Customer Reviews

Satie: Gymnopedies Gnossiennes / Jacques Loussier Trio

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Those who know Jacques Loussier from his Play Bach Trio, where he imparts a highly personal touch to the music of J. S. Bach, may have been surprised when he attacked Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons last year. Now he has taken another unexpected turn with Erik Satie, Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes.

This development may be seen as a kind of progression from the strict logic - albeit eminently suited to improvisation - of Bach through the more expressionistic Vivaldi to Satie, the most impressionistic of these three composers. On the face of it, Satie is perhaps easier to interpret in a jazz idiom since the original music is closer to the forms of modern jazz than that of Bach and Vivaldi. But Loussier produces an equally masterful interpretation in all cases, maintaining an exquisite balance between his own invention and the essence of the original music. Although this record carries the sub-title `Compositions of Jacques Loussier on Themes of Erik Satie', the compositions! ! are at all times recognisably Satie as much as they are Loussier. The technical showmanship associated with many of Loussier's Bach interpretations, and indeed with his Vivaldi, is here exchanged for a gentleness that pervades most of the music on the disc. The mastery of the keyboard is still there, of course, but appears more as musical expression than agility and brilliance. André Arpino on drums complements Loussier's piano as always with sensitive and imaginative percussion, while Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac, new to the trio on bass, shows himself a worthy member of the group.

If you know and love Loussier, buy this disc. If you know and love Satie, buy this disc. And if you don't know either, buy the disc anyway - it is one of the greats.

I have long considered Satie's Gnossienne to be some of the most emotionally touching and versatile pieces in music. So to pass a lazy afternoon, I went searching for as many versions of them as possible. I found everything from guitar to harp to dancefloor remixes. But there was one interpretation that stood out from all of them: the Jacques Loussier Trio interpretations.

First, I disagree vehemently with what one can only describe as the dense and snobbish two star review below. Satie's music is not degraded here; it is simply reinterpreted into a new genre. But my ears (nor those of any other reviewer, it seems) detect any degredation or "dumbing down" of Satie. Rather, the Loussier Trio handle Satie's delicate pieces with all the care they deserve. They do well at playing minimalistically, using no more notes than are necessary. I can't help but think that this is the way Satie would have wanted it, as his compositions cry out for exactly that style.

While there are a few question marks on the CD (for instance, trying to fit a 3/4 Gymnopedie into 4/4)even the weaker tracks (relatively speaking) are worth a good listen. The Gnossienne (particularly the first four) take the cake, though!

A brief descriptive note before I leave you to buy the CD. Any lover of the "new" European (particularly Nordic) jazz, such as the Esbjorn Svensson trio, or the Tord Gustavsen trio, will UNQUESTIONABLY love the Jacques Loussier trio. Loussier has mastered the type of sparse and dark sound achieved by the said trios.

You are in for a treat, indeed!

I can only endorse the opinions of the first reviewer. No matter what your musical taste, this is one for you. To listen to intently, or as background for that intimate dinner, this is a fine addition to any collection.

My introduction to the Gymnopedies was hearing Blood Sweat and Tears rendition on their 2nd album. I've been entranced by them ever since. I've collected the purist renditions of the work, and then I heard the lead track of this CD on our local Jazz/NPR station, KPLU.

I was immediately obsessed with finding out who/what/where.

I did, and I purchased this disc and several others. I was not disappointed. Other writers here are far more eloquent than I about the musical content; suffice it to say that Loussier remains true to the mood and emotion of the original, and his improvizations on those themes brings a new and fresh point of view to these already beautiful works.

Last, I'll comment on a technical point. These recordings are stunning. Totally natural sounds, and a stunning mix. Everything is in its place, you hear everything. The SACD version is even better. The older recordings (like the original Bach) are not at all dated in their sound.

I applaud this artist, this work, and this recording. Few of my recent CD purchases have been this satisfying.

In my opinion, the Jacques Loussier Trio is best at interpreting classic Impressionist masterworks.
"Satie: Gymnopedies/Gnossiennes" is haunting and atmospheric musical poetry and, I think, superior to their other attempts at integrating classical and jazz into one musical statement. The entire CD reminds me of the musical equivalent of J.M.W. Turner's Venetian watercolours. Stunning! Also, check out "JLT Plays Debussy".

Jacques Loussier Trio's "Satie" takes the listener on a trip. Gnossienne No. 4 is especially effective in transporting the listener to a quiet "cinema noir" oasis full of intrigue. This jazz trio's technique lends itself much better to interpretations of delicate impressionist masterworks rather than to classic baroque. This is NOT smooth jazz but each piece is "fluid" or "atmospheric", just as Satie would have wanted it! The haunting sound is perfect- translucent as any mountain lake. In my opinion, this is Loussier's best disc and rates as one of the top discs in the classical-jazz hybrid genre, "Third Stream".

This is an amazing and cool rendition of Mr. Saties brilliant music. Where Jazz can often complicate melody and rhythmn, this Trio carries off one of the most astounding versions of the visual components of his work. There is something Beatlesque about Eric Satie and it was John Lennon who first brought to my attention how he had influenced his own musical forms in the Beatles and after. You might hear strains of 'Yesterday', 'Imagine', and 'The Fool on the Hill' seeping into your subconscious from a disarmed listen to these tunes. Mr. Satie's 'Gymnopoedia' was the soundtrack to the movie "My Diner with Andre". I can't give these pieces anything but my highest acclaim.

Satie via fluid jazz - there is nothing like it anywhere else - your soul is in for a treat

You'll love Loussier's Bach, but this Satie album is amazing. This is a marriage made in heaven. Satie and Loussier suit each other. Satie is hauntingly beautiful, pensive. Loussier adds sultry and slithery funk to the mix. It's sexy and intoxicating. Beguiling. I've listened to (and loved) a lot of Loussier's music. If I had to recommend only one, it would be the Satie. Naturally, you should check out more, but this one is extra special.

One can easily expect jazz interpretations of classical music to be dreadful (similarly, operatic divas singing jazz) but J. Loussier and Trio play with respect and great wit. For a true pleasure, I recommend his take on Debussy.

I think this is Loussier's most elegant and emotionally powerful synthesis of jazz and classical, which makes sense, as next to Debussy, Satie was one of the closest composers to the root of jazz tradition. These pieces are perfect portraits of Satie's cryptic, occult gnosticism, and yet the improvisation takes them to less meditative and minimal, more fiery territory without clashing with their inherent asceticism.

The interplay is typically Bill Evans-esque in its group orientation and liberal bass voicing, making each piece feel totally new while nevertheless maintaining Satie's music as its motivic center. One of the reviewers who called this Satie injected with "soft jazz" missed the sophisticated development of thematic material. Classical purists might not appreciate jazzed up Satie, and jazz purists might think it's too novel, but if you have no biases either way, it should be clear that both elements are merged with alchemic insight.