Born in South Korea and now based in France, pianist Francesca Han forms the trio WAKAN alongside double bassist Pierre Fenichel and drummer Fred Pasqua. Inspired by the world of Alexandre Dumas and the figure of Edmond Dantès, their project unfolds in a series of tableaux evoking the decisive moments of the novel The Count of Monte Cristo. With an apparent melodic limpidity, the compositions gradually reveal more complex and singular architectures. This repertoire highlights Francesca Han's dual culture, between a solid classical training and a deep immersion in the most vibrant New York jazz. The whole is carried by an inspired and conniving rhythm section, which gives this musical fresco all its tension and narrative power.

WAKAN has received support from the Région Sud (France).


 

 

Piano prodigy and free electron of French jazz, Amaury Faye makes a dazzling return after an extended stay in New Orleans. From this immersion was born RUST, an album inspired by the atmospheres and sounds of the city: wild dances under the rusty bridges of Tremé, tired freight trains along the banks of the Mississippi River in a crash of steel, screaming sirens crossing the Lower Ninth Ward, improvised “rice and beans” on the porches and whimsical silhouettes populating the downtown and vacant lots with their improbable disguises. Surrounded by legendary drummer Herlin Riley — a travelling companion of Wynton Marsalis and Ahmad Jamal — rising star tenor saxophone Julian Lee and double bassist Edouard Pennes, his NOLA Quartet revives the historic link between France and Louisiana through the energy of swing.