CD review: Sylvain Luc – Sylvain Luc by Renaud Letang 2020: Video, CD cover

What prompted Sylvain Luc to immerse himself in the source of Letang? To mix his jazz, fundamentally free, with the director’s pop arrangements that all the French variety pulls apart, from Manu Chao to Alain Souchon.

When a six-string wizard, master of improv, meets a studio alchemist, one expects some nice surprises and a few negatives. “Joga bonito”, marvel the Brazilian footballers. A good game, swing or samba, which is particularly fond of the Bayonne score dribbler, definitely out of time, for whom there are no forbidden games. Let’s say it right off the bat: this is certainly Sylvain Luc’s most innovative project, despite the reputation of never being where we expect it to be.

Here is Sylvain Luc’s fifth solo album, and we can say that this one is superb and terribly innovative. It is in fact the astonishing, surprising, but also magnetic encounter between the magician of the six strings that Sylvain LUC is and another who is for the arrangements and the realization of “variety” records… and not that.

The first is therefore guitarist, arranger, composer, accompanist. In addition to his own creations, he has recorded with Louis Winsberg, Francis Lassus, Stéphane Belmondo, Bireli Lagrène, Stefano Di Battista, Richard Galliano, Bernard Lubat, Marylise Florid, without forgetting the Trio Sud and a few other groups… The second, Renaud Letang, is a recognized sound arranger and music producer, highly regarded by artists. Between 1993 and 2017 he produced 71 albums … by Alain Souchon, Jane Birkin, Eddy Mitchell, Jean-Louis Aubert, Bernard Lavilliers, Claude Nougaro and many more. A list of albums that honors the talent of the man. On this opus, 12 compositions are played by the musician, alone with his guitars, an acoustic piano, a few synthesizers and a few bass lines. Many will be surprised when listening to this album that one musician can play all of these instruments so well. And it is true that it is a superb slap! We are immersed in a cool jazz atmosphere (or smotth jazz, as our friends at Bayou Blue Radio call it) in which tones intersect and intersect that effectively recall the universe of variety. This superb achievement took place at Studio Ferber, where the artist let his inspiration weave magnificent harmonies that are a bit melodious … The guitars are from the Gaudin brand, of which Sylvain Luc is the ambassador, and he also used a whole arsenal of pedals and octavers to restore this undeniable intimate side. An album that breathes spontaneity and freshness, perfect to listen to repeatedly in the current period, already.

01. La source des castors
02. B-Beach
03. Ne vois-tu rien venir
04. 80 vs 2000
05. Boléro langoureux
06. Funny Blues
07. Vue du septième
08. Indie souvenirs
09. Pensée nomade
10. Transe 18