DUST TO STARS (vinyl)

Description

A promising saxophonist, Léon Phal is part of that young generation of jazz musicians raised on the classics, from which he breaks free while brilliantly paying homage to them with every note, whether it's Roy Hargrove's RH Factor or D'Angelo's 'Voodoo'. Surrounded by his lifelong companions, his mastery of the instrument, his extraordinary sense of melody, and the delicacy of his compositions amplified by a devastating groove, promise a bright future for this Franco-Swiss native of Aÿ in Champagne. A freshness and talent that did not escape the Nancy Jazz Pulsations and Jazz à Vienne festivals, where he successively won the 2019 competitions. Crowned 'Revelation' by Jazz News and Jazz Magazine for the release of his first album 'Canto Bello', Léon Phal leads a brilliant quintet whose influences and imagination inspire remarkable improvisations. If he is already playing in the big leagues of contemporary jazz, there is no doubt that his passion, curiosity, and free spirit will take him far. Produced as part of RéZZo Focal Jazz à Vienne, and released on Kyudo Records, the latest of the ambitious Parisian jazz labels, 'Dust to Stars' perfectly embodies what we love most about this new jazz scene: its free and kinetic interpretation of music, combined with a solid foundation of references—mostly acquired by the group at the Conservatoire and the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne—A jazz whose influences and colors touch everyone's musical sensibilities, demystifying access to the genre. In this second opus 'Dust to Stars', Léon Phal explores, at the head of a quintet formed in the purest hard bop tradition (tenor, trumpet, Rhodes, double bass, drums), all the music that filled his sleepless nights, from house to drum'n'bass and afrobeat. A true dancing machine with a soul. From these confrontations between acoustic and electronic, jazz fervor and dancefloor fever, dreamy escapes and precise beats, results a beneficial symbiosis between contagious energy and a (now too) rare elegance. Deeply human, resolutely contemporary, and insolently seductive, this album is the perfect continuation of 'Canto Bello'. A more sophisticated production in which we find the spontaneity and flashes of improvised music, with a true band sound electrified by Gauthier Toux's keyboards, enveloped by the brass and the complicity of Léon Phal and Zacharie Ksyk (trumpet), with Arthur Alard (drums) and Rémi Bouyssière (double bass) on rhythm. It must be said that Léon Phal knows how to surround himself! After a first opus with Julien Lourau as artistic director, the group recorded this album in Lausanne at Studio du Flon, under the guidance of sound engineer Benoît Corboz, who has been accompanying Erik Truffaz for several years. The creative process has evolved - with Léon Phal taking on a dual role as producer and composer - reflecting this quintet which, despite everything, had the opportunity to humbly hone this repertoire on stage and in residence, in contact with the public and by instilling in these new compositions the communicative energy unique to live performance. Léon Phal: his head in the stars and "giant first steps." "ATTENTION REVELATION!" --- JAZZ NEWS ---. "Léon Phal's saxophone blending his hard bop with borrowings from jazz-rock and pop." ---TÉLÉRAMA ---. "A true band sound whose sonic assets are all appreciated. It will leave no one indifferent." --- JAZZ MAGAZINE ---. "The saxophonist and his young companions sign nine themes with subtle and contemporary arrangements where contemplative melodies intersect with rhythmic bursts." --- FIP ---.