Vincent Peirani - Living Being IVCD / Vinyl / limited red transparent Vinyl / digital Vincent Peirani accordion, accordina Emile Parisien soprano saxophone  Julien Herne bass Tony Paeleman piano, keyboards, Fender Rhodes Yoann Serra drums Yesterday, 2011: Vincent, Yoann, Tony, Julien... and one more. A group of pals, each one having left Nice independently and ended up in Paris. They adopt Émile, also from Southern France, but from further west. Today: natural affinities, a leader who calls the shots, and they use jazz to embrace a wide musical spectrum, from Baroque music to teen pop, from traditions of the Balkans to sounds of Africa. Tomorrow: with their flair for narrative, for creating a scenario, and their mastery of dynamics, every concert is and will be a celebration of excellence.    Listening to “Living Being IV: Time Reflections”, we are immediately struck by the range of dynamics, the intimacy and extroversion at play in every detail, the rich textures, and the arrangements that allow for riveting moments of surprise. It’s worth remembering that, from the outset with Living Being, Vincent Peirani brought to the fore the concept of chamber music: a small number of performers, with each one playing a unique part, but with the emphasis on the collective rather than the individual.From the start, with Le Cabinet des énigmes, the melodic intelligibility is impressive. A sort of children’s song sublimated by the art of superimposing transparencies. Everything is played out in a myriad of details that create a perpetual motion. Further on, in Better Days, the motif heard – it came to Vincent Peirani while improvising during one of the COVID-19 lockdowns – conveys the fragility of a slow waltz emerging from the darkness to provide a glimpse of a radiant future. Three of the tracks, Clessidra, Inner Pulse and Bremain Suite, are much longer than any of the pieces on Living Being’s previous albums. The narrative and the distribution of the parts made this inevitable. We can feel here the trust that has been built up over the years, so natural, and without the slightest tension. With different colours, they all tell the same story.This album represents perhaps Vincent Peirani’s most faithful self-portrait to date. It has as its centrepiece Time Reflections, a suite in three movements, Clessidra, Better Days and Inner Pulse, each of which is also a suite (in 3, 3, and 4 parts, respectively). This nested construction is totally in keeping with Vincent’s true nature: he is an architect, constantly mindful of even the smallest details. Back to the future for Phantom Resonanz. An unlikely encounter between the sixteenth-century polyphony of the Franco-Flemish composer Cipriano de Rore and the contemporary approach of German pianist Michael Wollny. The result is disarming in its simplicity, and all the more convincing since the accordion plays a pivotal role. In both L.L. and Bremain Suite, variations in tempo play a major role. L.L., a tribute to Lionel Loueke, presents a Cubist portrait of the Beninese guitarist. The first half of the piece focuses on his tenderness and sensitivity, the second on his dazzling rhythms. With Bremain Suite Vincent Peirani returns to his love for putting his own spin on pop and rock songs written and recorded by other artists. After hesitating between Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie, Portishead’s Glory Box and The Beatles’ I Want You (She’s So Heavy), he decided in the end to bring all three together, shaking up their tempos and bringing out a family resemblance already spotted as a teenager. Note Émile Parisien’s bravura piece on I Want You.Vincent Peirani’s spreads his antennae so far and wide that his four companions have to be prepared for anything when he comes up with new pieces for the repertoire. A dub with an irresistible beat, such as Physical Attraction, inspired by voguing. And Nach e Vlado, reflecting a soft spot for the traditional melodies of the Balkans, especially Macedonia. In both cases, tradition is propelled into a form of expression that is infused with a fantastic appetite for every type of music.Living Being? Five living beings, together forming one vibrant entity.    Credits: All tracks composed by Vincent Peirani except #8 – medley from Under Pressure, Glory Box & I Want You Under Pressure composed by Freddie Mercury, David Bowie Glory Box composed by Isaac Lee Hayes, Geoff Barrow, Adrian Utley, Beth Gibbons I Want You composed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney L.L is dedicated to Lionel Loueke Phantom Resonanz is dedicated to Céline Foucaut Recorded by Boris Darley at Studio des Bruères, France Produced by Amélie Salembier & Vincent Peirani / Yes les Guy’zz Mixed by Nic Hard Mastered by Dave McNair Artwork by Jérôme Witz Band photo by Elisa Ramirez Cover photo by Frank Siemers With the support of SCPP, CNM

David Helbock - Faces of NightCD / Vinyl / digital David Helbock pianoJulia Hofer electric bass, fretless bass, celloGuests:Lorenz Raab flugelhornMahan Mirarab guitarVeronika Harcsa vocals Pianist David Helbock and bassist/cellist Julia Hofer have things in common: a playful curiosity combined with the urge to try out new things and to have fun. Both of these Austrians are also perfectionists...and natural communicators...and that’s why their musical combination works so well. “I was looking for a new duo partner,” says David Helbock, "because although I am completely passionate about my ‘Austrian Syndicate’ project, it's a really tricky thing to put together, a large band...lots of keyboards. Together with ACT CEO and producer Andreas Brandis, the idea of an acoustic duo reduced to its emotional essence was finally born - a format in which musical communication works more directly than in any other line-up. And I quickly came across Julia Hofer. What particularly attracted me to her was her versatility - and the wealth of possibilities that this opens up. I was immediately fascinated by her energy from the very first rehearsal. You can tell she enjoys the music from the very first note she plays and that motivated me enormously and is also very infectious." Julia Hofer’s career as an artist has reversed the normal order of things. Musicians usually learn their craft, tour everywhere, maybe become well-known, and only then do they settle down and start teaching. Hofer was already making a series of teaching videos for the online music retailer Thomann while studying for her master's degree at the Popakademie Mannheim – her first degree had been in Vienna. The videos had an impact and received millions of views. She now has teaching posts in Klagenfurt and Vienna, as well as being part of the team at the Vereinigte Bühnen in Vienna.Julia Hofer is a go-to bassist on the Austrian scene. From a musical family and classically trained as a cellist, what stands out above all is her stylistic versatility. Alongside poetic cello playing which can melt the heart, there is a wonderful ease and energy to her groove playing on the bass as well. She covers the whole gamut of pop, funk, and fusion, with repertoire all the way from Earth, Wind & Fire to Jamiroquai and the Yellowjackets. And her method of familiarizing herself with music has never been led by the convenience of sheet music: she listens meticulously, makes her own transcriptions. Her process gets her closer to the originals while simultaneously enabling her to make them truly her own. No wonder David Helbock is so enthusiastic about his new duo partner. After all, the pianist and composer from Vorarlbeberg in the West of Austria has a relationship with the piano which can often turn cheerfully acrobatic. Through his trio Random Control, Helbock’s profile became established as a genuine boundary-breaker with virtuosity – and humour too. Albums such as “Playing John Williams” (2019) and “Austrian Syndicate” (2023) anchor him not just as a pianist in a chamber music setting, they also demonstrate the jazz-rock power he brings to neo-fusion. David Helbock is one of the most versatile musicians in the Austrian music world. And he loves duos, notably “Playground” (2022) with singer Camille Bertault, which has taken them on triumphant tours of the European club and festival circuit.In “Faces Of Night” with Julia Hofer, we find Helbock taking on an even wider stylistic range. The album's repertoire includes songs by Prince as well as Thelonious Monk's “Round Midnight,” a cello-hued version of George Gurdjieff's “Woman's Dance,” a soul-funk interpretation of Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance,” and a surprising adaptation of motifs from Robert Schumann's A minor Piano Concerto. "We tried out working with effects and electronics at the beginning, but found that we were using them less and less. Now it's an almost entirely acoustic album, except for the electric bass. And we’ve really rehearsed and tried out lots of different things. It’s been a delightful process.” A few guests have joined the duo, including soulful and lyrical trumpeter Lorenz Raab, with whom David Helbock has been playing for two decades, and singer Veronika Harcsa, also a long-time acquaintance, who scats on “Freedom Jazz Dance” and brings something totally unexpected to Monk: lyrics in Hungarian. “I've also been wanting to do something with Mahan Mirarab for a long time. He plays a double-necked guitar, one of which is fretless, and that fits very well with Gurdjeff,” says David Helbock about the second contributor to “Faces Of Night,” – this is a new collaboration. And so, we find on ‘Faces Of Night’ a team, completed by producer Andreas Brandis, which is notable for its energy, its live-wire intercommunication and its sense of unfettered adventure – all of which came together in the studio. At the epicentre, Julia Hofer plays with astonishing openness and precision, with the inspired David Helbock as her ideal counterweight. The guests – Harcsa, Mirarab, Raab – expand the foundation and take the music beyond this constellation with new colors. “In the end, it all fits well with the title ‘Faces Of Night.’ For me, the night is a border zone where opposites are possible and complement each other.” These faces of the night open the gates for a new duo whose entrance into the music world comes in the form a debut album positively brimming with enthusiasm and energy.Credits: Produced by Andreas Brandis & David Helbock  Recorded on May 20th and 21st at Wavegarden Studio, Mitterretzbach, AustriaRecorded and mixed by Werner AngererMastered by Klaus ScheuermannPhoto by Severin Koller at Reaktor, ViennaCover art (detail) by Tanka Fonta The Meditative Movements; The Dawn Incantations III (2024) Acrylic on canvas,160 cm x 120 cmDesign by Siggi Loch  

