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Loin Dans Les Terres - European Jazz Legends Vol. 11

Louis Sclavis

Loin Dans Les Terres - European Jazz Legends Vol. 11

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Intuition
UPC: 0608917132328
Catnr: INTCHR 71323
Release date: 05 May 2017
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Label
Intuition
UPC
0608917132328
Catalogue number
INTCHR 71323
Release date
05 May 2017

"A powerful sound, that still resonates for minutes in your head after listening to this wonderful CD."

Jazzenzo, 06-7-2017
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
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DE

About the album

The CD of Louis Sclavis is the eleventh publication in the “European Jazz Legends” series. We from Intuition Records are very proud of this and would like to thank all partners and especially the musicians – and hope that you enjoy this series.

„We must not complain, we must fight“, is a motto Louis Sclavis repeats almost like a mantra. The 64 year-old from Lyon likes the process this triggers. The son of a photographer, whose own photographs have been shown in exhibitions and adorn the covers of his newer studio CDs, began playing the clarinet at ten. His inspiration back then was the music of Sidney Bechet, France’s biggest Jazz star at the time. From there he went on to the conservatory, where at sixteen he saw a concert by the Workshop d’Lyon and immediately began playing their sophisticated style of Free Jazz. „You could say that I experienced a very fast transition from New Orleans Jazz and the music of Duke Ellington, which I also liked back then and still like a lot, to Free Jazz“, he laughingly admits. „I only found out later what happened in Jazz musically in between.“ True to his fighting spirit, Sclavis soon engaged himself in the French – and European – Jazz scene with a vigour to match his extraordinary talent, winning the Prix Django Reinhardt in 1988 already and recording many ground breaking albums, such as „Carnet des Routes“, inspired by a tour of Western and central Africa with Henri Texier and Aldo Romano.

The concert documented on this CD opened the WDR 3 Jazzfest at the Theater Gütersloh on February 2, 2017, which also happened to be Louis Sclavis’ 64th birthday. As a present to himself and to his audience, he presented a new quartet that evening, with Sylvain Rifflet, who more than stepped up to the plate as the second reed-voice on saxophone, the excellent Christophe Lavergne on drums and Sarah Murcia on bass. Sclavis adores this eclectic group and explains that especially Sarah Murcia, best known in France for accompanying chansonnier George Moustaki or writing the score to a successful movie about Serge Gainsbourg, brings a different flair and freshness to the music. „I like drummers and bassplayers, but they just did not appear on any of my last albums“, he says. „So I was very happy to be playing with a real „Jazz rhythm section“ again in Gütersloh.“
Unter Jazzfreunden kann man herrlich darüber streiten, ob „Europäischer Jazz“ ein nützlicher Gegenentwurf zur amerikanischen Tradition ist, eine originelle Ergänzung dazu oder „auf dem Markt weniger wert als amerikanischer“, wie es in einem Wikipedia-Forum nachzulesen ist. Außer Zweifel steht allerdings, dass es auch diesseits des Atlantiks begnadete Musiker gab und gibt, die den Jazz seit Jahrzehnten geprägt und geformt haben. Dabei haben sie ganz eigene Spielweisen entwickelt, indem sie europäische Musiktraditionen mit den amerikanischen Einflüssen zusammenbrachten. Diesen Pionieren des europäischen Jazz eine Bühne zu geben, das war die Idee zur Artikelserie „European Jazz Legends“, die im Magazin Jazz thing in seiner 100. Ausgabe im September 2013 startete – und die inzwischen auf mittlerweile 20 Folgen zurückblickt. Aus der symbolischen Bühne ist nun eine tatsächliche geworden – und sie steht in Gütersloh, mitten in Europa. Begleitend zu jeder Ausgabe des fünfmal jährlich erscheinenden Heftes findet in Kooperation mit unserem Label Intuition, der Stadt Gütersloh und WDR 3 ein eigens für diesen Anlass konzipiertes Konzert mit einem aktuellen Protagonisten der Serie statt, moderiert von Götz Bühler. Das Konzert inklusive Gesprächsrunde mit Götz Bühler wird aufgenommen und vom WDR 3 zeitversetzt gesendet; die musikalischen Highlights des Konzertes werden auf einer CD veröffentlicht.

