Amaury Faye is a pianist at the helm of a new generation of French jazz musicians. In his mid-20s at the time of this 2017 concert at the Jazz a Vienne festival, he was already leading up a trio and thereby taking on the noble tradition of the piano-drums-bass format, which is notorious for leaving no space to hide. Just a few weeks before, the trio had released their debut album, Clearway, which won the Best Newcomer award in the French publication Jazz Magazine. With the stage set, it was Faye’s opportunity to hail the arrival of a new voice in acoustic jazz and he did just that.
But his reputation is sealed beyond French borders. Having attended Berklee College of Music (and winning the Berklee Jazz Performance Award for Best Pianist), Faye has been on the international radar for some years. He returned to Europe in 2015 and set up his trio with accompaniment from Louis Navarro and Théo Lanau. Together, they weave a range of influences and idioms into their musical concept, whether in composition or improvisation. Indeed, Faye is known for his attention to the architecture of his music, preferring to mix written scores with improvisation sections that allow for expression within the flow. Along blistering tempos and with staggering exchanges along the way, Faye takes up the mantle of his icon, Brad Mehldau, in a small group that are already a force to be reckoned with.
