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This quintet is quite unusual in both its composition and instrumentation.

It features two American musicians living in Paris (Peter Giron and John Betsch – who has since returned to the USA), two others visiting the capital on a regular basis (Steve Swell and Rob Brown) and Frenchman Michel Edelin.

The combination of trombone, alto sax and flute is highly original and a pleasure to listen to.

The three blowers each contribute two or three themes, and the other four are collective compositions, which is hardly surprising given that the group presents itself as a whole without a leader. Although the five musicians don’t have many opportunities to meet up on stage or in the studio, they do know each other well, and their palpable understanding and the compositions they write together bear witness to this, including the theme that serves as the album’s title track, which features a collective improvisation that is at turns unbridled and then calmer. The group’s aesthetic is oriented towards jazz that is both melodic in its compositions and more free in its impros, which remain highly readable. The influence of Ornette Coleman’s historic quartet can sometimes be felt in the lilting melodies of the themes, and each musician contributes a distinctive timbre to the group’s sound. The trombone and alto sax often blend their lines in a sort of free counterpoint, to which the flute adds a more ethereal note.

Peter Giron and John Betsch show great complicity, as they frequently play together in the groups of pianist  Jobic Le Masson or saxophonist Steve Potts, and their rhythmic contribution to the ensemble is remarkable.

In short, this encounter confirms that musicians of such stature are capable of setting aside their egos to combine their voices in an unprecedented ensemble that

sounds admirably obvious.

Line Up:

Steve Swell: trombone

Rob Brown: alto sax

Michel Edelin: flute

Peter Giron: double bass

John Betsch : drums

Over the Wall  was released by the  label Rogue Art in July 2024.

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