George Kontrafouris & Laurent Maur at Sunset-Sunside

"Laurent Maur loves jazz stricto sensu, with all the variations it contains to explore. In this album recorded in Athens with the George Kontrafouris trio, he and his session colleagues highlight a jazz that avant-garde artists of all stripes will describe as outdated. We don't care, a little, a lot, because we like well-made music, music that breathes, music that speaks to the ears without necessarily making them bleed. And then the harmonica is rare enough that we take pleasure in listening to it, especially when it is in the hands of a virtuoso who does not use it to impress the gallery, but to make music that is listens and travels. With an excellent Greek trio, previously unknown to our services, Laurent Maur shares the original compositions and they all sound as we appreciate them; they are almost standards, both to the ear and in form, with just the right amount of current so as not to repeat old times. It’s damn well done, it’s happy and airy, it’s fine and worked. In short, it would be stupid not to listen to him; you have everything to gain, that is to say a good time of jazz musical pleasure." Yves Dorison Culture Jazz...

read more

"Laurent Maur loves jazz stricto sensu, with all the variations it contains to explore. In this album recorded in Athens with the George Kontrafouris trio, he and his session colleagues highlight a jazz that avant-garde artists of all stripes will describe as outdated. We don't care, a little, a lot, because we like well-made music, music that breathes, music that speaks to the ears without necessarily making them bleed. And then the harmonica is rare enough that we take pleasure in listening to it, especially when it is in the hands of a virtuoso who does not use it to impress the gallery, but to make music that is listens and travels. With an excellent Greek trio, previously unknown to our services, Laurent Maur shares the original compositions and they all sound as we appreciate them; they are almost standards, both to the ear and in form, with just the right amount of current so as not to repeat old times. It’s damn well done, it’s happy and airy, it’s fine and worked. In short, it would be stupid not to listen to him; you have everything to gain, that is to say a good time of jazz musical pleasure." Yves Dorison Culture Jazz

«  Laurent Maur aime le jazz stricto sensu, avec tout ce qu’il contient de variantes à explorer. Dans cet album enregistré à Athènes en compagnie du trio de George Kontrafouris, lui et ses collègues de session mettent en avant un jazz que les avant-gardistes de tout poil qualifieront de passéiste. Nous, on s’en fout, un peu, beaucoup, car on aime la musique bien faite, la musique qui respire, la musique qui parle aux oreilles sans les faire nécessairement saigner. Et puis l’harmonica est assez rare pour que l’on prenne plaisir à l’écouter, surtout quand il est entre les mains d’un virtuose qui ne l’utilise pas pour épater la galerie, mais bien pour faire une musique qui s’écoute et qui voyage. Avec un excellent trio grec, inconnu jusqu’alors de nos services, Laurent Maur partage les compositions originales et toutes sonnent comme on apprécie qu’elles résonnent ; ce sont presque des standards, à l’oreille comme dans la forme, avec ce qu’il faut d’actuel pour ne pas répéter les temps anciens. C’est fichtrement bien fait, c’est joyeux et aérien, c’est fin et travaillé. Bref, ce serait stupide de ne pas l’écouter ; vous avez tout à y gagner, c’est-à-dire un bon moment de plaisir musical jazz. » Yves Dorison Culture Jazz

show less