BENJAMIN MOUSSAY - Physics, Music & Promontoire
With the release of Promontoire, the solo album and debut recording under his own name for ECM Records, French pianist Benjamin Moussay steps out front to place his music on the international stage. An intriguing piece of work, he takes the plunge laying his heart on his sleeve in a series of compositions and improvisations that draw directly from his own personal life and experiences, all delivered with an assurance and passion that communicates its message in a very effective and affecting manner.
Moussay is nothing if not patient. Working steadily at his music he has been a long serving member of Louis Sclavis' various groups, appearing on Sources, Silk and Salt Melodies, and Characters on a Wall by the clarinettist. He has also led his own longstanding trio, and has a duo project with singer, Claudia Solal. So how did Moussay make the jump from physics to making music his life's work? "My interest in music comes mainly from my family" explains the pianist. "My aunt was a very good amateur pianist, and as a kid I could listen to her for hours playing Schubert or Beethoven. Some uncles were fans of the great classical piano masters and made me listen early to Claudio Arrau, or Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
"After a short attempt at piano lessons when I was six during a few months, I eventually started over playing piano on my own around ten years old. My school teacher helped my parents to find me a piano teacher and so on. And family again at fourteen years old, my uncle offered me a record by Thelonious Monk, Pure Monk. It contains all Monk’s solo piano recordings for the Riverside label, and this was for me like a cultural shock. My path suddenly turned towards Jazz. Since I was a late starter in music, and quite good at school, I didn’t plan very early to become a professional musician. Instead I decided to pursue my general studies as far as possible. I chose physics, and then mechanics, thinking that I could maybe combine it with music to become sound engineer. But when I was accepted to study at Paris Conservatory, I eventually quit physics, and became a full time musician. I haven’t regretted my choice at all."
Of his early musical experiences, Moussay recalls "Many classical musicians have influenced me a lot: players like Claudio Arrau, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Maurizio Pollini, Dinu Lipatti, Edwin Fischer, Sviatoslav Richter. Composers like Chopin, Beethoven, Bach, Ligeti, Schubert. The list could be long…. Getting back to Jazz, after Monk who was my starting point, I did a kind of a reverse trip starting from Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Riche Beirach, Martial Solal, Paul Bley, Joachim Kühn getting back to the great creators of the past: Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Lennie Tristano. I must say that one artist really moves me deeply when I listen to him, that is Bud Powell. I love his sound, his expressiveness, the emergency and amazing melodic invention, and I think he’s a incredible composer." Continuing he adds, "I’m very curious by nature, so I like discovering things. New things coming out, or old things that I didn’t have a chance to listen to yet. But paradoxically I don’t listen that much to music, especially because when I listen I like to just listen, without doing anything else at the same time. And this takes time of course. But recently I liked to listen to some of Aphex Twin most recent works, some old Miles Davis records on my recent vinyl player, or my friend Michel Portal playing Mozart."
Graduating in classical piano from the Strasbourg Conservatory, Moussay then went on to study at the National Superior Conservatory of Paris. He also formed his trio with Eric Echampard on drums and bassist Arnault Cuisiner with who he has recorded three albums, Mobile (Iris Music / Harmonia Mundi) in 2002, Swimming Pool (O + Music / Harmonia Mundi) 2006, and On Air (Laborie / Abeille) in 2010. "I have been playing together with Eric and Arnault for more than fifteen years now." says Moussay. "And I’ve been knowing both musicians for even longer. It’s a real pleasure to play with such good friends. We have built over the years a great partnership and a strong collective sound. The concerts have been more sparse in the last two years, but each time we meet I feel at home, from the first notes on. During the last years I’ve been writing a new program for our trio, a suite called 'Entangling Ground' inspired by Sun Zu Art of War. I’m still improving the material, maybe we’ll record it in the future. I’m not in a hurry and I like to take time to let projects develop and refine before actually recording."
Moussay is nothing if not patient. Working steadily at his music he has been a long serving member of Louis Sclavis' various groups, appearing on Sources, Silk and Salt Melodies, and Characters on a Wall by the clarinettist. He has also led his own longstanding trio, and has a duo project with singer, Claudia Solal. So how did Moussay make the jump from physics to making music his life's work? "My interest in music comes mainly from my family" explains the pianist. "My aunt was a very good amateur pianist, and as a kid I could listen to her for hours playing Schubert or Beethoven. Some uncles were fans of the great classical piano masters and made me listen early to Claudio Arrau, or Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
"After a short attempt at piano lessons when I was six during a few months, I eventually started over playing piano on my own around ten years old. My school teacher helped my parents to find me a piano teacher and so on. And family again at fourteen years old, my uncle offered me a record by Thelonious Monk, Pure Monk. It contains all Monk’s solo piano recordings for the Riverside label, and this was for me like a cultural shock. My path suddenly turned towards Jazz. Since I was a late starter in music, and quite good at school, I didn’t plan very early to become a professional musician. Instead I decided to pursue my general studies as far as possible. I chose physics, and then mechanics, thinking that I could maybe combine it with music to become sound engineer. But when I was accepted to study at Paris Conservatory, I eventually quit physics, and became a full time musician. I haven’t regretted my choice at all."
