Search - Stephane Belmondo :: Same As It Never Was Before

For many decades, jazz has sought a balance between reverence for the past and being contemporary. It has become more and more evident in the last few decades as the old guard and new generations of practitioners have gone head to head, much to the detriment of the entire culture.

Fortunately, there are musicians like French trumpeter/composer Stéphane Belmondo who see the legitimacy of bridging the divide, creating contemporary, compelling jazz with reverence to the masters of the idiom. On his new CD, The Same as it never was before, Belmondo enlists the talent of two legendary jazz progressives: pianist Kirk Lightsey and drummer Billy Hart. Along with young bassist Sylvain Romano, the quartet creates music in the tradition but not strictly of it.

Belmondo has been an important presence in the French jazz world for some time. The son of a professional musician, Belmondo and his brother, saxophonist Lionel, began performing at an early age. Belmondo s professional career began in the mid 1980s as a member of Laurent Cugny s Big Band then with Pierre Boussaguet s Quintet and American ex-pat Kirk Lightsey s Quintet. Belmondo lived in New York City during the 1990s, performing with a myriad of top performers, including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Al Foster, and Mark Turner. Upon his return to France, he released a number of highly praised recordings on his and his brother s label B-Flat Recordings, featuring legends Yusef Lateef and Milton Nascimento.

The trumpeter s broad musical scope has brought him in contact with a number of jazz luminaries. His inclusion of Lightsey and Hart on this recording shows his intent to provide an especially wide view of the history of the music. Both musicians are well known for their individual talents along with their own eclectic musical paths. As part of a generation that witnessed the heyday of jazz, these two musicians went on to stretch the music s boundaries further than most.

Lightsey provides a singular musical perspective to the proceedings. A native of Detroit, the pianist began professionally in the studios of Motown accompanying the classic generation of R&B and soul legends, including Stevie Wonder (whose music Belmondo features on this record). From there, Lightsey went on to become one of Chet Baker s favorite accompanists and a highly original and lauded stylist. Mostly under the radar during the 1970s, he became highly acknowledged after an association with Dexter Gordon and the all-star group The Leaders.

Billy Hart has been one of jazz s celebrated journeymen and innovators. The drummer has been a key piece to groups led by artists as diverse as Shirley Horn, Wes Montgomery, and Stan Getz. Hart was also integral to the progression of jazz into the funk fusion of Herbie Hancock s Mwandishi band and the blending of cultural styles with David Liebman, including the collective band Quest.





The CD leads in with So We Are, a lovely ballad that allows the drums to swell around a plaintive trumpet. You and I is a lovely and swinging interpretation of the Stevie Wonder classic. Habiba (Intro) features a resonant bass solo that builds alongside Lightsey s flute and Belmondo s conch before segueing into Habiba, a moving original composition written by Lightsey that highlights the interplay of the quartet. Free for Three begins with a dialog between trumpet and drums, the addition of bass makes for a tremendously open trio performance. A child s laughter introduces Light Upon Rita, a bass solo leads into a bewitchingly melancholy composition written by the leader. Lightsey introduces the ruminative duo reading of the standard Everything Happens to Me. Wayne Shorter s United is given a bright, lighthearted arrangement in contrast to the blue-toned, envelopment of the album s finale, Haunting By Now.