Paul Zetter – Eric Legnini Trio – Lessons of Life

Some lessons of life at the recent Eric Legnini trio performance at L’Espace Win a copy of Eric Legnini’s new CD. Details at the bottom of this review.

As part of a Southeast Asian tour, with dates in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, the Eric Legnini Trio gave us a master class in contemporary jazz piano trio last Tuesday at L’Espace.

The formidable talents of Eric Legnini, piano, Thomas Bramerie, bass and Frank Agulhon, drums, were on display in a dazzling 10 song set that had flavours ranging from 1920’s Harlem stride piano to echoes of trip-hop and drum and bass.

Opening with Monk’s angular Hackensack, the interplay between the three – Agulhon invariably smiling widely, Bramerie keeping close watch on Legnini and Agulhon and Legnini keeping in check with Agulhon’s often eccentric but always spot on accents – was

Lesson one in jazz: the essential, constant communication and eye contact required between musicians as they play.

Born in Belgium of Italian immigrant and professional musician parents, Eric grew up with the sounds of classical music and opera all around. At age 12 a school friend introduced him to jazz through those two cornerstones of so many lifelong passions for jazz; Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. He also first heard the ebullient sounds of piano master Errol Garner. For Eric the journey into jazz had begun.

Following on with a Legnini original, a funky track off his last album Trippin’, DooGoo saw the trio in shuffle mood where Bramerie’s lyrical talents on the bass came to the fore. It’s not often you hear such a melodic approach in a bass solo especially in a bluesy shuffle but Bramerie surprised with his technique and ear for a sweet phrase. The next song, the latin-afro flavoured Casa Bamako, opened with a drum solo from Agulhon that also surprised, this time in its thoughtful construction and enigmatic disguise before the main unison theme kicked in.

Lesson two: a contemporary jazz trio is a democratic unit, not a platform for the piano only. Interplay is key and everyone’s voice needs to be heard as in a good conversation.

At 18 after being fairly active in the Belgian jazz scene, Eric took the courageous step of buying a one-way plane ticket to New York. Like a latter day jazz Dick Whittington, he packed a bag and went to the Big Apple to pursue his dreams of Jazz. Over the months he hung out in all the New York jazz clubs, like the Village Vanguard, Birdland and the Blue Note and used the novelty of being a young European jazz nut to meet and get to know jazz musicians in between and after sets. He also widened his listening to the urban flavours of rap and DJs. He took lessons and learnt with the greats such as piano giant Richie Bierach, and was influenced by the wonderful Kenny Kirkland.

Next the trio took a mellow turn with another Legnini original, Nightfall. A contemplative piece with a descending cadence reminiscent of the Paul Simon song, So Long Frank Lloyd Wright, the trio made the spaces in between the notes and the beat into special moments of beauty and contemplation. Bramerie impressed with another lyrical solo that echoed times past. However, perhaps to match the stormy night in Hanoi, it ended with a thundery coda that locked all three musicians into a passionate crescendo.

Lesson three: silence and space. It’s not the notes you play that take your breath away; it’s the breath you leave in between the notes.

Eric returned from New York with new chops, contacts and a wide appreciation and knowledge of different kinds of music. On his return to Belgium he accepted a teaching position as Professor of Jazz at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels. And so began his second career as Jazz educator.

When the trio launched into afro-beat inspired, Black President, we heard the trio in more serious mood rendering a sparse melody and harmonic foundation with unison lines and strident improvisations between piano and drums. Next up was, Bullitt Mustang Fastback, which saw Legnini open his shoulders for the first time of the night and give us a treat at what those fingers can really deliver at ultra fast be-bop tempo accompanied by a firestorm of offbeat and unexpected drum accents from Agulhon. The bass solo was a mini masterpiece of playing at speed whilst retaining humour and effervescence – it was my favourite piece of the night. Rock The Place, saw the trio back in contemporary mode with a rocky barnstormer that got the audience whooping with delight.

Lesson four: don’t be a slave to genre or style – find your own original voice. Jazz is a vessel and it’s a code – Legnini’s word – once you crack it you have the tools to say anything you want.

I concluded my interview with Eric Legnini by asking him about what musical philosophy drove him and his ability to incorporate musical styles ranging from 1920’s jazz, to Puccini’s operas and Ice T’s rap whilst still making them all sound fresh, original and contemporary. ‘It goes back to being a child’ he says, ‘when you are so young you don’t classify music, you just love it for what it is. It is this feeling that inspires me’. I may be wrong but I suspect Eric heard the word ‘Yes’ a lot in his childhood.

And as a father it reminded me of the great responsibility we have as parents, and luckily my parents had for me, to nurture an appreciation of music in our children and guide them to find a roadmap through it so they can have lifelong pleasure and perhaps even glean from it a template on how to lead a life, as I have.

In this interconnected world where globalization often feels like it’s leading to polarization, we can learn from people like Eric Legnini who have a  strong connection to their childhood, when no one told them what box or genre to classify their passions by.

Embracing diversity and making it their own to share – thank you Eric Legnini Trio – feet placed firmly on the ground, fingers flying with angels.

GIVEAWAY:

We have one signed copy of Eric Legnini’s new CD VOX to give away.

Please add a comment below – Vietnam residents only – telling us why you want the CD (in Vietnamese or English).

We’ll pick the one we like the best to get the CD.

Additional information – Read Paul’s review of Eric Legnini Trio’s previous CD Trippin’ on his jazz piano trio blog.

Words and photographs ⓒ 2011 by Paul Zetter

Below are links to Eric Legnini’s new CD on Amazon.
If you purchase anything from Amazon via the link below, a small percentage of what you pay will go to Hanoi Grapevine – a simple, painless and easy way to support Hanoi Grapevine!

The Vox Format: MP3 Download

Vox Format: Audio CD