Connivence - Connivence (Vinyl Rip) (Canada 1977) [ProgFolk] @320K

First record of a group that is more of an amalgam of artistes linking under the Connivence name in order to make an album, this relative uncommon procedure delivered three albums that are worthy of the proghead's interest, especially so if he is into Folk Prog. Basically a blend of folk-duo Nous Autres and jazz rock group Oasis, it also includes some solo English-speaking songwriters (but French-singing) who are playing with those two groups. Sounds confusing? Well, Kinda! But these guys were all acquaintances from the Ottawa river valley, just across the federal capital of Ottawa.

After reading the first paragraph, you'd have to believe that this album would be very eclectic, uneven and with a wide spectrum, but actually, the album is fairly focused and most of the tracks are folk, folk rock or folk-derived prog. So eclectic this album is but for its own good: they folk-jazz-rock is sometimes head-twirling, at times virtuosic and all the time very charming.

The opening progressive instrumental jig (aptly called Gigue) is calling your ears to attention right away, with the hippy-folk idealist Dans Ta Fenêtre being a stark contrast in sobriety. With Boyau De La Liberté reminding you of the opener (minus the open jig) and its violin reminiscent of Kansas' Robby Steinhard, the album is made to please even the most demanding proghead. Even if Grande Valse is fairly cheesy, Sable De Lucerne is modern classic-influenced and the tracks sounds like a RIO marriage between Univers Zero and early Maneige. And with the superb Villageoise track closing off the first side of this Ottawa voyage, you realize that once again, Quebec still has many hidden gems still waiting for Cd releases.

But with the second side to go, opening strangely with Happy Endings (an instrumental symphonic-jazzy jig) which is like a cross between Maneige and Aquarelle, again the second track is leading us in a very sober folk couple of tracks written by folk duo Nous Autres, one of which can be likened to Anthony Phillips' works on his "private parts and pieces" series. The album closes on a head-twisting pastoral symphonic Lapin, which fittingly ends this great album.

While not a real masterpiece of Quebecois music, the first Connivence album is very worthy of any proghead's interest and it is a shame their albums (no Cd re-issues and vinyls getting scarce) are getting hard to find, because even most Quebecois seem to have forgotten about this amalgam of artistes, which will release two more album under the same formula, but with different participants.
-Sean Trane- Prog Archives


01. La Gigue
02. Dans Ta Fenêtre
03. Le Boyau En Liberté
04. La Dernière Grande Valse
05. Le Pit De Sable De Lucerne
06. La Villageoise En Ville
07. Happy Endings
08. Blanc-Blême
09. L'eau De La Vie
10. Lapin


Paul Pugnaire: guitars, composition, vocals
Marc Sommer: bass, vocals
Jean-Luc Gotteland: keyboards, vocals
Thierry Durbano: drums, percussions
Lionel Dugas: vocals, guitars  

Connivence - Connivence II (Vinyl Rip) (Canada 1979) [ProgFolk] @320K

If Connivence's first album was a rather confusing compilation of tracks from different artistes into a collective, the second album released the next year is much more of real album from a real artiste. Behind the astounding and superb watermill artwork of the cover, we're still dealing with pastoral folk, even if the folk gets naval as well with a couple of tracks. Neither Soucy or Oasis cared to participate to this effort, leaving Steve Burman and the duo Nous Autres and newcomer Guy LaFrance to fill the album, which gains in cohesiveness compared to its predecessor.

Nous Autres contributes to pure or trad folk songs like Quebec Au Printemps (a cheesy ode to Quebec that was obviously aimed at airplay) and Le Bateau or Une Goutte De Sang. But most of the tracks are hovering between folk rock and folk jazz, induced by Syncope's presence in backing Burman and LaFrance (see 1959 and Dac). Sometimes you'll hear chunks of early Harmonium influences, but then again the head-twisting Saskatoon is close to a jig in its last developments.

In the typical Quebec fashion, delicious female vocals are present, here France Charron on four tracks) including the delicious Le Mat, set to cello and strings, and the superb flute-laden Chanson D'Amour pour France is a Burman & Syncope tune with some jazz arrangements, but Dac and Cocottes De Kazou are much in the same mould. Nous Autres is back with the superb S'Il Y A De L'Amour that can only send shivers down your back. And wait until you get to the closing stunner Accouche Qu'On Baptise to get the same shivers.

Since these albums have never received a Cd reissue (legit or boot), there is only one hope for most of progheads to one day hear Connivence's first two collaborations, and that hope's name is ProgQuebec, but Connivence's vinyls are still quite cheap , the only trick is to ship them through the expensive Canada Post, but no doubt you'll not regret doing so.

Certainly worth a listen (and a few more), Connivence is the perfect music to get in close to your mate and start making some connivance.
-Sean Trane- Prog Archives


01. Québec au printemps
02. Le Mât
03. Chanson d'Amour pour France
04. DAC
05. Les Cocottes de Kazou
06. Saskatoon
07. S'il y a d'l'amour
08. 1959
09. Une goutte de sang
10. Le Bateau
11. Accouche qu'on baptise


Paul Pugnaire: guitars, composition, vocals
Marc Sommer: bass, vocals
Jean-Luc Gotteland: keyboards, vocals
Thierry Durbano: drums, percussions
Lionel Dugas: vocals, guitars