Il contrabbassista, tra i più attivi a Montréal, si dà qui il compito — con Jonathan Racine-Ménard (batt.) e Arden Arapyan (p.) — di cogliere i segreti e le possibilità interpretative di una serie di proprie composizioni (e arrangiamenti, viene specificato). Sono atmosfere perlopiù crepuscolari, appena scosse qua e là da qualche lungo brivido rettilineo. Inevitabilmente è il pianoforte a impadronirsi della scena: lo fa in modo vellutato ma deciso fin dal primo brano (che ha il tema più ricco, gli sviluppi, soprattutto armonici, più articolati ed equilibrati, e molte promesse che il seguito non riesce del tutto a mantenere), mentre non si rinviene di Mailloux altro che un puntualissimo accompagnamento.

Au Québec, s’activent toujours les trublions d’Ambiances Magnétiques. Au Québec, Damian Nisenson, saxophoniste argentin vient de créer le label Malasartes. Au Québec, voici que nous arrive le label Tour de Bras… De l’impro de chambre au noise, petite visite guidée.

Un nouveau trio piano-contrebasse-batterie s’apprête à rejoindre les étagères, déjà bien fournies, de ma discothèque. Un de plus serais-je tenté d’ajouter…

Ici, l’on ne peut que louer l’élégance, la fluidité, la souplesse d’un trio qui sait viser l’essentiel, à savoir la justesse d’un chant beau et intime. Rien de spectaculaire ici, aucune exploitation d’un romantisme de prisunic mais un territoire où s’additionnent humilité, écoute, entente. On saisit dans le jeu inspiré et superbement assumé d’Arden Arapyan, des origines arméniennes profondes et un désir tenace de ne pas trahir l’intension. Bref, d’exister, entier et déterminé. Jean Félix Mailloux et Jonathan Racine-Ménard l’accompagnent dans cette quête du sincère avec la discrétion qui les caractérise, sans raideur, sans apprêté et toujours fidèle à l’instant.

Un trio de plus alors? Vous l’aurez compris: pas le moins du monde!

Il giovane contrabbassista Jean Félix Mailloux, nuovo nome della scena di Montréal Jazz, guida un trio il cui cielo è attraversato dal gusto della canzone come, appunto, da aurore boreali: You si tatua nella memoria; la melodia in Aurores Boréales si è smembrata nell’arrangiamento ma il tema rimane impresso e riporta ad unità tutte le variazioni. La geografia emotiva non guarda necessariamente a nord, la mappa è estesa. C’è l’oriente della memoria (Au bord du Nil), lo swing brillante (Cent titres) e stlizzato, quasi monkiano (Aérospasme). La scrittura di Mailloux, di nitida sintassi, propone all’interprete sia la possibilità di esaltarne la cantabilità, sia di sfrangiarne la struttura con flashes improvvisativi e solistici (esempio: la batteria di Racine-Ménard in Un peu de poudre de pirlimpinpin). Avanti a tutti c’è, però, il pianoforte di Arden Arapyan, sempre cristallino e morbido, da un estremo (i passaggi armolodici e downtown di Densité 23,7) all’altro (lo slavato croonerismo tonale di Les haricots florissants). Potrebbe alla fine risultare una sorta di A.O.J., adult oriented jazz, questo il suo rischio. Si suoni come si suoni, un po’ di sangue lo vogliamo vedere.

You may have noticed that the canadian Ambiances Magnétiques label concentrated on new jazz in the last few years with there series of jazz releases. This trend is continued with the new associated label Malasartes. Although this label welcomes any new music, the first two releases are definitely jazz. The label is founded by Damian Nisenson, an argentinian born musician and actor who came from Europe to Montréal in 2005. He assimilated quickly it seems, as he presents now his own record on his own label. Not bad. Under the wings of DAME distribution his music will now also attract international attention, which was not the case for his musical activities in Argentina with Dosaxos 2 and the Nisenson Kabusacki Dawidowicz Trio. Except for one traditionel tune, Nisenson composed the rest of the music on Muzika. Performers are Jean Félix Mailloux on bass, Pierre Tanguay on drums and Nisenson on tenor, alt and sopranino saxes. If I’m not mistaken I hear klezmer-like influences in some the compositions. Also in his phrasing Nisenson I hear the influence of jewish music at some moments. These and other influences are melted succesfully in a music that in the end is very jazzy in nature. Nisenson proves himself as a disciplined and devoted player who knows what atmosphere he wants to create. The very experienced Tanguay delivers wonderfull contributions.

On Jean Félix Mailloux I can say more listening to the cd of his trio. With Arden Arapyan on piano and Jonathan Racine-Ménard on drums and Mailloux himself on bass this trio brings to life nine compositions of Mailloux. All three of them are young musicians of Montréal, active in miscellaneous musical contexts, which is the modus operandi nowadays for so many musicians that are open to what is happening. In the combination of this trio they met each other for their love for a very lyrical — nightclubbish — kind of jazz. The drummer shuffles his way almost timidly, as does the bass with its warm sound. This way both give room to the pianoplayer, who with his nice touch, plays wonderfull melodies. The compositions are ok, but also very conform the rules of this standarised kind of music. Nothing wrong with it, as it is very well done, but not my piece of cake. Allthough, I have to admit that this cd did tremble my prejudices on their feet, wanting to surrender to the swing.

À son meilleur, le trio piano-contrebasse-batterie représente la quintessence de l’art du jazz, cet alliage d’intimité et d’interaction qui séduit d’entrée de jeu et nous ravit au gré d’écoutes plus attentives. À cet égard, le Trio Jean Félix Mailloux, composé du pianiste Arden Arapyan, du batteur Jonathan Racine-Ménard et de Mailloux à la contrebasse, s’inscrit dans la lignée des célèbres formations de Bill Evans, de Paul Bley et d’Oscar Peterson, et pourrait servir d’entrée en matière à quiconque cherche à saisir cette ineffable alchimie qui se distille à trois.

Pétries d’influences diverses – du tango à la musique arabe en passant par l’impressionnisme à la Bill Evans et l’angularité d’un Thelonious Monk – Aurores boréales est un petit miracle d’équilibre, empreint d’un onirisme qui n’est jamais flasque, d’une sensualité qui n’est jamais télégraphiée. Bref, on tient là une entrée en matière des plus prometteuses pour la nouvelle étiquette montréalaise Malasartes Musique.