Impressions
Rewound Echoes, 2025
8/10
The revered jazz harpist Isabelle Olivier uses her inimitable vision for these songs that surround impressionism with plenty of avant-garde ideas present.
“Fleurs De Soleil” starts the listen with much ambience, where Olivier’s lovely harp is met with graceful strings and Tom Olivier-Beuf’s meticulous piano, and “Eclats” follows with a mesmerizing quality that welcomes accordion thanks to Olivier-Beuf and Baptiste Thiebault’s playful drumming.
Further along, the soft climate of “Open A Window” radiates much introspection via the eloquent harp and a warm atmosphere, while “The Boating Party” is quite pretty, melodic and benefits much from Jean-Philippe Feiss’ elegant cello.
Residing close to the end, “Tango” is both dance floor friendly and adventurous thanks to the busy instrumentation, and the title track exits with an electronic presence courtesy of Raphael Olivier that adds plenty to the mystery and intrigue.
An effort that is heavy on groove and improvisation, there’s a healthy amount of classical and jazz sounds to absorb here, and it sure does illustrate an artistic and timeless formula.
Travels well with: Ensemble C- Every Journey; Sara Serpa- Encounters & Collisions