I have touched on this before, so here is a deeper look at the jazz scene in France today. While American audiences either languish in the past, or simply have lost the essence of the music, a vibrant and exciting scene exists in France and Europe, that has evolved completely independent of America. Incubated in the 1980's and 1990's, taking the French classical tradition, the deep French jazz roots, and a melting pot stylistically combined with superb chops and musicianship, and you have all the ingredients for a scene to emerge that takes this music to a new level and makes it not only relevant, but essential to the 21st century.
Long gone are stereotypes that European jazz players are inferior to Americans, or that they are stiff and un-idiomatic, or can't get themselves out of the classical thinking. In fact, it is American jazz players today who all too often sound like Berklee drones, while the stereotypes are being exploded in France.
Take Thomas Savy and the "French Suite", with Americans Bill Stewart and Scott Colley on board for a piano-less trio, with Savy's lithe bass clarinet the front line.The music comes out of Ellington (Come Sunday in a fine performance) through Atlantic era Coltrane, echoes of Bennie Maupin, and Shorter, a very unique swing, a major case for the bass clarinet as a font line horn. fantastic record. Beautiful wood and bottom end to the horn. Superb.
Ronnie Lynn Patterson is an ex-pat pianist who takes more from Jarrett, and Zawinul, and Bobby Timmons, and "Freedom Fighters" is a trio record that brings the blues, the church, the classical romantic repertoire, the rock and R&B influences of our generation to the trio traditions, never far away from Tyner, and tracing back to Phineas Newborn. Brad Mehldau may have more chops, but not near the soul.
Only in France can a woman baritone player not raise eyebrows. More stereotypes get exploded on Celine Bonacina's "Way Of Life", a trio record where Bonacina shows a full tone with bite, no Mulligan, even harder than Pepper, echoes of Steve Lacy in the angularity of many pieces, an adventurous improviser. Post-bop at it's best.
Sophie Alour, an amazing tenor player, here on her 3rd record (a new one is imminent).Piano-less trio. You would think on hearing it that Wayne Shorter is in the room. Then you get the sense that a very singular voice is grabbing you, one that obviously came through fusion, post bop, late Miles, Brecker and Metheny, and modern rock and emerged as a hell of a player. Fine composer too, of sharp, witty themes and mystery infused soundscapes. Echoes of Joe Henderson in her tone and approach, also of later players like Ricky Ford. I would probably go for her second album, the heavily electric fusion "Caged" first, but this is a fine record from a fine musician pushing boundaries.
Daniel Humair has had a lengthy and distinguished career, and is still going strong - almost totally unknown to North American audiences - and continues to move forward with exciting, challenging music. Never one to fall in to a formula or repeat himself, here Humair is paired with tenor Tony Malaby and bassist Bruno Chevillon is a series of spontaneously improvised pieces. It reminds me a lot of Sam Rivers' trio recordings on Impulse, although it is both more abstract and less overtly 'out'. This is almost akin to a classical trio conceptually, but improvised and spontaneous. Humair is a monster drummer with a deep humanity to his playing. A challenging and stimulating disc that bears repeated listening.
Sophia Domancich in a trio with the awesome William Parker and Hamid Drake. A live date, pretty "out" with three extended improvisations, the title track is a group improv, then there are a tune apiece from Mal Waldron and Ornette, out, abstract, captivating, Domancich takes a lot from post-Blue Note Andrew Hill, as well as Cecil Taylor, Parker's bass almost steals the show, Drake is inventive and unpredictable. Challenging, yet rewarding. Not for the faint of heart.
Michel Portal is a French giant. "Bailador" is simply an awe-inspiring record, with Scott Colley and Jack DeJohnette as the rhythm section laying down some solid 'world' rhythms, acoustic, with the electric keyboards and electric guitar putting in the color and texture, the bass clarinet and trumpet front line is fantastic. At this point in his career, Portal could be playing it safe. This is exciting, colorful, inspired music that stays with you and doesn't let go. Five doobies and a big recommendation..
Here is an all-American band that has to go to Europe to get recorded and released. 60's survivor Dave Liebman, John Abercrombie, Marc Copland, Drew Gress and Billy Hart. Primarily originals, elegant compositions, Liebman still favors the soprano but plays some fine tenor here also Copland is sparkling and elegant, Abercrombie is his understated best, Hart has achieved late in his career a new level of insight and creativity. Favoring mid tempos, but Liebman in particular plays with fire, a nice contrast to Copland's classical elegance. A very good record.
Tineke Postma is a fine alto player, hard to find the reference points as she has a very clean, full tone and a fine modern swing sensibility. She can bite and bark, and can sing with the horn beautifully as well. With an amazing band behind her - Geri Allen is simply a giant, and really elevates the date here. Carrington has matured as a drummer and is a treat to hear, and Colley is solid as always. Classic hard bop date. Superb.
A masterpiece by Carine Bonnefoy, exploring her Polynesian roots in a large orchestra setting. Magnificent fusion of world rhythms, large jazz orchestra, and on some pieces strings well deployed. Through composed works for the most part, with well taken solos well integrated into the compositional fabric. A magical work, thoroughly modern showing the possibilities that can still be achieved with an imaginative and innovative composer using large modern forces. Not to be missed.
Haiti's Julien Lourau in a classic quartet format is more of a mixed bag. Echoes of Milestone era Tyner, and modern New Orleans, the quartet eschews the formulaic head - solos -head pattern and this has more of a group feel. A slower burning fire comes across here, the music is very organic and textural, and there is a wonderful interplay and feeling yet at times one feels that Lourau isn't fully developed yet. Three and a half starts of five here - an engaging record that points to better to come.
Drummer Jochen Ruckert leads a quartet with Mark Turner on tenor, a guitar in place of piano, in a set that can be best described as a quiet storm - the pieces tend towards the introspective, yet this is no ECM new age shit. Turner plays his ass off, without being showy, and gets deep inside, never just running changes or flipping riffs. Needs to be turned up loud for maximum impact. A very modern post-bop quartet that is highly recommended, Ruckert reminds me of Billy Hart, and in fact the record overall has the feel of Hart's recent ECM outing with Turner, but with more fire and edge. Recommended.
That's a pretty big roundup for now. Each of these CD's is excellent, and it still makes me scratch my head over why this music has migrated to Europe, and France in particular. Part of it undoubtedly is the dumbing down and disposable consumerism of American culture. Part of it is that in countries like France, culture is supported and nourished by the state. Another part may well be that the roots of this music actually go further back into the French psyche and DNA than they do in America. Whatever - look into this music if you are at all interested in the state of jazz today.
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