Bassist Carl Mayotte Quintet

A graduate of McGill University’s jazz performance program, bassist CARL MAYOTTE brings a broad, boundary-pushing musical vision to the stage. His quintet is known for their high-octane chemistry, genre-blending compositions, and spontaneous interplay that keeps audiences hooked from the first note. Expect a dynamic set of rhythmically rich originals, inventive reworkings of jazz standards, and dazzling improvisations that showcase both individual mastery and cohesive group energy.

“Few electric bass professionals have the disconcerting ease to draw melodic lines, to build appropriate harmonic frameworks, to fit into high-flying rhythmic patterns …  Carl Mayotte has the attributes of a virtuoso: flexibility, dexterity, speed, precision, groove and a sense of improvisation. A natural.” ~ Alain Brunet, PANM360.com

At the helm of his own ensemble, the Carl Mayotte Quintet, CARL MAYOTTE presents bold compositions driven by rich harmonies and complex rhythms. At every concert, the bassist is fueled by a deep desire to connect with the audience and offer a truly unique experience. He is joined by four outstanding musicians: Stéphane Chamberland on drums, Gabriel Cyr on guitar, Francis Grégoire on keyboards, and Damien-Jade Cyr on saxophones.
Since the release of Carnaval in the fall of 2023  an album awarded at the GAMIQ and nominated at both the Opus Awards and ADISQ  Carl Mayotte has continued to solidify his presence on the national and international stage.

Committed to making jazz more accessible and bringing it to the forefront, he published The Ultimate Jazz Fusion Play-Along for Bass with Hudson Music in 2023, a work that has become a reference for advanced bassists.

In March 2026, he released his fifth album, Claude, a tribute to the memory of his father.

Born and raised in Quebec, Canada, GABRIEL CYR is versatile guitar player who enjoys playing jazz, metal and everything in between. Currently working on his solo project and his growing Youtube channel, he is also playing with the Carl Mayotte Fusion Quintet and progressive metal band Universe Effects.
Beginning at the age of 11 with the bass guitar, he picked up his first electric guitar a year later and became very passionate about it when he discovered John Petrucci and Paul Gilbert. As a teenager, he explored a few different instruments like the drums, flute and some basic piano, but the guitar always was his favorite. Graduated in 2017 from Laval University, Gabriel got a bachelor’s degree in jazz guitar. In 2018, Gabriel won the guitar contest Guitarist of the Year organized by Music Radar, Guitarist Magazine and Total Guitar Magazine. In 2020, he released his first EP Spectrum Exploration I which is an instrumental rock record with jazz fusion and prog influences. Later that year, he released his second EP Spectrum Exploration II which incorporate metal influences.
Working as a professional guitar player, Gabriel is playing live shows with a few different bands and as a freelancer in Quebec. He’s also a session guitarist, recording for various contexts and multiple different music styles.

DAMIEN-JADE CYR is an award-winning Quebec saxophonist, jazz performer and composer, who perfectly integrates various styles including jazz fusion, funk, rock, punk, pop.

FRANCIS GRÉGOIRE is a pianist, keyboardist, and composer from Quebec City. Classically trained on the piano from the age of seven, he pursued higher education in jazz performance at Université Laval, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. His academic journey was shaped by the influence of renowned musicians and professors such as Gabriel Hamel and Rafael Zaldivar.

A versatile artist, Francis works as a stage and studio musician, composer, arranger, and educator. His musical range spans from jazz and classical to pop, rock, and metal.

In 2012, he co-founded the progressive rock/metal band Universe Effects, with whom he composed and co-produced three albums. Their latest release, *The Distance* (2024), earned him a nomination at the Progspace Awards in the “Keyboard Performance of the Year” category, alongside Jordan Rudess, Derek Sherinian, and Tigran Hamasyan.

