BAPTISTE BAILLY HAS A NEW ALBUM OUT, ‘LA FASCINANTE’
24/7 Valencia:Tell us something about your musical background and experiences…
Baptiste Bailly: I was born in France in the Lyon region in 1992. I was a drummer during childhood and I became interested, as a teenager, in playing the piano. After studies at the conservatory of St Etienne and then one in Dijon, I had the opportunity to travel for my studies in Spain where I found some of my sources of inspiration too. In 2016, I released my first album as a composer, ‘Dialogo con un Duende’ with the guitar player David Minguillon, was released, followed by ‘Pension Almayer’ (Baptiste Bailly trio) in 2019. These first albums gave me this desire to dig further regarding composition and creation. I am lucky enough to find my place in various creative projects that motivate me more and more to find new musical landscapes too. ‘Suds’ in 2021 as solo piano, ‘Elior’ with singer-guitarist Roxane Arnal in 2022, ‘Muerto de Amor’ with Elma Sambeat in 2022, more recently I have just come out of a beautiful 2024 tour of ‘Storyboard’ with guitarist Gwen Cahue. The new release in 2024 of ‘La Fascinante’, which brings together a lot of inspiration from traditional music.
How is Valencia for live music? I arrived in Valencia in 2015 for 6 months of Erasmus, and I stayed there until 2020. And I still spend long stays there. It is a surprising city with great artists. If I had come as a jazz student, I found other musical genres to explore too. Of course, we would all like to have more places to play in Valencia, because the life of a jazz musician is not easy. However, it has to be said, Valencia carries with it a superb and creative energy.
Tell us a little about each track on your latest album, ‘LA FASCINANTE’ ,
Ritournelle: Ritournelle opens with an anthology of percussion before giving way to a melody, which is powerful and assertive. From the first seconds we are immersed in a very personal narration, the music is like a story that seems to be that of a legend. Borrowing from different folklores, the story develops, leading to an energetic solo with striking lyricism, before relaunching its main ritornellos like a hymn.
La Fascinante: The eponymous track of the album, we find the swaying of the waltzes of the 1920s, a certain blissful nostalgia carried by a rich and delicate Mediterranean rhythmic. The piano develops its most beautiful melodic curves with poetry and lightness too.
Dis c’est encore loin la mer ?:In the tales that my dad used to tell us during my childhood, the story I liked best was undoubtedly that of the little duck who wanted to go see the sea. The journey could thus last until I fell asleep.
Cours Toujours: Built like a frenetic race through varied landscapes, influences mingle in this unique imaginative piece. Between two waters, between east and west, we think we perceive the recipient of the message… a certain Christopher Columbus.
Atherfield: I had the pleasure of arranging a version of this piece by Andy Cutting, an Irish accordionist. During my stay in Brittany from 2020 to 2022, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in Celtic music and to integrate certain features into my compositions.
Agua, ¿Dónde Vas?: Tribute to the poet Garcia Lorca. I had the opportunity to work with Elma Sambeat on the album “Muerto de Amor”, which allowed me to immerse myself in this poetry. The short poem ‘Agua Donde Va’ opens up the reflection on our destinies, between worry and curiosity, asking each element of nature where it is headed.
Vie de Grenier: A little play on words between “Vide grenier” and “Vie de Grenier” I imagine old photos, old letters, old objects and the stories, the lives they carry within them. The décor is minimal and nostalgic, for this track I called on the sensibility of Efrén López on his fretless guitar… a treat.
Räv: Renard, in Swedish, reveals Etienne Renard’s know-how and taste for American folk music. A great double bass player active on the Parisian scene, he is a musician who can be found in many projects with sometimes very modern aesthetics but without ever losing this taste for groove and rhythmic energy.
Street Games: Tinged with jazz and blues, I wanted this piece to be a playground. There is a magnificent solo by Renard, then David Gadea and Bodek Janke take the floor in a coda highlighting their rhythmic creativity.
Les Rêves d’Enora: Constructed like an enigma, this nebulous piece draws from the poetic peregrinations of Enora, an ageless ghost, an imaginary former roommate… or real?
What is jazz for you? The ultimate question. For me, I would say that it’s a school, a way of understanding music in a conscious way in order to generate spaces of freedom through improvisation. This has an important place in my music although it not preponderant. I always appreciate more the care taken in the writing and starting from that…meaning to start improvising as one explores an ocean of possibilities.
What are your musical influences? They are varied and changing. In my last interview, I mentioned many jazz pianists, notably present, produced by ‘ECM Records’, whose artistic direction I particularly appreciate. I listen to their news regularly because always a source of inspiration or questioning. But I also spend a lot of time listening to traditional, Celtic, Mediterranean music which is a source of curiosity for me. Classical and impressionist music remains a cocoon to return to, from time to time. Finally, for some time now, I have been more and more interested in medieval music. To be continued…
What are your plans with this project? We had a great roadshow in October 2024, and I’m currently preparing for next summer and fall. We were due to play in the city of Valencia but the show was understandably cancelled due to the terrible tragedy of ‘La Dana.’ I hope we will have the opportunity to come and play in the Valencian region again soon!
Interview by Will McCarthy
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