 Two lost churches, plus condensé que le précédent album « Logo » et témoignant d’une cohésion instrumentale encore plus soudée, est un jalon évident de ce trio hors du commun vers sa maturité. Si l’art de Marc Perrenoud a des airs de classicisme, il ne faut pas s’y méprendre. Plus que par facilité, c’est avec l’esprit du défi que le pianiste se frotte au trio Jazz et, sans le détourner radicalement de sa tradition, réexplore en profondeur l’équilibre de la formule. Il fallait deux musiciens aussi audacieux et intelligents que Cyril Regamey et Marco Müller pour comprendre la démarche, et l’habiter. Les interprètes servent en effet la musique de Marc Perrenoud au plus juste de son originalité : magnifique travail de recherche commune autour d’un style impossible à étiqueter, puisé à des sources très éclectiques et profondément assimilées. Ce sont peut-être d’abord des couleurs harmoniques très personnelles, à la fois rauques et chaleureuses. Enchainements d’une grande subjectivité, à l’expressivité parfois étrange et grave, derrière la désinvolture apparente. Une imagination volubile, débridée, tactilement virtuose, mais préférant à la froide perfection du technicien la folie joueuse de l’enfance. Avant tout : le rythme. Trouvailles savoureuses, élaborées mais toujours spontanées, car bougeant depuis sous la ceinture, se renouvelant, se bousculant perpétuellement. De fait, on est très loin ici du « swing » à la « third stream », malgré un goût assumé et revendiqué pour le solo pianistique et les « tours de grille » : Dans le trio de Marc Perrenoud, le rythme n’est presque jamais le seul soutien du propos mélodique : il assume sa pleine puissance autonome, et la batterie prodigieusement inventive de Cyril Regamey – énigmatique mutant, animal sauvage sur qui on aurait greffé un processeur informatique - dialogue avec le piano par strates combinatoires. En s’alliant l’assise élégante, souverainement attentive de Marco Müller, la joute des deux hyperactifs ne succombe jamais à la griserie. Ils avaient besoin d’un ciment à la fois solide et souple, le contrebassiste leur offre sa sensibilité en prime. Fort de cet équilibre vivant et homogène, le groupe explore et développe son étonnante dynamique de l’improvisation ensemble : pulsionnelle, intuitive, et cependant quasi-horlogère. (Valentin Peiry) The Marc Perrenoud Trio with the same band members since 2007 has already been on three tours in South America (2007, 2009 and 2010) as well as given concerts in such different places as Paris, Lyon, Zurich, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Madagascar, Beirut, Damascus and Amman. In addition, they have played at festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival (2009), Jazznojazz Zurich and the Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival (both in 2010). Consequently, it is that much more surprising that "Two Lost Churches" is only the second album of the trio. Perrenoud, about whom the journalist Luca Sabbatini once wrote that there is an "unbelievable fantasy in his melodies, a destructive force, tangible lyric intensity," is really a master of all things who defies any customary categorization. If anything, then what we hear is clearly jazz. However, we also find many influences from other popular styles in his artistic approach. It is a kind of popular music such as Johann Sebastian Bach cultivated. It is a kind of popular music such as Cake celebrates. It is a kind of popular music such as Return To Forever lets us appreciate. There is a suitable term for this in English: attitude. Perrenoud, whose record collection must be very large given the great variety of sounds and associations, seems to display such a pop attitude for jazz (put more aptly: for his jazz) more than clearly. Despite the multifaceted influences on this trio that come to mind, how original and even novel they sound is really impressive. What the trio does with the classic "Autumn Leaves" alone is remarkable in this respect. Marco Müller deserves special praise. He is certainly not an egoist, because he provides a basis for all eight pieces with such stoic composure totally in the background that he is completely inconspicuous. Perfect deception, so that you would never even think of listening to him consciously. However, listening to him is pleasure that you should not miss. How do these three in their early thirties succeed in sounding so crafty, mellow and intent like elder statesmen of jazz? Because they all started playing music at the tender age of six and consequently can look back on a quarter of a century of experience. Marc Perrenoud was born in Geneva in 1981 and started playing piano when he was six. He completed his studies with a diploma in performance at the Ecole de Jazz in Lausanne in 2005. In addition to his diploma, his awards include the Montreux Jazz Chrysler Award 2003, his prize as best soloist at the International Jazz Festival Bern, first place in jazz contest of the Zurich Cantonal Bank 2010 and his scholarships from the Friedlwald and Patino foundations. Marco Müller, born in Fribourg in 1980, started playing violin when he was six. He later switched to contrabass and studied at Bern College of Art. He graduated with a performance diploma from there in 2007. Müller has played on almost all stages of the clubs and festivals in Switzerland, Austria and Germany thanks to his performances with – among others – Enrico Pierranunzi, New York Voices and the incredible Hildegard lernt fliegen, with whom he was recently on a tour in Russia. Cyril Regamey, born in Lausanne in 1977, has dedicated his whole life to percussion. He already played drums when he was six and probably had already experimented with the sounds produced by pots and pans before that. He later studied at the Conservatory of Lausanne, from where he received a teacher's degree in 1999. He has remained at the conservatory and was awarded first prize for virtuosity three years later there. In addition to the Marc Perrenoud Trio, Regamey is involved in projects such as Kiku and Triolisme, has played with such different musicians as Ben Monder, Robin Kenyatta and Sylvie Courvoisier, and is a member of the Centre International de Percussions in Geneva.
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