Éric Normand is an improviser, bassist, composer, singer, lyricist and a producer of records and concerts.

He is active in the field of improvised, contemporary and jazz music.

He lives in a remote area, in Rimouski (Quebec), and is artistic director of Tour de Bras, an organization dedicated to improvisational music. For the past ten years he has also directed a large orchestra of improvisers (GGRIL).

An improviser, Eric invents a personal and radical language. Equipping his bass with electronic paraphernalia of his own making, he forces himself to reinvent instrumental gestures. He favours duets and trios with Xavier Charles, Philippe Lauzier, Jim Denley, Magda Mayas, Pierre-Yves Martel and Martin Tétreault, in addition to many impromptu encounters.

Leader of two jazz ensembles, Les Jazz Mess and Brûlez les Meubles, he has played alongside some legends of the genre, including pianist Burton Greene and multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee.

A composer, Eric creates ensemble music using various syntaxes, often made up of games and combinations reminiscent of the literary constructions of Georges Perec.

His music has been performed in festivals in Canada, Australia, France, Spain, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania and several other countries. He has been heard on Radio-Canada, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC, Radio-Grenouille and several student radio stations.
 

Photo : Marie-Eve Campbell