Matthieu & Camille Saglio - Al AlbaCD / digital Camille Saglio voice, shakers Matthieu Saglio cello, palmas, vocals on #8, 10, 14 Gabriel Saglio bass clarinet on #9 "Al Alba" – ‘at dawn’ in Spanish – brings together through music two people whose connection with each other is close and lifelong: brothers Matthieu and Camille Saglio. Cellist Matthieu studied classical music in Rennes in Brittany and then settled in the Spanish city of Valencia. He is driven by a passion to explore different sound cultures, combining them with influences from jazz and world music. Vocalist Camille started to take a serious and passionate interest in music at the age of twelve, beguiled by his older brother’s enthusiasm for the cello. The instrument Camille would decide to adopt as his means of expression was his own singing voice. This is the brothers' first album together, and it has a spiritual dimension to it. It is about transitions and boundaries, about being in states of flux and how that affects music and people. There is a hint of the Celtic-Breton, especially in a leaning towards minor-key melancholy. Flamenco is also present, giving a taut rhythmic framework, but also connecting to the dreams and arabesques of the Mediterranean sound world. And Mathieu Saglio's rigorous classical training allows him great facility and breadth of choice when it comes to composition, as well as a particularly refined sound. Matthieu Saglio’s ways of working have led him to major successes, notably the creation of multi-layered, cross-border music in the flamenco crossover ensemble "Jerez-Texas” and the trio "NES" with the singer/cellist/ACT artist Nesrine, and also through the projects in his own name, both as leader and at the centre of a web of collaboration - on the ACT albums "El camino de los vientos" (2020) and "Voices" (2023).Camille Saglio, likewise, is a traveller between different worlds. The band Sôdi with flute and percussion, which he founded in Toulouse in 2003, explored world music and forged connections with the music of West Africa and the Orient. Camille became part of the Manafina project, learned to play guitar, n'goni and oud and also to express himself in various languages from Bambara and Arabic to Turkish. He wrote short stories and stage plays, produced his own shows such as "Dis-leur que j'ai vécu" (tell them I’ve lived - 2010) and worked with actors and dancers from Vincent Loiseau to Didier Bardoux and Hervé Maigret.He now sings in an imaginary language, which he creates live, evolving in his own universe. Able to carry the listener up and away into high counter-tenor register, he improvises with a voice trumpet sound, but he can also spring surprises too, by switching to a song in English, Bambara, French or Spanish. Camille Saglio has a style which is uniquely his.In this way, both brothers developed independently into poets of their genre. And finally, after years of separate experiences, they have now converged musically. "Al Alba" is a programme of songs which are as gentle as they are powerful. Matthieu Saglio uses his cello as a source of inspiration and opens up all kinds of spaces for his brother's voice. Sometimes he changes role and becomes a singer himself with bowed lines. The closeness to his brother's feelings is palpable in Camille’s singing. There is an interweaving of energy lines, which is also accommodated by the repertoire. Camille Saglio sings Arabic poetry ("Tariq") as well as a well-known political song ("Strange Fruit"), an independent classic by Noir Désir ("Le vent nous portera" – the wind will carry us), Spanish or free melodic lines and ornaments. For one piece, third brother Gabriel Saglio also joins in on bass clarinet. Recorded on an island in the River Loire, this album takes inspiration from the spirit of the river, its flow and the ever-fleeting, ever-changing nature of its moods and emotions.‘Al Alba’ is music in a state of flux, the sound of brothers whose cultural perspectives have real breadth. It is music from deep within. Totally personal, yet at the same time completely universal.Credits:Produced by Camille and Matthieu SaglioMusic and lyrics by Camille and Matthieu Saglio, except #2 (Lhasa de Sela), #7 (Lewis Allan), and #11 (Bertrand Can-tat, Serge Teyssot-Gay, Jean-Paul Roy, Denis Barthe)Recorded on June 24 and mixed on August 24 at Studio de l'Île, Chalonnes-sur-Loire, France by Alban CointeCello bases recorded on April 24 at La Seta Azul Estudis, Benicàssim, Spain, by Juan Carlos TomásMastered on September 24 at Blockhaus DY 10, Nantes, France, by Florian Tatard“Strange Fruit” © Edward B. Marks Music Company, all Rights administered by Warner Chappell Music France“Con Toda Palabra” © Éditorial Avenue“Le Vent Nous Portera” © ND Musique, Universal Music Publishing FranceCover art by Federico Herrero, “Chorus”, 2021, with kind permission of the artist

Michael Wollny Trio - Living Ghosts (Live)CD / Double vinyl / digitalMichael Wollny pianoTim Lefebvre double bassEric Schaefer drums‘The Michael Wollny Trio is a reminder that this is the 21st century – and not the 1960s,’ wrote the UK’s Jazzwise magazine as a reflection on the evolution of the jazz piano trio. And yet, in many respects, Wollny’s new album ‘Living Ghosts’ flies in the face of the Zeitgeist: rather than short single tracks, we find four long ‘sets’. It represents the antithesis to a culture based on channel-hopping or of breaking everything down into bite-size fragments. This music flows across any demarcation lines of category, it demands the full attention of listeners, and also rewards them with complete fulfilment to the senses. As ever, Michael Wollny proves that he is the exception to any rule.For pianist Michael Wollny, his trio with bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Eric Schaefer is the constant in a musical cosmos which is otherwise undergoing constant change. The three players are united by a musical vocabulary which is more or less inexhaustible, an outstanding sensitivity in their interplay and the ability to create new music of tremendous tension and dynamism in the moment. Since the release of their last studio album, “Ghosts” (2020, co-conceived and co-produced with Andreas Brandis, the Michael Wollny Trio has performed the material from the album at a wide range of venues, from clubs to classical concert halls and major open-air festivals. Sometimes the trio has performed completely acoustically, sometimes working with a combination of electronic and acoustic sounds. Michael Wollny says, ‘concerts have become beautiful séances where the ghosts of the trio’s songbook visit us at their will. On some evenings they appear briefly and vanish after just a few bars. On others, single motifs inside a theme don’t just stretch out, they also weave new stories.’The repertoire of ‘Living Ghosts’ consists not only of pieces by ‘Ghosts’, but spans the Wollny/ Schaefer/Lefebvre trio’s decade of collaboration, going back to the release of ‘Weltentraum’ in 2014. That album was a game-changer for Wollny, it was the final step which took him into bigger venues – it’s also one of those jazz albums often to be found in the record collections or playlists of people who don’t tend to listen to much jazz. The trio's repertoire has continued to evolve through the years because of the regular schedule of live performances that they maintain. Time and again, Wollny, Schaerer and Lefebvre will allow new spaces to open up in the pieces, as they search together for new, previously unheard music. There are often subtle nuances which give the music a completely new direction in mid-flow. The original compositions, therefore, often serve as just a starting point for these new, and collectively formed musical explorations.It follows that the running order of the album ‘Living Ghosts’ is not divided into a conventional series of individual tracks. What we have are four long chapters, and within these substantial narrative arcs are formed out of fragments from compositions which are re-told in different ways. Michael Wollny says: As the pieces gradually shed their ties to specific arrangements, questions such as which key, what mood, and even whether to make a setlist, have been consigned to the past. New repertoire mingles freely with old; at any moment, different doors, connections and reinterpretations can open up. When we begin our concerts now, we never know which fragments of which pieces will emerge or the order in which they might unfold.’The album ‘Living Ghosts’ is the recording of a concert from April 2024 at the ‘Illipse’ in Illingen, Germany. The recording shows three distinctive characters forming a unit in which both empathy and in-the-moment responsiveness are to the fore. Their music is so much more than the sum of its parts, impressively diverse as the individual components are: Michael Wollny has long been considered one of the most important European pianists of his generation, notably for the way he crosses genres. He is someone who ‘can turn any kind of music into an experience that takes your breath away’ (Süddeutsche Zeitung). In his playing, influences from jazz, classical, indie pop, new and early music merge into a distinctive personal style. Wollny has been working with drummer Eric Schaefer for more than 20 years. No one plays the drums like Schaefer: from the softest whisper to the most powerful blast, beyond the instrument's conventions, with an almost childlike playfulness and at the same time the deepest penetration of all possible styles from new music to heavy rock. Wollny and Schaefer are united by a deep familiarity that has grown from thousands of encounters, and at the same time by their ability to surprise and challenge each other again and again. The trio is anchored by American bassist Tim Lefebvre, an icon of the instrument who has played with artists as different as David Bowie, the Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Donny McCaslin and Wayne Krantz.Together, Wollny, Schaefer and Lefebvre have created music that has an exuberant dynamism about it, and in which there is a boundless sense of variety, and episodes of irresistible urgency. ‘Living Ghosts’ is like a fast-flowing river; the only way to experience it is to feel its intensity, to revel in its twists and turns, be carried along and to experience its sudden and unexpected depths.Credits:Recorded live on April 19, 2024, at Illipse, Illingen (Germany) by Saarländischer Rundfunk The recording is used with the kind permission of Saarländischer Rundfunk Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Cover art by Sean Scully “Midday Blue 3” © 2020, courtesy of the artist

Vincent Peirani - Jokers (Live at Bimhuis)CD / digital Vincent Peirani accordion, accordina Frederico Casagrande guitar Ziv Ravitz drums Vincent Peirani, a pivotal figure in contemporary jazz, takes on the role of the Joker. Deriving inspiration from the jester — an archetype since medieval times — Peirani has put together a group of “wild cards”: Ziv Ravitz on drums and Federico Casagrande on guitar, musicians with a total readiness to throw themselves into any musical challenge. Not only do Jokers transcend genres as they blend jazz, rock and improvisation with disconcerting ease, each of them can also shapeshift as the music requires from a dazzling soloist into an ideally supportive ensemble player. “Live at Bimhuis” is more than just an album; it’s a plunge in Peirani’s world of playfulness and derring-do. Every track is an adventure, a game of perspectives in which the accordion, often thought of as an instrument on the fringes, is revealed as a many-levelled threat. Peirani's music is both joyful and mischievous. He may give a sly smile to the spirit of the Joker, but he also delivers musical reflection of real depth.Recorded in the intimacy and buzziness of Amsterdam’s iconic Bimhuis, the album captures the very essence of great improvised music. It is as if every note that resounds gives cause to celebrate — the wonderful creativity and artistic freedom of this extraordinary trio.Credits: Produced by Amélie Salembier & Vincent Peirani/ Yes les Guy´zz Recorded live at Bimhuis, Amsterdam, on October 13th 2023 Cover Art by Alice Thibault Design by Siggi Loch

Adam Bałdych - PortraitsCD / digital Adam Bałdych violin, renaissance violin Sebastian Zawadzki piano, upright piano Marek Konarski tenor saxophone Andrzej Święs double bass Dawid Fortuna drums There is an urgency and an intensity about Polish violinist/composer Adam Bałdych; both traits run deep in his work. A total commitment to what he does is clear from the music that he makes and the emotions he conveys. But in “Portraits” such imperatives have been strengthened: the music carries astonishing pathos and weightiness of expression, as are natural for an artist reflecting on these troubled times. Bałdych explains: ‘When I was working on the pieces, reports from people who survived the Second World War were a source of inspiration for me. The topic feels very important to me in view of the growing conflicts in Europe and the world. I read eyewitness accounts from that time and I wanted to take a stand against what thousands have to suffer again today. A call for peace in the world. A variety of very emotional pieces has been created, which attempt to portray people and living conditions and the times in which we live. It is about worries, but also about the indescribable beauty of the world which I try to capture in my sounds and in the music’. There is a spiritual side to this music too. “Portraits” combines lament, prayer, jubilation and exuberance. After all, for an artist to want to contribute to the discussion is only human - even if as an instrumental musician he doesn’t have words at his disposal. And yet speechless is not a word you could ever use to describe Adam Bałdych, quite the opposite. His music opens up a realm of experience that extends beyond the boundaries of the spoken word. He is a virtuoso, educated in Katowice and at Berklee College, with many awards to his name, and also the experience of having played in venues all over the world. And yet he is also a team player who knows how important it is to let ideas take form, to come to life by first affecting those around him: ‘When I brought the music to the band rehearsal, we first spent a lot of time working out the instrumentation and arrangements. It was a bit like classical music, we listened to the registers of the instruments and looked for the appropriate space for them to really speak at their most powerful. The process was a meticulous, almost surgical. Although we are all improvisers, and each of us wanted to put as much of our individual voice into the music as possible, we also wanted to plan precisely the execution with great precision, as the best way to maintain that freedom and not lose any of our personalities. It was a very inspiring process.’ This creative tension between the inward- and the outward-facing, between personality and community is at the heart of this programme of 15 pieces. Adam Bałdych's violins lead the music, both his normal instrument and his splendidly sonorous Renaissance violin (a unique replica by an Austrian luthier), which opens up lower registers with its woody tones. There is a vigorous and lively energy in his longstanding Polish quintet: ‘We have a very honest relationship with each other, based on an understanding of the culture and tradition we grew up in. And we understand each other intuitively, giving each other the space to develop narratives. It's like a polyphonic composition, made up of many voices, each one letting one fellow player into the foreground, with the others then acting as a counterpoint. Each of us is an independent personality, we respect each other and at the same time we all respect the music as a whole, and develop it together.’ “Portraits” has emerged into life as a force field. There is a reason why “Portraits” is not just thought-provoking but also uplifting. And that is because the Adam Bałdych Quintet has an incredibly powerful story to tell. Even without the use of words.Credits: Music produced by Adam Bałdych & Mateusz Banasiuk Music composed by Adam Bałdych, except “Prelude” – composed by Sebastian Zawadzki Recorded between October 15th – 17th, 2023, at Boogie Town Studio, Poland Sound engineer, mixing and mastering: Mateusz Banasiuk

