Airelle Besson Quartet: Try!
Editor's Choice
Author: Jane Cornwell
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Musicians: |
Airelle Besson (t) |
Label: |
Papillon Jeune |
Magazine Review Date: |
May/2021 |
Media Format: |
CD, DL |
Catalogue Number: |
ATJ250119 |
RecordDate: |
Rec. date not stated |
The French trumpet player, composer and bandleader Airelle Besson was previously deemed ‘Revelation of the Year’ by Victoires du Jazz, and rightly so. Her 2015 debut Radio One received international accolades for its deft mix of light and shade and the otherworldly alchemy between its performers. Both jazz and classically trained, influenced as much by Jarrett as by Bach, Besson's star has continued to rise as she has experimented, toured extensively and settled in to her sound, a delicate blend of precise but warm trumpet lines, deftly placed drums, keys and synths and the entrancing vocalese of Isabel Sörling.
Laid down after just two days rehearsal, Try feels effortless, liberating. The exchanges between Besson's clean but colourful playing and Sorling's wordless singing unfurl over a firm foundation of barely there keys and drum sticks applied just so. Both harmonically and melodically, Moussay and Moreau help shape Besson's intimate but far-reaching improvisations, with the former's bass synth adding idiosyncratic edge. Stand out tracks are numerous – the three different takes on ‘The Sound of Your Voice’ underscore Besson's range and the band's palpable delight in both its abilities and the opportunity to play together again. But the entire album begs repeated listening. Hugely recommended.
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