Remi Toulon 5tet: The Crave

French pianist Remi Toulon has played and travelled with bassist Jean-Luc Arramy and drummer Vincent Frade for many years. They are joined on this recording by Sebastien Charlier, who takes the diatonic harmonica out of its usual blues setting, and ventures into this more complex harmonic environment. Also in the quintet is Zé-Luis Nascimento, a lively Latin percussionist from Salvador de Bahia.

During Covid restrictions and lockdowns, many musicians have vented their need to perform through writing and recording music. This album reflects Toulon's expression of the things he was missing from performance, the rhythms of life and musical interaction. Here, he explores Brazilian and Caribbean music as it relates to jazz. "Arabesque" is a track Toulon wrote as he was thinking about the music of Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti, both of whom he has long admired. "Chloe's Dreams" is a charming and dainty little waltz which Toulon wrote for his daughter, who is just five years old. The title track, "The Crave," is a piece by Jelly Roll Morton who, despite his somewhat excessive claims about the invention of jazz, was indeed an inventive musician who had a formative influence on rock'n'roll and was inducted into the hall of fame.

After a recent commission to arrange some Michael Jackson hits for a tribute performance, Toulon realised how much he enjoyed "Human Nature," written by S. Porcaro & J. Bettis, and included this track on his recording. Toulon wrote "The Last Parade" after watching the funeral procession for Dr. John, which he found profoundly moving. "Un Poco Loco," written by E.R. Powell, is the Latin opportunity to go a bit mad and have fun with the music. "Pixinguinha" is a beautiful chorinho, which Toulon describes as the Brazilian version of ragtime. "Carinhoso" probably dates from the same period as Scott Joplin's music, but that may be a coincidence. Toulon's arrangement of "When You're Smiling" is a playful musical joke, a game between rhythm and harmonics to add pep to this well-known piece. Toulon dedicated "Elegy for an eternal child" to Chick Corea, who passed away the day they began recording this album. "Confinamento Feliz" ("Happy Confinement") is Toulon's adventure into irony, with perhaps exasperation at the inconveniences which the world felt during lockdowns. The only trio track on the album is "Tarde em Itapoa," a gentle lingering melody which leaves a lasting impression. Antonio Carlos Jobim wrote "Imagina" as his first composition. It was inspired by Ravel's "Valses Nobles y Sentimentales."

The whole of this album is quite a journey, visiting music Toulon admires, original pieces which he wrote and dedicated to musicians recently passed, a charming reflective waltz for his daughter, and upbeat Brazilian rhythms for fun. One musician's emotional response to the long break in live music performance.