Monday, August 31, 2015

USA: Jazz Professors-En Plein Air (Flying Horse 2015)


The Jazz Professors - En Plein Air album cover 
 
En Plein Air, a French expression meaning “in open air,” is the third album from The Jazz Professors. It is a themed recording conceived as a complete project. The charge for Per Danielsson and Richard Drexler was to compose music inspired by the art of Claude Monet, and, along with director Jeff Rupert's composition, these songs debuted live at the UCF-Orlando Jazz Festival. Mike Mossman was a guest on the bill and was excited to join the endeavor.
Rupert selected specific paintings for each composer, art that would evoke different moods, though complementary to each other, as if the works were exhibited together in a gallery.
The French Impressionists captured light at a moment in time. Perhaps the jazz soloist is the American equivalent, playing what he or she hears in the moment.
Flying Horse