Seleccionar página
Manifesto, Iúri Oliveira – Review

Manifesto, Iúri Oliveira – Review

MANIFESTO

IÚRI OLIVEIRA

Review

22

April, 2025

By: Adailton Moura

Photos: Artist’s concession

Like most percussionists, the Portuguese Iúri Oliveira accompanied (and has accompanied) great artists from Portugal, including Ana Moura and Dino d’Santiago, and of global reach, such as Cesária Évora Orchestra and Madonna. After several experiences in the studio and on stage, he dedicated some time to putting into practice the ideas that had been permeating his head for a long time. The result was the album Manifesto, an experiment with 6 tracks that travel through different timbres, languages and approaches of ancestral and contemporary percussion.

 

I say it is an experiment because the architecture does not have a conventional aesthetic. The only instruments used are percussive. There is a lot of wood, leather, metals, skins, shells, voices. It is organic. That is why nature is also present through the singing of birds, water, and footsteps on the earth. Iúri surprises us with each Manifesto. “2” has rhythmic elements that refer to Brazilian drumming, including Candomblé, but also to semba cadences (traditional music and dance from Angola). There is a confluence of textures. This means that Oliveira is not concerned with creating a specific sound. He has jazz DNA. Not that everything was necessarily improvised. However, the course he follows takes us to different environments, some of which our ears have rarely visited.

Iúri’s manifestations are authentic. One by one, they elevate us to a different atmosphere, sometimes denser, and other times impulsive. In “Manifesto 4” it is possible to enter these two extremes. Almost halfway through the sound, the bass drum starts pulsating as if it were a racing heart. Before it, in “3”, sounds are created with the movement of water, rattles, gourds and stools. By closing your eyes, you can immerse yourself. But it is not only this immersion that provides. Each manifesto provides a unique experience. It serves as moments of reflection, rest and connection with oneself.

This album is far from having a standard, much less being standardized to what the market proposes. And that is its beauty. Iúri Oliveira opens boxes to further pique your curiosity with what is inside them. No two are the same. They are completely different. If it were a painting, it would be abstract and with many colors. The kind that you spend several minutes understanding or trying to capture the message. It makes you think. It also moves you and at times invites you to an alternative dance, without rules. “Manifesto 5” invites the body to do so. It starts off explosive, then calms down. Thus, it creates a bridge to what comes next. Once again, the artist shows his versatility, but this time with words. In “Manifesto 6”, he does not sing, he recites a poem. This reflects very well everything he has shared up until that point. It is a journey to be enjoyed without fear of discovering the unknown.

Written by Adailton Moura

Abril 22, 2025

En vivo en Lisboa, Nataniel Edelman Trio – Review

En vivo en Lisboa, Nataniel Edelman Trio – Review

Nataniel Edelman Trio

En vivo en Lisboa

Review

22

April, 2025

By: Adailton Moura

Photos: Adriana Melo & Cristina Marx

 

En Vivo en Lisboa (Robalo Music). Nataniel Edelman, piano / Michael Formanek, double bass / Michaël Attias, alto saxophone.

Artwork by Maria Bouza

At thirty three years old, Nataniel Edelman already has an interesting discography, whether as a bandleader or guest. The Argentine pianist is usually accompanied by two other musicians in his recordings and concerts. As the title suggests, En vivo en Lisboa (Robalo Music) is an EP recorded on October 22, 2023 at Penhasco, in the city of Lisbon, Portugal.

Once again, Edelman is accompanied by two great figures of American jazz: Michael Formanek, double bass, and (one of the most inventive musicians of the New York avant-garde) Michaël Attias, alto saxophone. This recording was made in 2023 during the Un Ruido de Agua (Clean Feed Records) tour, which also passed through Porto and Seville, Spain.

Much more experimental than the project they were promoting, also live, En vivo en Lisboa reflects the harmony that the three musicians have. It is an unaligned alignment because it does not have a specific cadence. They improvise following a flow that is sometimes murky, and sometimes smoother. Or that starts calmly and goes into a frenzy, reaches ecstasy and becomes smooth again. At certain moments, the instruments seem to enter into an organized discussion in which none of the voices overpowers the other.

