|
|
|
Press about Frederic Monino (In french): Here
QUOTES about the new release "Around Jaco" :
« A feeling
of great serenity emerges from this recording and what a joy to hear all these
musicians together, forming or at least belonging to a kind of family - the kind
that can get together to play this music "Around Jaco" »
« Always such a tremendous treat to hear Jaco's compositions, especially done with love and respect, honoring him with your beautiful renditions of his music ! Thank you Frédéric ! »
.
« ...There are at least three potential pitfalls to such a project. The first is
that Monino as a bassist might suffer in comparison to the daunting virtuosity
of the object of his homage. Second, such tributes risk being excessively
reverential . The third risk is that Pastorius—whose absence is much regretted,
but whose legacy is only beginning to be assessed—is not up to the tribute.
Monino succeeds on all three counts. Evidence of great achievement on the part
of the late bassist, it is no small achievement for Monino... »
« Around
Jaco. As you listen, the choice of title becomes obvious: this isn’t just a
tribute to the most famous electric bass player, the one we refer to when we
talk about "before Jaco" and "after Jaco". It’s really about an exploration into
Pastorius heritage, a rereading and widening of horizons. Respecting the legacy
but asserting your own identity ….Relevant arrangements, toned down
individualism for the sake of the collective work, and the obvious desire to
create a kind of bridge between American and European jazz contribute to making
this ambitious disc a real success. » «A bass
player paying tribute to Jaco Pastorius? Suspicious... But you’re wrong.Fredo Monino
isn’t just using Jaco as an excuse to show off. That’s not what he’s about... So
to avoid ad-libbing in the same old groove as the regrettable zealots of the
regretted Floridian poet, Monino formed a trio of hidalgos with just the
right tone and tempo... For good measure and to explore all the possible
jacological sounds, our three friends invited five others - a great idea,
because this major fifth has made a decisive contribution... Rarely has Jaco’s
music been so loved. And yes, that love is contagious. Highly and warmly
recommended by your humble servant »
« ..This is
an intelligent rereading of Pastorius’ compositions with original
instrumentation based on a trio….As an instrumentalist, Monino had the bright
idea of not plagiarizing his master and playing this repertoire his own way,
with his own tone and balanced mixing. "Frederic Monino's fretless bass
playing does not hide where he's coming from, instantly evoking Jaco Pastorius.
But the trio develops a personal and original colour of its own, giving us
beautiful, refined arrangements that the guest soloists help to bring out. You
immediately get a sense of space listening to this album. Nothing seems forced,
each choice (of arrangement, soloist etc.) justtifies itself. The music breathes
and the listener breathes with it. « …Grafted
onto his basic trio made up of Lionel Suarezon accordion and
Stephane
Huchard on drums, are several distinguished guests …The
unlikely composition of this line-up of brilliant soloists produces arrangements
that are unexpected to say the least. Frederic Monino’s 5-string fretless
Leduc U-bass clearly shines in this music, reinterpreted with the kind of
elegance Jaco Pastorius himself would not have shunned »
« …Frederic Monino
has invited a few
of his friends who are as highly talented as he is. A worthy tribute, with bass
playing that’s " pastoriusing " but not pasteurized; in short a very good,
elevated album, with jazz on every floor »
« …Strange line-up for this
repertoire, but it’s a question of respecting the spirit rather than the letter.
Monino is a past master in this little game: his music refuses any kind of
standardization, advocates complicity and improvisation. We’re in Pastorius
territory here! Olivier Ker Ourio, François Jeanneau, Louis Winsberg, Thomas de Pourquery
and Franck
Tortiller are among the guests, adding to the excellence of the
group as a whole, with some bravura passages: Teen town or again, the leader’s awesome
solo in Punktroduction… »
« The
American Jaco Pastorius showed that the bass wasn’t just a backing instrument in
jazz…Around Jaco is a tribute to a master, that’s worthy of the master...
