This music Is the result of a mystical experience lived by French pianist and composer Eve Risser when visiting Bryce Canyon, in Utah. The thousands of fairy chimneys reaching to the sky seamed to her «an enormous choir of singers ready to intone the most powerful of earthly songs», and that’s why she decided to had a choir to her 10-piece orchestra for this astonishing album. «The human voice is very good at transmitting vibrations. In that calm and empty country I could feel very strongly the force and ages of the earth», Risser explains. But that’s not the only uncommon factor you’ll find here. Even the White Desert Orchestra isn’t your average jazz ensemble. Part big band and part chamber orchestra, it combines aspects of two traditions, jazz and classical music, adding some aspects coming from rock (specially the energy) and other electric urban musical expressions (the large spectrum of colors). This includes the chosen instrumentation – you can expect saxophones, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass and drums, but there’s also a bassoon, four flutes, two clarinets and… a prepared piano.

Eve Risser’s name is associated with the prepared piano, thanks to her solo CD “Des Pas sur la Neige”, considered by many worldwide critics as a masterpiece of the post-John Cage lineage of piano preparations, and also the one previously released in trio format, with Benjamin Duboc and Edward Perraud, “En Corps”. After five years of work with the National Jazz Orchestra of France (you may know the recording which is probably the most internationally recognized of this orchestra, “Around Robert Wyatt”), Risser felt the need to express herself with «a bigger sound», by creating her own large band and new music for it. For this young and particularly inventive artist it was a logical step: the White Desert project is «a form of orchestration of the piano», being this one already an «orchestra-instrument». «Ten fingers, ten musicians», she says. That’s the best phrase to define everything she does, alone or with all these people.

After presenting her orchestra on major creative jazz festivals in 2015 and 2016 (Jazzdor Strasbourg, Moers, Banlieues Bleues, Jazz in La Villette, Jazz em Augusto, Copenhagen Jazz) Eve Risser has been able to record this amazing music that we do present to you. No doubt that her work is going to receive a wide recognition…

All compositions by Eve Risser, except “Shaking Peace” by John Hollenbeck (Grand Blvd Music)

Recorded at Studio MidiLive in Villetaneuse by Céline Grangey, assisted by Baptiste Mésange | Mastered by Miguel Angel Tolosa
Produced by Laurent Carrier Diffusion(sarl) and Eve Risser | Executive production by Pedro Costa for Trem Azul | Design by Travassos
Cover and camera’s photo by Aurore Bagarry | Band and live photos Sylvain Gripoix | Other photos Eve Risser