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Thursday, June 30th at Gesù, lauded Canadian pianist François Bourassa proved that, without a doubt, Quebec is home to some of the finest jazz musicians on the planet.

Fronting an incredibly talented quartet of home-grown musicians in saxophonist Andre Leroux, bassist Guy Boisvert, and drummer Philipe Melanson, Bourassa put on a contemporary jazz clinic. The evening's program consisted almost exclusively of tunes from the quartet's brand new album Idiosyncracie. Not "straight ahead" by any means, Bourassa's compositions aren't catchy. They hover on the fringe of memorability, forcing the listener to press forward into exciting musical territory rather than linger on phrases already played.

Each musician in the ensemble possesses a unique role. Leroux is charged with the bulk of the melodic foundation, weaving intricate lines in and out of the harmonic framework laid down by Bourassa. Melanson's drumming and percussive work is as much textural as it is rhythmic, with the aforementioned manipulating his drum kit in a variety of interesting ways providing a wide range of timbral effects. Boisvert's impeccable timing and rock solid groove serves as an anchor in an otherwise swirling rhythmic soup. The result is a perfect mélange of emotion and intellect fueled by the E.S.P.-like connection shared between the four.

Interesting to note was Bourassa's mention of contemporary classical composers Karlheinz Stockhausen, Gustav Mahler, and Alban Berg in advance of his three-movement "Suite Allemande". These were some of the most forward thinking composers of the twentieth century, and that influence was readily apparent throughout the evening.

While not flashy, Bourassa's quartet displayed exceptional prowess and emotional range, both in improvisation, and group interplay. The evening was capped off by an energetic rendition of Bourassa's "Rasstones", the only tune of the night not found on Idiosyncrasie.

To sum up the evening, it was an immaculate foray into contemporary jazz that kept the audience engaged from the opening note. The François Bourassa Quartet proved that you don't always have to search far and wide for jazz heavyweights; sometimes they're right in your own backyard.

-Gordon M co-hosts The J-Spot every Tuesday from 4-6pm

Tragedy struck a small Alberta reserve Monday morning when a five-year-old boy was shot to death.

RCMP were called to the Hobbema reserve about 80 kilometres south of Edmonton around 3 a.m. after receiving reports of shots being fired. After entering the house police found the child’s body.

The boy has been confirmed as the grandson of Samson Cree Chief Marvin Yellowbird.

A woman who was inside the house suffered non life-threatening injuries.

Police are investigating whether reports of shots fired earlier, around 1:30 a.m. are also linked to the incident.

The Samson Cree First Nation reserve has suffered from drug and gang problems for many years. In April 2008 a 23-month-old girl was shot in the spine as she ate dinner.

Read and produced by Sofia Gay.

Stories by Chris Hanna, Sofia Gay and Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo.

Tuesday, June 28th's double billing of Trombone Shorty and Bootsy Collins at Metropolis promised to brand Montreal as "the funkiest place on earth". It did not disappoint. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and his group Orleans Avenue kicked off the night with their sizzling brand of funk infused with jazz, rock, hip hop and soul.

Playing several tunes from their Grammy nominated 2010 album Backatown, Shorty and co. brought the funk from the opening note. Orleans Avenue provided funky horn lines, and an impeccably tight rhythm section, while Andrews displayed masterful proficiency on both trombone and trumpet. Shorty also showed off his vocal prowess on Allen Toussaint's "On Your Way Down" and Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On".

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly during a surprise rendition of the jazz standard "On the Sunny Side Of The Street" (dedicated to Louis Armstrong) in which Andrews used circular breathing to hold a single note on the trumpet for several choruses, electrifying the crowd.

The group ended their show with an encore that began with a N'awlins funk rendition of "When The Saints Go Marching In" followed by a Blues Brothers-like performance of Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love". The grand finale saw the band swap instruments (Andrews hopped on the drum kit) for one impressive final funky foray.

After a lengthy intermission, Bootsy's band took the stage and tantalised the audience with "We Want Bootsy" before the grand marshal of funk finally graced Metropolis with his star eyed, gold lamé clad presence. Backed by a goliath ensemble of 14, Collins hammered the crowd with P-Funk favourites, though the spectacle of his stage show overshadowed the musical aspect of the evening. It didn't help that the grooves would often fade into kick drum driven spoken word interludes that slowed the momentum of the evening. Add that to Collins' two lengthy absences (costume changes), and it was difficult to maintain any kind of musical flow.

The highlight of Bootsy's set came when he launched himself into the crowd to be mobbed by his adoring fans. After thanking everyone within a ten mile radius, Collins capped off the night with "P Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)."

From an entertainment aspect, Bootsy and friends delivered in spades, but all musical fulfilment came from Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue.

-Gordon M co-hosts The J-Spot every Tuesday from 4-6pm