The Cut Alexis French

• 1 The Schroon 05:14
• 2 Metro 10:36
• 3 Parc La Fontaine Blues and Greens 09:38
• 4 Alymer 08:19
• 5 The Second Fall 06:22
• 6 The Cut 07:04
• 7 Up 05:38
• 8 Shakshuka 07:46
• Total Runtime 01:00:37

Info for The Cut

New Zealand-born trumpet player and composer Alexis French has just returned from Montreal, where he completed his Master's degree in Jazz at McGill University. In Montreal, he played regularly with his own quintet, as well as with the Effendi Jazzlab Orchestra, The National Jazz Orchestra of Montreal, The Joe Sullivan Big-band, Kalmunity Jazz Project, The Atomic Big Band, and the Nicolas Bedard Quintet. In NZ he plays regularly with musicians such as John Rae, Lucien Johnson, Jonathan Crayford, Adam Page, Rodger Fox and The Wellington Jazz Orchestra, and leads his own Quintet and Quartet, as well as The Richter City Rebels, The Bayou Brothers, and The Boogaloos. He also teaches Jazz trumpet at the NZSM.

Recorded at McGill University and Studio A in Montreal, Canada, The Cut features some of Montreal's finest young lions. The project began as a part of Alexis' Master's Degree at McGill University's Schulich School of Music. His studies began in September, 2012. Having barely written a blues previously, 18 months later he has this exceptional album to show for it. 'Composition has always been elusive for me, so writing for this album was a long road of creative investigation to find the sounds I wanted. The musicians I collaborated with on this album were as influential as my composition lecturers when it came to crafting and subsequently refining the arrangements, both in the studio and on stage.'

The compositions on The Cut were also influenced by Alexis' teacher (and superb alto sax player), Remi Bolduc, whose refined compositional techniques enabled Alexis to articulate what he was hearing. Many of the tunes were inspired by places and people in Montrea. “Aylmer”, for example, came to Alexis during a conversation over scotch with his good friend Chris Doyle. 'I tried to re-create the conversational interweaving of voices by writing unisons for both horns, and counter-melodies that were intertwined. They have a darkness to them, which stems from being separated from loved ones while enduring a cold, dark, seemingly endless winter. Many of the pieces on this album reflect how I was feeling at the time, and what I was hearing musically.'

While the framework for the compositions on The Cut – their harmonic, rhythmic, and improvisational language – belongs to the Jazz idiom, Alexis is committed to writing music that reflects what he calls 'our stories as New Zealanders', to create a uniquely New Zealand music. Whether this music is called Jazz, or whether we find another name for it, the aim remains the same: to create something that is uniquely ours. 'Rattle has always struck me as a label with a vision to celebrate and champion New Zealand music, to encourage new ideas, new sounds, and to foster New Zealand composers. The work of Jonathan Crayford, Roger Manins and DOG, The Jac, Reuben Bradley, John Psathas, Adam Page, Dave Lisik, and Dan Poynton is a testament to this ethos, and I'm honoured to stand among them, to have my music counted as part of this growing legacy of music that is wholly ours, music that reflects and speaks to this place and this culture.'

Alexis French, trumpet
David Bellemare, tenor saxophone
Nicolas Ferron, guitar
Nicolas Bedard, bass
Mark Nelson, drums

Recorded by Kevin Fallis and Brandon Wells at McGill University MMR and Studio A
Additional recording by Rob Fernandes and Alan Joosoo Han
Mixed and mastered by Steve Garden at the Garden Shed, Auckland
Produced by Alexis French

Alexis French
New Zealand born trumpet player Alexis French holds an Honours Degree from the NZ School of Music Jazz programme. He has made his name as a trumpet player who can cross styles and specialities, and is equally at home in the orchestra pit as he is on stage playing the blues. Over his career so far, he has worked extensively throughout New Zealand, Australia, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and North and Central America.

As a first-call recording musician, he has many album credits with artists such as The Black Seeds, Darren Watson, Harbour City Electric, Bebe Deluxe, Sheba, Norman Meehan, Bella Kalolo, Recloose,Tessa Quayle, Amy Grace and The Starblazers. He recently won a Tui award for "Best Jazz Album" for his lead trumpet work on the NZSM Jazz Orchestras album Run For Cover, featuring Jazz greats Bob Sheppard, Clay Jenkins and Bill Cunliffe. In the last year, Lex has been privileged to work with international Jazz artists Alex Sipiagin, Bob Sheppard, and Steve Houghton whilst playing Lead trumpet for the Wellington Jazz Orchestra. He has alsoworked extensively in the music theatre world, most recently playing Lead trumpet on the Barry and FranWeissler production of Chicago - The Musical.

In NZ, he has with the Vector Wellington Orchestra for Annie, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, Cats, The Sound of Music, and most recently, 42nd Street. He has also played for Stetsons Productions in their acclaimed seasons of Evita and Starlight Express.

This album contains no booklet.