We can hear these conversations in the four songs. They all have an initial theme, but they evolve as they develop. The style, cadence and expertise of each one contribute to the construction of something that is not straightforward. To the most sensitive ears it may sound like a mess, but with a little more attention and listening time it is possible to understand the message they share.

It is light, even in the periods of furor, with the bass acting as a mediator between the saxophone and the piano. It is balanced, spontaneous, free and enigmatic. It also portrays the power that music has to connect an exceptional Latin American pianist with two magnificent veterans of North American jazz in Europe.

 

Written by Adailton Moura

Abril 22, 2025

Liba Villavecchia Trio + Luís Vicente – Muracik (Clean Feed Records) – Review

Liba Villavecchia Trio + Luís Vicente – Muracik (Clean Feed Records) – Review

Liba Villavecchia Trio + Luís Vicente

Muracik (Clean Feed Records)

Review

09

Abril, 2025

LIBA VILLAVECCHIA TRIO + LUÍS VICENTE

MURACIK (Clean Feed Records, 2024)

Liba Villavechia (saxo alto), Álex Reviriego (contrabajo), Vasco Trilla (batería), Luís Vicente (trompeta)

Texto: Enrique Turpin

 

LA NATURALEZA DESMEDIDA

Se dice que Pordenone fue un maestro tocado por la gracia, más terrenal que Tiziano, pero también más pasajero para la memoria popular. Y que, pese a ello, malbarató ese regalo ofrecido por su don. No parece que al trío de Liba Villavecchia le esté ocurriendo lo mismo. Sí, en efecto, son tres las mentes aquí pensantes y ejecutantes cuando al trío nos referimos —a los que se añade el portugués Luís Vicente, que lo expande en cuarteto ocasional—, pero el espíritu que emana de todos ellos se muestra compacto y unísono en cuanto a potencia, alcance y gesto. Fundado hace cuatro años y con varios trabajos de enjundia a sus espaldas (Zaidín, 2022 y Birchwood, 2023) y un recorrido en directo que pasa de lo estimulante a lo necesario, el Trio ha ido consolidando su propuesta para permitirse engrosar su paleta sónica con incorporaciones afines que enriquecen el conjunto hasta hacerlo de una sustancialidad que cuesta. Es lo que ocurre con el brillante trompetista luso Luís Vicente, quien ya había formado tándem con Vasco Trilla (A Brighter Side of Darkness, 2019 y Made of Mist, 2020), del mismo modo en que Trilla lo ha venido haciendo con Villavecchia desde hace ya tres lustros (Asebeia, 2021). De toque limpio y ágil como el infravalorado Ron Horton, con la inventiva de Dave Douglas y el toque energético con el que cuenta Peter Evans –escúchese para la ocasión la pieza “Resolution”, con la que se cierra Muracik-, Vicente es una aportación que expande el formato pero no lo desnaturaliza, si acaso lo amplifica con sonoridades que se acercan a los añorados Atomic, a The Claudia Quintet o a Mostly Other People Do The Killing, por poner ejemplos de estética compartida. Y sí, la sombra de Ornette Coleman es alargada (“Ornette Surrounds”, que lleva la firma de Vicente); pero no es menos la que se une a ese manantial fundacional, donde acaban convergiendo también las enseñanzas de Evan Parker, Roscoe Mitchell o las del mismísimo John Coltrane en sus últimos vuelos libérrimos. Por estos lares, sólo Agustí Fernández y Ramón López se muestran tan mercuriales como Villavecchia. Será por maestros.

El disco fluye de hallazgo en hallazgo, desde la presentación de armas que es “Anticipation” (uno de los tres vértices medulares de Muracik, junto con “Expansion” y “Resolution”, que llevan la firma del líder, pasando por “Vika” y el tema que da nombre al conjunto, de la mano del joven contabajista Álex Reviriego, y la, ya mencionada homenaje, al siempe moderno padre del Free. Como entonces, también existe aquí el orgullo por mostrar una suerte de atmósfera al uso de ‘This is Our Music’, pero sesenta y cinco años después. Fue ayer y no nos acordamos.

