Gabriel Genest – As It Is

Saxophonist Gabriel Genest releases As It Is, his second opus as leader, and it’s a fine piece of work, my friends!

Straightforward, clean-cut melodic lines, a current trend from the post-E.S.T. movement, and increasingly expected pop-rock accents, here fused with solid jazz structural thinking. Add to this a harmonic palette that favors stability rather than scattering, and Genest himself and his fantastic acolytes sprinkle the picture with thousands of colors, from impressionistic (some almost Debussy passages by Yannick Anctil on piano!) to ecstatic or introspective. In the end, we find ourselves faced with a highly seductive and intellectually stimulating musical proposition that invites us to restart the whole thing as soon as the last piece is finished. The presence of singer Jeanne Laforest on several tracks is a big plus. Her carrying voice, beautifully simple yet genuinely refined, is perfectly suited to Genest’s style, and lends the whole an airy character that’s more than pleasant.

Put it in your ears without waiting!

Jeanne Laforest – Voix 

Jean-Nicolas Trottier – Trombone

Olivier Salazar – Vibraphone

Yannick Anctil – Piano

Alex Le Blanc – Bass

Guillaume Pilote – Drums