The Mask

Erik Truffaz

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 20, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B00004TLZH
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #125,224 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The French have had a love affair with Miles Davis going back to his score for the 1957 film Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud. But French native and popular trumpeter-composer Eric Truffaz takes admiration to new levels on his U.S. debut, a compilation of tracks from his Blue Note France albums Out of a Dream, The Dawn, and Bending New Corners. Using familiar components of Miles's hotly debated 1970s sound (Agharta, Big Fun, On the Corner)--including muted trumpet, graceful figures, cerebral melodies, and atmospheric electric piano--Truffaz appears as a talented clone. But his music is redeemed by its very assimilation of Miles's style and elegance. Truffaz and his expressive quintet write evocative compositions rife with darkly gorgeous melodies, performed in a variety of contemporary styles. Quasi drum and bass fills "Bending New Corners" and "Betty"; whisper-funk imbues "The Dawn"; a springy groove straight from Sorcerer supports the elastic "Arroyo"; free-form noodling fills "Less"; and drum and bass noodling fills "More." Truffaz plays sumptuously on the eerie ballads "Wet in Paris" and "And." Many American acts sound flat and stiff when attempting this Milesian hipster style, but Truffaz and Co. pull it off with deft twirls. --Ken Micallef

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic new sound, June 21, 2000

By A Customer

This CD is actually a compilation of two import only CDs, "Bending New Corners" and "The Dawn". FINALLY some of his recordings are available directly in the US. (In fact I previously sent an email to Blue Note asking them why it wasn't available in the states! )

Mr Truffaz' sound is a blend of jazz a la Miles' Bitches Brew, hip hop and drum n bass. Great sound and great performances, albeit some may argue its almost too much of an homage to each of these genres.

However, it's a fantastic blend - just the right mix of dissonance and melody. My advice is if you like Bitches Brew and you like hip hop and drum n bass - with organic instruments - buy this CD immdiately.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If Miles was still alive., February 3, 2001

By	John Greenspan "chtrains" (Santa Fe, New Mexico United States) - See all my reviews

If Miles Davis was still alive and playing, this is what he might do. Errik Truffaz is not trying to copy Miles, but rather has absorbed his style and is moving on to the next level. I played several cuts from this CD on a jazz program I do in Santa Fe and got several calls wanting to know how they could obtain the disc. Erik Truffaz is an important new voice in jazz.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I thought I was more of a "traditionalist", ..., September 28, 2001

By	T. Hoppe "T.H." (Meadowbrook, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Up 'til this album, (and still) my favorites consist(ed) of recordings such as Art Blakey-almost anything-especially MOSAIC, Griffin/Davis, Coltrane-BLUE TRAIN, Miles Davis (50's), Lee Morgan, classic BLUE NOTE, ... But this just woke me up! I bought it on the strength of the reviews I read, and I was not disappointed-this is a great album! Definately grooves in a detached kinda way, yet there's this hot trumpet going on as well. Hey, if Miles was doing this about 30 years ago, more power to him.