Released on:
17.06.2002
Orchestre National de Jazz, Anouar Brahem, Gianluigi Trovesi, Paolo Damiani
Paolo Damiani : cello, artistic director
Anouar Brahem : oud
Gianluigi Trovesi : piccolo clarinet, alto saxophone
François Jeanneau : soprano sax, flute, codirection musicale
Thomas de Pourquery : soprano, alto and tenor saxophones
Jean Marc Larché : soprano, alto and baritone saxophones
Médéric Collignon : pocket trumpet, fluegelhorn, voice
Alain Vankenhove : trumpet, fluegelhorn
Gianluca Petrella : trombone
Didier Havet : sousaphone
Régis Huby : violin
Olivier Benoit : guitar
Paul Rogers : double bass
Christophe Marguet : drums
Sequenze Orfiche (Gianluigi Trovesi)
Estramadure (François Jeanneau)
Montbéliard Trio (Brahem, Diamani, Trovesi)
Artefact (Anouar Brahem)
Argentiera (Paolo Damiani)
Charmediterranéen (Paolo Damiani)
Argentiera (Paolo Damiani)
First ECM album by the French big band celebrated as an important institution in contemporary jazz. ONJ projects have stressed both the strength of French improvising and the potential for collaboration with musicians of other backgrounds and cultures.
For “Charmediterranéen” (“Mediterranean Spell”), the orchestra is joined by two artists familiar to ECM listeners: Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem, and Italian reedman Gianluigi Trovesi. The ONJ operates a revolving leadership policy, with a new director elected every three years. Since 2000 the musical director has been the Italian cellist/composer Paolo Damiani, who has previously appeared on ECM’s recording of the Italian Instabile Orchestra.
Press reaction
If it's big-band jazz looking squarely into the future you're after, the French Orchestre National de Jazz has just put out an epic, freewheeling work called Charmediterranéen. Conceived by its director, Paolo Damiani, the work draws on music from around the shores of the Mediterranean. So Latin fire, the ghost of Monteverdi and the Arab oud all play their part. The forces of globalism being what they are, there's also a guitarist who sounds like Bill Frisell. The orchestra is one of those innovative continental units, like the Vienna Art Orchestra and the Willem Breuker Kollektief, happy to mix and match traditions. There are fusion riffs, moments of great delicacy and high-volume energy (this is the region of the sirocco and mistral after all) in a 75-minute suite.
France's national jazz orchestra is a unique and admirably inclusive institution. Its membership is constantly changing, each season finds a new musical director at the helm, and there are always a few non-French musicians taking part as guest artists. This is last year's edition, playing a programme reflecting the diverse musical styles to be heard around the Mediterranean. The two guest soloists are Italian saxophonist Gianluigi Trovesi and Anouar Brahem, Tunisian master of the oud, a kind of lute. This may all sound a bit ominous but give it a chance because the music itself is utterly charming. At one moment the textures are warm and seductive, and a few minutes later the whole thing sounds like a New Orleans marching band on a spree.
In stark verjüngter Besetzung, unter der Leitung des italienischen Cellisten Paolo Damiani und unter Beizug der Gastsolisten und -komponisten Gianluigi Trovesi und Anouar Brahem ist der Formation nun mit Charmediterranéen ein Album geglückt, das man nicht so schnell vergisst: Ein mal ausgelassenes, mal zorniges Manifest wider die allenthalben grassierende Einfaltspinselei, ein Taumel der Gefühle, der einen mitreisst. Diese passionierte Musik hat weder Angst vor dem Chaos noch vor der Kraft und Schönheit sehnsuchtsvoller Melodien.
Das Wortspiel im Titel weist schon darauf hin: Es geht um den ganz besonderen Charme des Mittelmeers. Das Orchestre National De Jazz - ein Unikat in der internationalen Szene, weil es vom französischen Staat unterhalten wird - hat sich dabei zweier Starsolisten von beiden Seiten dieses Gewässers bedient. Gianluigi Trovesi aus Italien an Klarinette und Altsaxofon, besonders aber der tunesische Oud-Virtuose Anouar Brahem bereichern die CD ungemein und steuern auch eigene Stücke bei. Trovesis "Sequenze Orfiche" bedient sich bei einem Motiv aus Monteverdis Oper "Orfeo", um sodann auch ungestüme großorchestrale Free-Passagen zu durchschiffen, Brahems "Artefact" klingt dagegen arabisch. Weitere Epen aus der Feder von Francois Jeanneau und Paolo Damiani, des ehemaligen und des jetzigen ONJ-Leiters, verdeutlichen den Klangfarbenreichtum dieser 14-köpfigen Big Band. Vor allem der Hang zum Saiteninstrument ist reizvoll: Neben der Oud kommen Geige, Cello, Gitarre und Bass zum Einsatz.
Happy to say that Damiani's stint in front of this French institution is a lively and enterprising one. This CD contains a number of compositions, three of them in suite form. ... The Orchestre's execution is superb. Jeanneau's work is more redolent with what may be termed European classicist elements but the rhythms remain propulsive, even with violinist Huby soloing. Brahem's two-part "Artefact" has more Near-Eastern aura, as does Damiani's title piece, a work connecting some of the crosscurrents of the countries which share that sea as a common shore. An impressive outing for Damiani and his colleagues and one which underlines the amount of fresh territory that is still on offer to adventurous big bands, government funded or not.
Unter der Leitung des italienischen Cellisten Paolo Damiani widmet sich das unkonventionell instrumentierte Orchestre National de Jazz feinsinnig den Werken seiner Gäste Gianluigi Trovesi und Anouar Brahem. Souverän jonglieren die famosen Franzosen mit Trovesis entzückender Monteverdi-Variation "L'Orfeo" und huldigen bei "Estremadura" ihrem Spiritus Rector François Jeanneau. Als Bonbon reichen Damiani & Co. noch einige kleinteilig besetzte, intime Preziosen.