Philippe Keyser's brainchild, Kappa, brought a new, energetic, and inventive vision of the new jazz sound in Montreal. This large (15 or more musicians) ensemble specializes in interpreting long, avant-garde compositions. Philippe Keyser, a Montreal drum teacher, founded Kappa in 1996. The 15- to 20-piece ensemble resembles a stage band: the brass section (trumpets, trombones, and saxes) takes up two-thirds of the personnel. Electric bass, electric guitar, keyboards, and drums complete the lineup, with occasional harmonica, bagpipes, or violin. Kappa toured North America and Europe in 1997 and released its first CD, Kappa, in 1998. It was very well-received by the jazz and avant-garde communities, but the public was hard to reach (their participation in the 1998 Montreal International Jazz Festival was canceled because of legal problems with the Musicians' Guild). The ensemble's repertoire includes pieces written especially for it by Tim Brady, James Harley, and Paul Dolden, together with works by Steve Lacy and Don Ellis. Kappa once again met critical acclaim with the release of their second CD, Bien Serré, in May 2000. But the fact that both albums were independently released and that the band is still being ignored by high-profile new music or jazz events is significant: Kappa's burning-hot brand of new stage band sound has yet to make its mark. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide