Untitled Document
Louis Sclavis Trio
France
Louis Sclavis – sax, cl
François Merville – dr
Olivier Lété – b
There is no sound that Louis Sclavis cannot make on the clarinet or the soprano saxophone. This is what his faithful fans, who have enjoyed his music for over three decades, say about one of the most honoured guests of this year’s European Jazz project presented by Vilnius-European Capital of Culture.
The 56 year old Sclavis, a famous European jazz musician, improviser and leader of dozens of groups, is considered to be one of the most creative musicians on the continent. The twists and turns of the music he plays, flirting with free jazz aesthetics, African music or French folklore create a sense of permanent intrigue and a feeling of freshness that make the musician anything but predictable.
The beginning of Sclavis’ musical career sounds like a joke. At the age of nine he started learning to play the flute, but could not find a teacher of that instrument. Therefore, he had to choose clarinet—a turn of fortune he never regretted.
Since the beginning of his career, Louis Sclavis has been inclined towards an improvisational approach. “The music I play is not jazz, popmusic, or classical music. It was a pure coincidence that when I discovered music, it was this approach that dominated music. Such groups as Soft Machine had a great influence on me,” Louis acknowledged.
During his studies at the Lyons Conservatory of Music, Sclavis started collaborating with the groups Workshop de Lyon and Marvelous Band, and then joined a group of European musicians, Brotherhood Of Breath and the prominent French double bass player Henri Texier’s group, a collaboration that continues until now.
In 1982, Louis established his own group, Le Tour De France comprised of musicians from different regions of France. Two years later, as the leader of the group he recorded the album Clarinettes that was praised by jazz connoisseurs.
His star began to shine even brighter when, in 1988, he was awarded the Prix Django Reinhardt as French Jazzman of the Year. In 1989, the Louis Sclavis Quartet won first prize at the Barcelona Biennal as the Best European Creation of the Year and in 1990, Sclavis received the British Jazz Award as the Best Foreign Artist on the jazz scene.
After such acknowledgements, Sclavis, however, did not rest on his laurels, but resorted to experimenting with such outstanding European musicians as Peter Brotzmann, Evan Parker, and Lol Coxhill. He worked with photographers, created music for films, collaborated with the choreographer Mathilde Monnier, joined the group of the US pianist Cecil Taylor, and founded the Trio de Clarinettes.
One of the most memorable Sclavis’ projects is the trio with Henri Teixier and the Italian drummer Aldo Romano. The albums Carnet de Routes (1995), Suite Africaine (1999), and African Flashback (2005) recorded by the trio became a telling reflection of African musical culture in contemporary jazz.
In 1996, the musician’s achievements were acknowledged with one of the most prestigious awards in France, the National Music Award from the Ministry of Culture.
One year passed and Sclavis embarked on another musical adventure—he founded a trio with the prominent British guitarist Fred Frith and the French percussionist Jean Pierre Drouet. The ideas of the trio are reflected in the album I Dream of You Jumping (2001).
Another group, Napoli's Walls, founded in 2002 received even greater recognition. The group, inspired by Italian music and the creative work of the French artist Ernest Pignon, featured music with operatic nuances.
The latest album, Lost on the Way, released this year, brought together the trio we will hear in Lithuania: Louis Sclavis, the drummer Francois Merville and the bass player Olivier Lété.
Jazz connoisseurs of many countries hunt for an opportunity to listen to Sclavis—the musician performs little, mostly in Europe. Those who have an opportunity to be at the concert will know that he is a sworn champion of improvisation, madly in love with the freedom of music, where melody is not readily recognisable. However, once you empathise with it, you feel as if you have received a precious gift—music you will rarely find anywhere else.
