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Vincent Peirani
So Quiet

VÖ: 24.05.2019

Genre: Jazz, Jazz zum Entspannen, French Jazz

No longer available

ACT 9884-2, 614427988423

„With songs sung to perfection by Fisseau and augmented by Peirani’s light touch, So Quiet brims with effective intimacy that anyone in the mood for quiet will appreciate, regardless of age.“-Downbeat

Serena Fisseau / vocals & body percussion (06)
Vincent Peirani / accordion, accordina, Wurlitzer, piano, plastic bags, music box & voice

Recorded by Nicolas Djemane at Studio Soult, Maisons-Alfort (Paris), in December 2018 Produced by the artists Mixed by Boris Darley Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

the art in music: Photos by Sylvain Gripoix Liner notes by Olivier Prou

Quiet. It is such a precious commodity, and more so today than ever before. In this music from accordionist Vincent Peirani and singer Serena Fisseau, you can actually hear it. It’s right there in the gaps between the notes, perhaps almost more important than the notes themselves. This music is irresistibly light and limpid, and often very cheerful too. It draws its intimate feel from the fact that Peirani and Fisseau are not just a couple artistically, but also in real life. They recorded the tracks of "So Quiet" for their children. And for all other children. And also for any adults out there who'd like to take themselves back in their dreams to a temporary state of childlike innocence – for the time it takes to listen to an album.

And what is it that makes this irresistibly light and delicate music quite so appealing? It has to be the astonishing expertise and judgment of both musicians. Serena Fisseau has always been spurred on by a particularly inquisitive spirit: she has sung classical as well as gospel, blues, latin, rock and jazz, and she has worked a lot with spoken word, poetry in particular. Furthermore she has become well-known in France and abroad for songs, albums and projects conceived for children: "D'une île à l'autre" (from one island to another), "Nouchka et la grande question" (Nushka and the big question) or "L'échappée belle" (the beautiful escapee/close call). For his part, Vincent Peirani is certainly the greatest innovator of the accordion of our day, voted "Artist of the Year 2018" by the leading French publication Jazz Magazine. And both of them are cosmopolitan and eclectic by nature: Fisseau is French with Indonesian heritage and has a fascination for languages; Peirani is from the South of France, with a musical career has taken him from classical to Mediterranean music to jazz.

But all of this virtuosity, wealth of experience and versatility are in the background of "So Quiet"; what matters is that the tracks of this album are so touching, clear and expressive. It’s simply about the beauty of the music. It might come from chanson genius Serge Gainsbourg ("La Javanaise"), from easy listening deity Burt Bacharach ("Close to You") or from the alchemists of pop, The Beatles ("And I Love Her"); whether the source is Indonesian folk music ("Bintang Kecil" - small star), Musica Populeira Brasileira in Caetano Veloso’s "Alguem Cantado", Antonio Carlos Jobim ("Luiza") or a standard from the Great American Songbook like "What a Wonderful World"; whether in French or Indonesian (Fisseau’s two native languages), English or Portuguese; whether with accordion, accordina, Wurlitzer e-piano, body percussion or a plastic bag(!), Fisseau and Peirani reveal the essence of these timeless masterpieces, and in the most natural way possible. All it takes is a voice, an instrument and a lot of quiet – listen out for the ending, a totally enchanting version of “Over The Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz".

This album has a prevailing spirit that everyone is going to want to hum or to dream along with, no matter their age, or what music they normally prefer. "So Quiet" is a feast for the senses, an irresistible invitation to take some time, to cuddle up in the living room maybe, and to let the singing and the accordion carry you off somewhere. So Quietly.

Vincent Peirani

"What the Parisian from Nice extracts from the button accordion and the accordin has never been heard before. A rising star is playing here!" – Süddeutsche Zeitung French accordionist, singer, and composer Vincent Peirani was born on April 24, 1980, in Nice. He began playing the accordion, initially with classical music, at the age of eleven. Already in his teenage years, he won numerous international awards. At the age of 16, he discovered jazz and shortly thereafter started studying jazz in Paris. Initially, there was skepticism about his instrument, the accordion, and his classical background. However, he soon impressed with a fresh perspective on the instrument, made a name for himself in the French jazz scene, and quickly played with the cream of French jazz, including musicians like Michel Portal, Daniel Humair, Renaud Garcia Fons, Louis Sclavis, and Vincent Courtois. In parallel, he pursued various of his own projects, drawing from a wide range of genres, including jazz, chanson, world music, classical, and even heavy rock. Since 2011, Peirani has regularly played in the quartet of the Korean singer Youn Sun Nah, one of the most successful jazz artists in France in recent years. On this path, he also met Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius and, eventually, ACT label boss Siggi Loch. Peirani contributed to Ulf Wakenius's album "Vagabond", released in February 2012, and he has consistently amazed and delighted audiences with his live performances. In May 2013, Vincent Peirani released his first album as a leader, titled "Thrill Box" featuring a prominent lineup with pianist Michael Wollny, bassist Michel Benita, and saxophonists Michel Portal and Émile Parisien. The album reflects the richness of Peirani's musical influences and showcases him as an intelligent, sophisticated composer and a virtuosic, deeply musical instrumentalist and storyteller like never before.