French Songs

Description

Established in Paris since 1992 after a childhood spent in Réunion, Olivier Ker Ourio is now recognized as one of the best jazz harmonica players on the planet.
Praised by critics as "the only true successor to Toots Thielemans," Ker Ourio is not only a highly sought-after soloist (Sylvain Luc, Marcel Azzola, Michel Legrand, Didier Lockwood, Danyel Waro, ...), but also a brilliant composer and inspired leader.
He can be happily found in this new project in which he pays tribute to "his" French song. Before Elvis and his brothers-in-arms allowed American pop to break free from European cultural oversight, French song held a prominent place in American charts.
Adapted into English, the hits of Mistinguett, Maurice Chevalier, Edith Piaf, Jacqueline François, Lucienne Boyer, ... long carried the colors of France high across the Atlantic, before the advent of rock'n'roll put a stop to this influence starting in the fifties.
Jazz has fortunately tempered this phenomenon of forgetfulness by continuing to give international resonance to the most famous French melodies. Ker Ourio, while drawing inspiration from this approach, innovates by selecting unexpected compositions of French songs that have marked him. With the collaboration of Sylvain Luc, he has drawn his inspiration from artists rarely associated with the world of jazz (Claude François, Joe Dassin, Michel Delpech), as well as from the discreet catalog of giants such as Serge Gainsbourg, Georges Moustaki, Yves Montand, Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Bécaud, ...
The originality of this program largely lies in the prominent role given to the harmonica, an instrument imbued with the expertise of Olivier Ker Ourio, recognized as one of the most passionate melodists of current French jazz.
Supported by the colorful drumming of Lukmil Perez and the unfailing bass of Laurent Vernerey, the duo Ker Ourio / Sylvain Luc seeks, beyond the themes, a world of colors, improvisations, and rhythms that confirms the strength of conviction and the specificity of French song!