Médéric Collignon – Arsis Thesis

Médéric Collignon,wizard of the century’s sounds.

Few have merited the Palms for having set the bar so high for electric jazz, veined with rock and funk to match..

Have regaled us with the peaks of this trance: Miles Davis, Weather Report, Frank Zappa, a few others, and that’s it.

Today, Médéric Collignon graces us with a gift of this caliber. Gestation included. For the man who, from Claude Barthémély’s ONJ, (Jazz National Orchestra)Andy Emler’s MégaOctet, and above all the super-extravagantissime Jus de Bocse, promised to ensure the succession of the great figures of French jazz, has carefully premeditated his move.

King Crimson’s project, named after the 70s English band, certainly announced the color (what a concert at the New Morning in 2013)! The performance sent the ecstatic crowd into a tizzy, turning their heads backwards in their seats (the next day: physiotherapist).

Médéric‘s new album raises the adrenalin level even higher. Follow this recommendation. Immerse yourself in the eleven-and-a-half-minute “Street Songs”, the second track on “Arsis Thesis” (Label: “Le Triton”). Médéric, his band, his compositions, his voice, his flugelhorn, transport us to places where the Guide Bleu du Jazz (despite its many fine addresses) does not take us.

Progressions, braking, accelerations (Ah! the choruses of the blowers in supercharged shape Géraldine Laurent, Christophe Monniot, Pierrick Pedron). Bewitching vocals. The unleashed rhythm section (Emmanuel Harang on bass on “Felix is Back” – Nicolas Fox on drumsticks on “Pique-nique à la Mer”).

The inspired presence of the piano and keyboards (Yvan Robilliard. Surprise of the same tenant for 65 minutes. What a journey! As for the ultimate groove (“Optimistique”), we give in to it in the end, conquered.

And we return to the quayside with regrets, between pleasure, apotheosis and appeasement, having finally entered the paradise of daydreams.

I asked Médéric last month at the Sunside bar where he wanted to take us?

The wizard of new jazz sounds replied. “I don’t know how to tell you exactly. But I’ll tell you one thing: I’m working on it.”

Staff:

Médéric Collignon – cornet, vocals, synthetizers, percussion, samples, compositions, arrangements, mixing
Yvan Robilliard piano – keyboards
Emmanuel Harang – electric bass
Nicolas Fox – drums
Géraldine Laurent – alto saxophone
Pierrick Pédron – alto saxophone
Christophe Monniot -sopranino saxophone
Christelle Raquillet – flutes, vocals
Caloe – vocals
Kostia Bourreau – horn
Armand Dubois – horn
Cyril Galamini – Trombone
Raphaël Spiral – Tuba
Felix, Véronique, Lila Tamazit – texts