CHIEN LUNE

Chien Lune : literal translation of Moondog, a reference to the American composer Louis Thomas Hardin (1916-1999), known as Moondog.

Trio made up of Elvire Jouve (drums, synthesizer, metallophone), Damien Sabatier (saxophones, Shruti, Jew’s harp, calls…) and Pascal Berne (double bass, arrangements, compositions).

Between Amerindian music, jazz and classical music, Moondog, an iconoclastic American composer who was instantly recognizable, left a remarkable mark on 20th-century music. Chien Lune takes up this legacy and offers a lively, singular reinterpretation.

The composer’s timeless compositions open up a wealth of sources for exploration. The limpid, often simple harmonic architecture, the catchy melodies, the ritornellos, are all subjects conducive to reinterpretation. As the pieces progress, the trio offers a wide range of sound combinations, with a particular attachment to the improvisational spaces and modes of expression that link the 3 artists. The instrumentation, with little or no polyphonic elements, leaves plenty of room for the trio’s rhythmic and melodic counterpoints.

Damien Sabatier’s Shruti-box (Indian singing guide) and Elvire Jouve’s small Synthé module provide the harmonic lighting.

By turns “power trio” or little music box, this ensemble of varied instrumental geometries offers resolutely inventive and engaging music.