Jazz |
France boasts two brilliant saxophonists: Céline Bonacina, a baritone saxophonist who doesn’t hesitate to switch to other types of saxophones depending on the sonic needs of her compositions, and Pierrick Pedron, who has been exploring for years, through jazz, all types of compositions inspired by rock and pop music. Both of these artists were, for a few years, featured on the prestigious German label ACT.
Here, we have Pierrick Pedron’s most “classical” album, where he becomes as impressive as Miles Davis during his bebop period. His playing is equally intentional, seeking out the boldest sounds with the help of exceptional musicians: Thomas Bramerie, Carl-Henri Morisset, Elie Martin Charrière, leaving the arrangements to Laurent Courthillac and the artistic direction to Daniel Yvinec. In my view, entrusting the artistic direction to a trusted person is what allows the artist to surpass themselves, which is the case here. This resolutely French, intergenerational quartet complements each other marvelously, developing an extraordinary sense of living (jazz) together over time. In the grand tradition of mentorship, the evident maturity of some blends with the explosive vitality of others. The result becomes a unique, moving, interconnected, creative, and demanding entity, far greater than the sum of its parts. This movement, initiated five years ago, finally reveals itself through the long-awaited debut album of this exceptional quartet.
Here, Pierrick Pedron seems to draw inspiration from all the jazz musicians he has loved throughout his life, not seeking excessive aesthetic form to please, but delivering, in this album, what lies deep within himself. The first track, “Lonely Woman,” introduces the overall inspiration for the subsequent titles of this album, which feels too short for my taste, but in just six tracks, this quartet showcases all of its musical and intellectual capacities with singular elegance. Witness to one of the moments of grace offered on stage by the group, artistic director Daniel Yvinec presents a new mountain to climb: why not confront the impossible by revisiting *The Shape of Jazz to Come*, one of Ornette Coleman’s landmark albums, recorded in 1959?
Coleman, here we are. That’s what you’ll think if, like me, you refuse to read anything about an artist’s album to avoid being influenced in forming an opinion. I had dreamt of this album long ago, it stayed somewhere in my memory, so evident in the first track and sublime in the others. This is the genius of Pierrick Pedron and his friends, knowing how to offer us works by revisiting them, or rather rewriting them, with all the inspiration of a vast culture that only he knows where it begins and where it ends. Each track, like a treasure hunt, allows us to celebrate the essence of the original work: a fierce will to always reaffirm freedom and collectively shape the contours of a shared future.
Pierrick Pedron is one of those artists with international renown, thanks to his creativity, his respect for jazz, and his ability not only to reinvent existing works but also to reinvent himself, which he has been doing for a long time across all of his projects.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, October 4th 2024
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