Daniel García - WonderlandCD / Vinyl / digital Daniel García piano, vocals on #10 Reinier “El Negrón” double bass Michael Olivera drums, vocals on #6 special guests Gilad Hekselman guitar on #3 Lau Noah vocals on #7 Verónica Ferreiro vocals on #11 Something very special indeed is happening in the Spanish jazz scene. For a long time, its lively centres of Madrid, Barcelona and Seville tended to stay somewhat detached from the international jazz world. But in recent years a whole generation of Spanish jazz musicians has been rising to international renown: it is more than a cohort, it is starting to feel like a movement. And one key figure in it is pianist Daníel Garcia, born in Salamanca in 1983. With his trio he has made a name for himself as one of the most important representatives of jazz in his home country – playing over 300 concerts throughout Europe and as far away as Japan. The band's line-up demonstrates another important aspect of the Spanish scene: many musicians from Cuba found a second home there due to the common language - and brought their outstanding musical training and influences with them. This is certainly the case for bassist Reinier "El Negron" and drummer Michael Olivera, who form the rhythm section of the Daniel García Trio. Together, they are a tight unit with an instinctive feel, and who after seven years together are completely played-in. "Wonderland" is the Daniel García Trio's third album on ACT. And whereas the previous albums "Travesuras" (2019) and "Vía de la Plata" (2021) were still characterised by clear influences from flamenco and traditional Spanish music, García has now cast his net wider. There are flamenco borrowings on "Wonderland", but they are more subtle and sit alongside a whole range of inspirations from modern jazz, classical music, pop, together with influences from the Caribbean and the Middle East. At the same time, "Wonderland" is also about the inner search: Daníel Garcia quotes Swiss psychologist Carl Jung in the liner notes: "Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” García invites his listeners to explore their own feelings and thoughts - in “this secret haven where our deepest illusions and most fervent hopes reside, guiding us through the labyrinth of life.” In the twelve songs on the album, Daniel García traverses many different places in the soul, and creates a coherent narrative from them. We enter the emotional landscape with the powerful "Gates to the Lands of Wonders". This is followed by the title track, in which the Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman, a guest on the album, plays a cheerful melody in unison with the bandleader. "I love his sound and his compositions," says García. "Such a creative force! I like guitarists who speak through their instrument in such a human way". García has dedicated the gentle "Mi Bolita" to his new-born nephew; it represents the importance of family in the pianist's life, while the playfully energetic "Witness the Smile" shows García leaning into empathy and generosity, its catchy melody showing the pianist's Cuban influences - and, of course, those of his bandmates Reinier "El Negron" and Michael Olivera. "They are my brothers," enthuses García. "If I could choose two musicians from anyone in the world, I would still choose these two! Together, we are one unit." "I find it hard to put my music in any one category," says García. "It feels like trying to put the sea in a box - it just overflows! I love classical music, I love Middle Eastern music, I love rock, I love singer/songwriters! Inspiration can come from anywhere. The intro to 'The Gathering', for example, was inspired by a melody I heard on the streets of Salamanca." Two remarkable voices round off the album, the A Coruña- born and Madrid-based singer Verónica Ferreiro and the Catalan singer Lau Noah, who is based in New York. In "You and Me" she sings: "Take my hands/Now, come and dance/Time to forget the wounds/All the scars, the pain". An invitation to forget the pain in dance - and for Daniel a way to make the world a better place, if only for a moment. He says "There are so many tragedies happening around us. There is little we can do except believe in ourselves and be good to others." The power of music to improve the world may sound utopian. But Daníel Garcia, a soft-spoken man, warm-hearted and always smiling, will make you believe it. Take the opportunity to go with him as he travels through his "wonderland". The journey is fulfilling, worthwhile and memorable.Credits: Produced and composed by Daniel García except #11, traditional Cover art (Detail) by Alice Baber (1928 - 1982) Courtesy Berry Campbell Gallery, New York

Iiro Rantala - Tough StuffCD / Vinyl / digital Iiro Rantala piano Conor Chaplin acoustic bass Anton Eger drums Mathias Heise harmonica (guest on Liberty City) Saturday 11 November 2006 was a particularly emotional evening. After almost 20 years together and thousands of concerts all over the world, the Finnish band Trio Töykeät with pianist Iiro Rantala at the helm gave their very last performance. But endings are also new beginnings, and even though it cannot have been easy to disband what was probably the most influential – and was certainly the most humorous – piano trio in Finnish jazz, the decision to bring Trio Töykeät to an end did give Rantala the op- portunity to try out a wide variety of different line-ups in both jazz and classical music, with occasional excursions into rock and pop. It was, notably, Rantala's ACT debut album Lost Heroes in 2011 which kickstarted his second international career. This was follo- wed by further solo and duo albums, spectacular piano summits with Michael Wollny and Leszek Możdżer, among others, as well as orchestral recordings with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker. More re-cently, Rantala has written a complete Christmas oratorio for the choir Cantores Minores and an opera Die Zaubermelodika for the Komische Oper in Berlin. He has also made several musical pro- grammes for Finnish television and delivers a fortnightly podcast in English, Algoyrtmi, about European jazz. But Rantala has never let go of the idea of playing in a trio again, and now, almost 20 years after the end of Trio Töykeät, the time has come for a new group, the Iiro Rantala HEL Trio. Rantala says: "I'm very happy that I was able to try so many different things out after Trio Töykeät. But just before the pandemic, I had a few gigs with bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Anton Eger, and ever since then I've been dreaming of finally having a regular trio again. However, Dan Berglund was far too busy, and so Anton Eger suggested the UK bassist Conor Chaplin, with whom he had already played for a long time in Marius Neset's band. It's always good when the working relationship between bassist and drummer is already established. The band worked perfectly from the outset, everyone had a lot of fun on and off stage. Anton and Conor are on the road a lot, so I'm very happy that this has worked out for us together." The Iiro Rantala HEL Trio is named after the code for Helsinki airport, from where Rantala's musical ventures tend to start. It sounds both new and familiar. And if there is a hint of nostalgia in the air, it is not coming from the bandleader: "Here's a little story," says Rantala."Anton Eger and Marius Neset, as children, had both heard Trio Töykeät at the Molde Festival. It was one of their first jazz concerts and they became real fans. When we started the HEL Trio, Anton, who knows an enormous amount of repertoire, really wanted to play the Töykeät pieces ‘Gadd A Tee’ and ‘Met By Chance’. My thought was that after nearly two de- cades, it was fine. We changed them a bit, one is now called ‘Tee Four Three’, the other ‘Cabaret Perdu’." ‘Liberty City’, a little- played but much-appreciated track by Jaco Pastorius, reflects Rantala's love of American funk and soul. The piece sits naturally alongside original compositions such as ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, in which Rantala plays with the typical melancholy of Scandinavian jazz...but does it in a way – his way – which manages to be both tongue-in-cheek and deeply felt. The Iiro Rantala HEL Trio is capable of incredible contrasts, and therein lies its appeal. As a pianist, Rantala can take the breath away both with his lightness of touch and the grace of his melodic lines. But then he can transform himself into other, very different characters: there is one who inspires laughter with his rummaging in the piano, another whose pathos, openness and honesty touch every heart. He has a baroque demeanour, his playing is full of relish, so that it only takes a few notes and he already has the audience on his side. At the same time, Anton Eger, with his irresistibly delicate playing fuelled by a wide variety of styles, and Conor Chaplin, with his weighty yet agile grooves on the bass, brings astonishing clarity and sense of form to the music. The HEL Trio should not be mistaken for a nostalgic back-to-the-roots project: "For me, music should always be going forwards," says Rantala. Iiro Rantala's restless, almost hyperactive approach, his urge to try things out and surprise his audience time and again, and his ability to play a wide variety of genres and styles authenti- cally while always sounding like himself make him an exceptional figure among European pianists. Iiro Rantala’s musical journey has been full of twists and turns. Iiro Rantala HEL Trio's album Tough Stuff is another milestone on that journey. And an important one.

Grégoire Maret - EnnioCD / digital Grégoire Maret chromatic harmonica Romain Collin steinway piano & keyboards Marcus Gilmore drums Burniss Earl Travis II bass Marvin Sewell guitar Alexandra Sopp flute Special guests: Cassandra Wilson vocals Gregory Porter vocals How do you follow up a successful album like “Americana”? Released in April 2020, it not only received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, it has also registered streaming statistics approaching ten million. It brought together harmonica player Grégoire Maret and pianist Romain Collin, performing in a trio with Bill Frisell in which the three found happy common ground in their “shared love of jazz, song and pure melody” (Jazziz), and offered listeners a "gorgeous meditation on the American Dream." (Bill Milkowski).“Americana” and Maret and Collin's subsequent work together helped to cement a friendship between these two fine New York-based musicians with Francophone origins (Geneva and Antibes respectively). As Collin says: “There is something about the way we work together that feels very fluid and natural.” Maret and Collin established quickly that watching films featuring the music of Ennio Morricone had been an important part of family life for both of them, and a strong part of what had initially drawn them towards music. “Those movies, and the way they incorporated the music really stayed in my mind.” remembers Maret. And when the great man died in July 2020 at the age of 91, it affected them both deeply. Maret, for example, was to regret that a plan to include him in some of Morricone’s later concerts had sadly never come to fruition. But above all, the musicians felt a deep affinity for Morricone’s music: “We are both naturally drawn to the European sensitivities, the romantic language,” says Collin. Collin remembers experiencing a certain caution as they started to think about following this thread running so deeply through both their musical pasts, and making an album: “If we’re going to do it, it has to really add something,” he remembers thinking. So they both started to research Morricone’s oeuvre intensively and to immerse themselves in it. “We really wanted to find out what he was really like as a person and a musician,” Maret remembers. This led to them contacting Morricone’s official biographer Alessandro De Rosa. They had several conversations with him during the pandemic. De Rosa has written an illuminating sleeve note in praise of the album. “We wanted as many sounds and colours as we could possibly get, because this is such a part of Ennio Morricone’s music,” says Maret. The sheer range of Morricone’s work comes across vividly in “Ennio”.The unmistakably personal is certainly there: a track where strong emotions from the musicians’ childhoods come through vividly is“Chi Mai” from the film the film “Le Professionel”. Both recall watching the film as children. So, logically, it is performed as a duet for harmonica and piano, but a careful listen reveals another sound in the bass: the subliminal resonances of Collin playing an antique pedal harmonium.“Once Upon a Time in the West” - a film score which, unusually, was composed before the filming - and the other Sergio Leone “Spaghetti Westerns” are also there. And perhaps the least surprising thing about “Ennio” is quite how well the Italian’s music suits Maret’s “big-hearted sound” (Ottawa Citizen): Maret has been advised by countless people, and for longer than he can remember...that it would. And yet a careful listen to this collection reveals unexpected treats and gifts which never seem to stop. Surprises, for example, come from the stellar array of guest musicians. Maret says he felt truly blessed to hear from Cassandra Wilson that she liked the idea of writing new English words for Mina’s “Se Telefonando” a ‘labour of love’ – Maret has been in her band for a decade. And he was just as thrilled when Gregory Porter agreed to do the song as a duet with her. And the other instrumentalists bring magic too: drummer Marcus Gilmore “can do just about anything and he is an amazing person,” says Maret. Guitarist Marvin Sewell and bassist Burniss Earl Travis II are also Maret's colleagues from Cassandra Wilson's band and they make all kinds of intriguing sounds. And Collin has tricks up his sleeve as well: for example, he complements Maret’s sound on “Man with a Harmonica” with the eerieness of 1970s/80s rarities: a MoogCordovox White Elephant and a foot-operated analog synth, a Taurus. Alessandro De Rosa’s sleeve note for “Ennio” sums up the album very well: it “takes the listener through the complexity of Morricone’s multifaceted oeuvre and vividly portrays the emotional impact it has had on them. It is a journey that re-imagines and narrates this immensely significant contemporary composer in a way which is both new and authentic.”

