ROBIN & JARROUSSE QUINTET

Ce quintet a vu le jour sous la houlette du batteur Olivier Robin et du saxophoniste ténor et soprano Sébastien Jarrousse. Pour ces deux musiciens habitués des scènes parisiennes et des tournées à l'étranger, « Tribulation » et "Dream Time" sont leurs premiers disques « personnel » signé par un producteur indépendant. Outre un certain nombre d'autoproductions, on leur doit de nombreuses collaborations et des participations significatives à d'autres projets. Après « Tribulation » (sorti en septembre 2006), premier opus salué par la critique, le quintet sort son deuxième album « Dream Time ». Alors que le premier album était entièrement de la main de Sébastien Jarrousse, les deux leaders laissent ici leurs musiciens s’exprimer en tant que compositeurs. Ce deuxième album se trouve enrichi par une recherche de composition et d’écriture grâce aux morceaux proposés par chacun des musiciens. Avec « Tribulation », et "Dream Time" la maison Aphrodite Jazz Records leur offre enfin la possibilité de produire des disques totalement à leur image. Le Robin/Jarrousse Quintet est un orchestre où règne une profonde cohésion entre les cinq musiciens, mus autant par l'envie commune de jouer sur les traces de leurs prestigieux aînés, que par celle de s'affranchir des codes conventionnels. Il en résulte une musique spontanée, vivante et sans complexe. ............................................................ .....................................................The quintet was created under the guidance of drummer Olivier Robin and tenor and soprano saxophonist Sébastien Jarrousse. For these two veterans of festival tours and club dating in Paris, « Tribulation » and "Dream Time" are the first albums under their own names produced by an independent label. Along with having auto-produced several recordings, they have both participated in many other significant projects. Finally, Aphrodite Jazz Records has offered them the opportunity to produce albums that truly reflect their own conception of music with « Tribulation » and "Dream Time". The Robin/Jarrousse Quintet display pronounced cohesion between the five band membersinspired as much by the shared wish of following the steps of their prestigious elders, as by the desire of going beyond conventional codes. As a result, the music is spontaneous, full of life and uninhibited. ............................................................ ..................................................... "D'un morceau à l'autre, les climats changent, les intentions s'affirment : la verve d'Emil Spanyi, le phrasé intraitable de Sébastien Jarrousse, le tranchant de l'alto d'Olivier Bogé. Olivier Robin et Jean-Daniel Botta alimentent la machine en gros son et en tempo..." Eric Quenot, "JAZZ MAGAZINE" Février 2008. ............................................................ ..................................................... « Un second disque bien plus maîtrisé, où la fouge et l’envie de jouer ne cèdent pas d’un pouce à l’exigence de la mise en place et de la tenue collective (…) Ce quintet s’affirme avec une autorité naturelle et, parmi les formations qui alimentent la flamme du pur jazz, s’impose comme l’une de ces unités de choc qu’on aime écouter dans le direct d’un club. » Vincent Bessières "JAZZMAN" Mars 2008. ............................................................ ....................................................."ALL ABOUT JAZZ": Since Van Halen II (1979), if not before, the sophomore curse has beset bands' second albums. After a lifetime of collecting material for the first record, the short calendar for the follow-up imposes a harsh discipline that is not always friendly to the artist. Well, that might have been Van Halen's excuse, anyway; in jazz, the same logic doesn't necessarily apply.This sophomore effort from the quintet led by drummer Olivier Robin and saxophonist Sébastien Jarrousse exhibits most of the elements that made its début, Tribulation (Aphrodite, 2006), so durable. Chief among these is an expertly played fast and demanding mid-1960s groove (think Miles' Hancock/Shorter quintet) with slightly outside soloing by five strong musicians.A surprise on Dream Time is what looks like a concerted effort to take on slower tempos and more tender moods than on the fairly driving Tribulation. Mostly, this strategy yields fine results, especially bassist Jean-Daniel Botta's “Le Pèlerin de Cadaquès” or the soprano/piano duet, “L' impermanence.”If there is evidence of the sophomore curse on this record it lies in the cool reserve of the enigmatic compositions; a tendency present too on Tribulation. The angular tunes are flawlessly executed and feature sometimes stunningly-arranged ensemble passages, but about half the time fail to engage the listener.Paradoxically perhaps, this group nevertheless comes across as warm and approachable. That's surely down to the empathetic group playing, already present on the earlier record, and the closely argued solos—no slacking here.As was the case on Tribulation, pianist Emil Spanyi emerges as the star of the show—his symphonic solo on “Calame” and his gentle accompaniment of Jarrousse's soprano sax on “L'impermanence” are among the highlights. Something about Spanyi's playing is akin to McCoy Tyner's in the way he fills all the space without getting baroque in the vein of, say, the late Oscar Peterson. Spanyi can be heard playing a lot of electric keyboards on François Jeanneau's Weather Report-like Quand se taisent les oiseaux (Bee Jazz, 2007); clearly he is a player of great breadth.Jarrousse has some of the characteristics people associate with Chris Potter: energetic playing and an apparently bottomless pit of melodic and timbral ideas. If the Robin/Jarrousse quintet could receive even a tenth of the attention paid to Potter, they would amply deserve it; now if Dream Time could get a tenth of the attention paid to Van Halen II…Jeff Dayton-Johnson