Just when you think you’ve pegged Stephane Wrembel, here he puts out three albums that are going to surprise you. He links up with pianist Jean-Michel P ilc, which make seem incongruous until you remember that all the French love all things French, so they get along great!. They join forces on these three albums withNick Driscoll/sax-cl, Ari Folman-Cohen-Eduardo Belo/b, Josh Kaye-Thor Jenson/g and Nick Anderson/dr for a formula that includes a handful of Django Reinhardt pieces, post bop originals and PIlc solo excursions. The result is a trio of albums that has a casual club feel, with ideas bouncing off the walls.
Wrembel and company go modal on the exciting “Ecce Homo” and “Jonathan Livingston Seagull: and rumble on “Lascaux”, with some dark passages hovering on “Life in Three Stages” suite. Pilc is impressionistic on his “Tryptich Improvisations” , with “III” floating like lily pads. He joins in the band sounds like he’s having a blast on “Demain Sans Faute” and “Your Lullabye” with the familiar gypsy territory of “Minor Swing” being a feature for Wrembel andDriscoll, and swing being the thing on “Pece a la Mouche”. As fresh and warm as an early morning baguette!