If jazz is the art of the improviser, then this album embodies it. With its exceptional level of creativity, intuitive and spontaneous interaction and elegant musicianship, Sfumato left the 5,000 audience spellbound at last year's Jazz in Marciac, as this combined CD and DVD set reveals. Last year's award-winning album Sfumato (ACT) may have made Album of the Year in several European jazz magazines, but this concert is on a different level. Key to the album's success is the inspirational level the soloists achieve, the mutual trust in each other to play the right thing at the right time and space in which to develop and shape a solo to best effect. Some compositions work on a ‘time, no changes’ principal, where a theme acts to set key and tempo and the improviser has total freedom to take his solo in whatever harmonic direction he chooses. Here one guest steps up to the plate with powerful effect – Wynton Marsalis. For someone who marches under the banner of traditionalism, to go to open-ended, time, no changes playing might appear unexpected, but then his finest album to date is still 1986's Live at Blues Alley, where he was totally at home in the idiom on pieces like ‘Knozz-Moe-King’. But Parisien, Portal and Peirani are exemplary too, while the oldest man on the stage, Joachim Kühn, almost upstaged them all.

Jazzwise spoke to Émile Parisien about the album

Well, one of your special guests stands out, especially in a freely improvised context – nice to hear Wynton play so well, how did that come about?

When I was in the school in Marciac I was very young and Wynton Marsalis was kind of the godfather of the school and every summer we used to have a class with him, so I’ve known him maybe for 20 years now. When I was older I did a few concerts with him and his Lincoln Center Big Band, and for this concert last year it was the 40th anniversary of Jazz in Marciac and I asked him if he would join us for one or two songs during my concert. He came to the soundcheck during the day and played for three minutes on ‘Sensation Rag’, and he was absolutely amazing, unbelievable. There was an opportunity to play another song during the concert with the band, ‘Transmitting’ by Joachim Kuhn, and so on stage I just invited him and he agreed. He did an amazing solo, completely open. I was amazed and so happy about his investment [in our music].

The rhythm section – we don't know much about them in the UK, tell us a little more…

They are my friends. I just wanted to call the guys with whom I am close, because it's really important for me to play with my friends – guitarist Manu Codjia, he plays for about 20 years with Henri Texier, a lot of people. Drummer Mário Costa, he's from Portugal. He absolutely is not well known, but when I thought about the music, I thought about him.

Is this ensemble an ongoing project? I know it's played a few times in public – be great to see you in the UK!

For sure, I would love to play in the UK with this band. It might not be that easy, but let's hope we can make it happen.