1. A Forest
2. In Your House
3. The Caterpillar
4. In Between Days
5. A Reflection
6. Killing An Arab
7. Just Like Heaven/Close to Me
8. Lullaby
9. Boys Don't Cry
Pierrick Pédron - Alto sax
Thomas Bramerie - Double bass
Franck Agulhon - Drums
Médéric Collignon - Trumpet (tracks 6, 9)
Thomas De Pourquery - Vocals (tracks 2, 3, 5)
Ghamri Boubaker - Zorna Algeroise, Algerian flute (track 5)
For those unfamiliar with the English rock band The Cure, founded in 1976, it is necessary to point out that they have been very successful and also that,
with occasional exceptions, they have been noted for the darkness of their music. They have been variously categorized as gothic rock or alternative rock.
Almost all of the material on this album, played by French jazz musician Pierrick Pédron and those who make up his trio plus three guests, are
collaborative compositions by band members of The Cure. The exceptions are track 4 and the Close To Me part of track 7, both of which are solely
the work of leader Robert Smith.
Pierrick Pédron, now in his mid-forties, is a prize-winning alto saxophonist with a taste for crossover and the mixing of genres. As well as his musical
association with his compatriots, he has also played in the company of American jazz stars such as Wynton Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller and drummer Lewis Nash. Kubic's Monk, Pédron's
tribute album to the great Thelonious, caused quite a stir when it was released in 2012. Here he turns his attention to the music of The Cure.
A Forest
finds Pédron playing against a formidable beat established from the beginning by drummer Agulhon, and double bassist Bramerie who also features strongly.
Pédron's impassioned and exciting alto moves into post-bop mode before a stately return to the original theme, followed by a gentle fade.In Your House has sinuous alto sax with rock-solid support and with Thomas De Pourquery providing an interesting, even eccentric, vocal dimension. The Caterpillar is a repetitive piece, carried well by Pédron and with backing from De Pourquery. In Between Days sees a sombre yet
lilting melody on alto, gathering sudden momentum and taking on a more vigorous life before a final reprise. A Reflection has the double bass
centre stage for the first time on this disc but is chiefly notable for the exotic contribution of Ghamri Boubaker on Zorna Algeroise and Algerian flute.
The effect is similar to the sound achieved on Gilad Atzmon's Exile CD, though different instruments are used there. A stimulating curiosity. Killing An Arab is inspired by an Albert Camus novel, apparently. It is taken at a fast pace, drum driven, again with shifts in rhythm, the alto
brisk and expressive, a lively trumpet contribution. Ultimately, it becomes a tad chaotic. Just Like Heaven/Close to Me has a catchy theme and has
some fine playing from the trio members. The two tunes meld and that goes for the group too. Lullaby is jaunty despite the title and romps along
merrily, though with a touch of cacophony. Boys Don't Cry, an early hit for The Cure, has a calypso feel about it. The alto and trumpet
interaction makes for a great sound and there is a strong collective drive apparent.
I found the album growing on me as I listened. The first and last tracks are probably the most appealing but I also liked Just Like Heaven/Close to Me a lot. There was much elsewhere to admire too. Well worth a try.
James Poore
CD Reviews
ACT 9554-2
