Mother of Pearl is a work of perfect coherence with a rare melodic soul. As a listening experience it leaves us in no doubt that contemporary jazz has another great composer in its ranks.
Sébastian Danchin
I first started laying the foundations for the Mother of Pearl project after revisiting the Summit album by Astor Piazzolla and Gerry Mulligan.
The sheer melodic and lyrical power of this 1974 album, with its sublime combination of baritone saxophone and bandoneon, inspired me to work differently as a composer: to engage with new colours, start up unspoken dialogues, set out on innovative sound journeys…
Whilst my musical roots are intimately entwined with dance, rhythm and melody, the saxophone and accordion are written into my musical DNA. They are both inextricably linked to the creative imagery I tapped into to write the original compositions for this fifth opus.
Recorded alongside four exceptional musicians, Mother of Pearl is essentially a conversation between my saxophones and the accordion.
I have always found Daniel Mille’s artistic sensibility and lyrical depth compelling. Some 45 years after the Summit experience, the complementarity of sound and melody that brought us together on this album speaks for itself, spurring me to bring you this new repertoire.
Bons voyages…
Eric Séva