Lo cierto es que la ganancia que el trío consigue al emparentar sus dinámicas con las de Vicente y enaltecer todavía más si cabe las armonías y eso tan difícil de lograr que es conjugarse sin jugársela, sin imposturas ni falacias emocionales, es otro de los motivos por los que Muracik lleva en su expresión la génesis de las obras mayores. Resulta curioso afirmar que estamos ante el mejor trabajo del trío cuando se trata de un cuarteto. Paradojas aparte, lo que engrandece la música que aquí se contiene es la apuesta perentoria por la ambición argumental, engrosada por una idea de la libertad compositiva que no tiene miedo de alzar el vuelo y perseguir las sombras del pasado dibujando las propias. No como sombra, que eso sería muy fácil, sino como presencia identitaria de la idea que los alumbra, que no es otra que perseguir la quimera de la composición inmediata y vincularla con una suerte de idea de eternidad. Un ahora que valga sin fisuras para el mañana. Si a alguien todavía se le ocurriera afirmar que el contrabajo volcánico de Reviriego en “Expansión”, que la fiereza de los vientos en “Ornette Surrounds” o que las sutilezas percusivas del final de “Anticipation” son simples e inconsistentes fuegos de artificio es que todavía no acaba de entender que parte de la madurez como oyente transita por pasajes en los que el corazón —léase emoción— parece ganarle la partida al intelecto. Es sólo un espejismo, dado que cuando la composición se muestra bien medida y mejor ejecutada, lo que parece pensado es pura intuición, y lo que surge desde lo imaginado por la espontaneidad lleva muchos años fraguándose en la oscuridad del entreno diario para que, finalmente, aparezca ante nosotros como una improvisación que nos mantiene con la boca abierta y los ojos húmedos por la emoción.

Música elegante, misteriosa, pulcra, ágil, indómita, a pesar de ser falsamente doméstica como el gato de Vasco Trilla que da nombre al fruto del proyecto y que correteó por todo el estudio del baterista mientras se fraguaba el disco ensayo tras ensayo. Muracik y Muracik, disco y felino, personalidades compartidas para una música comprometida con el arte verdadero, ese que desoye calendarios y aspira a lo perenne. Uno jamás queda ahíto con apuestas de este calibre, las que permiten que no se flaquee cuando de lo que se trata es de perseguir la felicidad a ultranza.

Texto: Enrique Turpin

Abril 09, 2025

Ambrose Akinmusire – honey from a winter stone – Review

Ambrose Akinmusire – honey from a winter stone – Review

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE

Honey From a Winter Stone

Review

11

Marzo, 2025

Texto: Ricky Lavado

Fotos: Artist’s Concession

REVIEW. honey from a winter stone (Nonesuch Records, 2025). Ambrose Akinmusire, trompeta, composición/ Kokayi, vocal/ Sam Harris, piano/ Chiquitamagic, sintetizadores/ Justin Brown, batería/ Mivos Quartet (Olivia Deprato, Victor Lowrie Tafoya y Maya Bennardo, violín/ Tyler Borden violonchelo).

Ambrose Akinmusire lo ha vuelto a hacer. Llega un punto en el que a uno se le acaban los adjetivos grandilocuentes y las alabanzas ante un creador que parece destinado a ofrecernos obra maestra tras obra maestra, en un camino de excelencia y relevancia que transita él solo, en una búsqueda inacabable y apasionante por encontrar nuevos caminos expresivos. Si su anterior trabajo Owl Song ya nos dejó a todos con la boca abierta, ahora Akinmusire dobla la apuesta con este inmenso y casi inabarcable honey from a winter stone, su segundo trabajo para el incombustible y ecléctico sello Nonesuch Records (casa de artistas tan diferentes y brillantes como Hurray for the Riff Raff, Molly Tuttle, Brad Mehldau, David Byrne, Jeff Parker, Makaya McCraven o Wilco, entre mil otros).

Siete años después de Origami Harvest, obra con la que el trompetista californiano rompió las reglas del juego para crear una amalgama tan sorprendente como adictiva de jazz moderno, spoken word, música de cámara y Hip Hop; Ambrose Akinmusire decide con honey from a winter stone revisitar elementos y conceptos ya presentes en aquella obra para ampliarlos y llevar sus interrogaciones al momento actual (¿Qué dificultades y retos encuentra la comunidad negra estadounidense en el siglo XXI?). Como en Origami Harvest, encontramos en este honey from a winter stone música de cámara, elementos electrónicos, rap, abstracción, spoken word, jazz inclasificable, calma ambiental y contemplativa, funk sudoroso y composiciones gigantes que mutan en mil formas diferentes.

