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Mathieu Onge

@lavieenvinyle

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A guy who likes vinyl records, especially jazz.
"It’s going everywhere, all the time, and never stops." -Thelonious Monk
📍Montréal, QC 🇨🇦

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Born on September 23, 1926, John Coltrane would have turned 100 today. To mark his centennial, here are 16 albums that trace a career as brief as it was dizzying — from "Blue Train" to "Ascension".

"Blue Train" (1957): hard bop at its peak, already marked by a voice unmistakably his own.
"Soultrane" (1958): Coltrane on tenor, lyrical and confident.
"Giant Steps" (1960): a harmonic explosion — the record where he starts breaking the mold.
"Coltrane Jazz" (1961): a bridge toward a more modal sound.
"My Favorite Things" (1961): a Broadway tune turned into a hypnotic leitmotif.
"Olé Coltrane" (1961): an Andalusian dance propelled into modal jazz, already verging on free.
"Africa/Brass" (1961): his Impulse! debut, with an expanded ensemble.
"Live at the Village Vanguard" (1962): the quartet in full flight, right at the edge.
"Coltrane" (1962): standards, modalism, and the first tremors of what was coming.
"Duke Ellington & John Coltrane" (1963): two generations meeting, with remarkable subtlety.
"Ballads" (1963): the deceptively gentle side of a Coltrane who makes the repertoire entirely his own.
"Impressions" (1963): where the theme becomes a mere launching pad.
"Coltrane’s Sound" (1964): an earlier recording that reveals where he was headed.
"Crescent" (1964): the music tightens and deepens.
"A Love Supreme" (1965): four movements, a spiritual quest, a summit.
"Ascension" (1966): eleven musicians in full flight, with no chart and no safety net.

He died at just 40, and had already transformed the vocabulary of jazz. His legacy reaches far beyond music: listening, exploration, freedom, and brotherhood. Today, the needle is still in the groove. The aftershocks are still being felt.

If you’re ever in the mood, I’ve also written a long piece (in French) on Substack in tribute to Coltrane. See the link in my bio.

🎷💯🔥❤️

#johncoltrane #recordcollection #jazzrecords #jazzvinyl #jazz by @lavieenvinyle

Herbie Hancock - Secrets | Columbia Records PC 34289, Stereo, 1976

About 50 years ago, in August 1976, Herbie Hancock released “Secrets,” his eighth album on Columbia. Recorded in San Francisco, the album followed directly on the heels of “Man-Child,” released a year earlier, during a period when Hancock was pushing his exploration of jazz-funk, electric keyboards, and synthetic sounds ever further. Just before he entered his « disco » phase…

But for now, accompanying Hancock on piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and synthesizers are several of his regular collaborators from that period, including Bennie Maupin on saxophones, bass clarinet, and Lyricon; Paul Jackson on bass; Wah Wah Watson on guitar and effects; and James Gadson on drums.

It’s no secret: with "Secrets," Hancock continues his commercial shift, targeting radio airplay and dance floors rather than jazz clubs. The cover photo couldn’t be clearer on this point; Herbie wants to win over the crowds, and he doesn’t hide it.

The tone is set right from the start with "Doin’ It," featuring its massive groove, ever-present wah-wah guitar, horns, and backing vocals. It’s followed closely by the highly effective "People Music," then "Gentle Thoughts," which brings a softer, almost dreamy touch. With "Spider" and "Swamp Rat," we return more squarely to funk, and I’m not complaining.

Let’s not beat around the bush: there’s also that forgettable cover of "Cantaloupe Island," unrecognizable in its reggae arrangement, a far cry from the brilliant original version on Empyrean Isles (1964).

Fortunately, we get back on track with the closing track "Sansho Shima," which reminds us that Hancock hasn’t completely abandoned his instincts as a true jazz musician.

"Secrets" is certainly not his most revolutionary album. One can even detect a certain ease in it—the ease of a tremendous musician who has figured out how to bring his jazz to a much wider audience.

