The story began in the very first moments of regained freedom following the first confinement, when Pierre de Bethmann and Antoine Paganotti rediscovered themselves as neighbors in the course of multiple duo sessions. It continued with a sense of the obvious, bringing together Simon Tailleu, a pillar of the Medium Ensemble, and David El Malek, a major encounter of the ilium years, whose tenor saxophone playing is now considered as one of the strongest voices in contemporary European jazz.

With the group thus formed, and after a few initial concerts, online and then live in Aix-en-Provence (Petit Duc) and Paris (Sunside), and then elsewhere, Aléa first reissued the album GO, originally released in 2012 on the Plus Loin label, as a prelude to a project once again centered on compositional work for a small combo. And this same impetus led the four musicians to Ferber studio in February 2023, for a new step experienced as a graceful moment, two days of recording producing two albums, the first of which is presented here.

An entirely new repertoire, then, made of more or less expected forms, more or less tame melodic lines, more or less complex harmonies and rhythms... to play, again and again. A simple credo of four artists united by their love of a culture more than a century old, as well as by their faith in a possible future, together above all.

Perhaps also to mock a little our post-modern exhaustion, and continue to believe in a music to share, which celebrates the mystery of existence all the better for its ability to heal a few wounds.