'Nomad Sessions Vol.1' by EYM Trio

 

 "Jazz without borders."

That's the mantra that adorns the banner of the EYM Trio's website serving as an apt introduction to the group's ideals and intentions.

While - in this contemporary day and age - the natural assumption might be that the words refer to a musical gumbo style of jazz fusion, EYM seem notably drawn specifically to the notion of geographical borders.

With hundreds of globe-trotting performances under their belt, the Lyon-based trio have proven themselves committed to taking their music to as many far-ranging and wonderful places that they possibly can.  In fact, their ongoing project - now the subject of their latest release, 'Nomad Sessions' - brilliantly brings together performances and recordings over several years that have taken our adventure-bound trio from the streets of Manhattan, New York, to a beach in Pantai Ngrenehan, Indonesia, a hotel rooftop in Cartagena, Columbia, and a street in Old Bangalore, India.

And while the presentation of these recordings now as a full-length album is an unbridled treat, the videos are just as compulsory to the project to get a sense and flavour of the varying environments and cultures the EYM Trio inhabit through each performance - the transition into night while the trio perform in the middle of the Agafay Desert in Morocco is a surreal and extraordinary sight.

Filmed guerrilla-style with loaned and borrowed equipment and instruments where needed, or whatever they could get their hands on at the time, the EYM Trio have offered up some beautiful performances, elegantly filmed and recorded and all demonstrative of their passion towards each other and their music.

Comprised of pianist Elie Dufour, double-bassist Yann Phayphet and drummer Marc Michel, the Trio have clocked up a series of albums since their debut release in 2014 indicative of their inspirations, influences and travels.

With past releases having cultivated the trio's affections for global soundscapes with an impressive list of collaborators pulled together across their albums to date including Egyptian oud player Mohamed Abozekry, accordion player Marian Badoï from Romania, vocalists Mirande Shah and Varijashree Venugopal from India and Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman, 'Nomad Sessions' proves to be the result of a long gestating mythos for EYM.

And it all comes together so perfectly - steeped in sincerity, rooted in curiosity and realised through an admirable determination, the acoustic and adaptable nature of their music means that Dufour, Phayphet and Michel consistently create compelling and nuanced projects that display the impassioned and spirited nature of 'No Madness' or the sensitivity of 'Song for Anilou' featuring frequent collaborator Venugopal. 

'Nomad Sessions' proves an inspired project and one that helps reinforce the universal language that music speaks as it transcends language, geography and borders.  An enthralling and intimate piece of work that is as much about the shared human experience as it is about jazz.