In Extremis
Par Laurent Valéro – Animateur sur France Musique
“If a song is ‘a hummingbird perched on the great wall of sound’, as Nougaro once sang to a tune by Michel Legrand, then the singer and vocalist Clotilde Rullaud is one such beautiful creature. Her nimble mezzo voice is deep and swinging, seemingly rising from some faraway place, like the essence of the soul’s breath, a pure necessity to sing.
This young artist is very much of her time; in her programme you will find none of those popular standards so dear to the music merchants. For quite apart from her own original compositions, this is a journey where Bill Evans meets Gainsbourg, Piazzolla comes before Monk, and Sting rubs shoulders with Duruflé or Baden Powell. Clotilde shows great refinement in her choice of repertoire, while her voice, like Ariane’s thread, links these seemingly disparate musical worlds together in a coherent way.
But this is more than comfortable eclecticism, for Clotilde and her musicians have no difficulty in crossing from one riverbank to another, from tender bossa nova to furious funk, or from a lazy milonga to an African beat; there is even a little chanson française. So a special mention is due to Olivier Hutman (piano/keyboards), Dano Haider (guitar/bass) and Antoine Paganotti (drums/percussion), who weave an elegant musical weft around her voice, without being either decorous or demonstrative.
This is sensual chamber music that never takes itself too seriously, a record that is all about jazz, that enchanting melting pot of popular musical traditions. Therein lies, perhaps, the meaning of the album’s title, In Extremis.
For although these extremes may never meet, they do acknowledge each other, breaking down borders and letting the music wander free…but along a tightrope! And that, quite simply is what Clotilde’s path, her voice, is all about. A passion is born, and it’s time we listened to it.”
Dano Haider : 7-strings guitar
Olivier Hutman : piano
Antoine Paganotti : drum, back voices
Clotilde Rullaud : voice
Guests : Sebastien Llado at the trombone on This is it and Hugo Lippi at the guitar on La Bahiana
Press attachée : Onlymusic
Distribution : Socadisc and Absilone
© & ℗ Tzig’Art – Clotilde Rullaud – 2009
UPC : 3760061 141261
Catalog number : TZIG141261
Photo credits : Cécil Mathieu, Philippe Marchin, Stéphane Bazart, C-cil, Pauline Thomas
Scenic references : Festival Turbulences à Vanves, Les Enchanteuses in Les Lilas (France), the Brisbane International Festival (Australia), le Prisme in Elancourt, Le Comptoir in Fontenay, le Triton in Les Lilas, Duc des Lombards in Paris, Sunset-Sunside in Paris, Studio de l’Ermitage in Paris, Jazz au confluent in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Eaubonne Jazzclub, la Mezzanine in Pierrelaye, Le Moulin jazz-Charlie free in Vitrolles (France), B-Flat in Berlin (DE), Brisbane Jazz Club, Melbourne Recital Center (Australia), Pizza-Express in London, the Forge in London (UK), L’inouï (LU)