Für jedes Jahr bis Ende 2017 sind also fünf Konzerte und fünf CDs zur Serie „European Jazz Legends“ geplant, am Ende wird ein Buch entstehen, für das die Artikel aus dem Magazin überarbeitet und ergänzt werden, u.a. um Eindrücke aus den Konzerten und Gesprächsrunden. Die CD von Louis Sclavis ist bereits die elfte Veröffentlichung der „European Jazz Legends“-Reihe. Wir von Intuition sind stolz darauf, unseren Beitrag leisten zu können und danken allen Partnern und insbesondere den Musikern – und hoffen, dass sie den Hörern, die nicht live dabei sein konnten, Freude bereitet. Und denen, die im Publikum saßen, eine schöne Erinnerung darstellt.

„Wir sollten uns nicht beklagen, sondern wir müssen kämpfen!“ ist ein Motto Louis Sclavis´, das er fast wie ein Mantra immer wiederholt. Der 64jährige aus Lyon, Frankreich, liebt die Wirkung dieses Mantras. Der Sohn eines Fotografen – der selbst schon zahlreiche Ausstellungen als Fotograf bestritt und dessen Bilder auch schon seine CD-Cover zierten – begann bereits mit 10 Jahren Klarinette zu spielen. Damals war er inspiriert von der Musik Sidney Bechets, seinerzeit Frankreichs bekanntester Jazzmusiker. Im Alter von 16 Jahren – er war schon im Konservatorium – sah er ein Konzert der Band „Free Jazz Workshop“, die sich später in „Le Workshop de Lyon“ umbenannte, und begann sofort ihren anspruchsvollen Stil zu spielen. Später wurde er sogar für 8 Jahre Mitglied der Band. “Man kann schon sagen, dass ich einen sehr schnellen und radikalen Wechsel vom New Orleans Jazz und der Musik Duke Ellingtons, die ich damals liebte und immer noch liebe, hin zum Free Jazz machte“, gibt Sclavis lachend zu, „ich habe erst später gemerkt, was in der Jazzgeschichte dazwischen alles passierte.“ Schon früh mit dem bereits genannten Kampfgeist ausgestattet, engagierte sich Sclavis bald in der französischen und europäischen Jazzszene, mit all seiner Willenskraft und mit seinem Talent. Schon 1988 gewann der den „Prix Django Reinhardt“ und nahm mehrere Alben auf, die weltweit Beachtung fanden – so „Carnet des Routes“ mit Henri Texier und Aldo Romano. Inspiriert war es von einer Tour durch West- und Zentralafrika mit diesen beiden Musikern.

Das Konzert, das auf dieser CD dokumentiert ist, eröffnete das WDR 3 Jazzfest am Theater Gütersloh am 2. Februar 2017 – und dieser Tag war gleichzeitig der 64. Geburtstag von Louis Sclavis! Als Geschenk an sich selbst und an das Publikum präsentierte er an diesem Abend ein brandneues Quartett, mit Sylvain Rifflet, der die Herausforderung, als zweiter Holzbläser am Saxophon zu spielen, locker meisterte. Dazu der exzellente und kreative Christophe Lavergne am Schlagzeug sowie Sarah Murcia am Bass. Sclavis ist begeistert von dieser vielseitigen neuen Band und erläutert, dass speziell Sarah Murcia – sehr bekannt in Frankreich für ihre Arbeit mit George Moustaki und auch für ihre Musik für einen sehr erfolgreichen Film über Serge Gainsbourg – der Musik eine besondere Frische und Ausdruckskraft verleiht. „Ich liebe Schlagzeuger und Bassisten”, sagt Sclavis, “und ich war so froh, dass ich endlich wieder einmal mit einer ‘richtigen Jazz Rhythm Section’ spielen konnte in Gütersloh.”

Artist(s)

Louis Sclavis (clarinet)