Adam Bałdych & Leszek Możdżer - Passacaglia CD / Vinyl / digital Adam Bałdych violin, renaissance violin Leszek Możdżer piano Passacaglia is a multi-colored musical dialogue between two unique characters who are leading figures in European jazz and contemporary music, Adam Bałdych and Leszek Możdżer. The repertoire ranges from free improvisations over works co-written by the musicians themselves to their very personal interpretations of themes by Erik Satie, Josquin des Prez and others.The album features a highly unusual combination of instruments: a Renaissance violin, two grand pianos - one tuned to 442 Hz and the other 432 Hz - and a prepared upright piano. This setup allows an infinitely varied palette of musical expression, which defies styles, genres and even tonal and harmonic convention. The world that Bałdych and Możdżer create is one of well-balanced beauty, expressed in the noble form of chamber music, but it is also one of turbulent and intensely emotional improvisation. Like all great art, it draws you in and leaves you intrigued at the same time – and also makes you want to come back and explore it all over again.Credits: Produced by the artists

Emile Parisien - Let Them CookCD / Vinyl / digital Emile Parisien soprano saxophone & effects Julien Touéry piano Ivan Gélugne double bass Julien Loutelier drums & electronics When accidents happen, they are normally over in seconds, sometimes minutes; this one has been going on for 20 years. It is two decades since the members of Emile Parisien’s quartet played a jam session together. At the end, they looked at each other in disbelief. They had not just been hit by a collective musical thunderbolt, they also knew they had just brought...well...something...into being. The common ground between them was jazz, but each had all kinds of seeds to sow in it, from classical music and contemporary sounds to rock, electronica and chanson. Saxofonist Emile Parisien, Pianist Julien Touéry, Bassist Ivan Gélugne and drummer Julien Loutelier rip up labels, break down barriers, upset codes, and yet they know exactly where they are headed. There is a shared obsession with narrative. “The central axis of the quartet has always been storytelling,” Parisien emphasizes.“Let Them Cook” is like a breath of fresh air, and with a band sound now firmly and unmistakably of 2024 rather than 2004. There was a particular turning point: at a concert in Sweden near the end of their “Double Screening” album tour, they had taken a chance and tried out a move from an entirely acoustic sound to incorporate some electronics.It worked, so they stayed with it: they found that these electronic punctuations never polluted the band’s DNA, but rather stimulated it. The electronic apparatus was clearly additive to the stories of these compositions, the way it all fitted together was astounding.Which brings us back to the ever-present question: how do you get away from the classic jazz quartet of sax, piano, bass and drums? “We’re always trying to find the answer! There’s no point in redoing what the John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter groups did, because in many ways you’ll never reach their level.” “There’s a certain road in life most people walk on,” Wayne Shorter once said, “because it’s familiar, and they can jostle to get in front. I prefer to take a different road that’s less crowded, with many forks, where you get a wider view of life. I call it ‘the road less travelled’. That’s where I want to be.” In the year which marks its 20th anniversary, Emile Parisien’s quartet has never been more in tune with the thinking of one of its main influences.Credits:Produced by the artists

Michael Wollny & Joachim Kühn - DUOCD / Vinyl / digital Michael Wollny piano Joachim Kühn  piano Joachim Kühn (b. 1944) and Michael Wollny (b. 1978) are two of the leading lights of the European jazz piano. The playing of each of them is unmistakable, their approaches to making music are completely individual, and in a whole multitude of ways. As outstanding virtuosos, they are both capable of finding stylistic pathways to connect the most diverse areas of contemporary music. They both have alert and enormously creative minds, together with a protean capacity to listen and respond with the right thing at the right moment, something which is going to surprise each other. Together, Kühn and Wollny cover a wide range of original compositions and a version of Ornette Coleman's "Somewhere". At the end, they come together for a joint requiem for Joachim's brother Rolf.These two improvising pianists have wordless ways of communicating and intuitive ways of finding consensus, whether they are dealing with very basic things or huge amounts of detail. They work on their combined music like two sculptors chiselling on the same sculpture. Sometimes everything is quite clear, sometimes it is impossible to distinguish who is in the foreground and who is in the background, who is playing on the left and who is on the right. This album is released in co-operation with Château Palmer. Credits: Produced by the artists

Shalosh - Tales of UtopiaCD / Vinyl / digital Gadi Stern piano and keys David Michaeli double bass Matan Assayag drums Once again the groove is catchy, the way of shaping melodies utterly distinctive; these aspects define the sound of Shalosh. And once again, the trio is incredibly tight – after all, the band’s name does mean “three” in Hebrew. "Heavy jazz!", declared German Rolling Stone magazine; The critic from the british Times found them "full of promise". At Deutschlandfunk, there was talk of "jazz in the fast lane", once again reaching "young jazz fans all over Europe". The French magazine Paris Move writes excitedly the band is “indispensable”. The three musicians, each contribute their musical predilections - jazz, classical music, grunge, rock, techno or folk - into the common organism, in which all these elements are rendered into an exciting mixture. And through their inspirational concerts around the globe, there has been constant further refinement. They take audiences with them by challenging them: this is music which aims to appeal to the heart, engage the intellect and get straight through to the dancing feet.Things could have just gone on as they were, but much has changed since 2020's “Broken Balance”. "It's a different world now," says Gadi Stern, "and you can hear that on the new album. Back then everything was fine, there was more or less nothing missing. But now there's a sense of the end of the world all around us." So, on "Tales of Utopia”, Shalosh have taken their music, their way of telling stories through sound, and placed them in a bigger context. Drawing elements from the Old Testament and the Odyssey, they combine Christian and Greek mythology in a way which is individual...rhapsodic. The connecting of world cultures gives a common thread to the album:A young hero is travelling into the unknown. But what is unknown to him is not just the external world, but also the inner self. Every journey also leads to increased self-awareness, and that makes him stronger. "Tales of Utopia" is about how utopian thinking is based on the preoccupation with one's own self, on concentration and meditation. Keeping that focus well honed functions as the antidote to information overkill.Shalosh envisage their music as a place of refuge. In a crisis-ridden world, their aim is to give strength, comfort and inspiration. and provide support against pandemics, tanks and slogans. Using an episodic structure derived from epic theatre, they present an image of arriving in the big city and being deluged with new impressions. The hero has to find his way through a market alive with strange smells, colours and movement. Then, dramatically, he leaves the metropolis at sunset. We witness a boat being rolled by the waves of the ocean, and also three sisters on an island who take care of the hero, their voices intertwining. The king's dreams come unstuck in all the turbulence, he also receives some poor advice. But all then comes to a happy ending in a Moroccan-inspired wedding song, as a band of friends all gather in one room for a party with handclapping and singing. We are propelled through this timeless story by the wonderful Shalosh sound. It is as if the band has found just the right places to insert all of these stories into a vast painting. The chronology of events has been brilliantly adapted to make the musical flow feel natural. The recording process has also been reimagined. Without headphones or amps, the three recorded their song-like stories in physical proximity to each other, as if playing live. It sounded rougher and more direct, because the room had an acoustic which was so alive. What was important was what the lyrics would trigger musically. "Inside the room we could escape the troubles of the world," recalls drummer Matan Assayag. "For three or four hours we focused on the music and formulated our utopia. That way we could block out the external pressures. That's the meaning behind the title. Our previous album reflected the world outside, this one is about inner harmony." "Tales of Utopia" documents a search for poise and peacefulness. Gadi and Matan have recently become fathers. This positive energy has flowed in. "Art makes the world better" is the way they describe their intentions. "We want to bring beauty into the world and create a feeling that people can be happy in themselves. They have to relearn that, and also place themselves in relation to the constant flood of information so that more and more doesn't actually mean less and less. Our children were the best teachers in this because they are fascinated by small things. That's how you can overcome the destructive." There is more going on here than mere everyday pragmatism. This is exciting music, a panoply of colours and timbres. It invites the listener to be enchanted and to focus on its sheer beauty. It also has deep humanity: rather than striving for perfection, it bristles with energy and vitality. Credits: Music composed, arranged and produced by Shalosh Cover art "Blokeret dør, 2000" by Tal R

David Helbock - Austrian SyndicateCD / Vinyl / digital David Helbock rhodes, synthesizers & effects Peter Madsen piano Raphael Preuschl bass & bass ukulele Herbert Pirker drums Claudio Spieler percussion Guests: Alex Acuña percussion Lakecia Benjamin saxophone Maria João voice Fred Wesley trombone Dhafer Youssef voice Austrian Syndicate…the phrase immediately brings to mind the best-known and most influential of all Austrians in jazz, Joe Zawinul. And yet David Helbock’s project is much more than just a homage to his compatriot. It is a return to the roots of fusion jazz and how things developed from then on. It is also a new direction stylistically for Helbock, who has harnessed a panoply of inspiration with a refreshing openness to new sounds from far and wide. As Helbock himself puts it: "This is close to my heart." Helbock has been able to enlist the best rhythm section in Austria for the Syndicate: Raphael Preuschl on bass and bass ukulele, drummer Herbert Pirker and percussionist Claudio Spieler. The quintet also has an American in it, one for whom becoming Austrian was a matter of choice: pianist Peter Madsen. This Austrian supergroup is also a place where Helbock’s stellar international guests shine brightly: Maria João, Fred Wesley, Dhafer Youssef, Alex Acuña and Lakecia Benjamin. Very much in the spirit of Zawinul who pioneered the use of electronic keyboard instruments and was a giant of fusion jazz, David Helbock is heard here for the first time only on keyboards, leaving all the piano duties to Peter Madsen. "Practically everything I know about music and jazz I learned from him," says Helbock about his former teacher and mentor, and – these days – close friend. A true piano hero, but one little known outside specialist circles, Madsen toured the world with Stan Getz from 1987 onwards, and has since played with many other greats of jazz: musicians who made their names in earlier eras such as Benny Golson, and Stanley Turrentine to major figures from modern jazz like Chris Potter, Joe Lovano or Kenny Garrett, or free jazz heroes like Dewey Redman and Don Cherry. And there are stars of funk too: Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker. In 2001, Madsen moved from New York to Austria, where he met the then 16-year-old Helbock and took him under his wing. Which is why Madsen, in addition to his piano role, is also co-leader of the band, and we also hear his considerable acumen as composer. Raphael Preuschl and Herbert Pirker are also long-time companions of David Helbock and have been the most sought-after bass-drums team in Vienna for over 20 years. Preuschl has also found a particularly individual voice on an unusual instrument, the bass ukulele. Pirker is just as versatile. He plays drums, for example, in Austria's sensational band Shake Stew. Percussionist Claudio Spieler studied with Afghan master drummer Hakim Ludin in his youth, and now performs at major venues with German singer-songwriter Konstantin Wecker and celebrated Austrian multi-percussionist Martin Grubinger. There are fabulous guests too. All are global stars, giving the album both international glamour and the colourful exoticism: the great voice of Maria João from Portugal, Peruvian percussionist Alex Acuña (a member of Weather Report alongside Zawinul in the late 1970s), Tunisian singer and oud virtuoso Dhafer Youssef, who is having huge success with his album "Streets of Minarets" and is playing to sold-out houses; funk mastermind and James Brown acolyte Fred Wesley and saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, one of the brightest sparks in the American jazz sky right now.This band has a way of communicating energy, surprise, variety and – perhaps above all – fun. Helbock has a way of finding all kinds of outlandish sounds from his synthesisers and keyboard pads, and uses them to kick up sudden thunderstorms. But we also hear subtle jazz improvisation, irrepressible interplay, funk and Latin rhythms and no shortage of Afro-Caribbean flair. It’s all there right from the opener: "Money in the Pocket". Other tracks draw their inspiration from all kinds of intriguing places: dark mysteries from Vienna, Indian Konnakol chanting, King Crimson, acid jazz. Helbock has conjured up all kinds of different moods and vibes. The ending of the album requires something truly special and Helbock does not disappoint. Mozart's "Komm, lieber Mai", an innocent little song which later became a German folk melody, has been dressed up for a party with Cuban rhythms. Maria João is not just playful here, she even invites us briefly away from the party and into a trippy dream sequence. Like the rest of the album, such invitations are instantly and infinitely persuasive. David Helbock's "Austrian Syndicate" welcomes the world into boundless fusion jazz with irresistible grooves. “Austrian Syndicate” might prove to be one of the feelgood – no, make that feel...GREAT! - albums of the year. Credits: Recording Details: Produced by David Helbock

