Label: ACT, 2022
Personnel - Emile Parisien: soprano saxophone; Theo Crocker: trumpet; Roberto Negro: piano; Manu Codjia: guitar; Joe Martin: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.
Emile Parisien is an intensely focused soprano saxophonist whose warm contemporary playing denotes a myriad influences. With a rich background that hails from classical, jazz and progressive traditions, Parisien assembles a triumphant sextet for his new outing, Louise. The album pairs him with the American trumpeter Theo Crocker for a strong frontline that is served by the harmonic backing of the pianist Roberto Negro and the guitarist Manu Codjia, two of his most trusted collaborators. The ensemble is completed with the bassist Joe Martin and the drummer Nasheet Waits, an American rhythm team with a lot of mileage in the New York scene.
Parisien penned most of the nine tunes that compose the album, and the recording opens with one of them, “Louise”, whose arresting sound unspools as it progresses. An initial misty dawning, established with a bass pedal at the base, soon evolves to driving pizzicato, unison melodies, and solos by Crocker and Codjia, who, respectively and by turns, enjoy the chordal coloring of guitar and piano in the background.
Whether the bandleader delves into modernized bop lines encouraged by avant-garde touches on the swinging “Jojo”, folds Italian yearning melodies and world rhythms on Negro’s “Il Giorno Della Civetta”, or embraces rhythmic voraciousness on Codjia’s “Jungle Jig”, the results are balanced and technically impressive.
With “Memento”, he crafts a fantastic three-part suite that flows with silky tones, authoritative march-like snare waves, a modern classical piano effort followed by electronics and majestic rhythms, and a groove-laden carpet that, covering the floor of “Part III”, supports thoughtful trumpet, bold piano, and acrobatic soprano playing.
Swinging, contracting and expanding, the group reaches quality peaks on Joe Zawinul’s “Madagascar”, a fusion piece that originally appeared on the Weather Report’s 1980 album Night Passage. The horn players take separated routes before linking lines on the theme statement; they rely on the rhythm section to provide an extremely captivating pulse. The record comes to an end with Crocker’s ballad “Prayer 4 Peace”, which loops up declamatory tenderness. This powerful album finds Parisien on the cusp of his brilliance.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Louise ► 02 - Madagascar ► 05 - Memento: Part III