Agharta -

Agharta was a Québécois jazz-rock band that released a 1980 self-titled album on small-press JAM.

Members: Jacques Mignault (keyboards), Pierre Veniot (saxophone, flute), Normand Trudel (bass, ?-1983), Normand Cataford (drums, ?-1983), Sylvain Gagnon (bass, 1983-84), Michel Grenier (drums, 1983-84)

Background

Agharta formed in Québec around 1978 when keyboardist Jacques Mignault and reed player Pierre Veniot, former colleagues in Main Street Funk, teamed with bassist Normand Trudel and drummer Normand Cataford.

Mignault studied music at Concordia University in Montreal. Veniot began on clarinet with a Montreal school band in 1965 and continued private music studies with local teachers. Veniot pursued jazz performance at McGill University and entered television accompaniment in 1975 with Canadian artists. He also joined Bouquet de sons, a classical baroque trio that gave more than 100 concerts across a two-year period.

The quartet worked coffee clubs across Montreal with a repertoire that mixed jazz and psychedelic rock. Mignault and Veniot supplied most of the compositions as the group prepared a self-financed recording project. Mignault set the debut for release on his private JAM label. Agharta recorded the album at Son Soleil in Montreal with recording and mix engineer Gaétan Pilon and guest percussionist Michel Séguin on four tracks.

Discography: