Matthieu Saglio: Al Alba

European jazz is often deeply inspired by classical music and, on Al Alba, this influence is undeniable. In fact, this album is more a contemporary classical music album than a jazz record—unless one considers a few rhythmic flourishes. It is, therefore, best admired for the sheer beauty of its compositions, its interpretation, its arrangements and its vocal performances.

Alfred Deller was considered one of the greatest countertenors of all time. Since his passing in the early 1980s, he has inspired a new generation of artists who have modernized the style. This influence is evident in the voice of Camille Saglio, who now sings in an imaginary language, created spontaneously, shaping his own universe as he performs. With his countertenor voice, he transports the listener to soaring heights, improvising with a vocal trumpet-like sound. Yet, he also knows how to surprise, suddenly shifting to a song in English, Bambara, French or Spanish. His style is unmistakably his own.

Matthieu Saglio, for his part, reminds us of a chapter in European musical history—the era of royal and seigneurial courts, where musicians and composers were commissioned, fueling musical proliferation up until the French Revolution. Back then, compositions adhered to strict formal rules, whereas here, there is a deliberate embrace of world music influences, resulting in an album of absolute beauty. Camille interprets Arabic poetry ("Tariq"), as well as a well-known protest song ("Strange Fruit"), an iconic track by the French rock band Noir Désir ("Le Vent Nous Portera"), and free-flowing melodies adorned with Spanish ornaments. On one track, their third brother, Gabriel Saglio, joins them on the bass clarinet.

Looking more closely, this album is a synthesis of past and present, both in the themes it explores and the manner in which they are treated. It is their first duo album, infused with a spiritual dimension. It speaks of transitions and borders, of states of transformation and their impact on music and humanity. There is a Celtic-Breton touch, particularly in its affinity for the melancholic allure of minor tonalities. Flamenco is also present, lending both rhythmic rigor and a connection to the dreams and arabesques of the Mediterranean world. Matthieu Saglio's disciplined classical background grants him immense compositional freedom and an unparalleled delicacy of sound.

Camille, too, is a traveler between musical worlds. In 2003, he founded the group Sôdi in Toulouse, blending flute and percussion to explore world music and forge connections with the sounds of West Africa and the Middle East. He later joined the Manafina project, learning the guitar, ngoni and oud, and expressing himself in various languages, from Bambara to Arabic and Turkish. Beyond music, he has written short stories and plays, produced his own stage works such as Dis-leur que j'ai vécu (2010), and collaborated with actors and dancers like Vincent Loiseau, Didier Bardoux and Hervé Maigret.

The bass clarinet is what ties this work to jazz, along with a voice that at times transforms into a cry, sculpted like a work of art. This admirable album is one of the most dazzling and strange listening experiences we will have at our fingertips in 2025.