Christophe Monniot, saxophones
Marc Ducret, guitars

«I was very excited when, a few months ago, I learned that two musicians whom I admire and with whom I have had the great pleasure of collaborating in the past, had decided to create a repertoire for a new duo, their first ensemble.
Both of them are well known for their playing of their respective instruments as well as for their qualities as composers and orchestrators, so what approach could we expect?
Indeed, most of their productions so far have consisted of more substantial forms in terms of numbers. The sextet Une nouvelle Terre (in which Ducret was already active) and the 11-piece orchestra for Monniot’s Jericho Sinfonia are examples of this. The same goes for the sextet Métatonal (with Monniot’s presence) and the 12 musicians of Ducret’s Tower-Bridge.
Not that they aren’t both already seasoned in the smallest of band forms - Monniot with pianist Emil Spanyi or accordionist Didier Ithursarry (but no guitarist so far) and Ducret with Liudas Mockūnas on saxophones or Samuel Blaser on trombone (already ‘blowers’, for that matter) among others.
The result is a duo that I would describe as very ‘orchestral’ - thanks also to judicious choices of timbres; Monniot on 3 saxophones (sopranino, alto and baritone) and Ducret with his various playing modes (and various guitars). A sequence of varied atmospheres (where lyricism and angularity happily coexist) but of great coherence and, if they have chosen to title their album Dernier Tango, it is now to be hoped that this will not be their last dance..»

Stéphane Berland (Ayler Records), july 2022

order DERNIER TANGO