After having taken part in CHUTE LIBRE (Jazz-rock band led by Mino CINELU), Benoît WIDEMANN has been involved in MAGMA as its keyboards player from 1975 to 1978, noticeably recording the great "Hhaï Live". "Stress !" (1977) is the name of his first solo album: the music is obviously dominated by keyboards, their sonorities and colours. Using a large sample of them (Synthesisers, Mini-Moog, Fender Rhodes, string section, clavinet, etc.), he performs dreamy, picturesque, impressionist compositions full of sensibility and elegance. They call for nostalgic, happy and very visual climates sounding like soundtracks and sometimes evoking François BREANT's works. For the occasion, he hired some of the best french musicians from the Progressive jazz-rock and Zeuhl music scenes: Guy DELACROIX (MAGMA), Clément BAILLY (MAGMA, NEMO and TRYPTIQUE), Patrice TISON (KAPAK), Patrick GAUTHIER (WEIDORJE, VOLKOR andt HELDON), Jean-Pierre FOUQUEY (MAGMA)... This album displays a series of emotional snapshots or picturesque and imaginary trips. On "Tsunami", Benoît WIDEMANN is at the head of a real group and performs a suggestive, impressionistic and dreamy music with some complex parts and rhythms (Powered by André CECCARELLI's brother Jean-Paul, drummer as well !). His picturesque and colourful style could evoke a more European WEATHER REPORT. To be rediscovered !