🎹🔥

#jazzrecords #jazzvinyl #herbiehancock #jazzfunk #jazzfusion by @lavieenvinyle

Joe Henderson - Out Thing | Blue Note BNJ 71089 (BST 84152), Japanese Reissue, Stereo, 1985 (1964)

A few months after "Page One", Joe Henderson returned to Rudy Van Gelder’s studio with Kenny Dorham for his second album as a leader on Blue Note. But while Dorham’s trumpet and Henderson’s tenor sax continued the remarkable chemistry of the first album, the rhythm section took a different turn. On piano, Andrew Hill replaces McCoy Tyner; on bass, Eddie Khan takes Butch Warren’s place, while Pete La Roca remains behind the drums. A staff change that’s enough to shift “Our Thing” toward something more edgy, cerebral, and adventurous.

Dorham, still firmly rooted in bebop, wrote three of the five tracks, while Henderson composed the title track as well as “Teeter Totter,” which opens the album. It gets off to a flying start, with “La Roca” maintaining an almost feverish tension. More expansive and measured, “Pedro’s Time” gives the five musicians room to breathe, before moving on to “Our Thing,” whose tempo changes put the soloists’ skills to the test. Hill is particularly captivating here, with his oblique, dissonant, and unpredictable playing. Finally, “Back Road” and “Escapade” bring the album to a close on more melodic ground, without ever sacrificing that sense of freedom.

Henderson already has that instantly recognizable sound: dense, fluid, melodic, capable of shifting from bop to something much more abstract in just a few phrases. And what a rhythm section! Khan and La Roca may be the least well-known members of the quintet, but their understated, energetic playing gives Hill all the space he needs to break with conventions.

“Our Thing” is still hard bop, but something is already starting to crack at the joints. Monk, Coltrane, and Miles aren’t far away, and above all, there’s this desire to break free from boundaries. Here’s an album where you can feel Henderson becoming, note by note, fully himself.

🎷🔥🩷

#jazzvinyl #recordcollection #joehenderson #kennydorham #andrewhill by @lavieenvinyle

Lou Donaldson - Mr. Shing-A-Ling | Blue Note BST-84271, Reedition, Tone Poet Series, Stereo, 2019 (1968)

Among the many albums Lou Donaldson recorded for Blue Note, "Mr. Shing-A-Ling" (1968) is undoubtedly the one that best embodies his shift toward funk, along with the indispensable "Alligator Boogaloo"(1967). Here, it’s all about the groove. From the very first bars, it’s clear that Donaldson is no longer just trying to make the music swing—he wants to get people moving.

To achieve this, he enlists Lonnie Smith, who, on the Hammond organ, weaves a warm and irresistible soundscape that would become one of the hallmarks of soul jazz of that era. On drums, Leo Morris (before he took the name Idris Muhammad) delivers a fluid, inventive, deeply funky performance that, to my ears, stands as one of the album’s true highlights. Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Blue Mitchell on trumpet admirably round out this exceptional lineup.

The masterpiece is the cover of Bobbie Gentry’s hit that opens the album, "Ode to Billie Joe". While it was already a soul-jazz classic, it would go on to become a hip-hop landmark. Its drum break, groove, and organ lines have been sampled an astonishing number of times, from A Tribe Called Quest to Kanye West, including Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Drake, and Flying Lotus.

More concise, the next track, "The Humpback" is Lou’s only original composition on the entire album. Elevated by the saxophonist’s dazzling melodic delivery, it’s a simple yet effective piece that instantly captures the attention.

Deeply rooted in the Blue Note sound of the late 1960s, "Mr. Shing-A-Ling" is also one of the records that has contributed most—often without our realizing it—to shaping the sound of several generations of producers. This alone amply justifies this beautiful Tone Poet reissue.

🎷🎹🥁🔥💚🩷

#jazzvinyl #recordcollection #loudonaldson #jazzfunk #hiphop by @lavieenvinyle

Bill Evans Trio - Portrait In Jazz | Riverside Records OJC-088 (RLP-1162), Reissue, Stereo, 1983 (1960)

If there’s one album that’s the perfect companion for a midsummer Sunday morning—when the house is still quiet and the coffee is gently steaming—it’s the timeless “Portrait in Jazz.”

Recorded in December 1959 and released the following year on Riverside, this album marks the true debut of Bill Evans’ trio with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. Evans had just returned from his brief yet pivotal stint in Miles Davis’ sextet, where he helped shape “Kind of Blue.”

Wanting to give free rein to his own vision, the pianist surrounded himself with two musicians who shared his taste for dialogue and collective improvisation. LaFaro revolutionized the role of the bass by freeing it from its mere function as an accompaniment, while Motian prioritized colors and textures over rigidly maintaining the tempo. Together, they redefine the piano-bass-drums trio, where the three voices now converse on equal footing.

