From the first notes, “Control Swift” grooves. The punchy rhythm is driven by drummer Jean-Marc Robin’s sharp playing. The sax lines wrap themselves around electric guitar riffs whose organic and slightly acidic sound sometimes evoke a few ghosts, such as the late Larry Coryell. Once in orbit, the groove can relax in “There Will Be” – a feline workout to which the leader gives a blue sheen by bending the strings. This expressive style steeped in soul can be heard several times on the release. First on “Le Chien”, a piece that swings like a Pink Panther on the prowl thanks to Johannes Mueller’s giddy sax solo followed by a theme they all play together. Then on “Blues For Jean”, which shows to the whole world the grip that the blues has on this music – even if it is a blues à la John Scofield, tortured by phrasing with a distinctive outline that creates a saturated sound and raw inflexions through a palette of perfectly mastered effects. A big fan of big melodies, Lamy has also composed some pieces that are perfect for singing. The melancholic accents of “A.-C.”, for example, are delicately coloured by floating chords and beautiful clusters of notes that gracefully twist and turn before coming to a dream-like end. “Erase”, meanwhile, is like a trip in zero gravity featuring a bass solo from Gautier Laurent that lies across moving layers of guitar which in turn opens its wings and takes off. This eclectic repertoire is wrapped up with a bonus treat: “D Blues” is unbridled hard-bop swing, almost like a concession to the classical jazz into which the guitarist and sax-player like to sink their teeth, whipping the theme and firing off torrents of solos.

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