Baptiste Trotignon - Hit (2014)

Recording an album of compositions exclusively for trio is a kind of homecoming for me (I hadn t done it for 13 years), with just the feeling that now was the right time to do it. I m sometimes asked whether it makes sense to continue to play in trio formation, which historically has been overused by pianists, but I admit the question has never occurred to me, and I ve never doubted the unlimited resources of this trian-gular architecture, which is still a source of shared pleasure and a potential for renewing the language. Would there be no point in a solo artist singing along with his guitar on the grounds that 'it s already been done'? As I often like to do, the music on this album is a mix of multiple sources of inspi-ration ( here almost a pop song, or a very Latin melody, else-where a colour learning more towards world music or the music of the 70s) but remains lovingly connected to the foundations of Afro-American music, driven by something joyous in its dynamism and a common desire (for Thomas, Jeff and me) to remain playful, even when the sonic con-struction calls for a certain sophistication. As the artist-philosopher said, what else are we doing but trying to «get back to the serious way we used to play when we were chil-dren'? – Baptiste TROTIGNON

Tracklist:

01. Choral (2:01)
02. Abracadabra (4:51)
03. Paul (5:33)
04. Spleen (4:53)
05. Air (5:17)
06. Busy Brain (6:15)
07. Happy Rosalie (4:12)
08. Liquid (2:19)
09. Solid (3:02)
10. Desillusion (11:06)
11. Choral Again (1:25)

Personnel:

Baptiste TROTIGNON - piano
Thomas BRAMERIE - contrebasse
Jeff BALLARD - batterie