Daniel Zimmermann: Snapshots
Turning toward a variety of inspirations, French trombonist Daniel Zimmermann finds a gorgeous blend on Snapshots. With an ear for tunes that sway, he has filled the release nicely. Zimmermann’s melding of country, folk, French street music and jazzy jiggles is impressive. The release displays a confidence which directs and lures in the listener from start to finish. With the help of his team, the tracks offer well-balanced and often catchy melodies that sit in the ear long after the speakers have gone silent.
The musician is quite at home with these tracks. There is a delicious ease throughout; no one track seems to hog the spotlight or seems out of place. Le Mieux Et Le Bien begins upbeat without turning into a pop song. The groove is there, and the atmosphere is established. Come Home is a quieter tune. The guitar and trombone make excellent partners, never crowding one another too much. It is the subtle variety and the track organisation that makes one understand the maturity and sophistication of Zimmermann. And his sense of humour, too, peeks through, dissipating any suspicion of pretension that French jazz may prompt in some people’s minds.
The vocal tracks, near the end, also give a sense of fun and surprise. More in line with 3 Leg Torso or Pink Martini, these pieces are great additions to the release. They not only build on the instrumental layers already established, but further Zimmermann’s sonic mix. Said mix now feels even more open to different types of listeners. Snapshots has an inclusivity and an overall atmosphere of play and joviality. Zimmermann’s creation proves toothsome and should easily find fans inside and outside jazz circles.
Discography
Le Mieux Et Le Bien; Yellow Moon; Papillon; Come Home; Les Maximiseurs de Pi; Notre Ȋle; My Little Sweet New Zealand Bunker; Stop This World; Indien De Paname; My Little Sweet NZ Bunker; C’Est Comme Ça C’Est La Vie (56.14)
Zimmermann (tb, v); Elise Blanchard (b); Julien Charlet (d); Thomas De Pourquery (as); Sanseverino (v); Pierre Durand (g). Studio Gil Evans, Amiens, January 2025.
Label Bleu/Autre Distribution
Alain Métrailler: Heights Prospection
Any new bandleader knows the struggles of interplay. Swiss saxophonist and composer Alain Métrailler shows his stuff on Heights Prospection. With a strong team, including double bass, drums and piano (as well as harmonica on track five), Métrailler is off to a good start. The tone is a mix of various influences, but both European and American jazz sensibilities peek out from the musical weavings. A modern mode of playing is present throughout, but there is enough personality to keep it out of the overdone and cliché categories.
Crispy may be the second track but it has a clear groove. Out of all the tunes it is the most tuneful. There is a persistent mood present and a sense of coherence that offers a great bit of listening. Jump Loud gets a bit raucous, especially in the sax. Flight Of The Humble Being makes a big splash. The harmonica is placed perfectly and adds just enough country vibe. Though said instrument can be a little lonely sounding, the tune is sweet without diving into a depressing melancholy.
Overall, the album does get lost here and there. There isn’t a glaring reason, mainly just small miscommunications between players and a lack of spatial awareness in this or that composition. Though there are many good sections in each piece, only a few pieces seem really sturdy, really well organised (like Crispy or Humble Being). This is merely to suggest that the other tunes seem more vers libre. The sax, in particular, can turn screechy at times, and this takes away from the musical narrative rather than elevating it. Yet, Métrailler accomplishes much on this project and surely realises where he might improve on the next.
Discography
Obvious Transmission; Crispy; EWR Hero Saynt; Jump Loud; Flight Of The Humble Being; Unstablemates; I’m In Tears; Crazy He Calls Me (53.24)
Métrailler (ts); Elias Stemeseder (p); Chris Tordini (contrabass); Eric McPherson (d); Grégoire Maret (hca). Bunker Studio, New York, 27 March 2024.
Unit Records
Loren Stillman: Seer
Saxophonist Loren Stillman follows in the trio tradition on Seer. With piano and bass (instead of percussion), the team produces a warmer sound that layers nicely with the sax. The pieces here take their time. An organic quality takes hold, a gentle flow that at times can be rhythmic and at others less structured. Seer is full of unravelling tracks which take time to unfold and reveal their inner workings. The trio isn’t in any rush and that’s for the best.
Stillman is not preoccupied with writing catchy tunes to dance to. As with Bill Evans or Lee Konitz, there is an ease, a laidback quality guiding where the notes glide. Those looking for jam sessions or bossa-nova sways should look elsewhere, because this trio has other plans. Sax usually takes the lead. (Luckily, Stillman doesn’t force the sound and plays with a hum instead of a noisy hornet’s buzz.) However, pianist Craig Taborn sweeps in here and there with lovely riffs and poetic passages, as on Return.
Some tracks, like Mayday, can feel a bit static or less assured. The latter still possesses that easy, breezy air, yet lacks momentum and direction compared to tracks such as Folk Song. Most times, the group layers conscientiously. With only three instruments it can be hard to strike the right mixture. Where do the musical lines overlap or allow a solo? This is a difficult question for smaller groups. Stillman gets it most of the time, but there are moments that seem more empty than purely meditative. All in all the fluid narrative and the softer tones express an intimate landscape that is most welcoming.
Discography
Waterworks; Chez Hanny; First Paradise; A Tree Falls; Seer; Return; Mayday; Folk Song; Fowlkes; Victory Lap (47.50)
Stillman (as, ss); Craig Taborn (p); Thomas Morgan (b). Rocky Russo, EastSide Sound, New York, 1-2 February 2025.
Newvelle Records
