Michel Benita Ethics - River Silver (2016)

Michel Benita is the Algiers-born double-bassist who has been an influential recent collaborator with Andy Sheppard, but though River Silver has a Sheppard-like songlike warmth, it’s a more world-folkish venture. It features the zither-like Japanese koto, atmospheric electronics (from another Sheppard sideman, Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset), and the mellifluous sound of Swiss flugelhornist Matthieu Michel. A quiet snare tattoo, sturdy bass countermelody and airy flugel lines mix eloquently on the dreamily cruising Back from the Moon, while the brass sound on I See Altitudes suggests 80s Miles Davis of his Tutu/Amandla era with a sleepwalking momentum instead of funk; and Aarset’s guitar builds an intensifying rockish groove on the initially purring, koto-driven Off the Coast. Yeavening is a yearning ballad for Michel’s voicelike flugel; Mieko Miyazaki’s koto feature is a lyrical sway with Benita in close attendance; and Snowed In a spacily affecting finale. It has a tranquillisingly warm-bath feel at times, but the melodies are seductive, and very delicately unfolded.

1. Back From The Moon (Composed By – Michel Benita) 5:49

2. River Silver (Composed By – Michel Benita) 4:37

3. I See Altitudes (Composed By – Michel Benita) 5:54

4. Off The Coast (Composed By – Michel Benita) 6:13

5. Yeavering (Composed By – Kathryn Tickell) 3:46

6. Toonari (Composed By – Michel Benita) 5:58

7. Hacihi Gatsu (Composed By – Mieko Miyazaki) 4:43

8. Lykken (Composed By – Eyvind Alnæs) 6:02

9. Snowed In (Composed By – Michel Benita) 6:21

Design – Sascha Kleis

Double Bass – Michel Benita

Drums – Philippe Garcia

Engineer – Stefano Amerio

Flugelhorn – Matthieu Michel

Guitar, Electronics – Eivind Aarset

Koto – Mieko Miyazaki

Photography By [Cover Photo] – Woong Chul An

Photography By [Liner Photo (7)] – Charles Moraz

Photography By [Liner Photos] – Dániel Vass

Producer [Produced By] – Manfred Eicher

Recorded April 2015

Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano

An ECM Production

In collaboration with RSI Rete Due, Lugano

Thanks to Paolo Keller

℗ © 2016 ECM Records GmbH, München

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

JAVI