Como era de esperar, Ambrose Akinmusire se ha rodeado de un plantel impresionante de músicos para dar forma a este trabajo excesivo, ambicioso, extenuante y absolutamente maravilloso: el vocalista de improvisación Kokayi, el pianista Sam Harris, Chiquitamagic a los sintetizadores, el batería Justin Brown y el cuarteto de cuerda Mivos Quartet (formado por las violinistas Olivia Deprato y Maya Bennardo, el violista Victor Lowrie Tafoya y el violonchelista Tyler Borden).

Honey From a Winter Stone consta de cinco piezas que abarcan una hora y cuarto de música, ni más ni menos. La densidad y solemnidad marcan el arranque del viaje con “Muffled Screams”, una composición basada en una experiencia cercana a la muerte vivida por el propio Akinmusire (“sobreviví porque quería estar vivo para proteger a mi hijo”). “Muffled Screams” marca el tono general del álbum; una pieza larga, que se desarrolla sin prisas y en la que spoken word, jazz abstracto, pianos clásicos, electrónica ambiental, cuerdas emocionantes y la trompeta de Ambrose Akinmusire convertida en lamento por momentos forman un conjunto que te pasa por encima como un tanque. Le sigue “Bloomed (the ongoing processional of nighas in hoodies)”, única pieza instrumental del álbum, construida a base de fraseos enfurruñados de Akinmusire y ráfagas de batería de un Justin Brown anfetamínico. Con “apenas” siete minutos de duración, “Bloomed” suena casi como un interludio que nos prepara para la descarga de energía de “Myanx”, uno de los momentos álgidos del disco, en el que el ritmo lo es todo. Las baterías de Justin Brown, repletas de fills y grooves explosivos, vuelan libres sobre colchones de extrañeza a base de sintetizadores gruesos y flow improvisado por parte de un Kokayi en estado de gracia, para terminar con notas largas como quejidos de la trompeta de Akinmusire, dándole un sentido emotivo y desgarrador a toda la composición.

La elegancia clásica del cuarteto de cuerda introduce el tono preciosista y cuidado de “Owled”, una composición romántica y emocional, en la que sintetizadores y programaciones sutiles poco a poco van derivando el rumbo hacia ambientaciones de carácter funk y actitud peleona. A lo largo de “Owled” hay pianos cristalinos, sonoridades sintéticas, ambientaciones cinemáticas y vacile callejero, de block party sudorosa y de libertad improvisacional; antes de que la pieza derive en una neblina misteriosa suspendida en el tiempo, cortesía de una trompeta que se suma al dramatismo de las cuerdas en un final que deja con la boca abierta. Un viaje apasionante de casi trece minutos de duración que, sencillamente, te vuela la cabeza.

Sin apenas tiempo para recuperarnos de lo que acaba de sonar, arranca otro de los momentos más potentes del disco, “s-/Kinfolks”: 29 minutos de tour de force creativo para cerrar el álbum, en los que Ambrose se explaya y da rienda suelta a su parte más expresiva y emocionante, con fraseos abstractos que se van abriendo paso a través de capas y capas de densidad de sintetizadores y ráfagas desestructuradas de batería. Poco a poco, “s-/Kinfolks” va mutando hacia un espacio misterioso sostenido por el piano en que trompeta y cuerdas se entrelazan para acabar desembocando en un crescendo de ritmos de carácter electrónico, espíritu de baile y flow vocal irresistible. Hay de todo en esta composición: elementos tradicionales, breaks de baile, sintes pegajosos y ambientales, y todo suena fresco y moderno a la vez, en una pieza que crece y crece hasta hacerte levantar de la silla. Si no se te escapan un poco las caderas, es que no estás prestando la debida atención.

Hay pura belleza en este trabajo; hay profundidad emocional, hay ritmo, sudor y baile; densidad y ligereza entrelazadas como hiedras; hay rabia, contención y diversión. Hay tantas cosas en este disco que cada nueva escucha resulta sorprendente; cada acercamiento a esta hora larga de música es una experiencia reflexiva y honda, plena de intensidad y, si al que firma esto se le permite ponerse estupendo, diría que trascendente. Otra obra de arte a sumar en la trayectoria de un creador que ya es eterno.

