Olivier Chavet

"Racines" - when jazz meets nature

Debut solo album by Olivier Chavet (release 22 April 2022)

"Racines" is a soul-oriented jazz album whose tracks are born out of closeness to nature and moments of tranquillity. No wonder. For music and nature are two elements that have shaped composer Olivier Chavet both privately and professionally since his childhood. Born in Aachen, Germany, the Belgian is both a trained musician and an agricultural economist. In these two spheres of activity, he experiences on a daily basis that everything is connected like a web of roots.

And so "Racines" (French for "roots") is the musical treatment of themes that concern Olivier Chavet as a farmer and nature lover. The nine songs on the album express the desire for a simple life turned towards naturalness. The root as the anchor of all life embodies the cohesion we all need so much. The work is a sublime journey from the absolute quiet moment, through a variety of groovy, naturally rolling motifs, to powerful musical expression.

"I like anything with soul in it. Regardless of the style, music without soul is only partially digestible for me," says Olivier Chavet about the musical work, in which the instrumentation and the contributing musicians also play supporting roles. "I prefer to work with people who have a basic relaxedness and a certain basic confidence. I can consider myself lucky that I have been supported in this project by precisely such artists in realising my sonic ideas."

Chavet found the right musicians in Germany and Belgium. The basic instrumental framework is formed by the jazz trio with pianist Sebastian Scobel, bassist Werner Lauscher and Olivier Chavet on drums. Depending on the composition, the trio is complemented by Heidi Bayer on flugelhorn or guitarist Daniel Chavet. The "Fattoria Musica" recording studio, located on a former agricultural estate in the green foothills of Osnabrück, provided the ideal conditions for the recording of "Racines".