Diego Imbert & Alain Jean-Marie - Interplay: The Music of Bill Evans

Double bassist Diego Imbert rubbed shoulders with Didier Lockwood like Biréli Lagrène with whom he immersed himself in gypsy jazz, he recorded 7000 Miles with David Linx and formed a quartet with Alex Tassel and David El Malek. He also participated in a trio with Enrico Pieranunzi and André Ceccarelli, companions with whom he also recorded a Tribute to Charlie Haden.

Here is now a tribute to the music of Bill Evans, and mainly to the duo that the pianist formed with double bassist Eddie Gomez, during the '70s for the albums Intuition and Montreux III. This is because Imbert had followed a course with Gomez in the 90s.

It was still necessary to choose a pianist. Enrico Pieranunzi could fit perfectly into this project: he himself paid tribute to Bill Evans in a piano-trio + horns formula (Evans Remembered).

But his choice ultimately fell on Alain Jean-Marie , 20 years his senior. A self-taught pianist of Guadeloupean origin, Alain Jean-Marie recorded several Biguine Reflections in homage to his origins, he formed the Tropical Jazz Trio but he also rubbed shoulders with the greatest American soloists.

Playing Bill Evans was another challenge. "Diego's friendly insistence convinced me to accept his invitation to dialogue with him by encouraging me not to try to play like Bill, which I would never have known how to do, but to revisit his company its repertoire in my own way, with my harmonies, my voicings." Bet Won.

    1 Interplay 4:24
    2 Alfie 3:45
    3 Peri's Scope 2:35
    4 Quiet Now 3:46
    5 Turn Out The Stars 4:07
    6 Show Type Tune 4:08
    7 Nardis 3:10
    8 The Two Lonely People 3:46
    9 Very Early 5:24
    10 Time Remembered 3:11
    11 Gloria's Step 3:33
    12 Blue In Green 4:49
    13 Waltz For Debby 4:21
    14 Laurie 4:11
    15 We Willl Meet Again 2:31