Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Pierre de Surgères: Krysis

6

Pierre de Surgères: Krysis

By

Sign in to view read count
Pierre de Surgères: Krysis
Belgian pianist Pierre de Surgères is an autodidact musician who pursued a musical career only after he studied journalism and philosophy. So far, that career has been quite erratic, he attended master classes with diverse mentors such as Toots Thielemans and Anthony Braxton, launched a project dedicated to the provocative songs of Serge Gainsbourg, worked in Florida with funky jazz masters like George Duke and Marcus Miller. Surgeres formed a quintet back home featuring acclaimed French saxophonist Alexandra Grimal that played his compositions influenced by traditional jazz and ideas from Steve Coleman's M-Base. Just recently, Surgeres founded the Krysis trio.

Also known also as The Groovy Mates, the project features bassist Félix Zurstrassen and prolific drummer, bandleader and label owner Teun Verbruggen (among the bands he leads is The Bureau of Atomic Tourism with american trumpeter Nate Wooley and French guitarist Marc Ducret)—reflects Surgères eclectic and diverse tastes.

The 14 concise songs on their debut album are based on symmetry, rhythmic and melodic serialism or rhythmic invention, often spontaneous.

Pierre de Surgères knows how to tell a dramatic story in sound, sometimes even a story with conflicting narratives like the title piece. His compositions suggest distinct scenery, atmosphere and vibe, rich in nuance and plot shifts, further stressed with the relaxed, supportive interplay and driving pulse of the rhythm section.The trio knows how to build tension, as on the cinematic "Dimitri Had a Car Crash," then release it with humor and irony without subscribing to conventions.They also convey lyrical emotions with impressive command, as on the touching "HLM Blues."

A promising debut by a trio with an original voice of its own.

Track Listing

Olive Nocturne; Far, Far ,Away…; Step Aside; Krysis Alt Intro; Back To Life; HLM Blues; Neige; Dmitri Had a Car Crash; On a Train To Bern; Xynthia; Nautilus; Coline Dort; Pericoloso; Krysis.

Personnel

Pierre de Surgères: piano; Félix Zurstrassen: electric bass; Teun Verbruggen: drums.

Album information

Title: Krysis | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.