Jet-lagged and wide-eyed on arrival at this January’s Winter Jazz Festival in New York I was grateful to get out of the sub-zero wind and in to any venue of the opening weekend’s marathon programme. It turned out we picked wisely though as the first show I saw was a band led by french born, New York based vibes player Simon Moullier. In the midst of what feels like a vibes renaissance Moullier still stands out with his deft, crisp and electric sound.
The gig sent me back in to my digital archive to dig in to his catalogue that already boasts four impressive albums as a leader. Then earlier this year pre-release copies of Elements Of Life dropped at One Jazz and we were blown away. The album is now out and highly recommended. But don’t take my word for it … here’s what a couple of other admirers have said.
“His music is fresh, it speaks to everyone. Never heard anyone play vibes like that before.” -Herbie Hancock
“Best vibes player I’ve heard…” -Quincy Jones
This is our Album Of The Week on One Jazz w/c Monday 14th October