WAKAN + Amaury Faye NOLA Quartet feat. Herlin RILEY

WAKAN

FR/KR Francesca HAN, piano; Pierre FÉNICHEL, double bass; Fred PASQUA, drums

Pianist Francesca Han, originally from South Korea and now living in France, forms the WAKAN Trio together with double bassist Pierre Fenichel and drummer Fred Pasqua.

Inspired by the world of Alexandre Dumas and the character Edmond Dantès, their project unfolds in a series of images reminiscent of pivotal moments from the novel *The Count of Monte Cristo*.

The compositions, which at first glance appear melodically clear, gradually reveal more complex and unique structures. This repertoire highlights the two cultural poles of Francesca Han: a solid classical training on the one hand, and an intense engagement with the vibrant jazz scene of New York on the other.

The ensemble is carried by a tight-knit and creative rhythm section that lends this musical fresco all its tension and narrative power.

Amaury Faye NOLA Quartet feat. Herlin RILEY

RUST

FR/US Amaury FAYE piano, Julian LEE saxophone, Herlin RILEY drums, Edouard PENNES double bass

Amaury Faye, piano virtuoso and free spirit of French jazz, celebrates his spectacular return after an extended stay in New Orleans. From this intense experience emerged RUST, an album inspired by the moods and sounds of the city: wild dances beneath the rusty bridges of Tremé, weary freight trains clattering along the banks of the Mississippi, wailing sirens booming through the Lower Ninth Ward, improvised rice and bean dishes on the porches, and eccentric characters in their ludicrous costumes populating the city center and wastelands.

Together with legendary drummer Herlin Riley—a longtime collaborator of Wynton Marsalis and Ahmad Jamal—rising star Julian Lee on tenor saxophone, and double bassist Edouard Pennes, Amaury Faye revives the historic connection between France and Louisiana through the energy of swing with his NOLA Quartet.