One of the finest clarinetists in free jazz and avant-garde, Louis Sclavis plays improvised music with unusual clarity and precision. And while his technique is huge, it doesn't overshadow his musicality; Sclavis is a most expressive player. Sclavis began studying clarinet at the age of nine. He played in a local brass band before entering the Lyon Conservatory of Music. From 1975-1982, he played with a variety of ensembles, including and most notably the Henri Texier Quartet and Chris MacGregor's Brotherhood of Breath. He formed his own band in 1982, Le Tour de France, comprised of six musicians from different regions of France. He also played and recorded with a number of prominent free jazz musicians, including Evan Parker, Lol Coxhill, Tony Oxley, and Peter Brötzmann for the FMP and NATO labels. In 1984, he...
more
One of the finest clarinetists in free jazz and avant-garde, Louis Sclavis plays improvised music with unusual clarity and precision. And while his technique is huge, it doesn't overshadow his musicality; Sclavis is a most expressive player. Sclavis began studying clarinet at the age of nine. He played in a local brass band before entering the Lyon Conservatory of Music. From 1975-1982, he played with a variety of ensembles, including and most notably the Henri Texier Quartet and Chris MacGregor's Brotherhood of Breath. He formed his own band in 1982, Le Tour de France, comprised of six musicians from different regions of France. He also played and recorded with a number of prominent free jazz musicians, including Evan Parker, Lol Coxhill, Tony Oxley, and Peter Brötzmann for the FMP and NATO labels. In 1984, he recorded Clarinettes, a solo album for the Ida label.
That year, he also formed a new quartet; the band would record a pair of albums, Chine (1987) for Ida and Rouge (1991) for ECM. In 1987, he founded a septet, which would also record for Ida. In 1988, he was awarded the Prix Django Reinhardt as French jazzman of the year. That year, he also founded the Trio de Clarinettes with Jacques di Donato and Armand Angster; in addition to playing improvised pieces, the group also played works written by its members and such classical composers as Brian Ferneyhough and Pierre Boulez. Around that time, he met choreographer and dancer Mathilde Monnier and they collaborated on several performances. Sclavis' renown grew during the next decade; he won a British Jazz Award in 1991, and recorded often for FMP and ECM. Projects included a trio with Aldo Romano and Henri Texier, and also recordings and performances with his clarinet trio, septet, percussionist Trilok Gurtu, and a Cecil Taylor large ensemble. Besides his jazz-related activities, Sclavis also composed for theater and film. His 2002 release, Dans la Nuit, was a soundtrack for an antiquated French silent film. 2004 saw the release of Napoli's Walls, Sclavis' first attempt to provide a soundtrack for visual art. He recorded a series of pieces based on the history and culture of Naples as interpreted by the work of the French artist Ernest Pignon-Ernest, who lived and worked in the city for a number of years. Phare appeared a year later, followed by two ECM-issued offerings -- Imparfait des Langues and Les Violences de Rameau with his sextet and L'Engrenage with Le Quatour Habanera on the Alpha label -- in 2007.
Sclavis released only one album in 2008; Moitie Du Monde was a collection of pieces written for theater and cinema released by JMS.
Though he is known as one of the great jazz improvisers, Sclavis focused on his written music for 2009's return to ECM with Lost on the Way. He was accompanied by saxophonist Matthieu Metzger, electric guitarist Maxime Delpierre, electric bassist Olivier Lété, and drummer François Merville. That same year, Yokohama, a duet album with pianist Aki Takese, was released by Intakt, and Piffkaneiro, a long-form suite with the Swedish new music group Koj, was issued by Between the Lines.
Sclavis took to touring and playing the festival circuit followed by a well-deserved vacation. His next recording, Sources, with his Atlas Trio (keyboardist Benjamin Moussay and guitarist Gilles Coronado) appeared from ECM in 2012, followed by a global tour.

In May of 2014, 3 3, an album that showcased two trios, Sclavis, Texier, and Romano with Enrico Rava, Nguyên Lê, and Bojan Z., was issued by Label Bleu. It was followed in August by Silk and Salt Melodies on ECM, which added percussionist Keyvan Chemirani to the trio that appeared on Sources.


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Sylvain Rifflet (saxophone)

Composer(s)

Louis Sclavis (clarinet)

