Yves Léveillé (Piano), Aron Doyle (Trumpet and flugelhorn),
Frank Lozano (Tenor, soprano saxophones and bass clarinet),
Roberto Murray (Alto and baritone saxophones),
Marc Lalonde (Double bass), Ugo Di Vito (Drums)

" Often I feel its heartbeat calling me--I am home ther even from afar "
-Yves Léveillé

Montreal pianist and composer Yves Léveillé has emerged as a passionate and intelligent creator of new music. He has made three acclaimed recordings for the Effendi label and his fourth further expands his notions of space and intimacy as it defines a sort of hymn to artistic New York City.

His talented ensemble consists of trumpet, two saxophonists, piano, bass and drums. Each of the players deftly contributes to the sense of group creation but also makes potent individual statements. The music is emotionally expressive but it makes its case in subtle shades and dynamics. The opener, “Érosion,” simply and beautifully welcomes us to the composer’s rich palette but does so in a way that doesn’t bash us over the head but, rather, gently displays its quiet sensibility. The horns state an insistent theme over a softly pulsing rhythm section followed by trumpeter Aron Doyle instinctively finding the yearning in the chords for a pointed and delicate solo. He’s followed by Léveillé himself, who says much in relatively few notes.

Each of the succeeding tunes paints expressive sound pictures of feelings about place. It’s intricate modern jazz writing that is somehow simple and communicative. “Une Nuit sur Soho” is a gorgeous minimalistic ballad that gently takes us on an emotional tour of nighttime New York. It’s the aesthetic calm and assurance in the center of what is often a madly active city. The pianist suggests Bill Evans as he often does in his solo playing, while bassist Marc Lalonde echoes the calm while speaking forcefully and directly. On “New York 10012” there’s more of what we think we understand about the drive and activity in New York, but here Léveillé and his cohorts sing a simply complex hymn to that urban chaos that's inviting and never loses control.

There is an elegance and grace in the writing that combines an orchestral sensibility with the intimacy of a small group. The ensemble writing for the horns is wistfully unobtrusive yet calls to mind a woodwind ensemble. Léveillé has found the perfect format for writing that sits in a tradition yet somehow sounds like something charmingly different.
Donald Elfman ( All about jazz May 07, New York )

Yves Léveillé (Piano), Richard Savoie (Tenor & soprano saxophones),
Mathieu Bélanger (Clarinet & bass clarinet), Marc Lalonde (Acoustic bass),
Ugo Di Vito (Drums), Jocelyn Veilleux (French Horn)
 

Yves Léveillé - dreaming in Technicolor
Had he evolved in another musical style than jazz, where composition takes a back seat to instrumental skill, Yves Léveillé would be known as arguably one of the most gifted composers of our time.

It seems that each new recording offers this pianist from Lévis the opportunity to expand upon the field of a language already quite rich in nuances. Not only has Léveillé reached a balance between composition and improvisation, but he has gone even further on Quantique (Effendi/SRI) his third solo album, in integrating the various instruments – even the drum solos – into the very structure of his compositions.

In pure Ellingtonian tradition, Léveillé judiciously makes use of the resources at his disposal, from the sometimes suave, sometimes strident clarinet of Mathieu Bélanger, or Jocelyn Veilleux’s French horn, which gives the ensemble a texture at once richly dense and full of space, evoking the framework of Gil Evans as a backdrop for Miles Davis.

One can only hope that, in the tradition of these great masters, Léveillé is able to add to his palette additional colors, (trombone, oboe, tuba, why not?) allowing him to reach his polychromatic dreams. For the moment, Quantique remains an album as stimulating as it is seductive.
Dominique Denis (L’Express, Toronto, week of Nov. 4th to the 10th, 2003)

Yves Léveillé (piano), Richard Savoie (saxophones),
Mathieu Bélanger (clarinette & clarinette basse/clarinets),
Marc Lalonde (contrebasse/bass), Ugo Di Vito (batterie/drums)
 

A CD with Yves Léveillé’s characteristic elegance, inventiveness, and finesse. Among other things, it gives us the opportunity to hear the warm sax of Richard Savoie and clarinettist Mathieu Bélanger.
Michel Bedin (Jazz Hot, France)

Yves Léveillé (piano), Frank Lozano (saxophones & flûte alto/ saxs & flutes),
Mathieu Bélanger (clarinette & clarinette basse/ clarinets),
Jean-François Martel (contrebasse/bass), Sylvain Jalbert (batterie/drums).
 

Be aware of the birth of a new quebecker brand. This album marks the beginning of this label, and the quality of it is an optimistic sign. Yves Léveillé and his quintette play original compositions, written by the leader, an alert and intelligent pianist. Add to that the impeccable chemistry of Frank Lozano on saxophone and flute and Mathieu Bélanger on clarinet, and you have an album, Signal Commun, that’s well worth the listen. Clearly jazz happens outside New York. In Montreal for example!
Gilles Archambeault (Quebec Audio, Sept./Oct. 1999)