisible musical core, they’re ready to share new music inspired by their long journey together. The music on Rythme de Passage, their fifth album, is like a conversation: in turn quiet, agitated, and passionate. It is a testament to the group’s strength of spirit and an important milestone in the band’s collective history.
Whether reflective or with terrific up-tempo numbers, the trio never falters in its knowledge of exactly how each musician will interpret the moment. The writing here is solidly in the modern jazz trio groove with mood swings and melodies showing each member in full involvement. ★★★★ Keith Black – Winnipeg Free Press
The music on Rythme de Passage, the group's fifth album release, displays sharply-defined vision, a distinctive twenty-first century piano trio voice… ★★★★ Dan McClenaghan – All About Jazz
Winner of the Stingray Rising Stars Award at the 2018 TD Halifax Jazz festival, of the 2015 Félix at l’ADISQ for jazz album of the year for their 3rd album Quantum, and the 2013-14 Opus prize for jazz album of the year for their preceding release, TRANSIT, the Emie R Roussel Trio has experienced a dizzying ascent since 2010, and is now an unstoppable force in the Canadian jazz scene. With Emie R Roussel on piano (Révélation Radio-Canada Jazz 2014-2015), Nicolas Bédard on bass, and Dominic Cloutier on drums, the trio delivers creative and captivating jazz with passion and undeniable chemistry. The trio had the privilege to present their music in eleven countries across four continents in the last few years. The trio's fourth album, Intersections, was released in September 2017 and was nominated for the Felix of the Album of the Year - Jazz at l’ADISQ 2018 and at the Prix Opus 2019. The concert Intersections also received a nomination at Prix Opus 2019 in the category Concert of the Year - Jazz. In April 2019, the Emie R Roussel Trio had the honor of being one of the eight groups outside Europe selected for the "Overseas Night" to present an official showcase within the prestigious festival JAZZAHEAD! 2019 in Bremen, Germany.