This approach is evident from the very first measures of “Come Rain or Come Shine,” where the interaction between the musicians is already captivating. The delicacy of “Autumn Leaves,” the ethereal grace of “Witchcraft,” the tender melancholy of “Blue in Green”—a cover from Miles Davis’s repertoire—and the depth of “Peri’s Scope,” one of Evans’s few original compositions on the album, perfectly illustrate this aesthetic built on nuance, space, and mutual listening.

Less spectacular than some of the classics that would follow, such as “Sunday at the Village Vanguard” or “Waltz for Debby,” “Portrait in Jazz” remains nonetheless an essential milestone that retains all its freshness more than sixty-five years after its release.

🎹🔥❤️

#jazzvinyl #recordcollection #billevans #scottlafaro #paulmotian by @lavieenvinyle

Art Pepper - Surf Ride | Savoy Records COJY-9209 (MG 12089), Japanese Reissue, Mono, 2006 (1957)

Some albums are like summer novels: they don’t set out to revolutionize the genre, but they provide immediate pleasure and make you want to come back to them. Art Pepper’s "Surf Ride" is one of those. Light, bright, and upbeat, it’s the perfect companion for sunny days without ever sacrificing musical quality. An album that exudes the spirit of early 1950s California, far more so than the clichés on the cover.

Released by Savoy in 1957, Surf Ride actually brings together three sessions recorded between 1952 and 1954, at a time when the young saxophonist was already helping to define the sound of West Coast jazz. Despite the diversity of the lineups, the album is remarkably cohesive. It features Hampton Hawes, Russ Freeman, Jack Montrose, Claude Williamson, Joe Mondragon, Bob Whitlock, Monty Budwig, Larry Bunker, and Bobby White, all prominent figures in the California jazz scene.

The album opens with a lively cover of “Tickle Toe” by Lester Young, one of Pepper’s major influences, before moving on to original compositions brimming with freshness. The title track is a lively and exhilarating blues, the only real nod to surf music on the entire album. It must be said that Art Pepper was undoubtedly the last person one would have imagined on a surfboard. The numerous tracks inspired by spices (“Chili Pepper,” “Cinnamon,” “Thyme Time,” “Art’s Oregano,” and “Nutmeg”) humorously extend the wordplay surrounding his last name. Behind these flavorful titles lies music of remarkable fluidity, where the saxophonist’s crystal-clear phrasing and melodic elegance work wonders.

While it doesn’t quite reach the emotional intensity of his great recordings on Contemporary a few years later, "Surf Ride" captures an Art Pepper who is already fully recognizable: an inspired improviser, an unparalleled melodist, and one of the most endearing voices in West Coast jazz. The perfect album to listen to for the rest of the summer.

🎷☀️🌊🏄‍♀️

#jazzvinyl #recordcollection #artpepper #westcoast #cooljazz by @lavieenvinyle

John Coltrane - Olé | Atlantic Records SD 1373, Reissue, Stereo, 1969 (1961)

Back from a wonderful trip to the south of France, I’ve brought home a new gem: John Coltrane’s Olé, which I found at the excellent record store @tangerine.marseille —whose jazz selection is definitely worth checking out. It’s hard to imagine a better souvenir from this trip! And what a joy to add this record to my collection as we prepare to celebrate, this coming September, the 100th anniversary of this legendary saxophonist’s birth.

Released in 1961, Olé is a true turning point in Coltrane’s career. His final recording for Atlantic before moving to Impulse!, it marks a gradual shift away from the harmonic richness of Giant Steps toward an already very free modal language that would pave the way for his masterpieces in the years to come. Coltrane was constantly evolving at the time, pushing the boundaries of his art at a fascinating pace.

The title track, which alone takes up the entire first side of the vinyl record, remains one of the highlights of this period. For more than 18 minutes, a theme inspired by Spanish tradition serves as the anchor for a long, hypnotic exploration featuring Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Eric Dolphy (credited under the pseudonym George Lane), the double basses of Reggie Workman and Art Davis, and Elvin Jones, before Coltrane takes the reins again in a crescendo of almost spiritual intensity. The relentless pulse, the Andalusian colors, the Eastern inflections, and the space given to the improvisers create music that is both spellbinding and visionary, already foreshadowing the horizons he would explore with Africa/Brass, Impressions, and, of course, A Love Supreme.

