Information/Write-up
Al Baculis was one of Canada’s most accomplished jazz musicians, arrangers, and educators—a clarinetist and saxophonist whose work bridged the worlds of modern jazz, television, pop harmony, and academic instruction. Born Joseph George Alphonse Allan Baculis on November 21, 1930, in Lachine, Quebec, he studied clarinet at McGill University from 1948 to 1951, earning his Licentiate in Music, and continued privately with István Anhalt and Marvin Duchow between 1952 and 1956, honing his craft as both instrumentalist and composer. By the mid-1950s he was performing with the Canadian All-Stars—Gordie Fleming on accordion, Yvan Landry on piano, Hal Gaylor on bass, and Billy Graham on drums—recording the landmark LP Canadian Jazz All-Stars (Discovery DL-3025, 1955) and winning CBC Radio’s Jazz Unlimited poll five years running as the nation’s top clarinetist.
As the Montreal scene evolved, Baculis transitioned fluidly into studio and broadcast work, becoming one of the most sought-after arrangers and conductors in Canadian music. He contributed extensively to CBC and CTV programs including Vedettes en direct, Music Hall, and Let’s Go, and composed film scores for the National Film Board between 1961 and 1965. His soundtrack for Le Sport et les hommes (1961) was partially performed by his own octet at the 1962 Montreal Jazz Festival, revealing a fusion of classical structure and improvisational freedom that would define his later work.
In the mid-1960s Baculis founded The Al Baculis Singers, an impeccably blended studio vocal group comprising Ray Berthiaume, Rudy Pontano, René Lacourse, Jean-Pierre Rondeau, Nicole Scott, Gisèle Poitras, Renée Beaumier, and Baculis’ wife, Margo MacKinnon. Bilingual and versatile, they became fixtures on CBC radio and television, known for their lush choral textures and polished phrasing. Their first LP, The Al Baculis Singers (Canadian Talent Library CTLS-1084 / Birchmount BM-528, 1966), introduced Baculis’ sophisticated pop-jazz arrangements to a national audience, followed by Back to Baculis—also issued as Happy Together (CTL CTLS-1095 / Paragon ALS-228, 1967)—and Anne of Green Gables (Dominion 1368, 1967). Blending flute, guitars, bass, drums, and vibraphone with eight vocal parts, these albums showcased a uniquely Canadian approach to the sunshine-pop era: urbane, harmonically rich, and radiantly melodic.
Baculis’ gift for arrangement extended far beyond his own ensembles. He scored and conducted music for major network broadcasts, collaborated with Vic Vogel’s band on tours throughout Europe and the Middle East for Canadian Armed Forces audiences, and arranged the theme for the closing ceremonies of the 1976 Montreal Olympics. His musicianship was marked by technical clarity, emotional warmth, and a tireless curiosity for emerging technologies. This spirit carried into his later recordings, notably the Al Baculis Quintet session on CBC Radio Canada LM 418 (1975), where his clarinet was processed through a Maestro synthesizer to generate electronic harmonics and textures—a forward-looking experiment that blurred the boundaries between acoustic and electric jazz. Featuring Rudy Pontano on electric piano, Tony Romandini on guitar, John Lanza on bass, and Ronnie Page on drums, the session included Baculis originals Blues ’75 and Soul Search, alongside interpretations of Stevie Wonder’s Smile Please and Eugene McDaniels’ Feel Like Makin’ Love.
Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s Baculis turned increasingly toward education, teaching arranging and composition at Vanier College (1977–86) and McGill University (1978–83). His approach combined rigorous harmonic understanding with the sensibility of a working studio musician, inspiring a generation of Montreal arrangers and instrumentalists. His compositions were later recorded by Buddy De Franco and Gordie Fleming on the LP Waterbed (Choice CRS-1017, 1977), affirming the continued resonance of his jazz writing.
Al Baculis passed away in Seminole, Florida on January 22, 2007. His life traced a uniquely Canadian musical arc—from postwar jazz and national broadcasting to pioneering studio vocal music and electronic experimentation. Whether crafting shimmering vocal harmonies for CBC radio or exploring new tonal frontiers with a synthesizer-fed clarinet, Baculis remained devoted to musical expression that was both precise and human. His recordings stand as enduring evidence of a gifted arranger and instrumentalist whose work quietly shaped the sound of mid-century Canadian popular and jazz music.
-Robert Williston
Engineered by Jean Marc Audet
Executive Producer: J. Lyman Potts
Recording Supervisor: Johnny Burt
Liner notes:
The Al Baculis Singers is one Canadian singing group that has made the national scene in a big way.
Thanks to three record albums, all released in 1967, plus appearances on coast-to-coast networks, the Baculis brand of vocal harmony has gained acceptance with millions of radio listeners in a comparatively short time. Al Baculis himself, the leader and arranger for the octet, born in Lachine Quebec and residing in Metropolitan Montreal, had previously achieved recognition as clarinet and saxophone soloist, in addition to arranging for the National Film Board, TV and radio networks, and for a number of noted Canadian conductors.
His first album for The Canadian Talent Library (released also on RCA Victor CTL 1084) was an instant success with broadcasters and the public alike, and the production of subsequent discs was immediately assured.
Eleven of the songs on this album are sung in English, and one in French. Two of the numbers are Canadian compositions, herewith given their first recorded performance.
The individual members of the Al Baculis Singers are completely bi-lingual — Ray Berthiaume, Rudy Pontano, René Lacourse, Jean-Pierre Rondeau, Nicole Scott, Gisèle Poitras, Renée Baunier and Al’s wife Margo MacKinnon. As this disc will attest, they are equally at ease with both of Canada’s official languages.
The instrumentation of the musical group backing up the Al Baculis Singers, includes flute, 2 guitars, bass, drums and vibes.
Baculis is pronounced BACK-you-liss
No Comments