 

Texto: Ricky Lavado

Marzo 11, 2025

Natalia Kordiak – A Journey Through Music, Improvisation, and Education

Natalia Kordiak – A Journey Through Music, Improvisation, and Education

.

.

.

NATALIA KORDIAK

A Journey Through Music, Improvisation, and Education

08

March, 2025

Text: Krzysztof Komorek

Photos: Artist’s concession

I’ve always loved to sing. Wherever I went, I’d hum or sing something” recalls Natalia Kordiak about her first encounters with music. Natalia is a vocalist, improviser, educator, and event organiser. Her extensive portfolio is impressive for someone whose career has not yet spanned many years. Curiosity about the world has always been a defining trait for Natalia. Combining her musical interests with sports training, she began her music school education not with singing but with the saxophone. She even explored opera singing for a time.

As a teenager, Natalia attended the Voicingers Festival – an event that combines showcases, competitions, and workshops for vocalists. Voicingers serves as a platform for exchanging ideas, musical inspirations, meeting artists, and establishing long-term relationships. For Natalia Kordiak, it also became the beginning of numerous ventures. She started with workshops and, in 2018, won the Grand Prix at the International Competition for Singing Musicians, which allowed her to record her debut album. «Bajka»Fairy Tale«), released by the Slovak label Hevhetia, and received a nomination for Poland’s prestigious music industry award, the Fryderyk. Over time, Natalia began collaborating with Voicingers as a co-organiser, coordinator, and producer of subsequent editions of the event.

Voicingers is also a space for exchanging artistic experiences, exploring teaching methods, and engaging with intriguing creators from around the world. Natalia had the opportunity to work with artists such as Sofia Ribeiro, Andreas Schaerer, Michael Schieffel, Leïla Martial, Grzegorz Karnas (the founder and director of Voicingers), and Anna Gadt (who later became her lecturer at the Academy of Music and now collaborates with Natalia on a musical project). “Their perceptions of music and the world gave me immense inspiration for my creativity, composing original works, and daily vocal practice. It also eventually led me to teaching,” says Natalia.

In 2017, in collaboration with the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, Natalia initiated a series of jazz educational concerts. She organised recurring workshops, taught lessons, and worked with vocalists during festivals, such as Voicingers and the Wesoła Jazz Festival. In recent years, Natalia has spent significant time outside Poland. The Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music in Chennai, India, offered her an artistic residency. During her seven months there, she created an original vocal class and travelled across India conducting workshops for children and youth. After her residency in India, Natalia began working in China and Vietnam, conducting workshops for jazz vocalists. These sessions focused on improvisation, fostering creativity, spontaneous authenticity, and building artistic autonomy. “Teaching also means caring for one’s own development,” she notes, explaining her decision to pursue doctoral studies at the Academy of Music in Łódź. “Teaching singing, music, and improvisation is highly complex. A teacher engages with a sensitive medium influenced not only by skill but also, perhaps primarily, by the emotional sensitivity of the individual. It’s a tremendous responsibility to avoid stifling their autonomy, to ensure that advice doesn’t lead to copying others or what is already known, liked, or easy. Teaching should guide individuals to discover their truth.” She continues: “The voice is an instrument connected to our bodies. It works symbiotically with us, which is why understanding and safety are crucial for freedom of expression. Of course, this all sounds nice in theory. In practice, it’s much harder and requires patience. I’ve met many people who helped me (though some did not). Meaningful encounters always changed me, developed me, and made me reflect, sometimes even questioning my perspective on certain aspects of life.”

