Off Swing Quintet - Carmen Cafe

When jazz comes to the Opera... A surprising approach, in a swing version, to the great classics of opera (Rossini, Puccini, Bellini, Tchaikovsky, Massenet, Wagner, Offenbach, Bizet, Prokoviev...) brilliantly arranged and performed by the soloists of the Orchester de Paris and the guitar of Samy Daussat. A cocktail of virtuosity and emotion, at the crossroads of two worlds. "Listening to Carmen Café, I have a totally invented universe there... I would never have dared to do such a thing, even in a dream! Yet... well it's there in your headphones or on your turntable, and it's sweet!" sanseverino "Did you sing at the opera? Well swing now!" Roberto Alagna Bringing together four musicians from the Orchester de Paris associated with a recognized specialist in the gypsy guitar, the "Off Swing" project was launched in 2016, under the impetus of the Off des Musiciens de l'Orchestre de Paris. On the occasion of "walking concerts" around Italian music, at the Musée de la Musique de la Philharmonie de Paris, a bond is woven between the five partners, who immediately decide to extend the adventure. They then performed in several Parisian venues (la Petite Halle, la Bellevilloise), as well as at the Musique en Ré festival. For the members of the group, the challenge consists in proposing original adaptations in a "swing" spirit of pieces from the classical repertoire that they usually practice in the Orchestra. However, they do not conceive of this meeting as a simple "juxtaposition" of the two universes, but on the contrary endeavor to track down in the pieces they choose the connections and other harmonic sequences which will prove fruitful, susceptible to development. Tasty and relevant, often conducive to improvisation and spontaneity. They thus manage to flush out some treasures, such as this parallel which was essential between the closed-mouth chorus of Madame Butterfly and the Tornerai of Dino Olivieri and Nino Rastelli, known in the world of swing thanks to the cover of the French version (J'attendrai), concocted by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. Influences, suggestions, quotes, transfers... in other words, the listener is not at the end of his surprises when listening to this first album of the group, devoted to opera themes, so much the "passages" sketched suggest unsuspected wonders and purely shimmering lights