The Jacques Loussier Trio continues to evolve
Dennis M. Clark | San Francisco, CA USA | 09/22/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I suppose it's only fair that someone should pare Ravel's sumptuous Bolero down to a piano trio, considering the considerable mileage that Ravel got out of doing the opposite (such as orchestrating Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition). Loussier and company do a sensational job, producing a riveting, swinging version that's got some genuinely mysterious and exotic moments. Drummer Arpino's extended solo about 2/3 of the way through deserves special attention for both its subtlety and intensity.As if that wasn't enough, we finally get a chance to hear Jacques Loussier the composer. His wonderful harmonies are saturated with echoes of the great French (and Swiss) composers, but all of the pieces also have that wonderfully lilting spontaneous quality that he has brought to all of his previous recordings. Let's hope he keeps producing new material."
Jacques is my travel companion
Jerome E. Penberg | New Hampshire | 01/18/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am on the road quite a bit. And when the miles become tedious, Jacques Loussier changes the dynamic. He is the ultimate travel companion. This CD contains two pieces. Ravel's Bolero is 17 minutes of ecstasy. Following it in an origianl composition by Loussier [Nympeas].
There are great piano and bass riffs. The music soothes and stimulates."