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - Good Morning Susie SohoCD / Vinyl / digital Esbjörn Svensson piano Dan Berglund bass Magnus Öström drums Traditionally, jazz is by invitation only. Those in the know guard their secrets tightly, and deviants are regarded with a certain amount of suspicion. To be commercial is to sell out and if you sell out you'll loose the hard core fans. Not so with Esbjörn Svensson Trio. The trio has sold three times as many albums as jazz acts normally do, but they still manage to stay on the good side of jazz aficionados and critics. The trio plays upwards of 100 shows each year to a very varied audience. Besides the usual jazz audience you'd be as likely to spot a little old lady as an advertising exec or high school kids. This year, the trio will include matinees on their tours to give their younger fans a chance to see them live. Their favourite moments are spent improvising on stage, and this is how they keep their material fresh and ever evolving. No two shows are the same and to a large extent, the band tries to capture this loose, improvisational vibe on record, and they rarely do more than one take in the studio. The recording process that led to "From Gagarin's Point of View" (ACT 9005-2), that also became the first Swedish jazz video shown on MTV, is significant to how the band works: “We were working on another project, and had a few hours to spare, so we sat down and played a few songs”, Esbjörn says. “Those songs make up about half the album, with the other half recorded in two similar sessions”. “Keeping the spontaneity is extremely important to us”, explains Magnus. Esbjörn Svensson can't imagine life without music. He's been making noise for as long as he can remember; on pots, pans, tabletops and briefly playing the mandolin before settling in by the piano. Grade school was spent planning tours and designing album covers for the bands he was in, most of them including drummer Magnus Öström. 1993 Dan Berglund joined the band, and the three of them have since held what they call a "musical conversation" ­ the critics call it "breathlessly beautiful", "the most touching moment I've ever heard on record", "a brutal force" and "jazz at it's best". The critical acclaim and awards haven't changed how the three good friends view their musicianship. “We set the highest standards for ourselves. What anybody else thinks is secondary”, Dan states. “We are still inspired by any and all music; Björk is one of my personal favourites”, says the former metalhead. No surprise then, that the collaborations that the trio has been involved in have spanned a wide variety of Sweden's most successful artists. Their 1997 recorded album "Winter in Venice" (ACT 9007-2) received the Swedish Grammy. 1999 EST has participated in Cool Sweden at Midem in Cannes as well as the Swedish Jazz Extravaganza in London. The same year the group also has played at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival along with Eagle Eye Cherry and Nils Landgren, at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel together with Viktoria Tolstoy and at the Hultsfreds Festival. Besides that there have been tours to Germany, Switzerland, England, Nothern Ireland and South Africa, and the group has shared the stage and master classes with Chick Corea, John Scofield, Brad Mehldau Trio and others. Credits: Recorded at Atlantis Studio, March - April 2000 Mixed in May 2000 Technician: Janne Hansson Mastered by Johan Ekelund at Stereolab in June 2000 Produced by e.s.t.

Esbjörn Svensson - HOME.SCD / Vinyl / Colored Vinyl / digitalEsbjörn Svensson pianoThere are only a few figures in music whose work influences and shapes a genre as a whole. This is undoubtedly true of the Swede Esbjörn Svensson. With his trio e.s.t., the pianist and composer wowed audiences beyond age and genre affiliations. And his influence on jazz as a whole reverberates to this day and already within the second and third generation of musicians worldwide. HOME.S. is Esbjörn Svensson's only solo album and the sheer existence of such a recording and its completely unexpected discovery over a decade after its creation are nothing less than a sensation: Since the early 1990s, Svensson focused almost his entire creative energy and recording activities on his work with e.s.t.. Thus, these new recordings are not only the first, but practically the only ones that show Svensson in a setting other than that of the trio: Intimate, concentrated and completely one with himself. The recordings for HOME.S. were made only a few weeks before Esbjörn Svensson's sudden death on June 14, 2008. Svensson recorded the music in his Swedish home. For almost ten years afterwards, the album rested untouched in his wife Eva's personal archive. In this interview, she tells the story behind the discovery of the album and the music: How exactly did you find this music? After Esbjörn’s passing, I made sure all the contents of his computer were saved to backup hard drives. And then I basically left them untouched for the next ten years. At the point where I eventually felt ready to look into the material, I soon realised that there was something I wanted to look into. I took the hard drive and went to Gothenburg to meet with Åke Linton, the sound engineer who had worked on all e.s.t. albums as well as on their live shows. He was also the one who had helped me to save the material from Esbjörn’s computer in the first place. So he probably already knew that there was something hidden in there. But nobody had listened to it. We went to his studio. And we pressed the start button. Then there was a total silence and we couldn't speak for the entire time the music was playing. After it finished, at first we were not able to say anything, because we were both so touched and surprised that it was all there, and that it was so beautiful. The tracks seemed to follow one another like pearls on a string. After we just had sat there for a while we agreed: This is really good. Musically, but also from a sound perspective. At first Åke wasn't sure if Esbjörn had recorded everything at home and just by himself. So he called different studios in Stockholm that he knew Esbjörn was in contact with and asked them whether he had been there, recording anything. But no, he hadn't been anywhere. I know he had bought some very nice microphones and in the course of touring had learned from Åke how to use them. So it became clear that this music had to have been played and recorded in the basement of our house. So there was nobody with him? He was all alone doing that? He was all alone. In retrospect I have been thinking about it because the few people who know that this exists were asking me if I knew about it. What I did know was that Esbjörn was constantly working, as he always did. He was in the basement, and I could hear him play. But to me, this didn’t raise any questions. Is he doing something? Yes, of course he's doing something. That's what he always did. Rehearsing, practicing, composing. But for me it wasn’t clear that something new was happening. I did know that he was longing to have time to compose and play in different kinds of constellations, but I had no idea that it might be piano solo. Just weeks after making these solo recordings, Esbjörn died. Everything suddenly took on another perspective. There was no way for me to focus on music. All I could do at that time was to make sure all the material he was working on was kept safe.When did you hear the music for the first time? I think it was in 2017 or 18, maybe. This was really the first time? Yes, the first time. After almost ten years. And you kept everything safe and untouched until then? Technically, yes… Well, I don’t know about safety, because it was in the cupboard. *laughs* But safe enough to be released now anyway. Life changed so dramatically after Esbjörn’s passing. For me and for us, it was not just Esbjörn, the musician, it was my husband and the children's father who was gone. That was what we had to deal with and find a way to live without. What made you choose that the time was right to share this with the public? It was really not about choosing the right time. At the time when I heard the music, I simply understood that it was important for me that it happened. To be able to hear it and to have it physically in my hands. And when I realized this, I also wanted to share it with more people. By making an album and having it released, but also, just as importantly, by creating some spaces for myself and for others, to meet and to listen together and to hear the voice of Esbjörn.Do you know where the repertoire of the record comes from? Has any of this been previously written or do you think it’s fully improvised? I think individual tracks and compositions were prepared. At least I am sure there were some kind of sketches. I don't think Esbjörn was just sitting down improvising from start to end. It was not how I remember that he worked. There is actually a lot of sheet music around and I am sure some of it is connected with this recording, but I wasn’t able to go through all of it. Yet. You decided to have the tracks to be named after the letters of the Greek alphabet, and one reason to do so is Esbjörn’s passion for astronomy. Something that also inspired one of e.s.t.’s most popular pieces “From Gagarin’s Point of View”. There is this feeling of being far away from everything, in zero-g with a totally different perspective. And at the same time at great risk. Yes, I could imagine that Gagarin’s adventure and his urge to go to new places must have been so much more thrilling to him than his fear of death. To take that leap out into the universe and taking as opposed to just staying home. I don't think that was an option. In a musical way, Esbjörn was just like that. This is probably why the stars and space were such a big deal for him and what fascinated him about astronomy. At the same time I remember that he said that he in some way regretted that he learned more about it because then some amount of the mystery was gone. He was always keen to look into things that he didn't know that much about. And then in a way try to find out how they work and how they’re connected to other things. In life and in music. He heard something, but he didn't know how to connect it. And then he, and also Dan and Magnus of e.s.t. would explore things together, without any outside guidance. From their childhood days they would just meet at Esbjörn’s house, play around, explore and to find things out. Esbjörn knew the Greek alphabet by heart and also all of the Greek Zodiac signs. So along with this being a metaphor for the desire to explore and discover new spaces, by naming the pieces on the album just by Greek letters, we are not explaining something that we don't want to explain, and we leave space for the listeners to find their own associations with the music. Any closing thoughts? When the solo piano recordings were found at our home it felt like “getting a message smuggled over the border. This music is like having Esbjörn’s voice in the room. It couldn't be anybody else that played. Never. It is his voice. And he still has something to say. And I'm having the chance to let people hear that. My feeling is that we’re doing this together. …Thank you Esbjörn. This is beautiful. Credits: Music composed, recorded, mixed and produced by Esbjörn Svensson in spring 2008 Executive Producer: Eva Svensson Mastered by Åke Linton, Eva Svensson and Classe Persson at CRP Recording AB