The most important ensemble Natalia works with is her quintet, with which she has recorded two albums. The most recent, titled «Ytinamuh» (read it backwards as well), was recorded during Natalia’s diploma concert at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. In this paratheatrical performance, music intertwined with meaningful words. Alongside Natalia’s original lyrics, the performance included excerpts from works by notable authors such as Ayn Rand, Olga Tokarczuk, Jolanta Brach-Czaina, and Sylvia Plath. The concert also featured vocal improvisations, enriched with electronic effects. She was joined on stage by Przemysław Chmiel (tenor and soprano saxophone), Mateusz Kołakowski (piano), Alan Wykpisz (double bass, bass guitar), and Grzegorz Pałka (drums). Her attention to words is also evident in another project, TANOK, a duo formed with Ukrainian pianist Kateryna Ziabliuk. Together, they perform a programme featuring the suite «Pieśń Lasu» («Song of the Forest»), based on the works of Ukrainian poet, writer, translator, and literary critic Lesya Ukrainka. One of Natalia’s latest artistic ventures is the quartet Voice Act. Founded by Anna Gadt, the vocal ensemble includes Marta Grzywacz and Gosia Zagajewska alongside Natalia. The quartet creates vocal narratives rooted in the diverse temperaments, histories, experiences, and styles of its members: folk, classical, jazz, contemporary, and free music. Voice Act has already released an album featuring avant-garde vocal music layered with references and inspirations that accompanied the vocalists during the recording process. The quartet’s performances are a spectacle about the Voice itself, not just with the Voice in the lead role. They perform both purely vocal concerts and collaborations with guest artists. One such collaboration was with renowned drummer Jim Black during the first edition of the Kxntrst Music Festival.

 

Anna Gadt: “I have known Natalia Kordiak for many years, which allows me to observe her journey from a temporal perspective. Initially captivated by mainstream jazz, she was later drawn to open forms, improvisation, and electronics. Her two original albums provide an intriguing starting point for further exploration of her unique performance language. I believe she is growing increasingly confident on stage as both a leader and a creator of her own artistic vision. We first met during the Voicingers workshops. Natalia stood out with her distinctive personality and genuine, vibrant interest in music. Later, she was my student for several years at the Jazz Department in Katowice. She is highly ambitious and determined. In her artistic pursuits, she appears to focus on combining sincerity, intuition, and awareness, and her drive for growth and her interest in sound exploration are truly impressive.

For these reasons, I invited Natalia to collaborate in Voice Act, a project featuring four vocalists/improvisers without the support of instrumentalists or electronics. Voice Act focuses on the agency of the voice, individual stories, diverse perspectives and roots, as well as the need for human connection, curiosity about others, and the equality of listening and being heard. Beyond her technical abilities and a voice with a beautiful tone and wide range, Natalia brought to Voice Act her creativity, unique sensitivity, and openness to others. Her imagination participates freely in the dialogue between voices, adding an essential and inspiring element. I believe that her greatest discoveries are still ahead of her, and I wholeheartedly wish her the very best in achieving them.”

 

Mentioned earlier Kxntrst Music Festival leads to another of Natalia Kordiak’s roles – as an organiser of artistic events. She co-creates the Kxntrst Music Festival with two other prominent figures of the younger generation in Polish music: Kuba Więcek and Piotr “Pianohooligan” Orzechowski. The festival’s programme includes concerts, workshops, and panel discussions. “As active and thoughtful people and artists, we should not only focus on our creative work but also on changing the way the music market in Poland is perceived. We need to emphasise authenticity rather than conforming to industry norms and standards,” says Natalia.

 

What does the future hold for Natalia Kordiak? “I don’t know yet. I don’t like putting pressure on myself,” she admits. Her solo project is developing – for a year now, she has been performing solo concerts, incorporating guitar effects and analogue synthesisers into her creations. In her quintet, she has performed several times with trumpeter Tomasz Dąbrowski (the trumpet replaced saxophones in the ensemble), offering a new perspective on the already polished material. She plans to continue collaborating with other musicians in unique, often one-off improvised performances that bring her immense joy. She also intends to perform as a member of several ensembles. Finally, Natalia will focus on her doctoral studies, exploring the interplay of vocal artistic expression in compositional and improvisational processes.

 

Travelling will undoubtedly remain a significant part of her plans. “The most beautiful aspect of travelling is observing people – their traditions, lifestyles, perceptions of music, religion, habits, and experiences of art. Exploring the world as broadly as possible, including typical tourism, is a passion of mine. My friends always laugh at how well-prepared I am when it comes to knowing local attractions, history, and cuisine,” she says with a smile.

