NIC GAUMOND OCTET

Founded in 2015, the Nic Gaumond Octet brings together students from McGill’s Schulich School of Music Jazz Department to play original music and original arrangements. Heavily influenced by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band, Gil Evans, Thelonious Monk and John Hollenbeck, this group seeks to explore the continuation of the large jazz ensemble tradition. Built from the ground up, the Nic Gaumond Octet has always played original music and original arrangements, and always will, and proudly presents a substantial amount of new music with every performance opportunity. 

The band dove into the studio for the first time in December 2015, following an unfortunate last-minute performance cancellation, capitalizing on the time they had already spent rehearsing. The Nic Gaumond octet recorded its first album with the help of George Doxas at his home studio in Montreal. The 6-track album was recorded in one day and mixed the next. It was launched to a full house at Café Resonance in February of 2016 and has since continued to sell well through word-of-mouth. 

The octet continues to perform around Montreal and is always working on new material.