Barcelone 2019

Excerpt from the liner notes by Francis Couvreux.

After a first recording that drew attention in 2012, we now have the second opus of Les Violons De Bruxelles Barcelone. The title track is a re-reading of one of Boris Vian’s lesser-known songs and it symbolises the quintet’s approach: to interpret tradition in a new manner by freeing themselves from the music without disowning it. Over a bolero-style rhythm, these “Brussels violins” have appropriated the pretty melody with their innovating instrumentation, luminescent, delicate arrangements, and their permanent sense of invention all of which make the original song unrecognisable.

Apart from the fact that they bring dynamism to the ensemble, these three violins have a presence, style and sound that are different yet complementary: Tcha shows lyricism and virtuosity, with fluid phrasing from Renaud Crols, and deeper, more contrasted nuances from the viola played by Alexandre Tripodi. These are aspects that offer multiple combinations — passages that are in unison or superimposed, call-and-response, descants, bows playing riffs to reinforce the rhythm, pizzicato — all of them drawing the ensemble into a form of chamber jazz that, while not forgetting to swing, comes very close, from a harmonic point of view, to arrangements that you find in a classical string quartet…..

TCHA LIMBERGER – Violin
RENAUD CROLS – Violin
ALEXANDRE TRIPODI – Viola
RENAUD DARDENNE – Guitar
SAM GERSTMANS – Double bass