One of the finest clarinetists in free jazz and avant-garde, Louis Sclavis plays improvised music with unusual clarity and precision. And while his technique is huge, it doesn't overshadow his musicality; Sclavis is a most expressive player. Sclavis began studying clarinet at the age of nine. He played in a local brass band before entering the Lyon Conservatory of Music. From 1975-1982, he played with a variety of ensembles, including and most notably the Henri Texier Quartet and Chris MacGregor's Brotherhood of Breath. He formed his own band in 1982, Le Tour de France, comprised of six musicians from different regions of France. He also played and recorded with a number of prominent free jazz musicians, including Evan Parker, Lol Coxhill, Tony Oxley, and Peter Brötzmann for the FMP and NATO labels. In 1984, he...
more
One of the finest clarinetists in free jazz and avant-garde, Louis Sclavis plays improvised music with unusual clarity and precision. And while his technique is huge, it doesn't overshadow his musicality; Sclavis is a most expressive player. Sclavis began studying clarinet at the age of nine. He played in a local brass band before entering the Lyon Conservatory of Music. From 1975-1982, he played with a variety of ensembles, including and most notably the Henri Texier Quartet and Chris MacGregor's Brotherhood of Breath. He formed his own band in 1982, Le Tour de France, comprised of six musicians from different regions of France. He also played and recorded with a number of prominent free jazz musicians, including Evan Parker, Lol Coxhill, Tony Oxley, and Peter Brötzmann for the FMP and NATO labels. In 1984, he recorded Clarinettes, a solo album for the Ida label.
That year, he also formed a new quartet; the band would record a pair of albums, Chine (1987) for Ida and Rouge (1991) for ECM. In 1987, he founded a septet, which would also record for Ida. In 1988, he was awarded the Prix Django Reinhardt as French jazzman of the year. That year, he also founded the Trio de Clarinettes with Jacques di Donato and Armand Angster; in addition to playing improvised pieces, the group also played works written by its members and such classical composers as Brian Ferneyhough and Pierre Boulez. Around that time, he met choreographer and dancer Mathilde Monnier and they collaborated on several performances. Sclavis' renown grew during the next decade; he won a British Jazz Award in 1991, and recorded often for FMP and ECM. Projects included a trio with Aldo Romano and Henri Texier, and also recordings and performances with his clarinet trio, septet, percussionist Trilok Gurtu, and a Cecil Taylor large ensemble. Besides his jazz-related activities, Sclavis also composed for theater and film. His 2002 release, Dans la Nuit, was a soundtrack for an antiquated French silent film. 2004 saw the release of Napoli's Walls, Sclavis' first attempt to provide a soundtrack for visual art. He recorded a series of pieces based on the history and culture of Naples as interpreted by the work of the French artist Ernest Pignon-Ernest, who lived and worked in the city for a number of years. Phare appeared a year later, followed by two ECM-issued offerings -- Imparfait des Langues and Les Violences de Rameau with his sextet and L'Engrenage with Le Quatour Habanera on the Alpha label -- in 2007.
Sclavis released only one album in 2008; Moitie Du Monde was a collection of pieces written for theater and cinema released by JMS.
Though he is known as one of the great jazz improvisers, Sclavis focused on his written music for 2009's return to ECM with Lost on the Way. He was accompanied by saxophonist Matthieu Metzger, electric guitarist Maxime Delpierre, electric bassist Olivier Lété, and drummer François Merville. That same year, Yokohama, a duet album with pianist Aki Takese, was released by Intakt, and Piffkaneiro, a long-form suite with the Swedish new music group Koj, was issued by Between the Lines.
Sclavis took to touring and playing the festival circuit followed by a well-deserved vacation. His next recording, Sources, with his Atlas Trio (keyboardist Benjamin Moussay and guitarist Gilles Coronado) appeared from ECM in 2012, followed by a global tour.

In May of 2014, 3 3, an album that showcased two trios, Sclavis, Texier, and Romano with Enrico Rava, Nguyên Lê, and Bojan Z., was issued by Label Bleu. It was followed in August by Silk and Salt Melodies on ECM, which added percussionist Keyvan Chemirani to the trio that appeared on Sources.


less

Press

A powerful sound, that still resonates for minutes in your head after listening to this wonderful CD.
Jazzenzo, 06-7-2017

An outstanding part of this fantastic series of WDR / Stadt Gütersloh / Jazzthing and Intuition, an absolute must.
Rootstime, 18-6-2017

"Loin Dans Les Terres" removed sight of the roots looking for contemporary Jazz, uncomplicated, but also no "Free Jazz". ... we hope to see him again soon on stage!
Jazzhalo, 31-5-2017

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Often bought together with..

Out of the Box (11CD-Box)
Willem Breuker Collectief
Ziljabu Nights
Miroslav Vitous
On The Move
Jasper van´t Hof
Winged By Distance
Dieter Glawischnig
Grand Grace
Christophe Schweizer´s Young Rich & Famous
Desire
Yuri Honing Acoustic Quartet

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