Les Sirènes
2007 · Altrisuoni (AS253) · CD Album · Switzerland
Thomas Silvestri Quintet
Tracklist
- MTS
- Goodbye
- Les Sirènes
- Yeti
- Calvi
- The Rogue
- Le Château En Espagne
- Don't Miss The 7 O'Clock Train
- Vuono
- La Gaviota
- Puzzle
Personnel & credits
- Heiner MerkBass
- Tony RenoldDrums
- Ron KurzEngineer
- Thomas SilvestriPiano, Composed By
- Ewald HügleTenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone
- Michael GassmannTrumpet
About this record
Press
“can transport American jazz history better... than many groups from the US itself”Jazzzeit (Vienna) ↗
Reception
"Les Sirènes" is a small Swiss-label date (Altrisuoni, cat. AS253) led by Schaffhausen pianist/composer Thomas Silvestri, with all-original material in a contemporary acoustic-jazz idiom. Documented critical reception is thin and mostly confined to German-language sources and label/band promotional copy. The clearest external press notice is from the Viennese magazine Jazzzeit, which praised the quintet's command of the American jazz tradition; the band/label text characterises the record as lyrical yet tightly arranged, contrasting melodic solos with fast unison passages, and frames it as intense jazz with poetry, wit and strong improvisers. No reviews surfaced on AllMusic, All About Jazz / All About Jazz Italia, JazzTimes, Down Beat, Musica Jazz, JazzConvention, or Swiss/Italian jazz press during this search; these are either silent on the title or were not returned. Coverage of Michael Gassmann specifically is generic to the ensemble — he is listed in the lineup but no source singles out his playing on this album, and care was taken not to attribute the classical musicologist namesake's notices to this date. Note a year discrepancy: Discogs lists 2007 (AS253) while the artist/band sources and retail listings consistently say the CD was released in 2008.
Background
Led by Schaffhausen-based jazz pianist/composer Thomas Silvestri (professional since 1993; first drew attention with a quintet in 1999). "Les Sirènes" was the second CD by his quintet, following "Agua Amarga." All material is original Silvestri compositions in a contemporary acoustic-jazz vein; sources describe roughly seven core originals recorded in July (with the issued CD listing 11 tracks, ~50 minutes, including the title track "Les Sirènes," "Yeti," "Calvi," "The 7 O'Clock Train," "La Gaviota," "Puzzle"). Confirmed quintet lineup: Michael Gassmann (trumpet — the credited "Appearance"), Ewald Hügle (tenor and soprano saxophone), Thomas Silvestri (piano), Dominique Girod (bass), Tony Renold (drums). Released on Altrisuoni, the independent Swiss jazz label founded in 1993 (catalogue AS253).