When talking about French jazz, one can sometimes do without wine, but never without the name Louis Sclavis. For decades, the woodwind player has been one of the Grande Nation’s leading musicians. Also outside France, the great individualist counts among the first artists on clarinets of all sizes.
The man from Lyon is a deliberate crossover artist and simply does not tire of constantly going new ways with new projects. With uncompromising openness, the 64-year-old musician reflects upon the history of occidental music as well as the development of jazz tradition and, if necessary, he quite boldly falls back on elements of French folklore, especially from Brittany and Auvergne.
The French scene’s shooting star is thirty years younger and has made a name for himself as a virtuoso stylist on the terrain between jazz, classical music, and world music. However, one can note the classical education in Émile Parisien as well as his intensive study of his instrument’s history from Sidney Bechet to Wayne Shorter. As a congenial duo with accordionist Vincent Peirani, Parisia now rushes from success to success across Europe. Most recently, the full-time Soprano saxophonist, who was awarded the Prix Django Reinhardt (2012) for best French jazz musician, caused a sensation with his new quintet which is firmly rooted in jazz by established pianist Joachim Kühn.
So, everyone has been wondering when Sclavis and Parisien would finally get down to common action. It was only in April that this long-awaited French elite liaison celebrated its acclaimed premiere at the Théâtre de Cornouaille in Paris. And now we are lucky enough to welcome this amazing band to their Austrian premiere.