Samy Thiébault’s talent feels like it’s not given the credit it deserves. Granted, he’s a likeable saxophone virtuoso, but there are plenty of those: he’s also a great musician! Ambitious as he is brilliant, every new discographic project of his only goes to confirm his talent. This time around, Thiébault took inspiration from the banks of the river Ganges. But Symphonic Tales is not just a mixture of jazz and raga: he outright transposes this blend onto the strings of the Orchestre symphonique de Bretagne conducted by Aurélien Azan Zielinski. The India that the Frenchman is portraying here is not from 2019 but rather a version from a story or Bollywood superproduction from the 1950s. With Adrien Chicot on the piano, Sylvain Romano on the double bass, Philippe Soirat on drums and Mossin Kawa on the tablas, the jazz player is well surrounded.
Thiébault’s jazz has never made do with being just another worthy heir to the holy trinity of saxophonists (John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter). With even more conviction than his previous albums, Samy Thiébault grabs his listeners by the hand to guarantee their presence on his abundant journey of sound. Perhaps he’s dreaming of playing like a modern Duke Ellington, whose 1972 Greatest Hits can be seen lying out in a corner on one of the images in the album’s booklet. Just like with Duke, Thiébault’s music allows us to travel through the music, and once the album is over, solid ground seems light years away. A guaranteed intoxicating trip. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz