The City of Toronto just got a little richer this weekend. I am not talking about money but of sound. The music scene welcomed a new artist to the scene. His name is Mathieu Fiset and he is now making Toronto his home.
If you read my interview with Mathieu, you would have learned of his journey from Canada to Asia and back to Canada. You would have learned his music went viral when famed drummer, Larnell Lewis played one his pieces called “Chick’s Pain”. If you saw that video, you would understand the talent that has moved into our town.
When I initially spoke with Mathieu, he was nervous about playing to a new audience and was hoping there would be a few people in the audience. After all, Toronto is a fickle crowd and doesn’t like going out to explore new music.
This evening turned out a little bit different. The room was sold out and the lounge area was packed with people wanting to hear what this artist was all about. For those of you who have never been to the Emmet Ray, the room is divided in two. The back room is where paying guests can sit and eat while watching a live performance. Once you walk down a step towards the bar and beyond, it becomes a lounge area. You don’t have to pay a cover charge, but you will definitely hear the music.
Mathieu’s band is called Robojazz and when they hit the stage, the funk came popping out immediately. It reminded me of Herbie Hancock’s famous song called Rockit mixed with the soulful Stevie Wonder. This is the kind of jazz that would really appeal to a young crowd who want something more from today’s music. It is fun, and fresh and even danceable. It’s like looking for love in all the wrong sockets. Haha…
The music is wonderfully tasteful and full of hope. Mathieu brought some new terminology to the crowd by letting everyone know his new piece has Quintuplet grooves to it. It seemed they started out with an original groove and slowly turned it into a chilled-out Santana jam.
The openness of his musical styles really keeps the mind fresh and open. For example, they did a piece called,” I am my own worst enemy”. My mind went to a very lonely Japanese chef contemplating his existence while preparing a very sizzling meal. They even did a piece that was born out of traditional dance you could only find on the Ivory Coast in Africa. This one left you dancing on the air.
Robojazz did not take their 20 minute break and decided to just jam away and see what happens? The audience decided to start them off in the key of F minor and then things got funky again. It was so much fun; they quickly called this new piece “Stevie Wondering”.
What made this evening special was the fact that this version of Robojazz is brand new. This is not only their debut in Toronto but as a band as well. These cats were tight, and they all looked like they were having fun with us. Yes, I know older people love jazz, but Robojazz seems perfect for a young crowd looking for quality music. This is the band you need to be watching for. They can pull out sounds of the 70’s but make it modern and fresh.
Do you remember at the beginning of this article, when I mentioned the video of “Chick’s Pain”? Well, this is the moment that I knew this band will be a big success in Toronto. Mathieu went into the story of this song and how it went viral. Once the band began to play the song, a swarm of people from the back of the lounge area came right up to the edge of the dining area and began videotaping the performance. Wow, this song really did go viral. These people needed to prove that they got to see the artist perform this song. People were vying for a spot to capture this for their own record. This was a cool moment for everyone in the room.
Mathieu finished the evening with one fun story about a Chinese guy who kept yelling “One More” after every song he performed. He thought his was such a memorable moment that his last song of the evening is called, “One More”! The Emmet Ray crowd approved as everyone was yelling “One More”! After the band was done, we kept yelling “One More”! Well, Robojazz didn’t want to disappoint so they went full on improv and got the people dancing in the lounge area.
I hope this story helps the people of Toronto that great music is happening every night in this city. Just get off your ass and go explore a little bit. You can also find a growing club directory on our website to find live music. I look forward to meeting out there someday.
Here is the video that started this growing excitement for Robojazz.
Larnell Lewis Hears A Song Once And Plays It Perfectly
Check out The Emmet Ray’s listing to find more great jazz
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