Ayoub, Nick Septet

Websites:  No
Origin: Trois-Rivières, Québec
Biography:

Nick Ayoub was one of the foundational voices in Canadian jazz, a Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator whose influence continues to resonate through generations of Quebecois musicians. Equally fluent on tenor saxophone, oboe, English horn, clarinet, and flute, Ayoub was a rare breed—bridging classical rigour with jazz improvisation in a uniquely Canadian idiom.

Born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, to Lebanese immigrant parents and raised in Montreal, Ayoub came of age in a post-war jazz scene that was finding its own identity apart from American models. By 17, he was performing professionally in local dance bands, later playing with major Canadian bandleaders such as Johnny Holmes and Maynard Ferguson. In 1953, he graduated from the Conservatoire de musique du Québec, earning a Premier prix in oboe under Arthur Romano, and later studied with Harold Gomberg of the New York Philharmonic.

Ayoub’s versatility made him a fixture in Montreal’s vibrant studio and broadcast world through the 1950s and 1960s, where he performed everything from jazz to classical, including guest appearances with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. But it was with his own Nick Ayoub Quintet that he truly made his mark. Their 1964 LP The Montreal Scene (RCI 315) stands as one of Quebec’s earliest and most accomplished modern jazz recordings, featuring a tight and forward-thinking group with Alain Penfold, Art Roberts, Michel Donato, and Cisco Normand. That same era saw Ayoub sharing festival stages with jazz royalty like Duke Ellington, affirming his status as a national treasure.

While his performance career remained active through the 1970s and '80s—including a standout reunion performance at the 1988 Montreal Jazz Festival—Ayoub increasingly devoted himself to education. Beginning in 1968, he taught saxophone and led the jazz ensemble at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec, becoming a mentor to a new wave of Quebec jazz talent. His students included major figures such as François Théberge, Yannick Rieu, and Yves Charuest.

Nick Ayoub passed away in Montreal on May 2, 1991, leaving behind a rich legacy as both performer and pedagogue. His son, Jimmy Ayoub, carried the torch into the world of rock and fusion, drumming with acts such as Mahogany Rush. Yet it is Nick Ayoub's lyrical tone, harmonic finesse, and lifelong commitment to the growth of Canadian jazz that endure.
-Robert Williston

Nick Ayoub: tenor saxophone, flute
Bix Belair: trumpet
Yvan Landry: vibraphone
Art Maiste: piano
Tony Romandini: guitar
Don Habib: bass
Paul Lafortune: drums

Arranged by Nick Ayoub