description Gérard de Haro, director and manager of both the studio and the record label La Buissonne and composer-pianist Andy Emler have been working together for nearly 15 years ! With mutual trust and respect.
The former has been the sound engineer for all the records the latter has made to date at the Studio la Buissonne, since he came back into the record headlines in 2003, whether with the Emler Trio (with Tchamitchian and Echampard), or the Emler/Contet duo and the Emler MegaOctet.
For years now, Gerard has been seeing, hearing and listening to Andy at work, alone before each take...
For several years now, Andy has had regular invitations to play solo – remember, this is a man who does not consider himself either a virtuoso performer on the ins- trument or an enlightened player doing his practice... This pair has been working on a joint project for several years now; maybe we’ll discover it one day if the impor- tant guest it’s dedicated to does them the favour of taking the time it needs to join them and get on with it. Meanwhile, whilst we wait for this magnum opus, Gerard, true to the logic of his label, asked Andy to play the game of doing a solo recording. Andy accepted the suggestion from his alter ego, on condition that the resulting album reflect his own personal approach as a composer, for that’s what he is. A piano solo, yes indeed, but with a variety of voices and many open horizons. Hence For Better Times: a true adventure in musical, artistic and human terms.
Recorded and mixed in August, 2008 in Studios La Buissonne by Nicolas Baillard and Gerard de Haro.
Mastering : Nicolas Baillard in Studios La Buissonne.
Steinway Prepared and tuned by Alain Massonneau.
Graphics and cover photo : Philippe Ghielmetti (illusions).
Produced by Andy and Gerard.
