| World Jazz |
As the worthy heir of Astor Piazzolla, French bandoneonist Louise Jallu dazzles us with each new album, having succeeded in modernizing the capabilities of this instrument by adapting it to various styles. Every piece Jallu touches resonates in some way with the work of Piazzolla because she has managed to capture its essence, preserving the very essence that has moved generations of listeners and artists. Indeed, this album ventures into classical music, also absorbed in the whirlwind of the artist. A portion of her biography on her website sets the tone, opening the doors to the engine of her creation: “One must see her draw from popular sources of musical energy from her folded and buttoned Pandora’s box: Greek singer Katerina Fotinaki, her Italian counterpart Sanseverino, avant-gardists like György Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen, emancipated Argentines ranging from Astor Piazzolla to Gustavo Beytelmann and Tomás Gubitsch, and those (lacking a more precise classification) categorized in jazz such as musicians like Claude Barthelemy, Médéric Collignon, Claude Tchamitchian, and Michel Portal to infuse life into so many other genres, not just tango, from an adventurous if not experimental perspective.”
Inevitably, reading these few lines extracted from her biography, she and I speak the same language, that of those who listen deeply to others and are captured by the very high quality of their artistic proposition. And it is worth taking the time to read the titles of this new album: Schumann and Wozzeck Louise Jallu 4’44 – A milonga in E major Louise Jallu 6’23 – Pugnani–Jallu Fritz Kreisler after Prelude and Allegro 8’16 – My bolero Louise Jallu after Maurice Ravel 7’28 – A milonga in blues Louise Jallu 5’38 – B.W.V 1016, under turbulence Louise Jallu after Johann Sebastian Bach 4’36 – You who need water* Georges Brassens – after Les Sabots d’Hélène 4’48 – The transfigured milonga Louise Jallu 5’08 – In Gennevilliers, always Louise Jallu 5’18… And even if you are not certain of the possible parallel between Georges Brassens, Maurice Ravel, or Johann Sebastian Bach, you will be convinced by the strength of the creation and the very high quality brought to the arrangements, undoubtedly, Louise Jallu is making her mark at the forefront of artistic creation, to the point that this album seems too short, as one is carried away by her musical propositions. We must also thank all the contributors on this album who have contributed to highlighting these pieces of music, Louise Jallu, bandoneon and composition Mathias Lévy, violin, Karsten Hochapfel, electric guitar, Grégoire Letouvet, piano and keyboards Alexandre Perrot, double bass, Ariel Tessier, drums, Gino Favotti, additional sounds Arrangements: Louise Jallu and Bernard CavannaAnd the Guests: Cali, vocals (7) Coco-Grace Caliciuri, cello (7). I have remained fascinated by this artist since her first album, always striving to embellish a little more what surrounds her instrument, the bandoneon, continuing to offer its finest letters of nobility by making each project, including this one, indispensable in our eyes.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, February 29th 2024
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