Zool Fleischer – The FAB Three

Here’s one who’s really making himself scarce when it comes to delivering galettes. He returns here with a trio recording in which his keyboard maestria further justifies his sometimes-used nickname of the Zebulon of jazz.

Après un album sobrement intitulé “Trios“, son presque solo sur “Zoolitude” et le génial duo avec le trombone de Denis Leloup sur “Zooloup“, on l’attendait depuis vingt ans. Et le revoizool !

Etonnant disque où l’on croit n’entendre qu’un morceau de bout en bout alors qu’il s’agit bien d’un kaléidoscope de sonorités éparses comme si l’on passait allègrement de Eubie Blake à Chick Corea sans presque s’en apercevoir ! (De Petit Grain à Déesse)

L’écoute passe aussi par la performance musicale contrebasse de Marc Bertaux, accompagnateur de longue date et de la batterie de Franck Agulhon, omniprésent aux peaux et dont l’absence parfois le réinvente (Goodbye). La paire rythmique, loin d’un simple fade accompagnement, souligne chaque note, et crée ainsi sa propre partition comme un chemin qui permet les pas pianistiques.

Toutes les compositions (sauf une) sont signées par Zool Fleischer, inventeur génial mêlant recherche et tradition comme une sorte de Phineas Newborn inspiré par Satie.

Zool Fleischer, entre contrepoint et contretemps, réveille nos contre-sens du jazz, éveilleur de sons mais aussi de rythmes, le jazz entre blues et java. Une ode à la cristallinité timbrée.

A rare discography, but always surprising and innovative, hair-raising, surprising and maintaining. Why this neologism? Because Zool Fleischer knows how to capture the jazz spirit of the moment, without neglecting tradition, contributions, additions and additions, hesitations and audacities.

After an album soberly entitled “Trios”, his almost solo on “Zoolitude” and the brilliant duet with Denis Leloup’s trombone on “Zooloup”, we’ve been waiting for him for twenty years. And the revoizool!

It’s an astonishing record, where you think you’re listening to a single track from start to finish, when in fact it’s a kaleidoscope of scattered sounds, as if you were moving from Eubie Blake to Chick Corea without even noticing! (From Petit Grain to Déesse)

The listening experience is also enhanced by the musical performance of long-time accompanist Marc Bertaux on double bass and Franck Agulhon on drums, an omnipresent presence on the skins whose absence sometimes reinvents it (Goodbye). The rhythmic pair, far from being a mere bland accompaniment, underlines each note, and thus creates its own score like a path that allows pianistic steps.

All the compositions (except one) are by Zool Fleischer, a brilliant inventor who blends research and tradition, like a sort of Phineas Newborn inspired by Satie.

Between counterpoint and contretemps, Zool Fleischer awakens our jazz counter-senses, awakening sounds and rhythms, jazz between blues and java. An ode to timbred crystallinity.

A pianist to discover if not to rediscover.