And since we’re on the subject of Spain with Olé, it’s hard not to give a nod to the FIFA World Cup final this weekend, which will pit… Spain against Argentina. Olé!

🎷🔥❤️🇪🇸⚽️

#jazzrecords #recordcollection #johncoltrane #jazz #worldcup2026 by @lavieenvinyle

Ryo Fukui - Scenery | We Release Jazz WRJ001LTD (Nadja PA-7148), Reissue, Stereo, 2018 (1976)

Exactly 50 years ago today, on July 7, 1976, Japanese pianist Ryo Fukui recorded his first album at Yamaha Hall in Sapporo. At the time, Ryo Fukui had only been playing the piano for a few years; as a late-blooming self-taught musician, he had not started until he was 22. So in 1976, at age 28, he was leading a local trio featuring Satoshi Denpo on double bass and his brother Yoshinori Fukui on drums.

Musically, *Scenery* blends bop, cool jazz, and modal elements. On this album, Ryo sensitively reinterprets American standards such as “It Could Happen to You,” “Early Summer,” “Willow Weep for Me,” and “Autumn Leaves.” He puts his own stamp on them: a dreamy introduction on “It Could Happen to You,” an ethereal and virtuosic solo on “Early Summer,” and a groove as crystal-clear as it is irresistible on “Autumn Leaves,” where the trio sparkles in perfect harmony. The album’s sole original composition, the title track “Scenery,” closes the album with a meditative, almost cinematic ballad.

The whole album is steeped in a calm and refined atmosphere, where every note seems chosen for its elegance rather than to show off. While Fukui’s gentle and harmonious touch sometimes echoes Bill Evans, his improvisational flourishes can also bring to mind McCoy Tyner in the energy of his playing.

“Scenery” is now considered a classic of Japanese jazz, even though this recognition came late, thanks to the magic of social media and reissues. It is this time lag that fuels a minor debate, as some purists find the album too academic, stuck in the standards and lacking in originality. Others, on the contrary, praise the unique charm of Ryo’s piano playing, his precision, and the trio’s cohesion.

In any case, nearly half a century later, “Scenery” continues to evoke serene and luminous soundscapes, perfect for cooling off on a hot summer evening.

🎹🔥❤️🇯🇵

#jazzvinyl #jazzrecords #ryofukui #japanesejazz #jjazz by @lavieenvinyle

Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music for Airports | PVC Records PVC 7908, Stereo, 1979

Just a few hours before I head off to get lost in the labyrinth of @yulaeroport, from where I’ll be flying to Marseille, I’m playing Brian Eno’s "Ambient 1: Music for Airports".

It’s hard to imagine a better soundtrack for these liminal spaces where the real journey hasn’t yet begun, but where we’ve already left everyday life behind. Nearly fifty years after its release, this first volume of the Ambient series (which also includes “The Plateaux of Mirror,” “Day of Radiance,” and “On Land”) remains the ideal music for departure lounges, train stations, hotel lobbies, and all those transit areas where time seems to stand still.

In 1977, Eno was waiting at the Cologne-Bonn airport when he was struck by how ill-suited the music playing over the loudspeakers was to the situation. Rather than masking the anxiety of travel with bland pop or featureless muzak, why not create music that truly accompanies this state of waiting? His ambition at the time was revolutionary: to compose a work “as ignorable as it is interesting” to listen to, capable of evoking calm and leaving everyone space to think.

The album consists of four long pieces built from tape loops, piano phrases performed by Robert Wyatt, ethereal vocals, synthesizers, and phase-shifting techniques that cause the soundscape to evolve imperceptibly. Nothing seems to truly begin or end; the motifs constantly rearrange themselves, like clouds viewed through an airplane window or the unbroken flow of travelers in a terminal.

While Brian Eno didn’t invent ambient music, it is with this album that he gives it its name, its manifesto, and its most accomplished form. Music that doesn’t seek to attract attention, but rather to subtly transform our perception of place and time. A visionary record that, nearly half a century later, continues to make departures a little more serene.

See you back in France?

