A year after releasing a magnificent solo album (see review on Couleurs Jazz Media), Hugo Lippi returns with a recording featuring familiar bandmates.
His relationship with Gaël Rakotondrabe underpins most of the tracks on this album, and we savor the pianist’s subtle accompaniment as well as his delightful solo performances, including a final standard performed as a duet.
The same is true of two tracks featuring Stéphane Belmondo, whose flugelhorn and trumpet bring their luminous musicality to the fore.
The second guest, the young guitarist Hugo Guezbar—for whom Lippi has boundless admiration, shared by all who have heard this young prodigy— works wonders on a Wes Montgomery theme, where the elder and the younger compete in melodic inventiveness.
The bass/drum rhythm section is composed of two seasoned musicians who are familiar with both jazz and chanson: Laurent Vernerey and Denis Benarroche.
As for Hugo Lippi, who alternates between acoustic and electric guitar, he displays the splendor of a sumptuous sound devoid of effects on a varied repertoire ranging from Scriabin to Edith Piaf, from Antonio Carlos Jobim to Kate Bush, and from Freddie Hubbard to Steely Dan, not to mention two beautiful personal compositions.
The result is an intimate portrait of the tastes and influences of a musician who knows how to make his guitars sing with a love of melody and impeccable rhythmic foundation that all lovers of timeless, rich jazz will appreciate.
Line up:
Hugo Lippi: guitar
Gaël Rakotondrabe: piano
Laurent Vernerey: double bass
Denis Benarroche: drums
Stéphane Belmondo: trumpet, fluglehorn
Hugo Guezbar: guitar
Olha Maria, Hit Couleurs Jazz & Best of the Month, was released by the label Caramba, on January 23,2026.
Photo Header©Laurent-Askienazy
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