Monino’s bass takes flight, races along, then turns to velvet in the
compositions of the American jazzman... QUOTES about "First Meeting" : « I've just finished listening "First Meeting" with great pleasure. Congratulations on a fine
piece of work. Your playing and your writing as well are rich and evocative. I
also think you've assembled this recording with considerable care. All the
musicians play your music with conviction and feeling ; please convey my sincere
respect to them. Thanks very much for passing this music to me. »
« In the ten years I've known and played with
Frédéric Monino, I've often asked myself when he would decide to record his own
music. Now he's done it, and I'm really pleased because I think he's a widely
underestimated musician. In my view, too few of us recognize what a wonderful
bassist he is when he plays in the service of other people's music. Today, we
have audible proof that his own work also warrants very close listening. »
« Everybody here knows him as a virtuoso
instrumentalist (and how!) and a charming person. But it was only when I began
working with him in the "Orchestra Frizzante" that I discovered Frédéric's true
nectar - that unique mixture of respectful involvement and humility in the
service of other people's music. His persistence and determination in pursuing
this personal project inspires my complete confidence in the successful outcome
of his venture. » « Frédéric Monino was part of my Big-Band for
several years, developing a solid, creative rhythmic section, giving the band
its particular tone. He also recorded a piece for electric bass with Laurent
Cugny's ONJ, that I wrote specially for him and which he performed with a great
deal of talent and virtuosity. » « It was a totally new experience for me to
compose a piece for Frédéric Monino. He approached me about it even though we'd
only just met and I immediately responded to his request. I wanted to pick up
the challenge. Up until then we had evolved in very different musical
environments and each of us clearly had to take a step toward the other if we
were to understand each other: in his case, by mastering new forms of sonority,
and in mine, by opening up my language to his improvising talent. The result was
this Episode 10e for 5 string semi-acoustic bass guitar, subtitled : "E sempre
la notte va". A demanding piece that we worked on together up to its creation in
February 2001 at the Festival "Mardi Graves, 2001 a bass odyssey". »
« Music is everywhere. It doesn't just belong to a
few initiates. This truth, a statement of the obvious, is easy to share when
sensibilities, emotions and thoughts come together from different socio-cultural
backgrounds, so mankind can share in these moments of happiness. Not forgetting
my Brazilian roots that are already very ethnically diverse, I've always stuck
to this line of action. For several years, I've found the perfect accomplice in
Frédéric Monino. It's not just his "balanço" (Spanish/Mediterranean side) I
like, but also the way his great technical mastery is exclusively dedicated to
the service of music, and most of all, that Frédéric is very sensitive. The
moment every artist hopes and waits for has now arrived. I'm sure that with this
CD, his great talent will be recognized by a very wide public. »
« What stands out for you after three years with
the O.N.J ? Ultimately it was a real party. I was also lucky to have played
alongside exceptional musicians like Frederic Monino or Stephane Huchard. That
doesn't happen every day. " « ...Frederic Monino is a precise instrumentalist, in the sense that every note counts. Technique, virtuosity and skill recede into the background, everything fades and gives way to the music itself. Neither the weft nor the stitches are apparent here, which you might say, is only normal. But it's important to point out that this comes at the end of a time when the demonstrative had become the rule, so many jazz discs where it's all become so easy, so stitched up... He uses the bass primarily as a musical instrument, a composition instrument.
« It's rare to find an album that doesn't blackmail you with dexterity, a series of punches or with the composition, an album that is non-threatening, with no violence, either hidden or blatant. This is the case for " First Meeting " by Frederic Monino, bass player and composer, in excellent company; it's come a long way and it's arrived... An album is inevitably a story of the concert or studio sessions. In this case, it's clearly a story of musical friendship, intimacy, gentleness, respect for each other and for music.»
« Having been enthusiastic about his qualities as an instrumentalist and composer so many times over the past 10 years, we had every reason to expect a real surprise from Frederic Monino's first opus. A wise premonition... The final outcome is ten meticulously blended pieces that all speak the same language, despite their different characters. Monino, with his family, that quiet strength, inviting us to his floating island. Monino, who never oversteps the mark and plays the illuminator with such skill. Never forcing, with a preference for soft colours and affable harmonies, the reeds just slightly unrestrained. A spirit of mutual understanding and freshness prevails...»
|