Alzy Trio

Alzy Trio

Christian Sanchez (guitare), Pascal Kober (basse) and Thierry Rampillon (guitare)

The Alzy Trio dates back to the spring of 2002 when three friends, all guitarists, decided to play some of their favourite jazz and bossa nova tunes. In 2007, they signed their first CD, Seize cordes en bal(l)ades. It included instrumental variations of eight great classics (Wave, Corcovado, So danço samba, Insensatez, So what, Birdland, etc.) composed by Miles Davis, Vinícius de Moraes, Tom Jobim and Joe Zawinul, among others. That first CD led to a television show with Pierre Barouh, Sheyla Costa and Jean-Pierre Mas, an invitation to the international jazz festival in Tangiers (Morocco) and an array of Friends concerts bringing together rafts of other musicians. Today, together with a number of special guests, the Alzy Trio takes on the vast repertoire of French chansons with arrangements in a very jazzy and bossa nova style. They meander through time and styles with pleasure and a certain complicity that they hope listeners will enjoy.

A French songbook (the booklet)

French chanson(g)s

Alzy Trio (A French songbook). 2016 edition« He must love me so much to imagine me like that ! », exclaimed Catherine Deneuve, one of the demoiselles de Rochefort in the film by Jacques Demy, on discovering her portrait done by Maxence, a young sailor who had never seen her. There is not a jazz club in the world where the famous Chanson de Maxence is not standard fare, though perhaps under its English title, You must believe in spring, later interpreted by pianist Bill Evans. But who in fact composed such a catchy tune ? Michel Legrand, of course. And the same goes for the Chanson des jumelles for which we were inspired by a new, more incisive arrangement put together by French singer song-writer Essaï.

There are many other French chansons that have become well known around the world. For example, Les feuilles mortes, whose authors Kosma and Prévert never imagined that, from Venise to Java, the song would become a classic, a jam session favourite wherever jazz is played, under the title Autumn leaves. Another is Que reste-t-il de nos amours ? In response to this question by Charles Trenet, jazz musicians everywhere reply I wish you love

And how Claude Nougaro loved his little Cécile. The melody of this beautiful ballad, accompanied by the brushes of Jean-Pierre Jackson, our invited drummer, is instantly recognised by one and all. Just like the Pas, a swaying bossa nova in which Elsy Fleriag’s voice instils a Creole flavour that takes us immediately to her native Martinique and to the Brazil loved by Claude. Need anything be said about Rimes, composed by Aldo Romano using a curious, five-beat rhythm quite unusual for our western ears ?

It is therefore with a wink and a nod that we included an English-language title in this very Frenchy album from the Alzy Trio. A hat tip to the Great American Songbook that is chock full of Broadway standards from Ellington and Gershwin, played by all jazz(wo)men worldwide. A tribute from the grand repertoire of French songs that have also been adopted by musicians everywhere.

Un été stands out as well because it was composed by the Italian pianist Bruno Martino. In it, Claude Nougaro tells us a tender child’s story. He had so hoped to see « jazz and java as friends, that should be possible ». Unfortunately, Nougaro and Gainsbourg never recorded anything together, but does anyone doubt that La javanaise written by Serge could one day have brought them together in order to « give my hands to java and place them in the small of her back ». It is now a duo that I sing with our guest, Tamanga Bévis, backed by a guitar solo by Thierry and a wonderful harmony by Christian. A great piece of music that also benefited from the arranging talents of Quebecoise singer Térez Montcalm and guitarist Yann Viet, who inspired our version. Finally, Tu verras, composed by Chico Buarque from Brazil, is the last piece on the CD and leaves us with a wonderful promise of « inventing love for you from the depths of my arms, until the birth of a new morning ».

But that will be for another day…

Pascal Kober

Download English booklet with images (16 pages pdf)

Commander un CD

Seize cordes en ballades (Alzy Trio) Alzy Trio (A French songbook). 2016 edition

Pour commander les CD de l’Alzy Trio (avec le livret de 16 pages pour A French songbook), merci d’envoyer 10 € par disque (frais de port offerts) à :

Association Jazz en ballade
Christian Sanchez
7, rue d’Aquitaine
38130 Échirolles
France

La musique de l’Alzy Trio peut également être téléchargée en format mp3 sur les principales plates-formes de commerce en ligne :
Amazon
Fnac
iTunes, etc.
… mais franchement, ce serait dommage de se priver de la qualité audio du CD, d’une si belle pochette et d’un aussi joli livret (sans compter nos superbes enveloppes rouges ;-)

Contact

Pour inviter l’Alzy Trio, nous dire des mots doux (ou pas doux du tout ;-) à propos de notre musique, nous poser des questions, laissez votre message ici ou envoyez-nous un bon vieux courrier à l’adresse postale ci-dessous :

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Association Jazz en ballade
7, rue d’Aquitaine
38130 Échirolles
France

Téléphone : + 33 (0) 624 33 33 70

Isn’t she lovely?

• Fête de la musique à Grenoble, avec la fanfare Micromegas et un clin d’oeil à Oscar Peterson par le trio d’André Wentzo. Un instant à retrouver en vidéo sur YouTube avec notre version, enregistrée par un spectateur, de Isn’t she lovely ?, la chanson que le grand Stevie Wonder avait composée pour la naissance de sa fille Aisha (notre arrangement est inspiré de celui du guitariste Sylvain Luc).