Home » Jazz Musicians » Grégory Sallet Discography

Otsukaresama

Grégory Sallet

Label: La Voie de la Musique créative
Released: 2025
Views: 23

Tracks

1. Otsukaresama – 4:50 2. La plateforme – 6:55 3. L’arbre cryptoméria – 4:37 4. Les gorgones du boulanger – 6:06 5. Jugalbandi – 4:42 6. Instinct 3 – 6:11 7. Instinct 4 – 6:34 8. Instinct 5 – 0:52 9. Le sabre est mon refuge (coda) – 7:06 10. Okinawa Matsuri – 3:54

Personnel

Grégory Sallet

saxophone

matthieu roffé

piano

Michel Molines

bass, acoustic

Kevin Lucchetti

drums

Prabhu Edouard

tablas

Yuriko Kimura

flute

Album Description

In Japanese, Otsukaresama is an expression of gratitude for shared effort—an acknowledgement typically offered at the end of a working day. It is also the title of the new album by French saxophonist Grégory Sallet and his ensemble Sur Écoute Quartet, the culmination of two decades of friendship and deep musical synergy. With this new repertoire, the quartet transforms labour into colour, perseverance into poetry, and camaraderie into art. Drawing from the harmonic elegance of Ravel, Debussy, and Messiaen, and echoing the spiritual depth of Indian and Japanese traditions, Sallet’s compositions build a bridge between impressionism and contemporary jazz—evoking the lyricism of Jan Garbarek, the rhythmic ingenuity of Steve Coleman, or the emotional clarity of Chris Potter, yet with a distinctly Franco-Asian accent.

Following their acclaimed 2019 debut Muss es sein? Es muss sein!, the quartet—comprising Matthieu Roffé (piano), Kevin Lucchetti (drums), and Michel Molines (double bass)—returns with a deeper, more expansive sonic vision. Otsukaresama explores cultural and musical intersections with grace and intensity, featuring guest appearances by Japanese flautist Yuriko Kimura and Indian tabla master Prabhu Edouard, who bring additional dimension and authenticity to this richly textured journey.

The album was recorded in May 2025 at Le Crescent (Mâcon), a venue that serves not only as an acoustic haven but as a symbolic home for the ensemble. Engineered by Frédéric Lezard and mastered by Steven Criado, the sessions captured the group’s intuitive interplay and attention to detail, translating years of shared musical language into a nuanced, emotionally resonant recording.

Each composition on Otsukaresama is a moment of exploration. The title track layers complex meter under a tender, melodic surface. Instinct 4 opens with luminous percussion improvisation between Lucchetti and Edouard. Le sabre est mon refuge (coda) blends Japanese and European idioms into a climactic, emotionally charged finale. Meanwhile, Jugalbandi creates an unexpected and brilliant dialogue between soprano saxophone and tabla, a cross-cultural improvisational dance.

“This album is a reflection of what I treasure most in music: colour, rhythm, listening, interplay, empathy—and surprise.” — Grégory Sallet

MUSICAL LANDSCAPE

Otsukaresama unfolds as a suite of ten contrasting yet interconnected pieces, each revealing a distinct mood and compositional intent—where improvisation and structure, shadow and light, tradition and experimentation coexist.

Otsukaresama (4:50)
The title track introduces the album with a calm but intricate interplay of saxophone and piano over polymetric ostinatos. A subtle nod to Indian rhythmic cycles (tihais) gives the piece a circular, meditative form, embodying the spirit of grateful closure.
La plateforme (6:55)
Composed by Kevin Lucchetti, this piece evokes sci-fi imagery inspired by Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem. Its layered architecture, metric shifts and spiralling dynamics echo the cosmic and philosophical tensions of the novel.
L’arbre cryptoméria (4:37)
A contemplative ballad shaped by Sallet’s work around the Musashi theatre project, this piece mirrors the transformation of the warrior Takezō into a seeker of peace, conveyed through suspended harmonies and introspective pacing.
Les gorgones du boulanger (6:06)
Myth and mystery converge in this rhythmically playful and harmonically rich composition by Matthieu Roffé. Its title, half surreal, half legendary, hints at buried stories woven into its motifs and grooves.
Jugalbandi (4:42)
A radiant, improvised dialogue between Grégory Sallet’s soprano saxophone and Prabhu Edouard’s tablas. The piece draws directly from the Indian classical tradition of musical duelling, here reimagined in a jazz context.
Instinct 3 (6:11)
One of three “Instinct” sketches on the album—originally solo saxophone improvisations—this track balances freedom and form, allowing the quartet to explore dynamic contrasts and spontaneous interplay.
Instinct 4 (6:34)
A high-energy exploration where Lucchetti and Edouard engage in a powerful rhythmic exchange. The piece breathes with tension and release, eventually resolving into a light-filled melodic reprise.
Instinct 5 (0:52)
A brief, poetic interlude that serves as a bridge—condensing a musical idea into less than a minute while maintaining emotional clarity.
Le sabre est mon refuge (coda) (7:06)
This dramatic and emotionally charged piece brings together modal Japanese scales and Baroque intensity, inspired by the figure of samurai Musashi. Kimura’s flutes contribute a poignant melodic thread throughout.

Okinawa Matsuri (3:54)
Composed by Roffé, the closing piece is festive and dance-like, shaped by traditional Japanese scales and an evolving meter (13/8 to 20/8). A joyful celebration that brings the album to a luminous close.