Chris Jennings, a Canadian bassist who has lived in France for some time now, offers us an impressively stylistically diverse album.
First and foremost, the diversity of his accompanists: French pianist Patrick Goraguer, New Zealander saxophonist Hayden Chisholm, Finnish guitarist Kalle Kalima, German drummer Eric Schaefer and American singer Rachel Eckroth.
The ensemble’s unity is obviously due to the leader’s double bass, but also to his compositions, which draw on the music he has played with Algerian, Moroccan or Swedish musicians and leaders such as Joachim Kühn, Dhafer Youssef, Nguyên Lê, Grégory Privat and Céline Bonacina.
This album is therefore a kind of provisional assessment of the itinerary of a particularly eclectic musician who, here, sometimes performs with the basic quartet (guitar, piano, bass and drums), sometimes in a trio (on a composition by the pianist), sometimes in a quintet with the saxophonist or singer, and briefly as a soloist.
The distinctive sound of each of the protagonists – including that of Kalle Kalima, the particularly rich playing of Patrick Goraguer (who we also know as a drummer) and, of course, the woody sound of the leader’s double bass – is a major asset to the melodic, rhythmic and harmonic richness of this repertoire, which takes us from track to track through contrasting landscapes where pop (with the singer), oriental folklore and modern jazz in which improvisation is king get along.
We’re quickly won over by the atmosphere of this opus, where creativity is coupled with total sincerity of purpose. Everything here seems to flow naturally, and the skilful construction of the whole never reveals the seams that allow the whole to find its unity.
A remarkable success!
Line Up:
Chris Jennings: double bass
Kalle Kalima: guitar
Patrick Goraguer: piano
Eric Schaefer: drums
Hayden Chisholm: saxophone
Rachel Eckroth: vocals
Boy She’s the Dandy was released by Eden River Records on July 12, 2024.
Since that date, it is on air on Couleurs Jazz Radio !
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