Maneige ‎– Ni Vent… Ni Nouvelle (1977)

Ni Vent… Ni Nouvelle is the third album by Quebecois avant/chamber-jazz ensemble Maneige, released in May 1977 on Polydor.

The album moves away from their earlier chamber–progressive style toward concise compositions built on vibrant rhythmic interplay and electroacoustic textures.

With the departure of keyboardist–clarinetist Jérôme Langlois, flutist–saxophonist Alain Bergeron assumed leadership, steering the sound into a focused jazz-fusion format. Here, flute, saxophone, tuned percussion, and electric instruments share equal prominence. Bergeron wrote most of the material, which consists of ten compact instrumentals.

The core ensemble includes guitarist Vincent Langlois, bassist Denis Lapierre, and percussionists Gilles Schetagne, Paul Picard, and Yves Léonard, who complete the rhythmic foundation. Guest players join the sessions, including soprano saxophonist André Pelchat, violist Jean Préfontaine, and violinists Chantale Rémillard and Denise Lupien.

The music unfolds as a sequence of short movements that combine intricate percussion, fluid flute and sax exchanges, and pastoral string backdrops. The brief opener “Le Gai Marvin” sets a bright tone with flute and vibraphone. Tracks like “La Fin de l’Histoire” alternate between serene flute passages and brisk jazz-rock momentum, while “Les Folleries” develops into a dense interplay of guitar, sax, and bass with shifting time signatures.

Maneige recorded the sessions at Studio Beigne in Montreal with producer–engineer Guy Charbonneau. The album’s artwork, which features abstract color planes suggesting motion and fluidity, reflects the music’s percussive focus and constant rhythmic movement.

A1. “Le Gai Marvin” [The Merry Marvin] (1:42) – A. Bergeron

This concise piece serves as an opening statement. Flute performs factual lead-parts that polyrhythmic passages and concise guitar phrases intricately play against. The arrangement features the flute, violin segments, and elaborate vibraphone work. The composition presents an initial display of instrumental variety and focused energy.

A2. “La Fin de l’Histoire” [The End of the Story] (3:17) – A. Bergeron / J. Langlois

The composition establishes an initial atmosphere and is built from diverse emotional layers. Flute leads the opening half, which features acoustic textures akin to folk-rock. The piece then shifts to a more uptempo pace. The progression incorporates electric piano and strings as it moves through a symphonic segment into syncopated fusion-rock. Vibraphone and glockenspiel patterns proliferate, culminating in an exchange of angular solos between guitar and saxophone over a dense percussion segment.

A3. “Les Folleries” [The Follies] (6:06) – A. Bergeron / J. Langlois

This composition functions as a showcase for the instrumentalists, establishing a complex collage of intricate sounds. Once underway, the piece contains a concentration of simultaneously operating elements. It executes a major change after the first 90 seconds. The structure features a swaggering prog-funk style that alternates expertly with insertions of avant-jazz. Guitar and saxophone trade sharp solo exchanges as the bass performs deep, prominent lines. The rhythm foundation is frenetic, and the drumming displays precise control, driving the movement through its constant evolution.

A4. “Les Épinettes” [The Spruces] (3:32) – A. Bergeron

The movement opens with a pastoral texture, with piano and acoustic guitar initially leading the performance. Flute then enters to assume the factual lead role. This piece functions as a canvas of uncommon beauty, combining dramatic tendencies with piercing lyrical expression.

A5. “Mambo Chant” (5:20) – A. Bergeron / J. Langlois

The piece opens with contoured piano statements. Bass and guitar join the percussion instruments and synthesizers to expand the arrangement. The piano returns to lead the movement around the halfway point. Drums and bass become prominent one minute later, performing tight rhythm patterns. The saxophone arrives in the final section, accompanied by percussion and drums. The composition transitions from a sentimental acoustic sound to a vivid impressionistic expression.

B1. “Douce-Amère” [Bittersweet] (5:54) – A. Bergeron / J. Langlois

The piece begins with xylophone figures that establish an upbeat pace. Drums and guitar join to build the rhythmic foundation. Vocal lines enter two minutes into the piece. The composition undergoes a change after three minutes, shifting into a new atmospheric rhythm joined by the guitar. The work functions as a motivic progressive mosaic, featuring an extended guitar solo from Vincent Langlois.

B2. “Le Gros Roux” [The Big Redhead] (3:30) – A. Bergeron

The composition opens with a statement from the bass and vibraphone. Flute and drums then enter to assume the primary focus. This piece operates as an electroacoustic sketch, where complex folk-jazz maneuvers are underlined by subtle Latin instrumentation.

B3. “Au Clair de la Prune” [In the Light of the Plum] (4:03) – A. Bergeron

The opening is jazzy in character, with the saxophone heavily present throughout the first half. The composition then settles, allowing the flute to assume the factual lead. Maneige wields orchestral fusion momentum, transforming it into timid chamber reflections. The music includes sections of light fusion.

B4. “11 Juillet” [July 11] (5:00) – J. Langlois

The composition becomes uptempo, driven by assertive saxophone and drumming. Maneige employs a large compositional approach, transforming orchestral fusion momentum. The ensemble drives rough-hewn rock segments into the pliable, crystalline density of percussion. The arrangement includes syncopated elements.

B5. “Time Square” [Time Square] (1:32) – G. Schetagne

This concise piece serves as the tragicomic interlude concluding the album. The composition forms a hypothetical intersection between spirited soundtracks and circus-like maneuvers.

Tracklist:

A1. “Le gai Marvin” (1:42)
A2. “La fin de l’histoire” (3:17)
A3. “Les folleries” (6:06)
A4. “Les epinettes” (3:32)
A5. “Manbo chant” (5:20)

B1. “Douce-amere” (5:54)
B2. “Le gros roux” (3:30)
B3. “Au clair de la prune” (4:03)
B4. “11 Juillet” (5:00)
B5. “Time Square” (1:32)

Credits:

Denis Lapierre — bass, drums, timpani, bells, chinese blocks
Gilles Schetagne — glockenspiel, tubular bells
Paul Picard — spoons, drum, chimes, horns, vibraphone
Yves Léonard — percussion, gong, darbouka, drum, woodblock, maracas
Alain Bergeron — piano, flute, piccolo flute
Vincent Langlois — saxophone, guitar
André Pelchat — soprano saxophone
Jean Préfontaine — viola
Chantale Rémillard — violin
Denise Lupien — violin

Guy Charbonneau — producer
Maneige — producer