ARTIST INFO

 

Erik Truffaz, a French trumpet player, was introduced to the general public in 1998 as a major European jazz artist. His album «The Dawn», an astonishing experimental mix of jazz, Drum'n'Bass and hip-hop, met with critical acclaim and commercial success: almost 20,000 copies sold in France, 10,000 abroad, and the beat goes on ...

After more than 120 concerts in just over a year it is through his stage work that the public have discovered the subtlety and sophistication of each composition, backed by the consistency of a really tight group: a breath of fresh jazz air in which each member of the group is by turns leader, accompanying musician and composer in his own right, each and every one of his inspirations recorded on disc and played on stage. It's precisely the way they work that has enabled the Erik Truffaz Quartet to go beyond the barriers of genres, to let the music take its shape from the time, the place and the mood of each musician. That makes each concert a surprise, not just for the audience but for the musicians themselves, too.

«Bending New Corners» is the fruit of the collusion between Erik Truffaz and his group. It's a rare breed of street jazz where labels fly out the window, where a classic jazz ballad («Betty») can rub shoulders unselfconsciously with two raw, atmospheric Drum'n'bass themes («More & Less»). The instrumentation, 100% acoustic, is the main sound feature that cements all ten collective compositions and sometimes invites the poet-rapper Nya to contribute with a flow that slots naturally into the ever-present groove.

«Bending New Corners» is Erik Truffaz's album, but he shares it with:

Patrick Muller: piano, Rhodes Fender. The ideal accompanist and creator of the sweetest harmonies, the melodic linchpin of the group.

Marc Erbetta: drums, percussion. Can play anything, totally unique: a Drum'n'Bass man, he can set a rock festival alight (as he did at the Paléo Festival at Nyon in July'99) and be as subtle as you could wish on brushes.

Short Bio

1991: formed the Erik Truffaz Quartet
1993: awarded the Prix Spécial by the Jury du Concours National de la Défense
1994: «Nina Valeris», his first album on the Plainisphare label
1994/95: Toured Europe, Brazil and Russia
1997: «Out of a Dream», his first album for Blue Note
1998: «The Dawn», his second Blue Note album is released.

Erik Truffaz: «Bending New Corners»
Label: EMI / Blue Note