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - e.s.t. Live 95CD / Vinyl / digital Esbjörn Svensson piano Dan Berglund bass Magnus Öström drums They have been lauded as the "New sound in the Old World", and as "high voltage out of Sweden"; the group has been called "possibly the best jazz trio in the world". The Esbjörn Svensson Trio's - known as EST - rise to the heights has been almost frightening. After their first major success in Sweden, their international breakthrough came in 1999 during the ACT World Jazz Night at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In the following years EST was a sensation throughout Europe, and they are now on the path to continuing their success story in the USA. It's no wonder that, especially when playing "live", EST lets loose an almost unbelievable energy - and this energy appears to grow from tour to tour - a rising star that shines ever brighter. Stars sometimes shine much longer than one would think. And here are recordings that demonstrate this is true for EST. The band, which was first formed in 1993, quickly found their very special sound. However, at first, no one outside EST's homeland was aware of them. Six years ago, in 1995, when Esbjörn Svensson still had long hair, and wore a headband, a record titled "Mr. And Mrs. Handkerchief", which consisted of live air shots from various towns in Sweden, was released. A year later, EST recorded the album "Esbjörn Svensson Trio Plays Monk" (recently re-released as ACT.). It reached the undreamed of sales of 10,000 CD's nationwide. Those who have heard how the trio played back then can attest that it was breathtaking music (for a quick listen: track 5).Much of what characterizes EST's play today was already well-defined in 1995: the unity and riveting strength of the inter-play, the compelling themes - themes that immediately jump out at the listener, and yet are never burdened with cliches. Then there are the musical influences of the likes of Thelonious Monk and Kieth Jarrett, which are fused into a unique style that is again and again infected by the forward-thrust of rock. Magic moments are preserved for posterity in these live takes. In tracks three and seven, Svensson plays on an upright piano that doesn't even come close to the brilliance and clarity of a concert grand - and yet, these recordings are pearls. The trio had by this time mastered the ability to react spontaneously to the inspiration of the moment.Absolutely no difference from today? On their latest tours EST sounded tighter, less raw, with the impetuosity of wilder times more under control. Comparison with the masterpiece "Dodge the Dodo" from the 1999 Montreux concert (bonus CD) shows that the trio's development has not been by leaps and bounds, but has been a continual process. Esbjörn Svensson himself has stated most clearly how much the music from past periods influences the band; "Obviously we develop all the time, both as individuals and as a group. But development isn't only about blind process. So instead of just going forward, in places we've chosen to refer back to our earlier sound, to what we had on our first two albums." That's already reason enough to pay new attention to "EST LIVE '95". Roland Spiegel, translated by Marty Cook Credits: Recorded by Åke Linton in March 1995, except # 11 recorded by Manu Guiot at Montreux Jazz Festival July 16, 1999, # 5 by Per Åke Hermansson, Radio Dalama and # 6 by Verner Kjersgaag, DR Östjüllands Radio Mixed by Åke Linton at Bohus Studio Produced by e.s.t.

Emile Parisien - Les MétanuitsCD / Vinyl / digital Emile Parisien soprano saxophone Roberto Negro piano 100 Years of Ligeti: Duo Improvisations Inspired by György Ligeti's String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes". 28 May 2023 marks the centenary of the birth of composer György Ligeti. Film director Stanley Kubrick gave the cosmopolitan avant-gardist a brief moment of fame when he appropriated pieces of the composer’s music for the soundtrack of "2001: A Space Odyssey". With that exception, and perhaps unsurprisingly, Ligeti’s challenging and complex music has seldom reached appeal among the broader public. Among musicians, however, his standing and the influence of his music are immense. Ligeti’s lifelong search for new paths, from sound-surface music to micropolyphony and microtonality has left its defining, long-term mark on jazz musicians too. So, when French soprano saxophonist supreme, Emile Parisien and Italian pianist Roberto Negro – widely considered to be one of the most exciting pianists in Europe, on account of his own projects and his collaboration with the Ceccaldi brothers – now choose to focus on Ligeti in their duo album. "Les Métanuits", this is not just a flash-in-the-pan or some kind of quick centenary fix. For both musicians, this new venture has a long history. "When we first played together eight or nine years ago, Emile and I met in my kitchen to talk about music. We wanted to get to know each other better," Negro remembers. They quickly discovered that they both adored Ligeti. For Negro there is an added interest because of his own heritage: born in Turin, Negro grew up in Kinshasa before studying in Paris; Ligeti had a major preoccupation with the music of sub-Saharan Africa which shaped his polyrhythmic aesthetic.Parisien and Negro found that another thing they were in agreement about was their favourite piece by Ligeti: the String Quartet No. 1 'Métamorphoses nocturnes', and this was to lead to repeated encounters with the piece. For example, they once accompanied the renowned French Quatuor Béla string quartet in a performance of it. And now the duo have had the time and the opportunity to dig more deeply into this chamber music work, composed in 1953/54. "This string quartet is a rich source of inspiration for our improvisations," Parisien explains. "As one of his early works from the 1950s, it is still strongly influenced by Béla Bartók. Hence it has a strong, constantly moving principal theme which runs through the whole piece." Parisien and Negro have always been particularly enthusiastic about the rhythmic aspects of the piece, with its echoes of Stravinsky. And it is these which have given structure to their adaptation, which they have divided into eleven parts, each with a different tempo marking. Whereas Ligeti valued improvisation in jazz, he didn’t make use of it in his compositions. Parisien and Negro proceed with seemly respect: "The original motifs, moods and colours shine forth again and again. Harmonically, we expanded them with our ideas," explains Negro. "The original string quartet is only about 22 minutes long. In our album version it has become 45 minutes. When we play it live, it becomes even longer. So, to make up for this, we shortened the title and turned "Métamorphoses nocturnes" into "Métanuits", he adds...with a knowing smile. "Métanuits" is a fascinating endeavour: a wonderful piece of craftsmanship in which everything seems to interlock. There is high-wire virtuosic playing, exploration of all the tonal possibilities of the instruments by both players. Tempi tend to be on the fast side: (with the indications on the sections ‘allegro’, ‘presto’ or ‘prestissimo’ setting the pace), but with a 'largo' to catch breath at the end. There is also a surprising lyrical warmth, as the pair follow each other through constantly changing re-framings of the theme, which as is re-heard takes on an irresistible expressiveness. "The overlaps between classical music and jazz are particularly close to my heart. The boundaries between these genres no longer have to exist" is Roberto Negro’s view. And this is something he and Emile Parisien prove through the natural flow and the surprising approachability of "Les Métanuits". In their homage to Ligeti, they don't even bother with the historicising conventions and barriers of an old, abstract or arcane avant-garde. Instead, they let this beguilingly contemporary music resound - and reveal its astonishing communicative strengths.Credits: Produced by Roberto Negro & Emile Parisien Executive production: Full Rhizome

Matthieu Saglio - VoicesCD / digital Matthieu Saglio cello & vocals Steve Shehan percussion & drums Christian Belhomme piano & keys Léo Ullmann violin The Voices: Susana Baca, Alim Qasimov, Natacha Atlas, Nils Landgren, Wasis Diop, Anna Colom, Camille Saglio, Vega Tomás In “Voices”, Mathieu Saglio, with his quartet and a fascinating roster of guest vocal soloists from many countries, follows a bold dream. “Voices” builds on the success and the momentum of Saglio’s previous ACT album “El Camino de los Vientos'' (2020), a 'varied musical journey through the Mediterranean, Africa and Asia.'(JAZZTHETIK). Both Fono Forum and Stereo magazines in Germany made “El Camino” an album of the month, and Jazz-Rhone-Alpes had it as their best album of the year. France-Musique's Nathalie Piolé called it "an album you never tire of listening to,” and her opinion has been completely validated by the streaming statistics for the past three years: plays of tracks from “El Camino” on Spotify are now over 7 million. At the heart of both “El Camino" and "Voices" is the cello playing of the “talented and charismatic” (Songlines) Matthieu Saglio, who is also composer and producer. Originally from Rennes in France, he has lived in the creative cauldron of Valencia for the past two decades. His playing functions as what he calls a 'fil directeur' (guiding thread) through the album. As soloist, time and time again on "Voices", he manages to find exactly the right comment or embellishment as a response to what one of the vocal soloists has just done. Then, when he steps away from the limelight and accompanies, he can draw on a huge range of the new techniques with chords and basslines which he has developed for the cello; these give him myriad ways to anchor and propel the music. Saglio is also thrilled to be working with what has now become a regular working quartet in the years since "El Camino: drummer/percussionist Steve Shehan, pianist/keyboardist Christian Belhomme and violinist Léo Ullmann. Of the quartet, the cellist says: "They are three truly extraordinary musicians, the perfect companions to bring my compositions to life.” In “Voices”, Saglio’s ambition is “to pay tribute to the voices of the world, of men, women, of all ages, of all languages... the voice as the essence of humanity...which at the same time brings people together and unifies them.” For “Voices” Saglio sent out invitations to vocalists, attaching a melody written by him which he could imagine them singing. He then embarked on a dialogue with each one, the whole process being done remotely. Incidentally, Saglio’s vision, fostering remote collaborations in this way, already stood out as remarkable in “Camino”: that whole album was achieved before the pandemic, which has now made such ways of working much more commonplace. The opening track sets a tone of idealism, imagining the kind of society in which we would all like to live, using a recording of Nelson Mandela: 'A democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities'. "I was really happy to open this album with Mandela’s words," says Saglio. Each of the very different collaborations on “Voices” brings its rewards. Veteran Peruvian Susana Baca, the first singer in Saglio’s dream team to be approached, fills every one of the sparse words of “Ponte un Alma'' with significance and resonance. Egyptian-Belgian singer Natacha Atlas has written her own lyric for the beguiling, hypnotic “Amâl”. Flamenco singer Anna Colom enchants in “Divina Tormenta” with a Spanish translation of Paul Verlaine’s poem “Green”. Senegalese legend Wasis Diop’s intensely rhythmic speech-singing commentary in “Temps Modernes” is an art form in its own right. Alim Qasimov is a legend in his native Azerbaijan. "To have him on the record really was one of my impossible dreams,” says Saglio. "I found his contact details with help from a German Festival who had recorded a concert with him, and went from there..." Saglio was thrilled to work with Nils Landgren: "He is such a great musician, and I have also completely fallen in love with his unique way of singing ballads, and the beautiful lyrics he put to my composition.” If the soloists on “Voices” might start to sound like an extended, world-encompassing family, Saglio’s real-life family is also involved: on “Irta” we hear the countertenor and voice-trumpet timbres of his younger brother Camille. “He genuinely has invented a new language and brings an extraordinary sense of musical freedom,” comments Matthieu Saglio with both respect and brotherly affection. With “Voices”, Matthieu Saglio has once again taken what might seem an impossible dream to bring people together through music and made it work brilliantly. His compositions become the vehicles to enable strong and unique musical personalities from all over the world to express themselves naturally and authentically. Saglio's imagination and his determination to make unlikely and magical things happen are a rare combination. Or as he explains: “I believe in dreams, and I run after them.”Credits: Vocals on Movement by Natacha Atlas, Wasis Diop, Anna Colom, Vega Tomás, Camille and Matthieu Saglio Additional vocals on 1 – 4 by Camille Saglio and Matthieu Saglio Recorded July 2022 – January 2023 Mixed by Juan Carlos Tomás & Matthieu Saglio at La Seta Azul Estudis, Benicassim, Spain Mastered by Pierre Jacquot, Logodio S.A.S., Le Chesnay, France Cover art by Uwe Kowski: Vorhang, 2013, used with the kind permission of the artist

