Raphaël Imbert - Libres (2015) [Hi-Res]

Mostly recorded as a concert in the magnificent church at Menet in the Cantal, „Libres“ is the fruit of an encounter inspired by a common passion for freedom, musical as much as intellectual. Karol Beffa and Raphaël Imbert have, however, followed very different career paths. The former is one of the most gifted composers of his generation, senior lecturer at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, the youngest holder of the chair of artistic creation at the Collège de France (2012-13) and a prizewinner in the classical section of the Victoires de la Musique awards in 2013.

His works are played by orchestras the world over.The second is a self-taught saxophonist and artistic director of the Nine Spirit Company. Over the years, this „free electron“ has become a key figure in modern music, known for the sense of his writing and improvisation and for his research into music, jazz and the oral tradition. He is the author of Jazz Supreme, published by Editions de l’éclat, and his album celebrating Mozart and Duke Ellington (Heavens) was released in 2013 by Jazz Village.

Karol Beffa and Raphaël Imbert met through the Ensemble Contraste and immediately saw that they shared a taste for improvisation as a prime mover in the creative process and a path to freedom from stylistic constraints. For them, improvisation is a state of mind suited to creativity and curiosity and is almost a philosophy. From the start, the idea of performing as a duo seemed self-evident.

Karol Beffa, piano
Raphaël Imbert, saxophones

Tracklist:
01. Karol Beffa - Sweet Eternity (3:11)
02. Karol Beffa - Créole (2:49)
03. Karol Beffa - Solstice (4:56)
04. Karol Beffa - Leipzig counterpoint (3:19)
05. Karol Beffa - Puy Mary (7:08)
06. Karol Beffa - Entre deux âges (2:49)
07. Karol Beffa - Romance (4:14)
08. Karol Beffa - Game Over (3:19)
09. Karol Beffa - Tears (5:39)
10. Karol Beffa - Léo (7:40)
11. Karol Beffa - Le Toit du Monde (1:01)
12. Karol Beffa - Libre (3:31)
13. Karol Beffa - Lead Lied (4:16)
14. Karol Beffa - Thuringe (5:40)