Fabrice Alleman - Obviously (2013)

Fabrice Alleman’s album “Obviously” once again confirms his talents as a composer, improviser and melody writer. “This song of the soul that goes straight to your heart…”

A key jazzman on the Belgian and international scene (collaborations with Randy Brecker-US, Terence Blanchard-US, San Severino-FR, Safy Boutella-ALG, etc.), Alleman has taken part in more than a 100 releases as either a leader or sideman. He is also behind numerous personal projects: Fabrice Alleman Quartet, Alleman-Loveri Duo, Fabrice Alleman & strings etc. Awards include: Best Jazz Album, Prix de la PAB, Sabam Jazz Awards, etc.

About his album, Fabrice Alleman says that it “sprung from the obvious”. It was born of a desire to play compositions that feel profoundly natural and are clearly close to Alleman’s nature: “Obviously”.

He called in noted musicians for the project : the pianist Nathalie Loriers whose lyrical tone has already marked the history of Belgian jazz, the American bassist Reggie Washington who has shared stages with jazz’s finest (Branford Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Steve Coleman, …) and Lionel Beuvens, currently one of Belgium’s most in-demand drummers. It’s also worth pointing out the talented young guitarist Lorenzo Di Maio on two tracks.

The album consists of personal compositions (except a track played in homage to Miles Davis’ drummer Tony Williams) that bring us to the limits of jazz and groove, by being both modern and anchored in tradition. His fluid, almost instinctive writing leads to compositions that come from the heart and beg the question: “What is obvious?”

“It’s all about jazz, not indifference…”