Album: Lucky Lucky

Artists: Patricia Deslauriers Trio (Patricia Deslauriers on bass, Guy St-Onge on piano, Paul Brochu on drums)

?Le saumon rendu à la mer,
le prisonnier dans les bras de son père,
Le goéland dans le dépotoir,
la bijouterie, la barre de fer.
Du rock?n?roll sur ma misère,
le brochet noir dans le banc de ménés.
la band, la band, est bonne à soir,
y aura pas d?hiver cette année.?

Richard Desjardins, ?Dans ses yeux?

Classy doesn’t Have to Mean Shallow

Patricia Deslauriers is an accomplished contrabassist from Quebec. Despite a stellar career, her name has remained largely below radar except among the handful of elites She’s accompanied (Wayne Shorter, Isabelle Boulay, Cheb Khaled, and Diane Dufresne, among other notables).

Lucky Lucky is her solo debut, an instrumental interpretation of songs by Quebec song and score composer, environmentalist, and director Richard Desjardins, whose widely covered lyrics and compositions are remarkable for their tenderness and depth. His songs manifest a melodic richness well-suited to jazz treatment (chanteuse Karen Young has covered his songs as well as helping him pen a few).

There could be no musical tribute more touching than these reverent aural meditations. There’s a lovely slow pulse to these tracks and an enervating crescendo and decrescendo that keep it engaging. Frequent small touches from all three musicians make it an aural gourmet repast. Lucky Lucky is an example of consummate discipline and craftsmanship (the first delicious piano tones and swishing cymbal are almost too perfect), yet every track throbs with inventiveness and sincere emotion.

One of Richard Desjardins? life missions is to speak for the natural environment?notably by calling for the prevention of overharvesting of the forests in his native Quebec?and to expound on the sacredness of place, in particular respecting the attachment First Nations in his province have to their territorial lands. Choosing to interpret the songs of such an artist belies any accusations of self-indulgence so often thrown at jazz musicians.

This album is Deslauriers? long-overdue solo effort. It’s among the smoothest, most sophisticated music you’ll ever hear. It’s also one of the Mindful Bard’s favourite things: chamber jazz performed by a virtuoso minimalist trio, the kind of music you turn to for healing.

Lucky Lucky manifests five of the Mindful Bard’s criteria for music well worth a listen: 1) it is authentic, original, and delightful; 2) it provides respite from a sick and cruel world, a respite enabling me to renew myself for a return to mindful artistic endeavour; 3) it is about attainment of the true self; 4) it inspires an awareness of the sanctity of creation; and 5) it makes me appreciate that life is a complex and rare phenomenon, making living a unique opportunity.