Cholet-Känzig-Papaux Trio
Cholet-Känzig-Papaux TrioShinjuku Pit Inn May 30, 2015Jean-Christophe Cholet – pianoHeiri Känzig – double bassMarcel Papaux – drumsOpening Act:林 正樹 Hayashi Masaki– piano藤本一馬Fujimoto Kazuma –guitarThe opening act of Hayashi and Fujimoto was an impeccable, lush duo of acoustic music. Their set was interrupted by a huge earthquake that stopped them in the middle of a song, with everyone stood up deciding whether to evacuate or not. Fortunately, once the restarted, and everyone sat back down, Hayashi and Fujimoto’s serene, sophisticated music calmed everyone down, as their tuneful and delicate music washed over the crowd.
The Cholet-Känzig-Papaux trio took the stage soon after and their energetic music struck deep with the audience from the beginning, and not just because of the earthquake. Starting with tunes from the trio’s most recent CD, the music was equal parts felt and thought, never too emotive but never less than free. The arrangements gave enough time for all three musicians to distinguish themselves, and show how a real collaboration can work.Cholet’s robust European piano matches the symphonic complexity of the compositions. The parts of each song were all distinct, yet integrated tightly, creating sections of interface that kept you wondering what’s next, but satisfied with what was just heard. Kanzig on bass played as much melodic lead as supportive anchor. Papaux on drums kept the music tight and focused, his subtle, nimble approach growing in power through the evening. Cholet’s sound is open and full-fisted, a nice contrast with the other two musicians. They are a trio of equals, resonating with, at times against, each other to make the music vibrant.
Some of the tunes were minimalist, with Cholet reaching into the piano strings, Kanzig playing single line softly and Papaux using only his fingers on the drums. But, the trio has so much energy, those minimalist sections were always followed by a forward unrestrained charge. The ballads were delicate and gentle, but without losing any vigor. The bluesier, funkier numbers showed another side of their jazz prowess, especially on “Exchange,” with a particularly great intro on drums.
But what really made the trio special were the small points: the clever endings, the natural interplay and the ability to make a trio sound like an orchestra. The beginnings and endings to every tune showed an attention to detail, and very lovely detail at that. The crowd gave them a great reception, with two encores, on the second of which, they turned off the mikes and played direct, though in fact, Cholet’s trio played direct to the heart and mind on every tune. The audience, so pleased with the trio’s rich European jazz sound, left no doubt the trio will have to come back to Tokyo again soon.
Jean-Christophe Cholet http://www.jeanchristophecholet.comReal & True Artists and Concerts http://realtrue.exblog.jp/i32/Hayashi Masaki http://www.c-a-s-net.co.jp/masaki/Fujimoto Kazuma http://kazumafujimoto.comPhotos courtesy of Maezawa Harumi前沢春美