Various Artists - Rites (2022) Hi-Res

"Whether celebrating peace or invoking Lovecraft's terrifying (and far from peaceful!) creatures, Calmel's first words are about music. His own is rooted in the great french tradition, in jazz and film music. It is constructed of clear lines and harmonies carried by jubilant rhythms. As an accomplished jazz pianist himself, Calmel loves free and sometimes even improvised instrumental playing. But he also cultivates rich, shimmering orchestral colours as a key to unlocking the listener's imagination. This is music that seduces right from the start, but whose melodic motifs remain in one's memory for a long time. Music that sounds evident but is written using science. Music that is woven with distant heritages and multiple present-day influences. In short, a very contemporary artist" (Guillaume Connesson)