Er Jazz Trio
Hope
ER Jazz Trio is first and foremost born from the creative vision of a pianist, Eric Richard, trained in the schools of jazz pianist Barry Harris, in classical accompaniment and in the French songs repertoire. With a will to serve the project that characterizes great accompanists, he was fortunate to play with many renowned artists in wide-ranging styles such as Graeme Allwright, Lexie Kendrick & Sean Gourley, Patricia Barber, Michelle Hendricks, Sanseverino, the Swing Society, Ricky Ford and more. Today, after having accumulated an extensive experience and having undergone a slow maturing process (like any good thing!) he finally decided to proceed to a more personal project that is both simple and ambitious: to pay tribute to a certain classic post-bebop 490 style using a repertoire consisting solely of original compositions. Eric Richard's compositions distinctly show respect for the golden age of modern jazz and to players such as Thelonious Monk ("Monk'20 Special"), Bud Powell ("Dancing with Bud") or John Coltrane ("Thunder Trane"). Likewise, a rather Parkerian signature can be heard in "Whims of the Sun (and Craze of the Moon)", while the theme of "Hope" reminds us of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Lastly, if "I wanna fade in your Eyes" and "A Question of You" show his attachment for classic American standards, "Barry's Mood" is an elegant tribute to the great pianist and pedagog Barry Harris. But classical music as well is included the list of influences of Eric Richard's compositions: under its freakish blues attire, "A FAb Blues" is in fact a distant reminder of the "Warsaw Concerto" of English composer Richard Addinsell. Similarly, Waltz for Borodine was inspired by the Russian composer's 2nd string quartet. Also, the composer mischievously tells us that the harmonic progression of "The Circadian Triangle" is inherited from "Vision Fugitive" by Prokofiev, when the theme of the title "Hope" comes - initially - from the study of "Concerto for Trumpet" of Armenian composer Alexandre Aroutiounian! To bring this project to life, Eric Richard then surrounded himself with double bassist Marion Pacaud and drummer Patrick Jouannic, a long term accomplice of his. And to enrich the sound of the album, the trio added on saxophonist Gaël Horellou and flutist Jérémie Mignotte, a choice of ambitious and dynamic tones to better magnify the melodies and enhance the richness and diversity of the eleven titles that constitute it. As stated, the French trio's first album offers the listener a musical journey where styles and genres rub shoulders without jostling, merge and therefore find what makes the essence of jazz, a present-day music yet forever questioning itself.