Alain Caron

Alain Caron established himself as a working musician while still quite young and went on to build a formidable reputation as a bassist. He studied at the Berklee College of Music. During the 1970s one of his earliest jazz engagements came when he joined the Vic Vogel Big Band. He helped launch UZEB in 1977. The ensemble’s debut recording, Live in Bracknell, appeared in 1981, followed the next year by Fast Emotion. You Be Easy reached listeners in 1984, and Between the Lines arrived in 1985. Two concert sets, Live a l'Olympia and Absolutely Live, both surfaced in 1986. The band continued with Noisy Nights and Live in Europe in 1988, then issued UZEB Club the following year. World Tour '90 came out in 1990.

In 1992 Caron started his own ensemble, le Band, and documented its first effort, Alain Caron -- le Band. He also cut a bass-duet project with Michel Donato and reunited with UZEB for a performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival. The subsequent year found him tracking material with Leni Stern and touring alongside her, while simultaneously leading le Band across Quebec and appearing with Donato -- Caron. During 1994 the group undertook its first extensive headline tour amid additional sideman appearances.

Rhythm 'n Jazz, le Band’s 1995 release, preceded another European trek. Over the next two seasons Caron maintained an intense schedule of performances with assorted artists. The trio’s third album, Play, emerged in 1997. He spent the following years again collaborating with multiple acts, most prominently Gino Vannelli, before le Band delivered its fourth studio effort, Call Me Al!, in 2000.