Artist: Lola De Valence

Date of Release: 30/06/2007

Catalogue no: AS238

Label: Altrisuoni

Price: £12

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Track Listing

The "Lola De Valence" quartet was formed in 2003 in the region around Lausanne, Switzerland, thanks to the initiative of its youngest member, the drummer Ivan Gaillard. They've already performed at the Cully jazz festival in 2005.
"Lola De Valence" proposes a half breed music, both sensual and rhythmical. Most tracks, which are all composed by Ivan Gaillard, find their inspriration in nothern Africa (Egypt, Marocco), from the hispanic culture (tango, flamenco) and from the colourful improvisations of jazz music.
"Lola De Valence" invites the listener to a journey, a return to one's roots, to discover the unknown perfumes under a clear sky. The feeling of openess, the warmth of the encouters, the mad desires and the regrets afterwards, all that can spice one's life is brought to the listener by the band's instruments: the bandoneon (Alain Ray), the acoustic guitar (Claude Schneider), the bass (André Hahne) and the drums (Ivan Gaillard). The great listening quality of the four musicians come out through their improvisations, which are expressive, powerful and dynamic likewise.

Reviews

08/06/2008 Donald Elfman, All About Jazz New York

Lola de Valence is not a sultry torch singer but the name of a quartet which was formed in an area around Lausanne, Switzerland by four musicians: drummer Ivan Gaillard (who wrote all the tunes on Eaux Troublés), guitarist Claude Schneider, bassist André Hahne and bandoneonist Alain Ray. They negotiate through the “troubled waters” of the title, utilizing textures that suggest both roots and modern directions. Gaillard's compositions find inspiration in tango, in northern African music, flamenco and, certainly, jazz. Ray's fluid bandoneon lines complement the sound of the other instruments and though they all take the spotlight, they clearly work together for a group approach. On the title track, Hahne takes a darkly beautiful bass solo that follows the mysterious changes yet moves ever forward. These are listening musicians who emerge from the places in the world to give us sounds that we somehow both know and don't