Alexis Tcholakian Trio

Jazz Magazine 31 Aug 2018

Inner Voice Vol.1 - 1 CD STUDIO DU SOUS-SOL 

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Newly out, here the Marseille pianist delivers his first trio album since "Poetic Memory" (2011). Surrounded by Lilian Bencini and Cédrick Bec, he reaffirms his talent as a composer with a completely original repertoire: Mirage immediately illustrates a sense of narrative that is rich in contrasts and colours. As a soloist, he continues an Evansian tradition right up to the choice of metrics (Valentine) and shows from beginning to end a concern for cohesion and sharing with two attentive and inspired partners. 

 

Vincent Cotro

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Alexis Tcholakian Trio

Jazz Hot n°684, summer 2018

Inner Voice. Vol.1

Mirage, Letter to the Unspeakable, Love Letter, Standing at Crossroads, Valentine, Trajectoire, Un Monde de silence

Alexis Tcholakian (p), Lilian Bencini (b), Cédrick Bec (dm)

Recorded on December 15 and 16, 2017, Argenteuil (95)

Duration: 50' 50' 50'''

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After going on an eventful musical journey before focusing on jazz, and for his fifth trio album, pianist Alexis Tcholakian offers us great accomplishment in this art of trio. He has surrounded himself with two musicians who perfectly fit his music, who know how to blend into his compositions and improvise in the same spirit. Alexis Tcholakian has an airy, clear, singing style of playing. He favours melody, which does not however preclude some subtleties of phrasing and harmony. The double bass player plays in the same vein, with melodic solos, a pure sound and a clean style, he is remarkable with the arco; as can be heard in "Love Letter", taken first ad libitum, then the piano comes in, we have beautiful double bass-piano responses, with repeated melodic phrases, all somewhat following the rhapsody form. As for the drummer, he is like a fish in the water: he unfolds polyrhythmic rolls just so, anchoring the trio with subtle and abundant drumming, as can be heard in "Standing at Crossroads", a pioneering title since we are dealing with a trio of fairly classic construction that stands at the crossroads of mainstream jazz and which above all plays its own and enchanting song.

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Serge Baudot