Of his early musical experiences, Moussay recalls "Many classical musicians have influenced me a lot: players like Claudio Arrau, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Maurizio Pollini, Dinu Lipatti, Edwin Fischer, Sviatoslav Richter. Composers like Chopin, Beethoven, Bach, Ligeti, Schubert. The list could be long…. Getting back to Jazz, after Monk who was my starting point, I did a kind of a reverse trip starting from Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Riche Beirach, Martial Solal, Paul Bley, Joachim Kühn getting back to the great creators of the past: Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Lennie Tristano. I must say that one artist really moves me deeply when I listen to him, that is Bud Powell. I love his sound, his expressiveness, the emergency and amazing melodic invention, and I think he’s a incredible composer." Continuing he adds, "I’m very curious by nature, so I like discovering things. New things coming out, or old things that I didn’t have a chance to listen to yet. But paradoxically I don’t listen that much to music, especially because when I listen I like to just listen, without doing anything else at the same time. And this takes time of course. But recently I liked to listen to some of Aphex Twin most recent works, some old Miles Davis records on my recent vinyl player, or my friend Michel Portal playing Mozart."
Graduating in classical piano from the Strasbourg Conservatory, Moussay then went on to study at the National Superior Conservatory of Paris. He also formed his trio with Eric Echampard on drums and bassist Arnault Cuisiner with who he has recorded three albums, Mobile (Iris Music / Harmonia Mundi) in 2002, Swimming Pool (O + Music / Harmonia Mundi) 2006, and On Air (Laborie / Abeille) in 2010. "I have been playing together with Eric and Arnault for more than fifteen years now." says Moussay. "And I’ve been knowing both musicians for even longer. It’s a real pleasure to play with such good friends. We have built over the years a great partnership and a strong collective sound. The concerts have been more sparse in the last two years, but each time we meet I feel at home, from the first notes on. During the last years I’ve been writing a new program for our trio, a suite called 'Entangling Ground' inspired by Sun Zu Art of War. I’m still improving the material, maybe we’ll record it in the future. I’m not in a hurry and I like to take time to let projects develop and refine before actually recording."
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The trio obviously has a special place in the pianist's heart and musical trajectory, but it is perhaps his work with Louis Sclavis and subsequent assiociation with ECM that has brought Moussay to a wider audience. The beginning of this relationship goes back to the album Sources with Louis Sclavis Atlas Trio in 2012, and I ask Benjamin how he first met Manfred Eicher, and when did plans begin for the solo piano recording under his own name? "During the Sources session Manfred Eicher was not present. " Moussay recalls. "But I remember perfectly the moment I met him in 2014 during the recording of Silk and Salt Melodies with Louis Sclavis, Gilles Coronado and Kevan Chemirani. We had three days at La Buissonne studio. Manfred had a travel problem on the first day and couldn’t be with us. So we recorded a few tunes without him. Next morning at breakfast Louis told me: 'the piano tuner (Alain Massoneau, who is an amazing piano technician!) has just finished, we’ll take advantage of the fresh tuning and record your improvised piano solo intro for the song 'L’autre Rive''. Then I went to the piano, checking the tuning and playing a few notes when I heard the studio door opening, a few footsteps, and I saw this tall white haired man standing in front of me with a big smile on his face stretching his hand towards me saying, 'Hello, I’m Manfred Eicher. Nice to meet you, so let’s start with this solo intro!' You can imagine the intense nervousness which inhabited me, but I took a big breath, got deep into concentration and played one take which happened to be the good one. Somehow all started between Manfred and me with solo piano..."
