Benjamin Deschamps, saxophone soprano

Benjamin Deschamps is a versatile, Montreal-based musician who is well respected as a saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and teacher. Awarded the Grand Prix du Festi Jazz de Rimouski in 2013, he was named the 2017–2018 Révélation Radio-Canada en Jazz, then received the Grand Prix TD at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in 2019. His fourth album, Augmented Reality (2021), won Jazz Album of the Year at the 2023 Opus Awards gala.

He has released five albums and has presented his music in Canada, the United States, France, Belgium, and Germany. He has also toured in over 20 countries, collaborating with artists such as Jacques Kuba Séguin, Rachel Therrien, the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal, and Jean-Michel Blais. He has also participated in pop and stage productions such as Beautiful: The Music of Carole King, Forever Gentlemen, and Chicago.

He holds a master’s degree in jazz performance from McGill University, where he teaches arranging, and is also a saxophone teacher at Cégep Marie-Victorin. He is also General and Artistic Director of Aléa musique, an organization dedicated to the creation, production, and distribution of original music.

Jean-Pierre Zanella, saxophone alto

Saxophonist, composer, and arranger Jean-Pierre Zanella obtained his master’s degree in jazz from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, in 1982. Zanella has forged strong ties and recorded with Brazilian artists such as Marcos Valle, Altay Veloso, the group Boca Livre, and pianist Marcos Ariel. He has also been awarded the Order of Rio Branco by the Brazilian government.

He has eight solo albums to his credit: Mystic Infancy, winner of the Opus Award for best jazz album in 1998, Puzzle City, also winner of the Opus Award for Best Jazz Album in 1999, and a Juno nomination. Mother Tree (2002) was nominated for a Juno and a Félix and won an Opus. Villa-Lobos & Jobim (2006) received two ADISQ nominations for Best Jazz Album in the Performance and Best Arranger categories. His latest album, Quattro Venti, received a Félix nomination in the Jazz Album category in 2017. His most recent, Rio Minas, was released in April 2020 and received a Félix nomination and an Opus Award. In 2012, he received the André Gagnon Award, given by the SPACQ. In 2011, Zanella received the Oscar Peterson Award from the Festival de Jazz de Montréal for his contribution to the Canadian jazz scene.

Frank Lozano, saxophone ténor

One of the most sought-after saxophonists on the Montreal jazz scene, Frank Lozano brings freshness and sincerity to all his projects, as much through his unique, modern playing as through his powerful, passionate tone. Frank Lozano has performed and recorded with such renowned musicians as Karen Young, Don Thompson, Michel Donato, Donny McCaslin, Tim Hagans, Pat LaBarbera, and David Binney, to name a few. A highly versatile artist, he plays with the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal, No Codes, and Altsys Jazz Orchestra, among others.

Artist-in-residence at the Conseil des arts du Québec loft in Soho (NY) in 2006, he devoted himself to creating the Frank Lozano Group’s first album, Colour Fields, the fruit of his New York experiences. Since 2008, Frank has been developing his next city-inspired music project, the Frank Lozano Montreal Quartet, as well as the “Autour de Bill Evans” project, which won the Opus Award for Best Jazz Album in 2012. Frank Lozano teaches saxophone at McGill University and Cégep Vanier.

François D'Amours, saxophone basse

Originally from Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, Canada, François D’Amours was only 13 when he started learning saxophone. He immediately fell in love with the instrument, abandoning his earlier dream of playing drums. From then on, he focused on studying music—first at Ste-Foy High School, then at Cégep Ste-Foy and Cégep St-Laurent, before finally completing his studies at the Université de Montréal. His unique style and tone quickly made him a much-in-demand musician in the jazz and pop music scenes. He has been seen—and heard!—with such artists as Gino Vannelli (world tour), Michel Cusson, Alain Caron, Paolo Ramos, and Garou, on the soundtrack of the film The Triplets of Belleville, and with Michel Pagliaro, Lulu Hughes, Bruno Pelletier, Luck Merville, Corey Hart, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Whip Cream, Bob Walsh, The OSM, Lara Fabian, Isabelle Boulay, and many more. He has also appeared on countless jingles, television and radio shows, and has recorded with many Quebec and international artists.