Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Moutin Reunion Quartet: Power Tree

126

Moutin Reunion Quartet: Power Tree

By

Sign in to view read count
Moutin Reunion Quartet: Power Tree
Identical twin brothers François and Louis Moutin know a lot about a lot of things. Theirs is a story that would give any parent room to mutter aloud with mixed emotions. While their mother played piano and guitar for the developing twins, their father taught them to enjoy his vast jazz record collection. François learned to play guitar and moved to bass at age 9. Louis learned to play piano and moved to drums at age 20. But they followed their parents' advice with regard to material educational goals. By 1986, Louis had his Master's in Mathematics and François had a Ph.D. in Physics. After graduation, however, they turned to jazz full-time. The twins worked with notable French jazz artists such as Martial Solal and Michel Portal. They grew apart, professionally, in 1996, when one brother moved to New York.

Most of this reunion program was composed by the Moutin brothers. Theirs is an exciting form of jazz that derives from the mainstream and digs deeply into emotional force. Hence, the title: Power Tree. Their natural empathy enables both to anticipate improvised changes in volume and intensity. The bassist loves a clear melody and the drummer assumes his responsibility for rhythm. Sylvain Beuf, an adequate saxophonist, accepts a feature role through much of the album. His tenor, in particular, provides a major part of the quartet's spirit. Pianist Baptiste Trotignon shares in the excitement with clear passion. Theirs is good, clean, straight-ahead jazz with no gimmicks or corny ideas. As a top-ten album of the year, this one comes highly recommended.

Track Listing

La Vie en Rose; Free Climbing; Africa; Flying Bridge; Toutes Directions; Je M'suis Fait Tout P'tit; Les Copains D'abord/Le Gorille; A Batons Rompus; Song for a Cat.

Personnel

The Moutin Reunion Quartet
band / ensemble / orchestra

Fran

Album information

Title: Power Tree | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Dreyfus Records

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

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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