Vincent Courtois - Lines For Lions (2025) [Hi-Res]

This trio led by French cellist Vincent Courtois with its unusual instrumentation of cello, clarinet and tenor saxophone, has in its DNA all the elements of what touches us in West Coast Jazz. Chamber jazz where classical instruments such as the clarinet and the cello have a privileged place, which is not so common, but akin to Chico Hamilton's 1956 quintet with Fred Katz on cello and Buddy Colette on clarinet.

"This music is marked by a luminous relaxation where palm trees and large luminous skies hide the tears of an inner and troubled jazz. Of course, the luminaries of West Coast jazz are the inspiration behind this album; saxophonists Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, and Art Pepper, plus a whole gallery of West Coast portraits that have marked us so much and influenced us in this permanent link between tradition, invention, and modernity. I'm thinking of course of the sublime trio Giuffre/ Bley/ Swallow." - Vincent Courtois

Vincent Courtois: cello
Robin Fincker: clarinet & tenor saxophone
Daniel Erdman: tenor saxophone

Recorded and mixed by Gerard de Haro during November and December 2024, at La Buissonne Studios, Pernes les Fontaines, France.