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15/ 10/ 07

source: Cadence Magazine

Francois Ingold Trio "Song Garden"

Sensitive almost to a fault, pianist François Ingold and his co-conspirators Diego Imbert on bass and Fred Bintner on drums display a group sound with a distinct seriousness of purpose on Song Garden. Ingold’s aim with this album was to attempt a brief history of music through song. In addition to the pianist’s generative originals and arrangements, the trio puts its stamp on material by a pair of French singer/songwriters, Georges Brassens (“Il n’y a pas d’amour heureux”) and the slightly younger Serge Gainsbourg (“Black Trombone”), along with the even more unlikely “A Forest”, by the Cure. Their version of the rock song is suitably dark and ruminative, and so natural you wonder why there haven’t been more instrumental versions of Robert Smith’s simple and evocative melodies. With the concept of “song” so prominent here, it’s no wonder that the lyrical qualities of the material are emphasized throughout, and that tempos are generally moderate. The group’s improvisations tend to stick fairly close to the melodic contours, with Ingold using dynamics to shape the performances, which provokes some heat at times. Imbert’s supple and melodic bass, Bintner’s tasty, focused swing, and Ingold’s crisp attack and rhythmic flexibility combine for a pleasurable listen. Nicely played and recorded, but non-essential. (Stuart Kremsky)