UZEB -

UZEB was a Québécois jazz-rock/funk band formed in Drummondville in 1976 by guitarist Michel Cusson and later centered on bassist Alain Caron and drummer Paul Brochu. The 1981–85 albums Live in Bracknell, Fast Emotion, You Be Easy, and Between the Lines established the band internationally, followed by the 1986–90 albums Live à l’Olympia, Absolutely Live, Noisy Nights, UZEB Club, Live in Europe, and World Tour 90. UZEB disbanded in 1992 and reunited in 2016, with the re-formed trio issuing Reunion Live in 2019.

Members: Michel Cusson (guitar, synthesizer), Alain Caron (bass, vocals, 1978-92), Jean St-Jacques (drums, percussion, keyboards, 1978-?, ?-1987), Sylvain Coutu (drums, ?-1980), Paul Brochu (drums, percussion, 1980-92), Stephan Montanaro (keyboards, synthesizer), Jeff Fisher (keyboards, synthesizer), Michel Cyr (keyboards, synthesizer)

Background

UZEB formed in 1976 in Drummondville, Quebec, around guitarist Michel Cusson. Cusson was born Jan. 22, 1957, in Drummondville and studied guitar at McGill University in Montreal and Berklee College of Music in Boston. The new group played a first documented concert on Aug. 14, 1976, at Saint-Eusèbe, Quebec. The band adopted Eusèbe-Jazz after the engagement and soon shortened the name to UZEB after a move to Montreal.

UZEB added bassist Alain Caron and drummer Jean St-Jacques to the Montreal lineup by 1978 as regular members. Caron was born May 5, 1955, in Saint-Éloi, Quebec, and started bass at age eleven with Top 40 and standards groups. He shifted toward jazz at age fourteen after hearing an Oscar Peterson record. Caron worked in Montreal recording studios and jazz clubs and entered Berklee College of Music in 1979 after private and correspondence study.

Sylvain Coutu succeeded St-Jacques on drums, and Paul Brochu replaced Coutu in 1980 after graduate percussion study at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec. UZEB rotated Stéphane Montanaro, Jeff Fisher, Michel Cyr, and St-Jacques through the keyboard and synthesizer chair in early configurations. The group accompanied singer-songwriter Diane Tell on a 1980 tour as a backing ensemble.

UZEB reached England in July 1981 for the seventh Bracknell Jazz Festival, the first UZEB concert in Europe. RAK Mobile engineers recorded the festival set for Radio Canada International with guitarist Cusson, bassist Caron, drummer Brochu, and keyboardist Stéphane Montanaro.

Discography: