Stéphane Mercier Quartet feat. Darren Beckett

  Why deprive yourself of good bop and hard bop? Stéphane Mercier takes the recipe and adapts it to his own taste. Sometimes fiery, even explosive, sometimes more sensual, the music written by the saxophonist is frighteningly effective. The melodies are revealed and enriched under the fingers of pianist Nicola Andrioli, who accompanies the leader. The pianist's touch is as supple as it is lively, surprising as it amazes. The solid rhythm section is wonderfully inventive. Nicolas Thys anchors the tempo while leaving room for sinuous impros, while Darren Beckett whips hard or caresses tenderly the drums with equal joy. That's what we love about this jazz, which recalls the great New York evenings when the music resounded until the early hours of the morning without ever faltering.