The latest from Alban Darche is a nice reminder that the fascinating eccentricities that mark his music are, in their own way, an extension of jazz tradition. The newest incarnation of his ensemble Le Gros Cube takes the form of a big band, and though the music has everything we’ve come to expect from Darche—bold harmonic surges and melodies wide as the horizon—it also channels the quirky turns of phrase and unorthodox shifts in cadence that characterize his music. Darche’s various ensembles are typically comprised of immensely talented saxophonists, and this one is no different. Jon Irabagon, Loren Stillman, and Matthieu Donarier join the fray, along with trombonists John Fedchock and Samuel Blaser, and double bassist Sébastien Boisseau.
1. A la bougie 06:44
2. Ping-pong 04:35
3. Arcane XV - Le Diable 08:46
4. Arcane XVIIII - Le Soleil 03:34
5. Le Mort Joyeux 03:50
6. Beauty and sadness II 04:10
7. Le chemin (vertueux) 06:48
8. L'oiseau qu'on voit chante sa plainte 03:33
9. Arcane XXII - Le Mat 03:22
10. Le cercle 04:15
Jon Irabagon : alto saxophone
Loren Stillman : alto saxophone
Alban Darche : tenor saxophone
Matthieu Donarier : tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Rémi Sciuto : baritone saxophone, flute
Joël Chausse : trumpet
Geoffroy Tamisier : trumpet
Jean-Paul Estiévenart : trumpet
Olivier Laisney : trumpet
John Fedchock : trombone
Jean-Louis Pommier : trombone
Samuel Blaser : trombone
Matthias Quilbault : tuba
Marie Krüttli : piano
Gilles Coronado : guitar
Sébastien Boisseau : double bass
Christophe Lavergne : drums
All compositions & arrangements by Alban Darche
Recorded and mixed by Jonathan Marcoz at Peninsula studio in January 2020, under live conditions.
Mastered by Pierre Vandewaeter at studio Lakanal.
01. À La Bougie — 06:44
Soloists: A. Darche, tenor — J. Irabagon, alto
02. Ping-Pong — 04:36
Soloists: L. Stillman, alto — C. Lavergne, drums A.Darche, tenor — M.Donarier, tenor
03. Arcane XV — le DiaBle — 08:46
Soloists: A. Darche, tenor — G. Tamisier / O. Laisney, trumpets
04. Arcane XVIIII — le Soleil — 03:35
Soloist: M. Donarier, tenor
05. Le Mort Joyeux — 03:51
Soloist: M. Krüttli, piano
06. Beauty And Sadness II — 04:11
Soloists: G. Coronado, guitar — S. Boisseau, double bass
07. Le Chemin (Vertueux) — 06:49
Soloists: A. Darche, tenor — J. Fedchock / J.L. Pommier / S. Blaser, trombones — L. Stillman, alto — O. Laisney, trumpet
08. L’Oiseau Qu’On Voit Chante Sa Plainte — 03:34
09. Arcane XXII — Le Mat — 03:22
Soloist: L. Stillman, alto
10. Le Cercle — 04:15
Soloist: A. Darche, tenor