🎹⚡️❤️✈️🇫🇷

#recordcollection #vinylcollection #brianeno #ambient #ambientmusic by @lavieenvinyle

Well, since we’re halfway through the year, here are what I consider to be my top 9 finds of 2026 so far.

Not really a hunt for OGs, although the Kenny Drew, Brian Eno, Barney Wilen, and late-period Joe Henderson are—mostly early pressings and/or Japanese reissues.

No extraordinary rarities in the mix, but still some very precious records. Of course, jazz still dominates outrageously, but I did allow myself a little detour with a landmark ambient album.

I’m very happy to continue the adventure by gradually expanding my modest collection, one record dug up from the bins at a time.

And you, what are your best finds from the first hall of this year?

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

#vinylrecords #recordcollection #jazzvinyl #jazz #ambient by @lavieenvinyle

Kenny Drew Trio - Dark Beauty | SteepleChase Records SCS-1016, Stereo, 1975

In my city, the @festivaljazzmtl has just begun, but unfortunately I’ll be missing it this year. The kids and I are busy packing to head to Marseille in a few days to join my sweetheart @villeneuveemilie, right in the middle of a heat wave… With all this packing going on, Kenny Drew’s European-inspired album *Dark Beauty* seems like the perfect soundtrack for our departure.

Recorded in 1974 for SteepleChase, about ten years after Drew settled in Copenhagen, this album features him in a trio with two top-tier partners: the monumental Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass and Albert “Tootie” Heath on drums. This isn’t just a dream team—it’s one of those acoustic trios that seem to breathe in unison, with a flexibility and musical intelligence that make each piece more alive than the last.

Right from “Run Away,” the momentum is irresistible: Drew’s piano moves forward with confidence, carried by a rhythm section that never lets up on the tension. The title track, composed by Drew, unfolds with a more nocturnal, almost hushed beauty, as if you were walking through a jazz club at midnight, with dim lighting and smoke hanging in the air. “Summer Night” takes this elegiac mood even further, as Drew weaves in a melancholy of great finesse, without ever losing the sense of swing.

On “All Blues,” the trio reinterprets Miles Davis with remarkable cohesion, and Heath’s drumming adds a very lively drive. “It Could Happen to You” is one of those interpretations that seem to flow effortlessly, while “Blues In” reminds us just how naturally Drew could make the blues sing. At his side, NHØP is never merely an accompanist; he plays almost like a second soloist, with constant imagination and presence.

“Dark Beauty” is an album that makes you want to hop on a plane, take a deep breath, and let the journey begin even before you’ve landed.

🎹🇩🇰❤️🔥

#jazzrecords #recordcollection #kennydrew #NHØP #albertheath by @lavieenvinyle

Angine de poitrine - Vol. II | Spectacles Bonzaï AP-02, First Pressing, Stereo, 2026

On this June 24, Quebec’s National Day, it seemed only natural to play “Vol. II” by @anginedepoitrine, a true source of national pride for Quebec. It’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate by letting the music of today’s most electrifying duo fill the air. They’ll also be taking the main outdoor stage at the @festivaljazzmtl on June 27.

This second album takes their blend of relentless grooves, asymmetrical rhythms, and almost contagious energy even further. With Khn on microtonal bass guitar and Klek on drums, Angine de Poitrine moves forward like a perfectly broken machine: everything seems off-kilter, yet everything falls into place. The result is at once edgy, danceable, hypnotic, and strangely joyful. The tracks flow into one another with a very personal logic, where loops, breaks, and restarts create constant tension without ever losing the sense of movement.

Right from “Fabienk,” the tone is set: a riff that settles in, bends, contorts, then veers off in another direction. “Sarniezz” and “UTZP” extend this delight in rhythmic dissonance, with catchy accents and a pulse that invites both attentive listening and letting go. Further on, “Yor Zarad” demonstrates just how well the duo can transform chaos into a physical chorus—an almost irresistible groove. It’s music that engages the mind as much as it does the legs.

In short, this Vol. II confirms that Angine de Poitrine isn’t just a visual or viral phenomenon, but a band with a genuine vision, true creativity, and a stage presence that goes beyond the stage.

Bravo à Khn et Klek et bonne Saint-Jean-Baptiste!

🎸🥁🔺⚜️

#anginedepoitrine #recordcollection #fetenationale #festivaljazzmtl #quebec by @lavieenvinyle