Following up on 'La traversée', his first ECM album as a leader, French saxophonist Matthieu Bordenave chose to expand the expressive boundaries of the trio he formed with German pianist Florian Weber and French double bassist Patrice Moret by integrating the subtle yet singular drumming of James Maddren.
In addition to an angular and emotional interpretation of John Coltrane's "Compassion," the quartet tackles eight original compositions by Bordenave, naturally bridging orchestral dynamics characteristic of a certain "chamber jazz" and forms borrowed from post-swing. The oblique instrumental approaches of Weber and Bordenave (heard here on both tenor and soprano) enter into subtle interplay of resonance and fusion, their unexpected melodic lines supported by a highly interactive rhythm section. 'The Blue Land' was recorded in Pernes-Les-Fontaines in 2022, under the artistic direction of Manfred Eicher.
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