Desmarais, Lorraine

Lorraine Desmarais. Pianist, composer, teacher, b Montreal 15 Aug 1956; B MUS (Sherbrooke) 1977, M MUS (Sherbrooke) 1979. Desmarais studied with Armas Maiste 1978-9 at McGill University and Kenny Barron 1983-4 privately in New York, taking something of the latter's headlong improvisational style for her own. Desmarais first toured in Canada in 1982 for Youth and Music Canada (YMC). In 1984 she won the Festival international de jazz de Montréal (FIJM) Concours de Jazz Yamaha; the LP Trio Lorraine Desmarais that resulted received a Félix Award in 1985. She subsequently won the 1986 Great American Jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville, Fla, the first Canadian to do so.

Keywords

Composers

Pianists

Performances 1985-Present

Desmarais toured Canada in 1985, 1988, and 1990. A solo tour of Asia in 1988 included performances in Jakarta, Singapore, and Manila. She has been a favourite at the FIJM since the 1980s and also appeared at jazz festivals, eg, in Zurich (1985), Caen, France (1989), and elsewhere in Europe, the US, the UK, and Senegal. At the 1991 FIJM she introduced a fusion-styled group, Vision. Her reputation rising quickly, she toured France (1994), Europe (1997), the UK (1998), and Canada several times in the 1990s. Notable concerts included those with Les Vents de Montréal (1997), the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (4 Jul 2002), and Spain's Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia (2005).

The pianist has appeared at Toronto's Top o' the Senator club, and the New York clubs Bluenote and Birdland. She was guest pianist with Hugh Fraser and the Vancouver Ensemble of Jazz Improvisation at the International Association of Jazz Education conference in Toronto (2002). In 2004, she was featured in the show Elles Jazzent, with Jane Bunnett and other Canadian jazz women. She has also performed with Chick Corea, Ranee Lee, Marian McPartland, and Vic Vogel, and singer-songwriters Jim Corcoran and Michel Rivard. As sidewoman, she toured and recorded with the New York female big band Diva in 1998. Although she most often leads a trio (with bassist Frédéric Alarie and drummer Camil Bélisle), she founded her own big band, which debuted in Montreal in April 2005.

Awards; Accolades
Lorraine Desmarais holds the 2002 Oscar Peterson Prize from the MIJF, and the 2004 Prix à la création artistique from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. She acknowledges Peterson as one of her earliest influences. The 2003 Guido Basso recording Lost in the Stars, on which she appears, won a Juno award.

Jazz commentator Mark Miller called Desmarais "a pianist of sparkling technique, a quick mind and considerable sensitivity" (Globe and Mail, 17 Jun 1994).

Compositions and Teaching
Desmarais's recorded jazz themes include pieces showing a Latin influence (eg, Samba, Samba para la corrida) and others (eg, Andante) that reflect her early classical training. Her Odalisque and Sonata for Flute and Piano have been recorded by Oliver Jones, and Lise Daoust and Louise Bessette, respectively. Her own recordings contain many of her compositions. She also wrote music for some National Film Board productions and themes for CBC radio broadcasts. Desmarais began teaching jazz (piano and ensemble) at the St-Laurent Cegep, Montreal, in 1979 and also taught at the University of Montreal in the 1980s.

Writings

"Jazz improvisation," Canadian Composer, summer 1990

Discography

Trio Lorraine Desmarais. Donato double-bass, Bélisle drums. (1985). Jazzimage JZ-100

Andiamo. Donato double-bass, Bélisle drums, Alias percussion. (1986). Jazzimage JZ-106

Pianissimo - Lorraine Desmarais Solo. (1987). Jazzimage JZ-109

Vision. Zanella saxophone, Cusson guitar, Donato double-bass, Brochu drums. (1991). Disques Scherzo SCH-CD-1508

Rhythm 'n' Flute: Desmarais Sonata for flute and piano. Daoust flute, Bessette piano. 1996. MVCD 1101 CBC Records. Éditions Doberman-Yppan

Lorraine Desmarais. 1995. SCH-CD-1509 Disques Scherzo

Just in Time: Desmarais Odalisque. O. Jones piano. 1998. JUST 120-2, 121-2 Justin Time

Bleu Silence. 1999. SCH-CD-1510 Disques Scherzo

Love. 2002. SCH-CD-1511 Disques Scherzo

Jazz pour Noël/for Christmas. 2005. AN 2 9862 Analekta

Bibliography

Miller, Mark. 'Montreal jazz pianist is on a roll,' Toronto Globe and Mail, 21 Dec 1984

Cauchon, Paul. 'Lorraine Desmarais: "Maintenant, je possède mon propre langage",' Montreal Le Devoir, 5 Jul 1985

Laurier, Andrée. 'Making jazz in Montreal,' Canadian Composer, Dec 1985

Morisset, Paul. 'La chatte sur un clavier brûlant,' L'Actualité, Jul 1986

Paré, Isabelle. 'Lorraine Desmarais, jazzwoman,' Châtelaine, Jul 1986

Robert, Véronique. 'Le jazz sans frontières,' L'Actualité, Apr 1989

Miller, Mark. The Miller Companion to Jazz in Canada (Toronto 2001)

Chénard, Marc. "Lorraine Desmarais: Big band, big time," La Scena Musicale, Apr 2005

Links to Other Sites

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