When COVID restrictions in their hometown of Montreal were eased somewhat last Summer, Men I Trust gathered a small film crew, set up their gear in one of their garages and recorded a live set of Oncle Jazz material. The video went up on the YouTubes in July and were compiled as the front half of their Forever Live Sessions album – a selection of live tracks fill out the long player – which was released digitally last October and is out physically this Winter.

Since coming out in late 2019 and even before the pandemic, Oncle Jazz had become a go-to warm, dreamy retreat for me. Now, it’s a slice of lazy Summer in the dead of Winter and makes me hopeful for days ahead; in an uncharacteristic fit of optimism, I’ve added their November 4 show at The Phoenix – originally scheduled for last March 22 – to my calendar. Hope to be there.