Dearest Sister - Collective HeartCD / Vinyl / digital Ylva Almcrantz piano, Rhodes, synthesizers Andrea Hatanmaa lead vocals, synthesizer, backing vocals Ellen Pettersson flugelhorn Joakim Lissmyr double bass Liam Amner drums and percussion Guests: Petter Hängsel trombone Erik Rönér french horn Thomas Lunderquist french horn There is a great succession of musical discoveries coming out of Sweden right now, and it never ceases to amaze. In this instance, the well-honed skills of jazz musicians are aligned with an strong sensitivity for songwriting. The three women and two men who make up "Dearest Sister" form a band in the fullest sense. Their debut album "Collective Heart" is a prime example of a current musical development: extremely able young musicians with open minds and ears are applying the rigour and the tools from their jazz training to find a sound world that is very distinct from jazz. And whereas their music unavoidably looks straight in the eye at the influences, themes and issues affecting their generation, these artists also deftly avoid another trap: they steer clear of the usual production methods of mainstream pop in favor of a much more destinct, grounded approach. What we find on this album is what many listeners are longing to hear: authenticity, originality and emotional depth. The core of Dearest Sister is a very special creative duo: singer/keyboardist Andrea Hatanmaa and pianist Ylva Almcrantz. The two met while studying jazz and popular music at the Malmö Academy of Music in Sweden, the city where the band is based. They have contrasting personalities and come from very different musical backgrounds. A creative tension arises from that, and it not only infuses Dearest Sister's music, it is also what makes it so appealing and interesting. Andrea Hatanmaa was brought up in Finland. Raised on rock and pop music, her vocal technique is rock-solid, and yet she doesn't sound anything like a typical jazz singer. She says: "What is important to me is to master my craft, and to learn and assimilate as much as possible from all directions, and then – whether I’m on stage or in the studio – to forget all that and find an individual voice and personal expression."It is not only Hatanmaa’s haunting voice with its kaleidoscope of facets and nuances that shapes the music, but also the lyrics and concise, refined songwriting. Hatanmaa and Ylva Almcrantz form a songwriting partnership. The singer says: "Ylva is the musical genius in the band. She comes up with the most beautiful arrangements and has an amazing sixth sense for moods, sounds, dynamics, small and big melodies," adding with a laugh: "I just have to be careful that it doesn't all get too jazzy." The band's name, Dearest Sister, brings into focus the special bond between the two women. It is borrowed from "Allrakäraste Syster" by Swedish children’s author Astrid Lindgren, a story about two sisters who experience magical adventures in a secret land. The debut album "Collective Heart" is a result of the close and ongoing collaboration between the two young band co-leaders, but the pair are also complemented by a highly sensitive band. The range of songs is striking in its breadth, and songs can often take very unexpected turns as they evolve: vast Nordic soundscapes alternate with "walls of sound". The engine room, giving propulsion to the band, is the groove from drummer Liam Amner: sometimes delicate, sometimes off-kilter and occasionally extraordinarily driven. Joakim Lissmyr plays bowed or plucked double bass, and flugelhornist Ellen Pettersson plays soft melodies which she extends and enhances electronically. And among this we hear an almost classical, enchanting brass interlude, or a synth line and a cluster enhanced by effects. One might start to wonder if there is too much going on. But the arrangements are so intelligently constructed, their components so carefully chosen and the execution so clear and organic that the music, despite its many elements, always seems approachable, complete and coherent. "Collective Heart" is a fascinating and emotionally affecting album. We find a joy in experimentation, and also musical curiosity and open-mindedness. These are strong musicians who are capable of offering the listener surprising contrasts and great authenticity. This is music in a constant state of evolution and discovery. “Dearest Sister" know what they are looking for, so if listeners find it on "Collective Heart", it is not going to be by accident: this is a band well aware of what it can bring, and that is something new, special, and very real. Credits: Recorded and mixed by Joakim Lindberg at Studio Sickan Malmö, June and October 2019 Mastered by Magnus Lindberg Productions 2020 The Art in Music: Cover art "Metamorphosis" by Emma Larsson: Metamorphosis

Emile Parisien - Les ÉgarésCD / Vinyl / digital Ballaké Sissoko kora Vincent Segal cello Emile Parisien soprano saxophone Vincent Peirani accordion, accordina Les Égarés is more than a record. It’s play space, a locus of musical life, a poetic asylum inhabited by two twosomes who for years have excelled in the art of crossfertilising sounds and transcending genres. They are Ballaké Sissoko (kora) and Vincent Segal (cello) on the one hand and Vincent Peirani (accordion) and Émile Parisien (sax) on the other. In the case of these magicians, 2 + 2 no longer makes 4, it makes 1. Because what they concoct is most definitely a unity of spirit, a single and fluid sound that disdains all forms of egotistical competitiveness and puts each participant at the service of a common musical good. Neither jazz, nor trad, nor chamber, nor avant-garde, but a bit of all of them, all at once, Les Egarés is the kind of album that makes the ear the king of all instruments, an album where virtuosity expresses itself in the art of complicity, where the simple and grandiose idea of listening to one another results in the birth of a splendid song with four parts. It all started with a summit meeting – high on a hill overlooking Lyon. That night in June 2019, at Les Nuits de Fourvière Festival, everyone was preparing to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the NØ FØRMAT label in a beautiful setting of Roman stones under an open sky. Vincent Segal played the role of master of ceremonies and held a kind of musical salon, gathering together guests of choice, among whom were Ballaké Sissoko, Vincent Peirani and Émile Parisien. The participants signed a pact: rehearsing must never take precedence over anything that showed signs of being a moment of spontaneous creation. But how to reign in such inspired musicians, all of them enlivened by this desire to converse in music? That afternoon, in an arbour that shielded them from the hot sun, they started to jam, just for the beauty and pleasure of it, and the music just flowed like a spring, fresh and limpid. It was the memory of this spontaneous outpouring that gave rise to the idea of forming a quartet of Egarés (‘those who have gone astray’). And that’s what the recording of the album felt like too: a spontaneous sharing of impulse and know-how. Only one promise couldn’t be fulfilled, one long held dear by Vincent Segal, and that was to record in Bamako with his accomplice Ballaké Sissoko, as the pair had previously done for their debut Chamber Music. The extreme tension that currently holds sway in Mali scuppered this dream and, in the end, the four musicians set up their creative workshop in the alpine town of Gap. Outside, the weather was unpredictable; in the studio, the sun came out almost immediately. But it wasn’t a bland unchanging beauty: from the first notes, everything was volatile, in motion, vibrating. No surprises there: none of these four free stylers likes to be imprisoned, whether it’s in a particular role, or in a particular style or sound to which their instrument could so easily be confined. Each bought a few rough diamonds along in their knapsack and submitted them to the group. Tempered by that common fire, in the natural crucible of a live acoustic setting, those gems took on a new form, sublimating themselves and soon providing the material for an authentic and communal trove of music–musical gold in fact, melted down into a singular alloy of tones, touches, breaths and phrasings, that starts with a motif in unison that straightway spells out the basic alchemical formula. Take ‘Ta Nye’ and ‘Banja’, marvels of the Manding canon that act like markers for the start and finish lines of the course taken by Les Egarés: two kora tunes that the counterpoint and echoes of the other instruments enrobe and subtly displace, with that commitment to softness, that care to accompany as closely and precisely as possibly that’s the prerogative of experienced musicians. Just listen to Emile Parisien’s madly airborne introduction to ‘Banja’. A scent of Armenia clothes the first few measures of ‘Izao’, a piece that slips and slides in the direction of Transylvania via Turkey, seemingly orchestrating a disconcerting marriage of kora and Bartok in certain passages, all underpinned by a throbbing bass. ‘Amenhotep’ sets off a slow but sure ascending spiral, a Coltrane-like trance that elevates the interlocking breath of accordion and sax. Around the melody of ‘Dou’, as if guarding a fire, each of the four men take it in turn to preserve the memory of an ancestral blues, giving it the heady swaying feeling of a lullaby. ‘Nomad’s Sky’ opens with majesty and mystery, like a plant with intoxicating scents, everything required to overwhelm the senses present in the obstinate veins of the bass, played on a cello, and the progressive deployment of the instrumental motifs. ‘La Chanson des Égarés’ derives from those irresistibly cadenced melodies that buzz inside you when, according to Vincent Segal, ‘you walk without knowing where you’re going, letting yourself drift and giving into the pleasure of being lost,’ – a pleasure that, all on its own, aptly sums up the philosophy of this record. Credits: Produced by Ballaké Sissoko, Vincent Segal, Emile Parisien and Vincent Peirani

Nguyên Lê - Silk and SandCD / Vinyl / digital Nguyên Lê guitars, synths, vocals Chris Jennings acoustic bass Rhani Krija percussion gumbri, vocals Since guitarist Nguyên Lê became the first exclusive ACT artist thirty years ago, he has established himself as a distinctive voice of his instrument. And as one of the most important representatives of jazz as world music without borders. The 1959 born is one of the few whose technique, style and composition are unique and recognizable from the first note - a mastery in the true sense of the word. With "Silk and Sand" Lê now returns to the format of the trio with which he once began his career as a leader on "Million Waves". Lê was self-taught as a musician. He started out on the drums, only switching to guitar later. His academic studies were in fine art and philosophy, and it was only thereafter that he embarked on a career in music. His artistry, therefore, defines itself as being not of any particular school – he has developed very much according to his own precepts – and he also has cultural horizons which extend far beyond music. Another important principle with Lê is that he has always seen himself as a builder of bridges between genres, styles and continents. "I am the fusion of cultures personified," he says. Lê is a world musician in the most authentic sense, in whom European – and especially French – musical culture has always found a meeting-place with his Southeast Asian roots, and he combines these not just with American traditions of jazz and rock, but also with music from other continents. From his first, strongly Afro-Caribbean band, Ultramarine, his journey has taken him through albums like "Zanzibar", "Tales from Vietnam", then involved his participation in the groundbreaking neo-flamenco project "Jazzpaña", his collaboration with the traditional Vietnamese singer Huong Thanh, the trio E_L_B with Peter Erskine, and his multiple-award-winning Jimi Hendrix project. In the wake of a number of global fusion and rock ventures in recent years with international stars, "Silk and Sand" marks a return to the roots. Here we find a more refined and quieter kind of music-making, as the title implies, and also with more jazz in the mix. Lê also points out the connections with his earlier work: "On my album 'Three Trios' from 1996, I called two of the pieces "Silk" and "Sand": silk is precious and yet strong and it weaves the musicians' interplay together; the sand of the desert haunts the musician's dreams of other places. Twenty-six years later, these tracks are like pebbles on the path, and they are still there." But Nguyên Lê would not be himself if he were to rely only on the ingredients of a classical jazz line-up for a new trio. He chose Moroccan percussionist Rhani Krjia for the rhythm section, a musical soul mate with whom Lê wanted to work since years and whose subtle, colorful grooves have already enriched the music of stars such as Sting, Keziah Jones or Dominic Miller. The strong musical foundation of trio is provided by Canadian Chris Jennings, a long-time collaborator with Lê and one of the most sought-after bassists on both sides of the Atlantic. The title track, or indeed "Thar Desert Dawn", exemplifies the magic between the three musicians: these melodies are full of passion and reach out into improvisations. Lê lays them down over the North African rhythms of Rhani Krija and the massive but singing bass sound of Chris Jennings. The opening album track "Red City" is a wild, dynamic ride into the hustle and bustle of Asian or African cities, complete with urgent, clamorous voices. It gets rockier for "Onety-One" and especially on "Tiger's Dance", and then calmer for the hymn-like "Moonstone" and "The Waters of Ortigia", with a melody that unfolds slowly and deliciously. "Baraka" is strongly influenced by funk-infused African rhythms and has a teasing intro from Rhani Krija on the gimbri, and the final "Becoming Water" brings together the melodies and timbres of the Maghreb and Southeast Asia in an irresistible and touching way. The core trio with Jennings and Rhani is joined for two of the more elegiac pieces by Sylvain Barou on bansuri and duduk flutes, and by Miron Rafajlovic, who plays trumpet and flugelhorn on "Moonstone". The return to Lê's beginnings as an inspiration for new ideas is made clear by another of the guests appearing on "Silk and Sand": Etienne Mbappé delivers a stupendous electric bass solo on "Baraka". The Cameroonian, who became widely known for his work with Joe Zawinul, John McLaughlin Salif Keïta and others, was already a member of Lê's first band Ultramarine. Thus, in an irresistible and enjoyable way, Lê's "Silk and Sand" doesn’t just – as ever – build bridges between Asia, Africa and Europe, and between jazz, rock and world music….but also between past, present and future. Credits: Music composed and produced by Nguyên Lê Cover art "Snake" by Lucy Dodd, 2017

