Press Review

“Estampes (★★★★) is a riveting album, from Guillaume Barraud & Mathieu Bélis, that presents a stripped down, yet carefully cultivated, dialogue between bansuri and piano. Both musicians approach their instruments with intelligence, and their creative energies are channeled together to develop a meaningful flow of music, smooth and without hesitation. Composers Barraud and Bélis have worked together for over a decade, and Estampes came about in the midst of the pandemic. Their series of improvisations result in a variety of intimate musical pieces with considerable emotional depth, including different tones and instrumental relationships in selections like “Major Minor”, “Jarrett”, “Procession”, “Douce Ivresse” and “Parade of Stars.”
Each track has a distinct coloring of sound, and the bansuri certainly paints the canvas with more ancestral or aboriginal feelings. Coupled with Bélis’ delicate touch on piano, a synergistic effect allows all five senses to converge into one masterful accomplishment. What emerges is a sensitive language of its own with sonic colors that work together to produce various feelings. The duo’s eclectic universe of contemporary jazz brewed with classical, pop and traditional elements is embellished on two tracks, “Ballade du Duke” and “Perfect Blue,” with some understated, lovely contributions by guitarist Kevin Seddiki.”
Joe Ross — ROOTS MUSIC REPORTS
one masterful accomplishment
un album indispensable
“Two extraordinary artists – Guillaume Barraud and Mathieu Bélis teamed up together during the pandemic period, and have released an interesting album, entitled “Estampes”, available as a CD on November 4. 2022. and previously digitally, on October 14.
Mathieu Bélis is a pianist, and Guillaume Barraud plays the Indian transverse flute, that is the bansuri. They have created an album full of improvisation, experimental traces, complemented by the constant and unusual dialogue between two instruments. All the time, both musicians show high performing qualities, and no less modern acceptance of new tendencies within such a musical approach. Their musicianship confirms the performer’s complexity, but it is obvious that psychologically they understood each other very well. I would add, that guitarist Kevin Seddiki plays the nylon guitar on two compositions from the album.
As an achievement “Estampes” contains a lot of hidden performing “tricks”, but it also confirms the absolute quality and knowledge of the musical secrets of the two actors of this story.”
Branimir Lokner — TIME MACHINE MUSIC
two extraordinary artists
profound, sophisticated, alchemical
“A la croisée des chemins entre Jazz, musiques contemporaine et traditionnelle, cet album très inspiré invite à la méditation.
Guillaume Barraud (bansuri) et Mathieu Bélis (piano) concoctent ici un Jazz modal subtil et joliment chatoyant. Le disque constitue une sorte de galerie de tableaux, qui, chacun à leurs façons, brossent divers paysages sonores nourris d’envolées du bansuri, de soli, de nappes et d’ostinati au piano. Les deux compositeurs sont rejoints sur deux titres par Kevin Seddiki (guitare cordes nylon).
Sur le plan stylistique, l’album me renvoie bien sûr à Keith Jarrett (titre plage 10), mais aussi au duo Corea/Burton, aux compositions de Gurdjieff & De Hartman ou à Debussy… La moitié environ des titres, souvent assez longs (7 à 11’) sont de véritables petits concertos construits de plusieurs parties variées où les influences s’enchaînent ou se tuilent de belle façon. Certains titres sonnent carrément contemporain, notamment les soli qu’ils soient au piano ou à la flûte, voire sous influence pop. Pour ce qui est des couleurs plus traditionnelles, le bansuri donne le ton côté Inde, mais il faut compter aussi avec quelques notes plus moyen-orientale, balkaniques voire hispanisantes avec le piano et la guitare. Un très bel opus à écouter encore et encore pour en saisir toute la richesse et la complexité, et à savourer le soir au coin du feu !”
François Saddi — 5 PLANETES
un très bel opus
à écouter encore et encore

“Quelque-part entre l’Occident, L’inde et la Perse, l’errance lyrique et mystérieuse des arpèges d’un piano très jazz, des battements de transe du daf et du tombak, et des volutes aériennes de la flûte bansuri. Un projet gravé sur le disque Azar (★★★★★).”
Anne Berthod — TÉLÉRAMA SORTIR
“Somewhere between the West, India and Persia, the lyrical and mysterious journey of the piano arpeggios, the Iranian trance beats and scrolls of the bansuri flute. A project recorded on the disc Azar (★★★★★).“