Francis is also the keyboardist for the Carl Mayotte Fusion Quintet. He has performed live with artists such as Paul Brochu (UZEB), Luc Boivin, Jean-Pierre Zanella, Rachel Therrien, Marie-Denise Pelletier, and Senri Kawaguchi. Their album *Carnaval* won the “Jazz Album of the Year” award at the GAMIQ and received a nomination in the same category at the 2024 ADISQ Gala.

He also collaborated with composer and audio director Jim Bonney (*Bioshock*, *Mortal Kombat*) on the score for the video game *Romancelvania*, developed by the Boston-based indie studio Deep End Games.

Additionally, he served as musical director and keyboardist for the show *Prog Story*, a tribute to great British progressive rock bands of the 1970s such as Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, ELP, and Pink Floyd.

In 2024, Francis released his debut album as a solo artist: *Prologue*. His cinematic jazz music brings together a quintet, a percussionist, and the Crema Quartet—comprising musicians from the Quebec Symphony Orchestra and Les Violons du Roy. The album features eight compositions and arrangements that are epic, sensitive, evocative, and decidedly “groovy,” blending improvisation, spirited energy, and virtuosity.

The album’s release led him to create a big-band arrangement of his piece *Aeolus*, commissioned by the Blue Stars Jazz Orchestra at Aichi University in Nagoya, Japan.

STÉPHANE CHAMBERLAND is an internationally recognized drummer, clinician, educator, and author. He studied at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec before continuing his training with legendary teachers such as Dom Famularo, Jim Chapin, Claus Hessler, Rick Gratton, Robby Ameen, Paul DeLong, Joe Bergamini, John Favicchia, Frank Belluci, Jeff Salem, Aldo Mazza, Eduardo Guedes, Memo Acevedo, Richard Irwin, Paul Brochu, David Garibaldi, and at the Manhattan School of Music with John Riley and Bobby Sanabria.

A versatile and in-demand freelance drummer, Stephane performs regularly with a wide range of artists in both live and studio settings. He is the drummer for the Carl Mayotte Fusion Quintet, winners of Jazz Album of the Year at the 2024 GAMIQ Awards. With the group, he has completed multiple Canadian tours, been named a Radio-Canada Jazz Revelation (2019), and toured conservatories across Québec. He has also collaborated with international artists such as Marcin and recorded with acclaimed guitarist Sylvain Luc, among others.

Dedicated to education, Stephane teaches privately from his studio in Québec as well as online, working with students in more than 15 countries. His lessons are recognized for their intensity, personalization, and innovative structure. As a clinician, he has presented hundreds of masterclasses worldwide — in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Europe, Brazil, China, and beyond. Notable highlights include the Canadian Cape Breton Drum Festival (2008), Taipei International Percussion Summer Camp (2008–2009), Shanghai Grand Theatre’s Da Dong Tian Xia Concert (2008), Batuka International Drum Festival (Brazil, 2013), SG Drum Academy (Singapore), NAMM Show (2012), Quebec Capitale Drum Fest (2015), Chris Lesso Drum School (Toronto), Drumming Lab (Paris), Shanghai International Percussion Camp (2008), Drumeo (2019–2024), Drumeo North American Drum Hang (Toronto, 2022), KOSA 24 Drum and Percussion Camp (2019), Ralph Angellilo International Drumfest (2022), and UQAM (2025).

His passion for drumming and education also extends to publishing. Stephane is co-author of The Weaker Side, Accenting the Weaker Side, Drumset Duets, and Pedal Control (Wizdom Media / Hudson Music). In 2024, he released The Ultimate Jazz Fusion Play-Along with Hudson Music. He has also contributed to the reissues of the legendary method books Stick Control and Accents and Rebounds by George Lawrence Stone. His articles have appeared in Modern Drummer, Canadian Musician, Percussive Notes, Drums Etc., and Classic Drummer. In addition, he serves as a judge and mentor for the Sabian SEN Dom Famularo Mentorship Award.