Flash Pig – The Mood for Love

Flash Pig is undeniably one of the most stimulating young bands on the French music scene. It’s surprising, therefore, to see that their fifth recording is an assumedly classic CD featuring such old standards as “I’m in the Mood for Love” (1935), performed by Maxime Sanchez alone in a stride piano vein, and the exotic “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas” (1947).

The rest of the repertoire is made up of themes from the soundtrack of the film “In the Mood for Love” by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, arranged by the quartet or some of its members. This choice to play as performers rather than composers may come as a surprise, but the quartet’s playing remains innovative overall, and demonstrates a willingness to focus on melodies, which perfectly matches the group sound that characterizes the band.

This sound is above all that of the tenor of Adrien Sanchez, one of the saxophonists who follow in the footsteps of Mark Turner, and of his brother Maxime, who has digested the history of jazz piano to the point of being able to situate his playing there without necessarily worrying about sounding modern, unlike many of his colleagues who prefer the Bill Evans/Chick Corea/Keith Jarrett vein.

Florent Nisse and Gautier Garrigue are not to be outdone in the elaboration of this collective sound, and they form a rhythmic pair of remarkable finesse and solidity. Moving between tradition and the fringes of free music, Flash Pig establishes itself as a highly mature quartet with an immediately recognizable sound identity of its own.