Due to the success with his now jazz and jazz rock bands, the French trumpet player Erik Truffaz comes all over the world. All those trips naturally provide inspiration for new musical directions. For example, he incorporated a lot of North African music on his album Saloua and Arkhangelsk was dominated by Northern Russia. Truffaz sought inspiration for three (short!) CDs in three different places
… for his Rencontres project. For the first CD he found it close to home with the Parisian singer / voice artist Sly Johnson. For a moment you think you are listening to a new album by Bobby McFerrin, because all his techniques like sung bass lines, high voices and body slapping are featured in his own compositions and interpretations of Come Together and Nature Boy. On the second CD, Mexico, Truffaz works with DJ Murcof, who is originally from Mexico. He is known for his idm music with orchestral samples from Arvo Pärt, for example. Together with Murcof, Truffaz approaches the ambient sounds of Nils Petter Molvaer very closely. The most successful Rencontres CD is Benares. It contains the musical result of a trip Truffaz made to India together with pianist Malcolm Braff. There they recorded three pieces with tabla player Apurba Mukherjee and singer Indrani Mukherjee that convey a wonderful moody atmosphere. (HB) There they recorded three pieces with tabla player Apurba Mukherjee and singer Indrani Mukherjee that convey a wonderful moody atmosphere. (HB) There they recorded three pieces with tabla player Apurba Mukherjee and singer Indrani Mukherjee that convey a wonderful moody atmosphere. (HB)more