The Sixth Jump

Piano trios can be a gnarly musical beast. In the case of pianist Delbecq, trio pieces transpire in real time, with a quiet classy reserve that gently tugs the listener through subtle changes. (...) Overall the disc represents a strong beacon of light on collective improvisation.

The Sixth Jump amplifies Delbecq's skills as an empathic leader whose inventive thematic explorations are woven in spontaneous interaction with his mates. He is a success in his new format, but this is not surprising given his proven ability to strike the right mood and chord in other settings.

A thoughtful chill runs through the music of Benoît Delbecq, a French pianist of investigative temperament and crystalline technique…He has traveled a mixed continuum of modern jazz, indigenous folk and contemporary classical, without getting hung up on orthodoxy. There’s a ton of compressed energy in his playing, but he projects an unflappable calm. Mr. Delbecq has two new albums, both excellent reflections on his musical identity... They share an air of relaxed intricacy and matter-of-fact experimentation, coming across as neither precious nor arcane. The solo album [Circles and Calligrams] is partly a showcase for Mr. Delbecq’s piano preparations, manual tweaks to the instrument, using erasers and pieces of wood, that put a range of expressive timbre at his fingertips...On ‘Letter to György L.’ (for Ligeti, naturally) the sympathetic, patient rapport of the musicians brings cool clarity to some dissonant ideas. A lot of the joy in that rapport derives from African polyrhythm, a specialty for all of the musicians onboard. Mr. Biayenda’s drumming, deftly incorporating shakers and gourds, makes that connection clearly but with subtlety. Mr. Avenel is no less crucial, often shaping counterpoint in ways that suggest Malian kora music. But the flow of the trio, as governed by Mr. Delbecq, is modern, even sleek. It says something that this album includes several remixes, by Steve Arguelles, that fit quite seamlessly into the whole.

Luminous harmony, intellectual rigor, and modernist piano technique…a forward-thinking musician...