On "Midnight Cafeine" French composer and bass player Olivier Babaz voices a sensibility of his own, tastefully expressed in ten compositions joined by two excellent musicians Sylvain Ransy, piano and Mark Nelson on drums.
The songs seems united by the fluid melodicity of an unconventional movie score where darker episodes alternate with bursts of joy and exuberance with the bass driving the story from behind or diffused within the texture, always instilling a warm feeling into the stage.Olivier Babaz playing acoustic and electric bass takes the lead at the right moment, he knows when to add accents or come forward, he wraps piano and drums in a sonic velvet aura that can be sophisticated or powerful without overpowering. Free form and melodicity flow hand in hand as a kaleidoscope of soundscapes, blues themes and sparkling improvisations.
"Midnight Cafeine", "The Road to Hearst"(superb arco touches) and "Frenetik" are among the most seductive tunes, but to name a few highlights is not enough, the album as a whole has a cohesive beauty to be appreciated over and over again.
www.olivierbabaz.com
Listen to "Olivier Babaz - Blues de l'escalier" on JazzWorldQuest Web Player
