Pastourelle

Montréal percussionist Daniel Bellegarde’s second solo album continues his fascination with the music of Haiti and the French West Indies, although he’s invited players of Irish and Brazilian instruments (whistles, cavaquinho, bandolim, etc) to broaden the palette with their embellishments. There’s a pronounced in-the-studio sound, with the instruments finely arrayed into a precise spread, electric bass plumping up the lower regions. Violin, banjo and retro-electro organ are all democratically included.

Bellegarde boasts a very wide selection of skins on this joyful selection of three- or four-minute tunes. They’re frothy and polite, often with multiple changes of sonic emphasis, as brief spotlight flourishes pass by, compacted down to the dancing muscle. The performances aren’t so wild, but they still move the joints, as well as engaging the brain. It would be beneficial to catch these players during a live show, as it’s almost certain that they’d be looser and punchier. With its infectious vocals and romping beat ‘Non au Racisme’ is a particular highlight, while ‘Valse de Concert’ is softer, and features those aforementioned Brazilian string flourishes.