Search - Michel Petrucciani & Eddy Louiss :: Conference De Presse

Rare genius at work

RaleighObserver | Eastern USA | 02/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is a treat. The CD presented here is the first volume of a 2 volume set recording a live performance of Michel Petrucciani and Eddy Louiss, recorded in Paris in 1994. These are two iconoclastic, eccentric musicians who, it turns out, complement each other beautifully. The CD swings from the opening Eddy Louiss number "Les Grelots", which has a Latin feel, and establishes its groove fully in "All the Things You Are". Louiss and Petrucciani play off each other beautifully, and in fact this is the most joyful music-making I've heard Petrucciani make. The three middle tracks, Petrucciani's "I Wrote You a Song", "So What?" and "These Foolish Things", are all explosive, and remind me just how much both musicians have roots in bebop. Louiss is one of the only musicians who I think could keep up with Petrucciani's harmonic shifts in "Song," and he improvises an extraordinary solo that gets a great response from the crowd. "Foolish Things" has a wild and joyous Petrucciani solo that gets cheers and stomping, as well as some tastey rhythmic interplay, with Petrucciani playing very much uptempo and Louiss starting his solo playing very much behind the beat. At the end, Petrucciani floats the melodic line and his own, upbeat rhythmic reinterpretation over Louiss' more lingering one, to great effect. The set closes with Louiss' "Amesha" and Petrucciani's "Simply Bop." In "Amesha" in particular, Petrucciani prods and drives the piece and Louiss responds in kind. The Petrucciani pieces are all recorded elsewhere, and to my taste, not nearly as well. Something happened that evening in Paris which brought out the best in these two musicians. There is a volume 2, which is available only in Europe, easy enough to get on Amazon's French website (amazon.fr). That CD, to my ears, is not as fine as this one (probably 4-1/2 stars), mostly because the material is not as interesting or challenging. In Europe only, the two CDs are available as a single boxed set. Highly recommended as THE CD to own for either of these two fine, unusual jazz musicians. I don't think either of them ever were recorded performing as well as they do here."

Marvel duo

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 01/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like Batman and Robin, like Bonnie e Clyde, like Laurel and Hardy, like Bird and Diz Michel and Eddy complements each other perfectly. The result of this collaboration which happened in 1994 is one of the best jazz album I did buy recently. This volume one it is incredibly groovin', there's an unbelievable swing all around the album. You can't say there is not a rhythmn section involved !! It's absolutly perfect!! And volume two (the second part of the concert recorded that same day) it's perfect as well. Tunes are fantastic originals by Michel and immortal standards such as Summertime, So what, Caravan, and Autumn leaves ... I can't get enough of this albums. I pat my feet, I smile, I sing along with Michel's piano playing and follow the incredible bass lines (and chord vamps) provided by Eddie. THIS DOUBLE ALBUM IS INCREDIBLE. If you love jazz you HAVE to buy it. You will be happy you did and you will listen this album for years and years to come!! Moreover it is very very well recorded, and consider that it is a live recording, you almost can feel Michel's piano ivories being hit .... this album shines in my 4000 jazz records collection !!!"

Batman and Robin

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 01/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Marvel duo, Michel petrucciani and Eddy Louiss delivered here two spectacular albums from a single concert. This album is infact the part one of a full two albums concert. You can easily find the part two around. This review consider them both. The duo here is a quite strange and exciting hammondb3organ/piano. The music chosen is a bunch of extremely well known standards (summertime, autumn leaves, caravan, so what, these foolish things) and few originals by Michel and few more from Eddy Louiss. It' s an incredible jazz experience. Fantastic groove all around the album, stellar performances and improvisations by this magic duo. Michel in particular here shows us his bag of tricks fully. Probably this concert is one of the highlights in his illustrious and fantastic career. These albums are recorded magnificiently from Dreyfus Jazz. If you love jazz this is an event you can't lose. Period. It is too much fun and substance. (...)"