With her energetic and richly detailed piano playing, Sylvie Courvoisier bridges the gap between classical music, which she studied in Switzerland, and the grooves of the jazz scene of her hometown of New York. Chimaera is the title of her latest album, and also the name of her new group, which brings together key musical personalities from the New York jazz scene, such as trumpet legend Wadada Leo Smith and bassist Drew Gress. With the Austrian electronica artist and guitarist Christian Fennesz also within the ranks, Courvoisier has assembled an exciting ensemble. Inspired by the special, enigmatically hallucinatory paintings of the symbolist Odilon Redon, this virtuoso septet creates a wide and shimmering soundscape. The dreamy music sends sparkles through the melodies of trumpet, piano and vibes, while the groove rumbles over the rhythmic ambience. Of all her ever-groundbreaking and critically acclaimed albums, Chimaera might just be Courvoisier's most special project to date.
