Matalex Feat. Alex Gunia, Special Guest Jean Paul Bourelly Freedom

Guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly's ensemble combines his own heavy guitar sound and R&B-tinged vocals, the passionate African chants of Abdourahmane Diop, and the percussive drive of Samba Sock on boograboo (four large African congas with bells) and Slaka on djembe. Reggie Washington (of Steve Coleman renown) plays bass on four tracks, doubling the low end with Big Royal Talamacus on "filtered boom bass," which sounds like bass through a fuzz box. Two high-profile guest saxophonists, Archie Shepp and Henry Threadgill, appear on several tracks, enlivening the session with their free jazz sensibilities.

This was Bourelly's debut recording that took place one year after his impressive appearance on Cassandra Wilson's debut Point of View for JMT. The feeling is urgent but fluid and the cast of musicians show the first glimpse into Bourelly impulse of seamlessly mixing desperate styles. Here he embraces his connection to the free jazz music scene with the selection of alto great Julius Hemphill and the innovative drummer Andrew Cyrille yet in the context chartering a modern funk style. However Bourelly is clearly at center stage here with a tone that ventures into jazzy overdrive, clean as well one that leads into into warped dimensions. The performance of drummer Kevin K-dog Johnson stands out as well with his highly energetic and eclectic funk grooves.

The three sections of this Triptych can be described as follows: the left-hand panel — Misery — depicts the vale of tears; Transitio on the right-hand panel represents a transformation in everyday life, whilst Transfiguratio , the central panel, portrays the brilliant colours of transcendental bliss.

The virtuoso pianist and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, one of the last great figures of Russian Romanticism, was prone throughout his life to painful bouts of depression.

Surrounded by a large line-up (Bass, three guitars, five brass instruments, keyboards, flute, percussions, piano & vocals), French drummer Jean-Paul Prat presents an instrumental, powerful and symphonic work. The recurent themes are perfectly orchestrated and their many variations are full of melodic richness. The growing bass and brass instruments are close to Weidorje, but this music shows much more contrast and violent sequences follow quietest passages. Originally recorded as an eponymous one-title album clocking at more than 40 minutes, "Masal" (1982) was reissued by the Musea label with complete biography and four bonus tracks.

C'est à partir d'un “Avertissement” de Marin Marais lui-même, dans son IIe livre de pièces de viole (1701), qu'est née l'idée de cet enregistrement tout à fait original et inédit. En effet, il y invite les musiciens à ne pas jouer le pièces de viole seulement sur la viole : “J'ai eu attention en les composant à les rendre propres pour être joués sur toutes sortes d'instruments comme l'orgue, clavecin, théorbe, luth, violon, flûte allemande…”, et prié les interprètes de “se donner la peine de les mettre sur chaque instrument en particulier”. Il ajoute, dans l'“Avertissement” de son IIIe livre : “Il ne s'agira que d'en savoir faire le choix pour chacun des instrument” (et) remplir le vide entre le sujet et la basse afin de ne pas faire de mauvais sons, ce qui est une règle très essentielle à l'harmonie.”

The last album in our Gabriel Pierné retrospective focuses on choral music. Discover the very rare Ronde de fées (Fairy’s Round) for female choir and piano after a charming poem by Jean Lorrain, performed by the Ensemble vocal Jean-Paul Kreder in the premiere recording. It is coupled with other French choral pieces, both sacred and profane.