The improvised introduction to 'L’autre Rive' is indeed a good one, and the performance must have remained with Eicher, and now six years after the two men first meeting, Moussay has released his debut album for the imprint, and a solo piano recording that the pianist has been waiting to record for some time. "Promontoire is my first solo piano record. It contains twelve tracks, four of which are free improvisations." explains Moussay. "The total length is about forty minutes, which is for me a good length for some focused listening, especially for a solo instrument. The overall mood is rather calm and meditative, which can make it a good record to listen to after a long day of work. I’m happy and proud to offer it to my friends, and I think it resembles me a lot, even though I might have expressed some more impetuous or energic playing in my former works. Actually I think this one paradoxically contains even more energy…It is also my debut album under my name with ECM Records, which is such a treat and honor. It is a very intimate record, mixing some introspective process with the simple desire to play and find my way and personality through music. It reflects many inspirations, mostly taken from the most important things in my life, like family, friendships, and also mountaineering and nature. My main focuses throughout this project were the sound, the melody, and the flow. I mean trying to forget about the instrument, about technique or about what I wanted to play, but trying to connect to the stream of music and trying to play what I heard at each moment. This is quite difficult to express with words, but is to me the essence of improvisation, and the main reason I chose this path in music."
Continuing he elaborates, "Like many things it’s a matter of strong desire arising at some point in my life. It all started about five or six years ago. I had made three trio records (plus one Conciliabules that I recorded in 1996 while being a student at Paris Conservatory but was never commercially released) and many collaborations, and I was sharing my time between playing acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and synths. I felt an inner urge to refocus, to simplify, to improve my abilities, to centre my musical goals. Getting back to the acoustic piano and playing solo felt like the right way for me to reconnect to the natural vibration of the sound, to start a nice introspective trip, and to reconsider my technical approach to the instrument. This first solo adventure has been really fruitful until now and has taught me many things even extra-musically. Even though it was not easy everyday it has helped me to reach a new step in my journey through life and music. "
The improvised introduction to 'L’autre Rive' is indeed a good one, and the performance must have remained with Eicher, and now six years after the two men first meeting, Moussay has released his debut album for the imprint, and a solo piano recording that the pianist has been waiting to record for some time. "Promontoire is my first solo piano record. It contains twelve tracks, four of which are free improvisations." explains Moussay. "The total length is about forty minutes, which is for me a good length for some focused listening, especially for a solo instrument. The overall mood is rather calm and meditative, which can make it a good record to listen to after a long day of work. I’m happy and proud to offer it to my friends, and I think it resembles me a lot, even though I might have expressed some more impetuous or energic playing in my former works. Actually I think this one paradoxically contains even more energy…It is also my debut album under my name with ECM Records, which is such a treat and honor. It is a very intimate record, mixing some introspective process with the simple desire to play and find my way and personality through music. It reflects many inspirations, mostly taken from the most important things in my life, like family, friendships, and also mountaineering and nature. My main focuses throughout this project were the sound, the melody, and the flow. I mean trying to forget about the instrument, about technique or about what I wanted to play, but trying to connect to the stream of music and trying to play what I heard at each moment. This is quite difficult to express with words, but is to me the essence of improvisation, and the main reason I chose this path in music."
Continuing he elaborates, "Like many things it’s a matter of strong desire arising at some point in my life. It all started about five or six years ago. I had made three trio records (plus one Conciliabules that I recorded in 1996 while being a student at Paris Conservatory but was never commercially released) and many collaborations, and I was sharing my time between playing acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and synths. I felt an inner urge to refocus, to simplify, to improve my abilities, to centre my musical goals. Getting back to the acoustic piano and playing solo felt like the right way for me to reconnect to the natural vibration of the sound, to start a nice introspective trip, and to reconsider my technical approach to the instrument. This first solo adventure has been really fruitful until now and has taught me many things even extra-musically. Even though it was not easy everyday it has helped me to reach a new step in my journey through life and music. "
So having made the decision to record the album I asked Benjamin how did he prepare for the recording, and did he have specific compositions that he brought to the sessions?
"I collect ideas, improvisations, concepts, etcetera, every day. When starting to work for solo piano I listened and reviewed many ideas, letting both intuition and intellect tangle together to eventually produce compositions" he explains. "Some of them were like studies about some particular pianistic ideas, some were more like songs, other were some kind of references to ideas or compositions of other musicians. Most of them were quite complex, with a lot of written material, several parts, bass lines, elaborated chord changes. Over the concerts, some parts of the tunes turned into free improvisations, some tunes were let aside, the set list disappeared and became mostly improvised. I enjoyed more and more the freedom offered by the solo situation: connect to the present vibe and let play what needs to be played. Thus my 'compositions' (should I better say vehicles for improvisation?) underwent a slow process of simplification to keep only a few elements, just enough to immerse myself into each piece’s particular universe when I play it, as a starting point for on the spot development. I went to the recording session with about ten of those tunes, which I recorded very naturally, and also played a few improvised pieces with no forethoughts, some of which are on the record."
