Andy Emler .Songwriting. Piano CLAUDE TCHAMITCHIAN .Double bass Eric Echampard .Drums LAURENT BLONDIAU .Trumpet Guillaume Orti .Alto Saxophone Philippe Sellam .Alto Saxophone Laurent Dehors .Tenor Saxophone François THUILLIER .Snorkel François Verly .Percussions
description "It rings, clicks, roars and whispers. Like Mingus, it explodes, rumbles and exudes. Such is the MegaOctet : larger than a small group, smaller that a big band. The cleverest, craziest of habitable worlds" FRANCIS MARMANDE
Three years after the acclaimed E Total, Andy Emler's MegaOctet, that 'laboratory of the most beautiful audacities'
in the words of André Francis, is back on the La Buissonne label with its outstanding cast, total freedom and penchant for creative constraints.
When he embarked on the writing of Obsession 3 – the MegaOctet’s seventh album, originally a commission from Germany’s national radio WDR and recorded over two days with Gérard de Haro at his legendary studios in Pernes-les-Fontaines – what Andy Emler, whom Le Nouveau Dictionnaire du Jazz has called a 'catalyst of enthusiasms', had in mind was to have all the music in three-time.
"A three-time where one would be mistaken to expect the dizziness of a waltz – a whole other kind of dizziness is at work here, partly because those three beats are often difficult to locate", wrote Jazz Magazine’s Franck Bergerot in his review of the new work’s French premiere, at the Jazz aux Écluses festival in 2014.
Alongside the MegaOctet, first formed in 1989 with "eight of their generation’s most flamboyant improvisers", Andy Emler has performed in many different groups, notably alongside Michel Portal, whom he first met in 1985, François Jeanneau, Marc Ducret or Dave Liebman. He has trained music academy teachers in improvisation, received numerous commissions for a wide range of ensembles and formats, written music for the theatrical production of Jean Échenoz’s Ravel, worked regularly in the contemporary music field, made three trio albums with Claude Tchamitchian and Eric Echampard, a solo work for multiple pianos (2008’s For Better Times), etc. In 2014, having already earned such prestigious awards as the Victoire du Jazz (twice), the Prix de l’Académie du Jazz and the Django d’Or (three times), he was made Knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters.
Recorded live at La Buissonne studios on December 16 & 17th, 2014 by Gérard de Haro and Nicolas Baillard.
Mixing by Gérard de Haro and Andy Emler at La Buissonne studios (Pernes-les-Fontaines).
Mastering by Nicolas Baillard.
Cover photo Yann Kersalé. 7 fois plus à l'ouest (Le sillon dans le miroir), installation in-situ.
Booklet photos Christophe Charpenel.
Design Philippe Ghielmetti.
Produced by Gérard de Haro and RJAL for La Buissonne and la Compagnie aime l'air.
Management
Damien Besançon (I See Colors)
damien@iseecolors.fr
06.87.22.39.70
La Compagnie aime l'air- 00 33 1 48 36 47 08 - thierry.virolle@wanadoo.fr
