Jeremy LIROLA .Compositions, Double bass JOZEF DUMOULIN .Piano, Fender Rhodes and electronic DENIS GUIVARC'H .Alto Saxophone Nicolas Larmignat .Drums
description New York 1980. I discovered the city, and found my father. I lived at 179 E street uptown Manhattan, then Downtown Greenwich Village. I was 10 years old. I roller skated in Washington Square amoung dealers and a strange unclassable population. In the court yards Portiricans played music all night long, a sort of permenant party. Children played Volleyball in the evening over a rope pulled taught across the street. With the other kids in the neighborhood we shot firecrackers and skated across Central Park.
As a young musician I went searching the city for sounds that I liked; I'd go to Village Vanguard, the Knitting factory and so many other clubs that I can't even remember their names. I'd listen to Steve Colman with his first Five Elements, I was a big fan at the time, when the Knittting Factory was still on Houston Street and Cassandra Wilson was with the group. At the same time I'd listen to John Zorn with Bill Laswell. I explored main-stream spots too. I remember listening to Al Cohn, Geri Alen and others.
The New York as I knew it was the one in Cassavettes' movie Gloria, filmed in 1979 in the Bronx a neighboring borough of New York. It was captivating seeing those first images of the film; the mehem, the old cars, the humming streets, the bright street signs, the wild people, the jungle!
That's what I had in mind when I composed the music for this album; it had to be called Uptown Desire; A tribute to the city that frustrated and excited me at the same time. A city where as a child I dreamed 10 months out of 12 waiting to return with my father to the jungle...
Recording, mixing and mastering, Studios la Buissonne, Pernes les Fontaines, France.
Recorded and mixed by Gérard de Haro and Nicolas Baillard on July 7, 8 and 9 2014.
Mastering by Nicolas Baillard.
Piano Steinway Grand concert tuned and prepared by Alain Massonneau.
English translation : Gillian Cante.
Booklet photos : Laure Werckmann.
Cover photo Nathalie Rocher.
Artwork Philippe Ghielmetti.
Produced by Gérard de Haro & RJAL for la Buissonne, and Jeremy lirola.