about this album
« Two trumpets, three trombones (including a tuba who sometimes doubles the double bass part), four chairs for the Saxes (where the clarinetist and a flutist slip into the horn sections from time to time), and a full rhythm section (where the guitar and vibraphone replace the place a piano). This ‘little big band’ falls naturally into the hands of its conductor, Bruno Régnier, who thinks more of palettes of colors instead of a musical hierarchy with strong recipes of orchestration and harmony. Captivating musical scenarios with strong progressive development draw a necessary authentic intrigue from the listener. We think of Matthias Ruegg, to Antoine Hervé, to Martial Solal to André Hodeir, though never imposing the ideas of copying and conforming. Further more, Bruno Régnier has created over the years a group of committed and valued musicians integrated directly into his writing, putting band members also at the ‘reins’ of the music. Perfect examples are the amazing rubato introduction by Olivier Thémines and Nicolas Larmignat (clarinet and drums) on Quadrakat, a prelude for flute and orchestra by Aude Challéat on l’herbe, and the arco double bass concertino P.C. le retour, written for Sébastien Boisseau. This group should be programmed right away in the Festivals.”
Franck Bergerot