MEMOIRE - to be released by Capri records on 3/15/05

Read the Capri Press Release

Read Joshua Breakstone's notes on the CD

"...one of the more resourceful and compelling young guitarists in jazz.", wrote Britt Robson. "Fire in velvet." wrote Paul Weidman. "His flowing lines on uptempo cookers are impeccably clean and fiery, bearing the mark of a first-rate improviser, while his chordal work on heartbreaker ballads is the final word in finesse."- so it was written in "Guitar Player".

Recorded in August of 2004, Memoire (Capri 74070-2) is the second of two CDs recorded in France by stellar guitarist Joshua Breakstone for Capri records alongside some of the most formidable French musicians of today. Bassist Louis Petrucciani is equally stunning here as on the first of the two French sessions, A Jamais (Capri 74065-2, recorded in August of 2003), and they are aided and abetted this time out by the riveting drum work of Christian Ton Ton Salut.

The program is divided equally between four classic French songs ("Autumn Leaves", "C'est Si Bon", Michel LeGrand's "You Must Believe in Spring", Django Reinhardt's "Nuages") and four exceptional Breakstone originals. As Jerry D'Souza observed in his review of A Jamais in "All About Jazz", "Breakstone has been in his straightahead groove over the space of 17 albums. He continues to exhibit that innate strength in his writing, which he takes to a laudable plateau."

Memoire represents another giant step in the development of Joshua Breakstone as a jazz guitar master, major jazz composer, and all around just totally fucking great guy. Buy this one to find out for yourself what all the talk is about- then, you'll know.

Joshua Breakstone's notes on the CD

Memoire is the second of two CDs (thus, "The French Sessions, vol. 2") which I've recorded in France alongside some of the most formidable of French musicians. The first was A Jamais (Capri Records 74065-2), which was recorded a year prior to Memoire. Bassist Louis Petrucciani is equally
stunning here as on A Jamais, and we are fortunate to be aided and abetted this time by Christian Ton Ton Salut.

Why "Memoire"? Whereas A Jamais was a collection of ten original compositions (plus "Hallucinations", composed by Bud Powell), here I have chosen to remember some classic French songs from the past composed by some of the greatest of French composers alongside a few of my own things.

"Airegla" is my tribute to a former French colony, and Ton Ton shines here. I previously recorded this arrangement of "Autumn Leaves" on my Japanese Songs CD, and it seems to me that this might possibly be the most widely beloved song in all the world. "Nuages" is dedicated to the late great guitarist Harry Leahey, who introduced me to this song- and to many others-
and who played it so sweetly. Both the beginning and the ending are "about" Harry, and I was thinking of him while recording this. Ton Ton shines again on "A Little Something I Wrote", and the stunningly lyrical "Chanson de Delphine" just about plays itself. In the liner notes to A Jamais, I wrote about the extraordinarily dynamic playing of Louis Petrucciani, and Louis's power on the one hand, and sensitivity on the other, are both in clear evidence on both "Frere Louis" (he's always been- and always will be- the brother of the late great pianist Michel, but he's my brother too) and "Memoire". "C'est Si Bon" is a romp, I have always been intrigued by this concise melody- this was the first time I had occasion to play it.

Thanks to Denis Masseport for the generous loan of the drums. This CD is dedicated to my entire French family- my wife Nathalie, Lisette, Pierrot and Mimi, Sandrine, Valerie, Jean-Noel, Francoise, Bastien, Florence and Solo, Louis, Valentine, Edith and Eric, Raphael, Leo, Monique and Gerard, Nelly, Jacques, Julie, Florent, Denis and Cathy, Luca, and Lena. OH LA-LA!

Joshua Breakstone, NYC, 2/05

Memoire The French Sessions, vol. 2

Songs:

1. Airegla (Breakstone)
2. Autumn Leaves (Prevert Kosma Mercer)
3. Nuages (Reinhardt)
4. A Little Thing I Wrote (Breakstone)
5. Chanson De Delphine (LeGrand Demy)
(You Must Believe in Spring)
6. Frere Louis (Breakstone)
7. C'est Si Bon (Betti Hornez)
8. Memoire ( Breakstone)

Musicians:

Joshua Breakstone- guitar
Louis Petrucciani - bass
Christian Ton Ton Salut- drums

Recorded 8/25/04 at Studio de Valflo, Valflaunesse, France
Recording by Dominique Suard
Editing, mixing, and mastering by Katsuhiko Naito, NY, USA

www.joshuabreakstone.com

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