Liner note by Jean-Marc Gélin, journalist and member of the Jazz Academy

 

 

A rather dreary Saturday afternoon. Gridlock. At least another hour in the car before reaching home.The radio is on. Voices are saying a lot, but not much. Then all of the sudden, two voices pop out and immediately captivate me.

I wait for the end of the piece, hoping the announcer will give the name of the group: “Cordes Sensibles”

[sensitive cords/strings]. A sublime duo of voices, that of Caroline Arène, and that of…Isabelle Gueldry.

 

That was seven years ago.

Since then, I’ve had the chance to meet Isabelle, and I have continued to follow her work, from near and far.

For back then, it already seemed clear to me that Isabelle had this temperament, and precisely this sensitivity,

which sets rare singers apart. Those who at times seem to stay in the background, or rather, to merge with

the music that they are faithfully serving. More than interpreters, they are illuminators. With them, the voice intertwines with the instrument. No more space, no more separation between singers and musicians,

because singers of this class blend with those who accompany them.

 

Perhaps it was with the great Roger Letson that Isabelle learned this. The art of combining selflessness and interpretation. Or perhaps it came from hearing and listening to her idols with meticulous attention. I recall an evening when she had me listen, with stars in her ears, to Joni Mitchell’s lovely rendition of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.

Infl uence.

Isabelle is now taking the plunge with this first album, on which she brings together all who have inspired her throughout the years, by building a magnificent repertoire. While it might appear diffi cult, the collection comes

into its own, under the charm of her voice of clear, harmonic accuracythat is subtle and refined.

 

Isabelle doesn’t tend towards the ease of standards we’ve heard hundreds of times. With the savvy of a music-lover, she seeks out an exceptional repertoire, authored by some great composers. She searches for harmonic warmth

and is inspired by the greats. A composition by Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler plays alongside Tom Harrell or Steve Kuhn. Ralph Towner and Steve Swallow contribute to the adventure. And one mustn’t forget the two gorgeous compositions by the great Michel Perez. She is their delicate interpreter. With Isabelle, time seems suspended in a sort of poetic limbo made of sweetness and serenity. She handles the most delicate chord inversions with the flexible

agility of a great singer, without ever adding the smallest eff ect to her voice, but rather by simply placing it,as one would place a kiss upon words.

 

To best serve this project made of velvet and honey, it was necessary to have a fused understanding with her accompanists. People who can accentuate. Who can stress with as much tact as with discretion. Who also sing,

in their way, with their cordes sensibles. People for whom each note that is played contributes its valuable share.

Two discoveries: Serbian Sava Medan on acoustic bass, and German guitarist Karsten Hochapfel. Both hearing the shimmerings, both concentrated on the harmonics that surround them. Both understanding this evanescence.

 

If you start to listen to “Saga”, these melodies will not leave you, and Isabelle’s voice will continue to resonate

within you well after the last track. And since one is needed, Isabelle reworks in her own fashion a standard,

“Some Other Time”, accompanied only by the bass, in the style of a blues singer.

 

When the last note sounds, you then understand what can bind singers like Norma, like Susan, like Joni, or like Isabelle. This unpretentious way of lending their perspectives on the poetry, to both the music and the words.

In a way, elevating the soul.

 

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Traduction : Laura Karst - Jazz Singer