| Jazz |
The composer and pianist Lynne Arriale will release her new album (the 17th) with the arrival of spring. It is pleasantly composed, radiating happiness and joy of living in a trio formation with double bassist Alon Near and drummer Lukasz Zyta. The album features a series of original compositions exploring facets of humanity that affirm life. The composer’s themes are always societal and filled with salutary humanism. This time, the theme revolves around passion, courage, love, persistence, heart, soul, curiosity, faith, and joy. Lynne states, “I wrote this suite in response to the division and turmoil in our world. The music focuses on qualities we all share, which define our humanity. I hope this album will be inspiring and convey a sense of unity and optimism. The dedications reflect my admiration for those whom I believe embody the traits that inspired the music.”
Talking about the theme is good, but let’s focus on the music. Here we have three artists in complete harmony, utilizing all their skills and extensive knowledge of classical music to bring us highly harmonized arrangements, remarkable for their poetic imprint. In the end, there are 11 beautiful, thoughtfully interpreted, sensitive, and delicate musical portraits. Yet, it is music of the present, of the immediate, and it must be a delight to discover it live.
Although we are familiar with Lynne Arriale’s work, it is the very first time you will hear her on Bayou Blue Radio. The quality of her compositions, the melodic and acute sound, the perfect mastery of the trio format, and the remarkable musicians who have gone above and beyond to deliver their best—madness it would be to overlook this album. You even get surprised by a piece like “Curiosity,” which breaks away from the other tracks on the album, bringing us great happiness. This proves that Lynne Arriale is one of the great composers of today. She also knows how to perfectly blend tradition and modernity within the same album, and this is the ultimate proof.
Undoubtedly, we have one of the great albums of 2014 here, perhaps not the most original, although… But it has the immense merit of being accessible to everyone and even managing to resonate with the hearts of journalists like myself who receive tons of albums every week because the quality of the compositions and performances makes a difference!
A little more patience is needed to be able to listen to this album among friends. It is an essential album for piano lovers, beautiful compositions, and jazz enthusiasts.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, February 16th 2024
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