# CD review: Merlin Breij Group – Impulsions 2022: Video, CD cover

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2022/11/06/cd-review-merlin-breij-group-impulsions-2022-video-cd-cover/
- Published: 2022-11-06T00:04:57+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**Impulsions is a project born from the desire to merge two musical worlds that 
form the basis of Merlin Breij’s identity as a composer: jazz and “classical” music.
Creating a synthesis of these two worlds of music has been a long-standing theme
in Merlin Breij’s work. 

**

The album consists of two pieces: “Impulsions”, a suite for a composite nonet in
four movements and an interlude. It explores a mix of different approaches and instrumentation
of jazz and classical music: A jazz quartet (drums, double bass, marimba/vibraphone
and guitar) is put in dialogue with a string quartet and a harp. Classical forms(
sonata form, theme and variations…) are restructured to include improvisation and
the unpredictability which jazz offers.

“Ombrages”, a piece for solo electric guitar, pursues a singular way of presenting
this instrument in solo, in a formal organization quite different from the usual
ones offered in jazz and contemporary music.

I love to hear the personality of each musician of the project in the final rendering
of the composition that until then existed in my mind only! That’s what I love most
about listening to Impulsions… I started the composition 2 years ago, it was a long
process, I’m very proud to see it finished today! At the moment, I am planning a
new large-scale piece, like Impulsions… I won’t say much more about it, but there
will still be a string quartet involved!

This album uses both jazz and classical musicians. Concerning the jazz musicians,
I chose them according to several parameters: their musical personality first. Since
not everything is written in their part, it’s important that what they offer fits
the rather particular musical esthetics of this music. Secondly, it was also necessary
to have musicians who could express this personality within a very written framework
without feeling constrained by the very elaborate dimension of this music. And finally,
that they are musicians who inspire me and make me want to write for them!

Concerning classical musicians, I needed them to be flexible in their habits, to
be able to adapt their type of interpretation to the framework imposed by this rather
particular mix of languages, so I privileged musicians who are used to creating 
today’s music… But there again, the most important thing is that their sound and
their playing inspire me! I must say that I was lucky to be very well surrounded
in this project,- an interview with me said **Merlin Breij.**

A wonderful album, a new revelation for me. I advise you to listen to it and have
it at home, so that you can introduce it to all guests, and recommend it to your
acquaintances, especially jazz and classical music lovers, innovative and impulsive
people.

**Enjoy the best music!!!**

01.Impulsions – I. Éveil
 02.Impulsions – Interlude 03.Impulsions – II. Lumière 
d’été, glacée 04.Impulsions – III. Scherzo de Janus 05.Impulsions – IV. Espérance
06.Ombrages

**Guitar, Composition – Merlin Breij**
 **Marimba, Vibraphone, Tam-Tam – Lenni Torgue****
Harp – Alice Emery** **Violin 1 – Nina Ramousse-Fuchs** **Violin 2 – Marie Sophie
Baumgartner** **Viola – Madalin Noël** **Cello – Sarah Fouchenneret** **Double Bass–
Yves Marcotte** **Drums – Fabien Ghirotto**

[**New CD – 2022 – Buy from here**](https://merlinbreij.bandcamp.com/album/impulsions)

![](https://i0.wp.com/f4.bcbits.com/img/a2897994486_16.jpg?resize=632%2C632&ssl=
1)

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