French saxophonist Emile Parisien adds to his extensive body of work with his latest full-length 'Floating'.
Released through ACT Music - who are already having an incredible year with new music from Mammal Hands ('Circadia'), Emma Rawicz ('Paintbox') and Theo Croker & Sullivan Fortner ('Play') - the project finds Parisien collaborating alongside musicians whose chemistry was initially relegated to a one-and-done performance as part of Parisien's residency at the Théâtre de la Cité internationale de Paris.
After a tumultuous run which was leading towards a well-deserved break, the pairing of Parisien with Linda May Han Oh, Yaron Herman and Prabhu Edouard sparked a distinct interaction that begged to revisited all this time later.
Finding the joy in collaboration surely comes as second nature for Parisien at this stage - as a member at one time or another of Ephemere Quartet, Georgi Kornazov's Horizons Quintet, Daniel Humar Quartet and of course notwithstanding his own Emile Parisien Quartet and Quintet ensembles. A strong advocate for French and European jazz, Parisien's diverse resume and continued musical efforts are committed to bringing prominence to jazz from his corner of the world and establish him as a compulsory voice in his own right.
Such is Parisien's prolificacy, 'Floating' marks one of three full-lengths that bear his name this year on ACT alone: 'Freiheit' paired Parisien's sax alongside Michael Wollny's piano for their sublime two-hander while, on the other end of the scale, the Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic Series finds Parisien as an enthusiastic contributor for the Bernd Lhotzky-helmed 'Jazz Goes Baroque' project.
Despite the litany of Parisien releases, 'Floating' ushers in a notably unique slice of magic thanks in no small part to the boundlessly talented company that the saxophonist keeps. As a mix of long-time friends and collaborators, 'Floating' brings together pianist Yaron Herman, bassist Linda May Han Oh and percussionist Prabhu Edouard alongside Parisien on sax - recreating their scintillating night back at Paris' Théâtre de la Cité internationale.
As an album title, 'Floating' serves as a deliciously apt one - by no means short on spirited and impassioned moments throughout, there is an undeniable allure to the project's over-arching ethereal quality. Musically transcendent in its perception of the quartet's vision and interplay, the album offers up some genuinely brilliant compositions that you can't help but consider in regards to those Paris performances the year prior.
There's a quaint mysticism to art existing in a single and solitary space and time but, conversely, having the opportunity to recapture a moment in time is just as impactful. 'Floating' finds four incredibly world class musicians performing at an impeccable level and proving that they can in fact together make lightning strike as many times as they so wish.
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