Thomas Bramerie Trio - Side Stories (2018) Hi Res

Bassist Thomas Bramerie has about a hundred records as sideman, but this is his first personal album on show, full of a busy career.

For Side Stories, he surrounds himself with two talented young musicians: the pianist Carl-Henri Morisset, who studied at the Paris Conservatory, with Pierre de Bethmann and Hervé Sellin, and recorded My Chet my song with Ricardo Del Fra; and then the drummer Elie Martin-Charrière who, after passing by the Conservatory of Beaunes and Chalon, became the pupil of Dré Pallemaerts at the Conservatoire de Paris.

On different beaches, he also welcomes old acquaintances: Stéphane Belmondo on trumpet and bugle, Jacky Terrasson on piano and Eric Legnini on Fender Rhodes.

Thomas Bramerie offers a varied repertoire in the image of his eclectic career: nine original compositions, two classics (one of Monk, the other of Nat Adderley), a composition of Edward Elgar (Salut d'amour from 1888) and two songs (One day you'll see and With time).

The album opens on the very short Pichot Bebei played solo. It also closes on a splendid and sensitive version of With the time of Ferré: a little like Jean-Paul Celea had transfigured the Do not leave me of Brel (album Passaggio).

Six tracks are played in trio with Morisset and Charrière: a vigorous Played twice of Monk, other themes are played with the same nervous rhythm (Work Song of Adderley and the original composition Yeïnou), some with a flamboyant lyricism (Sing, Emile, Hi d'amour), always with a very present melodic bass.

On two themes (Here and All alone), the Fender Rhodes by Eric Legnini comes to mirror the piano. Now is played by Jacky Terrasson with the sense of rhythm that we know him. As for Stéphane Belmondo, he comes to affix his velvet paw on three melodies: the song One day you'll see; Tròç de vida, with a Brazilian-style guitar played by Bramerie and Side Stories, with Jacky Terrasson.