| Jazz |
Our friend Chris Jennings, the most French of English-speaking Canadians, will release his new album in August, more precisely on the 30th. Composer, arranger, it will surprise no one that the first part of this album is a duet between the illustrious jazz guitarist Nguyen Le and Chris, as they have been collaborating on numerous projects for years. It’s no coincidence that among the brightest current jazz artists, Chris Jennings finds himself alongside Céline Bonacina, Dhafer Youssef, and Gregory Privat, all seeking what I observed many years ago: the discreet and essential expertise that every great musician expects from their collaborators, flourishing in a shared exchange of ideas.
Beyond these observations, in my view, Chris is certainly one of the greatest composers of today. He embodies both American culture and has successfully adopted European and global cultures throughout his career. This new album, “Boy, She’s the Dandy,” marks a turning point in his career, sublimating what he does best—making extremely complex compositions as melodic as possible. Even his way of playing the double bass swings through the pieces here and there—amusing, admirable, and highly effective. The album reflects all his musical experiences. At times, one can even sense the conclusions of his work with the extraordinary pianist Joachim Kuhn within his trio. Here, remarkable artists surround Chris Jennings. The group includes Finnish guitarist Kalle Kalima, known for his sharp, inventive, and varied playing (notably spotted with Andreas Schaerer), French pianist Patrick Goraguer (son of the great composer and arranger Alain Goraguer), primarily known as a drummer but also an excellent pianist, German drummer Eric Schaefer with his impressive polyrhythmic playing (heard alongside Michael Wollny and Joachim Kuhn), and New Zealand alto saxophonist Hayden Chisholm, a discreet musician who brings tremendous musical colors. He doesn’t play on every track but is an integral part of the quintet and will participate in all the group’s concerts. Finally, on two tracks, American singer Rachel Eckroth (discovered in Céline Bonacina’s “Jump” project) joins the group with her vibrant voice, on two songs for which she wrote the lyrics. The album was recorded in Cologne, Germany—a country Chris Jennings frequently visits, and the central location for the group, as most of its members live there.
Chris Jennings is the same person on stage and in life—simple and friendly. Once again, we will not be surprised to hear on this album the three parts of “Tack Så Mycket,” where Chris Jennings takes us to a country he particularly cherishes: Sweden. This piece is a sort of musical photograph of a landscape from dawn to dusk, where the quartet is augmented by saxophonist Hayden Chisholm, centered around atmospheric and enchanting music where each musician fully expresses themselves. This Swedish title means “Thank you very much” and is dedicated to bassist Palle Danielsson, one of Chris Jennings’ mentors, who was still alive during the album’s recording but unfortunately passed away on May 18th at the age of 77.
Listening to this album on repeat throughout a day, it’s impossible to get tired of it—not because I consider Chris a friend, but because I’m completely fascinated by the compositions, arrangements, and the various qualities of all the participants, down to the truly luxurious production. This album is far from Chris’s first, and I hope he continues to surprise us for a long time. “Boy, She’s the Dandy” is naturally one of our first “Essentials” of August, which will quickly become a jazz reference alongside Dave Liebman’s latest album.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, July 12th 2024
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