A saxophone, a cello, a drums. And in the middle of all that, music of the extremes which briskly does the splits, transitioning without a problem from a rush of tenderness to a swirl of rage. From a baroque melody delicately shelled swelling into a noisy thunder. It isn’t nothing, since they manage this while keeping a particularly accurate sense of sound textures and a rather rare control of dynamics.
Valentin Ceccaldi could be presented as the new revelation on cello in Europe. From experimental jazz to classical orchestras, its rough bow and its delicate pizz illuminate his music and our ears. We can feel his strong complicity with Sylvain Darrifourcq who also doesn’t cease to single himself out (Emile Parisien 4tet, Q, Akosh S, Marc Ducret …) with his unpredictable and inventive drumming. Together, they weave the ideal groundwork for the overlapping sax of Manuel Hermia, an adventurous saxophonist who furrows the roads of world music while carrying strongly alive the primal scream of a furiously libertarian jazz.
All three defend the idea of music without borders, being nourished by all music. A jazz of today, like one says, smart and free at the same time, going from meticulous compositions to drifts without boundaries.
Line-up
Manuel Hermia (saxophones)
Valentin Ceccaldi (cello)
Sylvain Darrifourcq (drums)
Management & bookings
Jackal Productions
jackalprod@gmail.com
www.manuel-hermia.com
+32 (0)474 10 26 85
Discography
Darrifourcq/Hermia/Ceccaldi; God at the Casino, Jazz Avatars/Babel label – AVA003 (2016)