Este artículo se publica simultáneamente en las siguientes revistas europeas, en el marco de «Groovin’ High», una operación para destacar a las jóvenes músicas de jazz y blues : Citizen Jazz (Fr), JazzMania (Be), Jazz’halo (Be), Salt Peanuts (DK/SE/NO), Jazz-Fun (DE), In&Out Jazz (ES) y Donos Kulturalny (PL).

This article is co-published simultaneously in the following European magazines, as part of « Groovin’ High » an operation to highlight young jazz and blues female musicians : Citizen Jazz (Fr), JazzMania (Be), Jazz’halo (Be), Salt Peanuts (DK/SE/NO), Jazz-Fun (DE), In&Out Jazz (ES) and Donos Kulturalny (PL).

#Womentothefore #IWD2025

March 08, 2025

Adèles Viret’s Opinion

Adèles Viret’s Opinion

.

.

.

ADÈLES VIRET’S OPINION

06

March, 2025

Text: Yves Tassin / Jazzmania

Photos: Julia Gat & Robert Hanssene

Adèle Viret has recently been interviewed for the release of her debut album Close to the Water. The Franco-Brussels cellist reveals a little more of herself in this IWD (International Women’s Day) meeting.

Jazzmania: We already spoke about the album Close to the Water in an interview published in October. We’re now going to take a closer look at your personality. But first of all, how is your first album doing?

Adèle Viret: Well, the feedback from the press has been very positive and the public seem to like it too… So, I’m very happy about that.

I enjoyed attending the concert you gave in Liège with your quartet. It sounded like a real group effect. It was not necessarily Adèle and her quartet, with each musician in his or her own performance space… Was this a deliberate choice, or does it come naturally to you?

I think it’s quite natural, at least with this quartet. We had worked together and I wanted everyone to have the right to decide, especially during concerts. The other projects in which I am involved, whether Mosaïc or Medinea, are collective projects. We make progress by exchanging ideas, with everyone making suggestions. Well I guess I feel most comfortable in this system.

Now let’s talk about you in more detail… What are your earliest musical memories?

It’s no easy question. Perhaps this memory is blurred / distorted due to the fact that the video was shot when I was four years old. On this recording, my father offers me a cello. And that’s the reason why I went on to play this instrument. In fact, my father (Jean-Philippe Viret – Editor’s note) was playing with five other double bass players in a group for which he had written a song for me, because I had trouble falling asleep. The track was a minor hit, and a video was shot. But I don’t particularly remember the filming. I only found out later…

Your dad is a professional musician. Could you plan a career outside music? Did your father ever encourage you to follow this path?

Yes, and he has always made it possible. I’ve never felt like I was forced to make music, there was no pressure. He ìs opened doors for me, with the idea that it would be possible if I felt like it. So, the influence arose naturally. I have played the cello from the age of eight or nine and I was then convinced that I would make a career out of it.

Even though it’s a relatively unstable profession, and you can go through hard times?

There was, of course, a period of reflections in adolescence. I wondered whether I should invest myself completely or if I really felt like going on.

Your dad plays the double bass while you play the cello. Is it a way of gently  standing out?

When I started playing the cello, I couldn’t tell the difference between the two instruments. Then, the cello became an obvious choice for me. As far (back) as I can remember, this instrument has always been part of my life. (…)

Your quartet includes your younger brother Oscar, who plays the trumpet and sings beautifully. Was it an obvious choice for you, to the point of composing music and having his participation in the project in mind?

Not at all. In fact, I composed the repertoire for the record before I knew which musicians I was going to work with. These songs CAME NATURALLY. In fact, we started out as a trio. I first proposed the songs to Wajdi Riahi and Pierre Hurty, but I quickly realised that something was missing and that we needed to go to four musicians. And that’s when my brother’s presence became so obvious.

You’re only twenty-five years old, yet your music is already very mature.

When the quartet was born, just after the pandemic, we spent a lot of time searching. We rehearsed over two years before giving our first concert.This was my requirement, while the other members of the quartet were impatient to take the next step. But I knew where the bar was that I had set for this repertoire.There was no question of me going any further until we had reached that goal. I was a bit stressed but I held OUT. And we were ready the first time we performed in front of an audience. Since then, we’ve been improving, gig by gig.

