REGINALD POLICARD | DETOUR
Monday, August 28 2006 - Reginald
Policard's visibility on the music scene since the
turn of the Century (2000) has been heightened by
a series of new solo musical works that, although
embedded in the a kind of advanced version of our
traditional kompa music, deserves a special attention
due to the exceptional quality of his arrangements
and the originality of his methods.
The
passage of time continued to unfold Policard's creative
ingenuity as he released "Detour" a few
months ago. The material on this CD is quite new
to the pianist's repertoire and the CD will probably
be considered as a milestone in his solo career.
This is another entry in his growing discography
that represents an expanding musical universe. The
newly CD provides an opportunity to listen to 8
titles composed and arranged, by RP. His music is
alive, vibrant and progressive as ever. In fact,
the pianist is transitioning into a more complex
Jazz structure. This is a delight for jazz aficionados
who mostly foresaw this changeover with the release
of "Traditions" last year. " DETOUR
" is a successful attempt to capture finer
lines and new forms to move Haitian Jazz a few miles
further. As the listener will notice at once the
pianist rapturous performance sparkles with verve,
life, and imagination. He provides a strong undercurrent
while leaving space to his partners to tell their
"stories". This is also a landmark album
because of the title track " Detour ".
Indeed, RP used (maybe for the first time) programmatic
features on his synthesizers to smartly build the
entire rhythm section. Quite amazing result in a
pure Pat Metheny legacy… the track distance
also has that Metheny/Mays flavor.
Speaking of the rhythm section, the duo Widmaer/Barbot
is awesome and omnipresent in subtle touches. Their
solos on "Grand Rivière" are both
reviving and soothing. The elusive play of Joel
is a brilliant testimony of his maturity as a drummer.
It goes without saying that the remarkable interpretation
of All Blues is to be credited to the artistry of
RP as well as the sparkling groove of Barbot. The
transposition of the jazz modal structure in Kompa
is done in a quite successful manner and one can
feel that miles atmosphere recreated by the brass
line. I will not go through all the tracks leaving
to the listener the pleasure of discovering this
detour in RP's music.
I mention the presence of a very talented guitar
player named Jimmy Jean Félix, whom solos
on "Boarding Pass" and "Detour"
are really works of art. Very impressive in his
playing with a perfect control of speed, he exhibits
beauty and colors in the spirit of Wes Montgomery
School. I wish he could be more present on this
album.
Reginald
Policard has been playing for years with the same
musicians who represent the core of his group. Together,
they have reached today a kind of unique language
and originality that come from long rehearsal hours,
hard work and perseverance. After almost thirty
years of Kompa, RP is venturing into new avenues
and, as jazz lovers, we are delighted of such a
deviation.
Highly recommended and a listening pleasure!
Alphonse Piard, Jr.
Monday, August 28, 2006
FRENCH VERSION/VERSION FRANÇAISE
