This Friday sees leading Maltese saxophonist Carlo Muscat and renowned French pianist Tony Tixier launch their groundbreaking album Hymns, Muscat’s sixth album as bandleader.

Hosted at Valletta’s Spazju Kreattiv, this week’s concert features innovative reworkings of traditional and modern French songs, or chansons, in what the pair describe as a tribute to the “rich history of French music”.

Muscat’s relationship to France extends back to 2013, when he moved to Paris to immerse himself in jazz and the wealth of other genres that populate the city’s rich musical landscape.

Ten years later, the saxophonist has brought a flavour of its music back to Malta, joining forces with one of France’s leading performers to present a programme of thoughtful and evocative repertoire.

“I must say that it’s great to be back at Spazju Kreattiv, where I launched my first album in October 2014 while still living in Paris,” Muscat said. 

“Nine years and five albums later, so many things have changed and being back for an album launch with a very different approach to music also serves as a reminder of how much work has gone into trying to grow as a musician over the past decade,” he said.

“I am committed to stay the course more than ever,” Muscat added.

Yamaha performing artist Tony Tixier, joining the saxophonist in their first recorded outing together, has established himself as one of France’s finest young jazz pianists since bursting onto the scene in 2009 with his debut album Parallel Worlds.

In 2012, he opened for jazz legend Herbie Hancock at the country’s Jazz en Tête festival and now lives in New York, where he regularly performs in addition to his busy international touring schedule.

Released in May, their debut duo album Hymns presents an intriguing collection of French songs interpreted in a modern jazz context.

While most of its repertoire consists of renowned 20th-century French songs, such as Hymne à l’amour, – made popular by singer Édith Piaf, who also penned the lyrics – and Blossom Dearie’s Plus je t’embrasse, the album also contains some outliers.

Nine years and five albums later, so many things have changed- Carlo Muscat

The album’s fifth track, Bella Doëtte, for example, is based on an anonymous 12th-century Chanson de Toile, a form of Old French lyric poetry, while Si tu vois ma mère and Petite Fleur are both compositions by the famous American saxophonist and clarinettist Sidney Bechet.

This interesting mix is deftly balanced by the two, brought together with subtlety, skill and with a clear knowledge of France’s musical canon. The pair’s distinct musical personalities – incubated in different cultures early in life and brought together through their shared experiences – join to create a thoroughly enjoyable artistic contribution.

French pianist Tony Tixier. Photo: Jasmin Schuller

In all, Hymns is an apt title for this intriguing album, positioning it well as an homage to a vast and eclectic collection of songs that have helped secure France’s reputation as a cultural mecca with a strong identity and an important place in musical history.

The pair’s performances across the record are both musically satisfying and thought-provoking, fusing modern jazz language with familiar-sounding melodies and cultural references.

While the term ‘chanson’ is a broad one, simply meaning ‘song’ in English, this album reveals the depth of interpretation and possibilities for creative expression available in the hands of two musicians at the top of their game.

Muscat’s treacle-like tone and effortlessly vocal quality pairs perfectly with Tixier’s sensitive touch and masterful use of range and harmonic placement, creating an aesthetic that both evokes a strong song-like character while remaining fresh and spontaneous.

Meanwhile, their improvised contributions are exciting and inventive, their ensemble playing balanced, supportive and impressively unified.

I have no hesitation in recommending this upcoming launch, which promises to be a delectable fusion of Maltese and French modern creative expression, while respecting the repertoire’s rich history.

In short, this launch promises to be, to borrow a term from our Western European neighbours, a tour de force indeed.

The Hymns album launch concert will take place at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on October 27, featuring Carlo Muscat and Tony Tixier, and is supported by the Embassy of France to Malta.