You have been willing to make sacrifices to progress in music, including moving to Brussels to continue your studies at the Conservatoire. Would you advise young musicians to embark on this adventure?

I don’t know… Probably not. Let’s stop saying: «This is the right method, this is the way to go». The method I chose was perhaps the best suited to what I wanted to achieve and become. Above all, I know that each musician has to listen to himself and follow his own path. Well, personally, I didn’t go to the Conservatoire for jazz. I had learnt a lot from my father and from the musicians with whom I share projects.

As well as the musicians in your family, there must have been other important meetings, Fabrizio Cassol or Magic Malik, for example.

Yes, certainly. These two people have been very important to me, especially in terms of the confidence they gave me. I met Magic Malik at a master class in Montreuil. He then invited me to join him on stage for a project he was putting together with bassist Hilaire Penda. As for Fabrizio, he got me involved in the Medinea project (an album has just been published by Fuga Libera – see our article on Chronique Jazzmania). We met again when I arrived in Brussels. He asked me to join him in one of his projects for the Klara Festival. I’ll be there as an assistant artistic director, so to speak (a concert to be held in Brussels on 22 March). Fabrizio gives me the opportunity to do things I wouldn’t have imagined. It helps me move forward and gives me confidence.

When you’re on your own, what kind of music do you like to listen to?

[laughs] Unfortunately, I don’t have much time to listen to music at the moment. Things are going so fast ! I miss it. I’d like to take the time to discover new things. When you come out of a day that’s already been entirely devoted to music, you want to do something else.

What kind of music could you listen to? Rap, for example, like a lot of young people your age?

No, rap’s not really my thing… Actually, I generally listen to the other projects put together by the musicians I work with. Mostly jazz. Well, I mainly discover things by going to concerts.

Like the sounds of London’s New Jazz, for example?

No, not really, I stick to the scenes around me, in France, in Belgium, or in Portugal, where I am regularly invited by musicians from the Lisbon scene for concerts and projects, and the Netherlands as well. But I also like some Brazilian music, which is completely different, just for the sheer pleasure of listening.

Now, let’s move on to the section devoted to the International Women’s Day. You ìre a young musician working in jazz, which is a very male-dominated field. How do you feel about that?

As far as I’m concerned, it’s a bit ambiguous. When I was younger, I felt rejected for a long time. I didn’t feel I fitted in. I wondered if it wasn’t because of the instrument I was playing. The cello is a special instrument, not very common in jazz, even if things are changing a little bit…So much so that I can’t say whether I felt excluded because I’m a woman or because of the cello… Things are very different for a double bass or drums, which are virtually indispensable jazz instruments. That’s the reason why I set up this quartet, to compose my own repertoire for the cello. It might encourage leaders to include me in their groups.

Indeed, we’ve seen cellos in some very fine projects, such as Le Cri du Caire and Naïssam Jalal’s performances …

Indeed, it’s more common. When I was younger, I didn’t get into the jam circuit either, because the instrument didn’t lend itself to it. And I’m not particularly interested in playing standards with a cello. To put it in a nutshelI, I didn’t fit into the traditional boxes. But, generally speaking, it’s fair to say that there are more and more women in the jazz world.

A French musician and Ondes Martenot player, Christine Ott, once told me that she felt distrust. She said that when it came to composing, she had to «prove herself» more than a man. What do you think about that?

Well, I think she’s right. But I also believe that this is the case for many other professions. It’s not just music…

Este artículo se publica simultáneamente en las siguientes revistas europeas, en el marco de «Groovin’ High», una operación para destacar a las jóvenes músicas de jazz y blues : Citizen Jazz (Fr), JazzMania (Be), Jazz’halo (Be), Salt Peanuts (DK/SE/NO), Jazz-Fun (DE), In&Out Jazz (ES) y Donos Kulturalny (PL).

This article is co-published simultaneously in the following European magazines, as part of « Groovin’ High » an operation to highlight young jazz and blues female musicians : Citizen Jazz (Fr), JazzMania (Be), Jazz’halo (Be), Salt Peanuts (DK/SE/NO), Jazz-Fun (DE), In&Out Jazz (ES) and Donos Kulturalny (PL).

#Womentothefore #IWD2025

March 06, 2025

Pin It on Pinterest