L'Orkestre des pas Perdus

A trompe l'oreille on L'Âge du Cuivre disguises Philippe Legault's tuba as a bass guitar. The fifth album from this Quebecois ensemble, which is composed solely of brass, woodwinds and drums, is so groovy one can be forgiven for assuming a veteran funk rhythm section was involved with its production. Composed solely of tracks created by trombonist Claude St-Jean, L'Âge du Cuivre doesn't rely on the virtuoso talent of a single individual ― the eight players act as a unit to realize the compositions with energy and flair unique for such a large ensemble. Part spy film soundtrack, part jazz-funk song cycle, part marching band goof-off, this album nods in many directions, with a decent sense of humour demonstrated most readily in the titles of the songs. L'OPP have set out to prove that jazz can be fun, and they've found success with this release.