Ville Casili

Imagine a cross between early Chicago and early Santana, with a rougher touch of blues and a dash of progressive jazz, all performed by no less than eight musicians at a time, although that number could climb up to 20. That was the Ville Emard Blues Band, a collective active around Montreal in the early to mid-'70s. The lineup featured lots of active session musicians (with Robert Charlebois and Raôul Duguay, among others) and members of Contraction, Toubabou, and Harmonium (Robert Stanley and Denis Farmer would join the latter to record the epochal L'Heptade). This two-CD set culls all of the group's recordings: its double LP Live à Montréal, its studio LP Ville Emard, and two singles. VEBB's biggest strength is also its biggest weakness: variety. The group could switch from folk-based progressive ballads to scorching blues-rock, from quirky jazz-rock instrumentals to world fusion and experimental jams…