Unusually too, for ECM, the album was recorded over two sessions a few months apart. Did this pose any problems in maintaining the impetus and feeling captured in the first session? "Actually, the first session you are referring to was a recording I made alone in studio La Buissonne with Gerard de Haro in late 2016", says Benjamin. "After a few concerts I felt ready to take the plunge for recording. I made a demo tape from this recording, which I gave to Manfred Eicher who turned out to be interested to produce the record. Time had passed and my ideas got more precise about what I wanted to hear and play, thus we decided with Manfred to make a new recording date together which took place in January 2019. The material was undoubtedly better, but we decided to keep one track from the 2016 session, which was actually the first piece recorded in the studio, a free improvisation named 'Théa' after my youngest daughter. This piece closes the Promontoire record."
Now the album is out plans to tour have been curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As ever though, Benjamin patience comes to the fore. "I hope to play many solo concerts. I’ve been practising piano a lot during the lockdown, and now I’m really looking forwards to share music with real people. That’s the reason for all of it! And next fall I’ll take a first step in a new project: I will play my first solo concert mixing acoustic piano and modular synthesizer. I’ve been interested in modular synths for years and I had the chance to start building my own system two years ago. Now’s the time for the beast to get out, and it was an evidence for me to try and find the meeting points between both worlds. I’m sure the piano and the synth will have many things to talk about.
"Also I have a long time duo collaboration with vocalist, Claudia Solal. Our musical universes and our personalities are really complementary, and therefore we are able as a duet to create some musical form that belongs to us. I mean something we couldn’t have created individually, but which is the result of working, composing, improvising together. It’s a big chance in life and music to find such a partner, and we are currently starting a new duo project, with some new songs to come."
"I collect ideas, improvisations, concepts, etcetera, every day. When starting to work for solo piano I listened and reviewed many ideas, letting both intuition and intellect tangle together to eventually produce compositions" he explains. "Some of them were like studies about some particular pianistic ideas, some were more like songs, other were some kind of references to ideas or compositions of other musicians. Most of them were quite complex, with a lot of written material, several parts, bass lines, elaborated chord changes. Over the concerts, some parts of the tunes turned into free improvisations, some tunes were let aside, the set list disappeared and became mostly improvised. I enjoyed more and more the freedom offered by the solo situation: connect to the present vibe and let play what needs to be played. Thus my 'compositions' (should I better say vehicles for improvisation?) underwent a slow process of simplification to keep only a few elements, just enough to immerse myself into each piece’s particular universe when I play it, as a starting point for on the spot development. I went to the recording session with about ten of those tunes, which I recorded very naturally, and also played a few improvised pieces with no forethoughts, some of which are on the record."
Unusually too, for ECM, the album was recorded over two sessions a few months apart. Did this pose any problems in maintaining the impetus and feeling captured in the first session? "Actually, the first session you are referring to was a recording I made alone in studio La Buissonne with Gerard de Haro in late 2016", says Benjamin. "After a few concerts I felt ready to take the plunge for recording. I made a demo tape from this recording, which I gave to Manfred Eicher who turned out to be interested to produce the record. Time had passed and my ideas got more precise about what I wanted to hear and play, thus we decided with Manfred to make a new recording date together which took place in January 2019. The material was undoubtedly better, but we decided to keep one track from the 2016 session, which was actually the first piece recorded in the studio, a free improvisation named 'Théa' after my youngest daughter. This piece closes the Promontoire record."
Now the album is out plans to tour have been curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As ever though, Benjamin patience comes to the fore. "I hope to play many solo concerts. I’ve been practising piano a lot during the lockdown, and now I’m really looking forwards to share music with real people. That’s the reason for all of it! And next fall I’ll take a first step in a new project: I will play my first solo concert mixing acoustic piano and modular synthesizer. I’ve been interested in modular synths for years and I had the chance to start building my own system two years ago. Now’s the time for the beast to get out, and it was an evidence for me to try and find the meeting points between both worlds. I’m sure the piano and the synth will have many things to talk about.
"Also I have a long time duo collaboration with vocalist, Claudia Solal. Our musical universes and our personalities are really complementary, and therefore we are able as a duet to create some musical form that belongs to us. I mean something we couldn’t have created individually, but which is the result of working, composing, improvising together. It’s a big chance in life and music to find such a partner, and we are currently starting a new duo project, with some new songs to come."
Selected discography
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For more information visit Benjamin Moussay's website and ECM Records.