Michael Wollny Trio - GhostsCD / Vinyl / digital Michael Wollny piano Tim Lefebvre bass Eric Schaefer drums “All the songs are living ghosts and long for a living voice“ Brendan Kennelly "As an improviser, you often find that it‘s not the compositions themselves you‘re playing, but your own memories of them. And as these memories come back to you in the moment, they assert their continuing existence in the here and now," says pianist/composer Michael Wollny. In other words, songs are like ghosts. Wollny‘s new album "Ghosts" is a gathering of some of the ghosts that regularly haunt him. Typically for Wollny, they range from classics like Franz Schubert's "Erlkönig" to jazz standards, film music, songs with a certain fragility by Nick Cave, say, or the band Timber Timbre, and also include his own darkly evocative original compositions. In addition to Michael Wollny‘s leanings towards scary fantasy, the idea of "hauntology" is an important one for him. This term, which has been a looming presence in debates about pop music for some time, awakens memories of a distant past: forgotten, ghostly and spectral sounds. Wollny: "This perspective, these sounds and not least the term itself have preoccupied me in the past few months – and those reflections have led to the idea of producing a piano trio album dealing with the subject." A ghost album, then, that ventures into the depths of conscious and unconscious memory, sifts through stories originating in the past and which cast shadows on the present. This is a story of the friendly ghosts which surround us...but also of some evil spirits which we thought would never return. The line-up to be heard on "Ghosts" is a direct follow-up from "Weltentraum", an album which now clearly stands as a cornerstone in Wollny's discography, since it established his reputation as an artist "who can turn every conceivable piece of music into an experience to take your breath away" (Die Zeit). American bassist Tim Lefebvre‘s very particular sound and vibe are to be heard on albums by David Bowie, Wayne Krantz and Elvis Costello. Wollny‘s most recent adventure alongside him was the internationally acclaimed project "XXXX". Wollny says: "When you work with Tim, you're not just working with one of the world's top bass players - Tim always has a foot in the world of sound processing, and is constantly expanding his electronic tool-kit. In addition to that, he creates phenomenal clarity in music and in overall sound, which has an unbelievable effect: it gives a shape and an organisation to the music without ever restricting you." Wollny has been playing with drummer Eric Schaefer for almost 20 years. Like Lefebvre, he is also a complete original, a musician with an almost orchestral approach to sound, an unmistakable sense of groove and impressive individuality. "The three of us are aligned in a special , inexplicable way. It‘s hard to describe but the effect is massive," says Wollny. "Last but not least, we are connected by the long time we have spent together. As a trio we have a specific sound, and we are now developing that in a wholly new direction." On "Ghosts", the trio has created a sound in the specific tradition of "Southern Gothic": deep, earthy, full of vibrating, rattling low-tuned strings and drumheads, evoking memories of clapped-out guitar amps, distorted cones of speakers cones. The atmosphere here is oppressively hot, the air heavy with dust. Before "Ghosts" was actually recorded, another trio - Michael Wollny and the two co-producers Andreas Brandis and Guy Sternberg- convened. Brandis, who had already been heavily involved in the concept of "XXXX", brought to the table the concept of an album of songs, with the right people involved. Sternberg - he, as sound engineer, and Wollny had created the sound world of "Wunderkammer", which was to serve as the point of departure for this new album. Wollny says: "Even before the setlist for the album was fixed, I had a very clear sound in mind, which we discussed extensively with Guy and Andreas beforehand." The trio inhabits an acoustic space where nothing is superfluous or goes to waste: the long-dying resonance from a cymbal, drum or plucked string, or a sound from a reverberant surface, all are somehow there in the air. And sometimes all that remains is an acoustic or an electronic echo, a sound that hovers and acquires its own mysterious and spectral existence. All the tracks on the album have one thing in common: each is a snapshot in the life of an individual song. Wollny: "Especially in jazz, there is never one definitive version of a piece. The standards repertoire always haunts you in the best sense of the word, these songs are never finished, they always resurface." And so, when it comes to classics such as "I Loves You Porgy" and "In a Sentimental Mood", Wollny, Lefebvre and Schaefer‘s primary point of reference is not the original compositions, but versions by Nina Simone and John Coltrane / Duke Ellington. And from a time before jazz standards, there are the spirits that inhabit folk songs and which reappear whenever these songs are sung. As, for example, in the traditional Irish folk song "She Moved Through the Fair", which is almost a prototype for the idea that ghost stories are to a large extent also love stories. As is also the case for "Willow's Song" - a seductive and dangerous love song from the legendary soundtrack for the cinema thriller "Wicker Man", a classic of the Nordic horror genre, as strange as it is frightening. Also related to "grand guignol" and nature: a startlingly vivid arrangement of Franz Schubert's "Erlkönig". In addition, in reference to the sultry "Southern Gothic": "Hand of God" by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, audibly dedicated to Wollny's great mentor, whom he describes as the "Hand of God", Joachim Kühn. And furthermore, "Beat the drum slowly" by the band Timber Timbre, a perennial favourite of Wollny's, and "Ghosts" by David Sylvian - perhaps the clearest representation of the themes that characterise "Ghosts": here we find that melodies and sounds can haunt memories that stay either hidden or repressed, and in a way that is at the same time seductive, touching, mysterious and profound. Two original compositions by Wollny find their place naturally in this cleverly selected programme, which is as heterogeneous as it is coherent: first is Wollny's eponymous contribution to "Hauntology", for him "a ‘song without words‘ which comes from another, past or strange, parallel pop world" and then "Monsters never breathe" with its melody that stretches into infinity and could only ever be sung if it were possible to sing without needing to pause for breath. "All the songs are living ghosts and long for a living voice" wrote the Irish poet Brendan Kennelly (1936 - 2021) in one of his most famous poems. For Michael Wollny, this line is a cryptic and yet profound insight. It adds an eerie beauty and serves as a motto for his fascination for the magic of songs which this recording represents. When we talk about ghosts, we look into what seems to be the past, and bring back memories from it into our lives. We as listeners can all believe in the "Ghosts" that the Michael Wollny Trio hear. Because we can all hear them and recognise them.Credits: Recorded by Guy Sternberg at Clouds Hill Studio Hamburg, June 17 & 18, 2022 Assistant: Sebastian Muxfeldt Mixed and sound design by Guy Sternberg Additional sound processing & synths by Tim Lefebvre Mastered by Darius van Helfteren Produced by Michael Wollny Co-producers: Guy Sternberg and Andreas Brandis

David Helbock & Camille Bertault - PlaygroundCD / Vinyl / digital Camille Bertault voice David Helbock piano, percussion, live-looping, effects Camille Bertault and David Helbock are two of the most jaw-droppingly talented members of the cohort of European jazz musicians currently in their mid-thirties. Their journeys in improvised music are always adventurous, playful and exciting. She is the new rising star of French vocal jazz. He, Austrian-born, is one of the most fascinating pianists on the scene. Their two personalities might appear to be polar opposites, yet Bertault’s live-wire humour and Helbock’s calm self-assuredness only appear to be different on the surface. When it comes to the musical choices they make, they are emphatically on the same page. Each is astonishingly versatile, with an innate sense of dramaturgy. This voice-piano duo reaches unbelievable levels of inventiveness here on “Playground”. This dream team had its first appearance at the Ludwigsburg Schlossfestspiele in 2019. The festival has the motto "Song Conversation", and gives artists carte blanche to choose a partner with whom they have never played before. Helbock nominated Bertault, who in turn asked to work with trumpeter Médéric Collignon – so the three of them played there together for the first time. This was the occasion when Helbock and Bertault realised how well they worked together, and how much they had in common. They both have a grounding in classical music. Bertault also studied the piano until she was 20, before taking up singing; they both love the whole spectrum of music; they are both masters in allowing works from the established canons of different genres to shine in a new light, imprinting their personalities and their own style on them.  It quickly became apparent to both of them that they would pursue their collaboration. However, because of several deferrals due to Corona restrictions, it was not until summer 2021 at the INNtöne Jazz Festival that their live premiere as a duo happened. It was very enthusiastically received, and the set performed at the influential boutique festival in Austria became the he basis for "Playground": "We exchanged emails about what we were in the mood for, which pieces we liked, just like before Ludwigsburg," Bertault recalls. "We both love Egberto Gismonti, Hermeto Pascoal, Björk and Thelonious Monk. And we wanted to have a classical piece in it," Helbock explains. And so the homage "Para Hermeto", Gismonti's "Frevo", Björk's "New World", Monk's "Ask Me Now" and Alexander Scriabin's C# minor Etude Op. 2 No. 1 form the basis of the album… fascinating points of departure for this duo which combines so many special qualities, skills, talents and inclinations: Bertault’s ways to deploy her vocal artistry are hers and hers alone. Her voice is a magnificent instrument to carry a melody, sometimes at breakneck speed and with devastating precision, sometimes at pindrop volume. But we also witness Beartault’s passion for writing her own texts; she also studied acting. Helbock’s creativity, exploiting all of the sound possibilities of the grand piano, is completely ‘sui generis’ as well. He doesn’t just dampen the piano strings, he also plays directly on them, he uses the piano case as a percussion instrument, and makes use of electronics. "For the first time, I also worked a lot with loops here," he adds. His accompaniment therefore has an almost orchestral scale and depth, a jewel-case for this scintillating and very special voice. “Camille always knows exactly how she wants a piece to look and sound. It is then great fun to finesse it and to reach that point together." The two worked through that full process on the seven original pieces (four by Helbock, three by Bertault) which they wrote for this album. We hear the whimsical blues of "Lonely Supamen", the mysterious "Fabelwesen", the chansonesque "Aide-moi" and the ethereal-melancholic "Bizarre". "Playground" is a kaleidoscope of sounds and emotions which invigorates, excites – and will always surprise. The craft and technique may be breathtaking, but neither musician ever forgets the essential: "It's not about showing strength or virtuosity, but about expressing the truth of the moment," says Camille Bertault. And that is what she and David Helbock deliver with each and every track. Credits: Recorded by Michael Ungerer at Blackbird Music Studio, Berlin, December 15 &16, 2021 Mixed by Michael Ungerer Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Produced by the artists