Wood patiently probes into matter, makes harmonics gush forth, digs into silences, embellishes its song all the way to purity.
A stage band before all, this duo relies on instant and instinct to put apart and reassemble its compositions ceaselessly, improvise hymnes to love, improbable rhythms which follow the ebb and flow of the unknown, bird songs that have never been heard before.
Wood pays tribute to Duke Ellington and revisits Joachim Kühn with the same strong stance. The roots go deep into jazz soil while the branches are many and fruitful.
Their music flows naturally: Who knows where the improvisation starts and where the writing ends.... it is one of the strenghts of this duo, which definitely confirms the complicity between the fine artists that are Sébastien Boisseau and Matthieu Donarier. They will release their first opus by Spring 2013. Under the Yolk label, naturally.
reviews...
"Boisseau & Donarier belong to the young generation of improvising musicians who - following the work of artists like Louis Sclavis - play a kind of music that could be labelled as typically European, while freeing themselves from the emphasis on the cultural distinctiveness of French music: the duo of double bass player Sébastien Boisseau and reed player Matthieu Donarier is as much influenced by classical music. They also have in common their membership to Daniel Humair 's groups. Their vision of sound is playful, with an effective and accurate use of unconventional effects, but apart from that, their emphasis is on the lyrical side and clear form of their compositions. They are at their best when they allow themselves space to calmly explore their detailed and subtle sound, thus creating a firm musical tension. We hear a lot of jazz in their improvisations, but the result of their cooperation leans mostly towards transparent chamber music."
Ken Vos
"Within this new generation of French saxophone players that appeared in the 90's, Matthieu Donarier from the Loire region is undeniably one of the most gifted, the most relevant and the most wanted by the great names of this music (he has been a noticeable part of Daniel Humair, Patrice Caratini, Stephan Oliva's ensembles). Sébastien Boisseau is one of today's most remarked double bassist and he enjoys a great reputation . Just like a new Jean-François Jenny-Clarck ! Their meeting in a duo is a musical jewel »
Le Mans Europa Jazz Festival
"Their duo is an evidence full of surprises...
When one of the two flies away, the other makes sure to keep his two feet on the ground, so that their music always dithers between the earth and the sky.It is light, fluid and utterly mastered. One can perceive the complicity at once, or even more, this telepathic bond which leads them to choose at any time what seems to be the most suitable option to what the other one puts forward."
Olivier Acosta, www.mozaic-jazz.com
1. Grounds
2. Yggdrasil
3. Lonyay Utça (tribute to Duke Ellington, to Oscar)
4. L'emplacement exact est tenu secret
5. Jugglernaut
6. Mar y sal nights
7. Angel's thought
8. Introducing Old Tjikko
9. Old Tjikko
10. Is that Fado again ?
11. From time to time free
12. Aquatism
2,4,8,9,10 composed by Matthieu Donarier & Sébastien Boisseau
1,5 composed by Matthieu Donarier
3,7,12 composed par Sébastien Boisseau
6, composed par Joachim Kühn
11, composed par Joachim Kühn & Daniel Humair