Paris (AFP)

With her new disc "Cooking", the compositions of which will be on the menu of her Parisian concerts on January 3 and 4 at the Sunside, saxophonist Géraldine Laurent adds a new spicy dish to her menu.

"We thought we were going to go into the kitchen," the musician told AFP about the recording of this disc, "as close as possible to the conditions of the live".

For her, entering the studio and going on stage responds to the same creative process as a chef when he puts on his chef's hat and puts on his apron: "Culinary art is a very particular art, quite astonishing, and I find that it has a lot of similarities with the art of music, and more particularly jazz with its part of improvisation ".

"We work a lot on the technique, we rehearse a lot, and at some point things fall into place," continues the violist. "And then comes the concert, there is the shot, you have to serve, offer something to taste for the public, which will be short-lived and disappear very quickly".

In order to develop new musical flavors, Géraldine Laurent surrounded herself with the same team as on her previous disc: Paul Lay in front of the piano, Donald Kontomanou on drums, and Yoni Zelnik's double bass to bring the binder.

- Rather traditional cuisine -

By way of appetizer, Géraldine starts "Cooking", released in mid-October, with three compositions with a fast tempo, where its slightly acid sound and the biting of its attacks awaken the eardrums, like a citrus taste bud.

Two others, longer, less energized, "Early Bass Master" and "Day Off", where the group concocts music with a beautiful aromatic richness, serve as main courses.

Rather traditional cuisine than new cuisine or fusion cuisine, Géraldine Laurent, whose masters are Sonny Rollins and Charlie Parker, is part of a mainstream movement, with an attachment to the tradition of bebop and hard bop.

Besides, "Cooking" is a nod to gastronomy, but also as part of a Miles Davis album dating from 1956.

Géraldine Laurent made her ranges in Niort, where she was born 44 years ago. His love of good food and gastronomy is the fruit of a family heritage. "My grandmother cooked, my grandfather cooked, my mother cooks, my father cooks, I have memories of lobster mayonnaise from my dad", confides this good living.

His talent and persistence led him to win in 2008, not a Michelin badge, but the Django-Reinhardt Prize for the best jazz musician of the year.

She was also the first woman to win this award since the creation in 1954 of the Jazz Academy which awards it.

Because jazz and haute cuisine have another thing in common: women still have a small part of the cake.

© 2019 AFP