Le Vent

Description

Like the wind celebrated in the title track, the Colin Vallon Trio has a subtle, insinuating power. From a still and silent place its music may breathe gently, or steadily build pressure until attaining an eruptive forcefulness. This sense of poetic compression and quiet relentlessness was evident on the trio's ECM debut album Rruga, released in 2011. Now, with leader Vallon writing almost all of the programme and new drummer Julian Sartorius detailing its floating rhythms, the Swiss trio has entered a brave new space where touch and inflection are more important than soloistic gesture. Melodies, unfolding slowly, are shared between Patrice Moret's bass and Vallon's piano. A fresh group language is being developed here, extended in the group improvisations which close the set. It was produced by Manfred Eicher at Oslo's Rainbow Studio in 2013. Colin Vallon (born 1980 in Lausanne) has been leading his own bands since 1999. Patrice Moret (born in Aigle in 1972), joined Vallon's trio in 2004. Pianist and bassist have also honed their musical understanding as members of Albanian singer Elina Duni's quartet (see the wonderful ECM album Matinë Malit), where improvisation frequently takes place outside of jazz's frame of reference. Vallon has often said that vocalists have influenced him more than other pianists. Disinterested in technical display, he savours the sound and texture of each resonant chord, each carefully placed note, as the trio's searching improvisations move forward. Personnel: Colin Vallon (piano), Patrice Moret (double bass), Julian Sartorius (drums) (4 stars) Le Vent is an album for fans of classic piano trios, for listeners who like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett...the compositional standard is absolutely high and the musicianship is great as well. --The Free Jazz Collective, (Martin Schray), April 20, 2014 The attention to detail is exquisite, and not just in Eicher's production either. Opener 'Juuichi' builds up a subtly powerful head of steam as Vallon and his side players prod and poke at melody and rhythm parts that seem engaged in a clever, aurally propulsive game of trying to trip one another up. --Jazzwise, (Robert Shore), April 2014 Like a dreamy soundtrack to some classy interior you know you'll never be able to afford, this is effortlessly elegant, imaginative music where the restrained splashes of Sartorius's cymbals suggest a sudden dash of bright colour. --Independent On Sunday, (Phil Johnson), March 23, 2014 Review: This is simply a great record. It has a hypnotic and mesmerizing quality ... - This is simply a great record. It has a hypnotic and mesmerizing quality to it. The music is both lyrical and rhythmic at the same time. Subtle tonal shifts remind of so called minimal composers such as Reich. For me this is a must have. As a bonus you get superior sound quality. Detail and staging of the instruments is great.. Check this record! Review: Music that matches the image on the sleeve! - Le Vent ~ Colin Vallo (CD) - issued in slipcase Double Bass – Patrice Moret / Drums – Julian Sartorius / Piano – Colin Vallon 12 track album of original material, recorded April 2013 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo. This is a slow and relaxed sounding session that is easy to listen to. The meandering river on the cover kind of suits the musical content here down to a tee!