Quest of the invisible

Quest of the Invisible: between silence and trance

The repertoire of Quest of the Invisible takes the form of melodic themes that are sometimes very simple and sometimes much more complex. Silence has a central place, the rhythm always leads to trance in a repetitive, hypnotic form, and sometimes the voice reinforces the instruments to try to touch the invisible by naming it. This quest for the Invisible oscillates between shadow and light, contemplation and trance, silence and music.

For this project, Naïssam Jalal invited Brazilian pianist Leonardo Montana and French double bass player Claude Tchamitchian in search of the divine invisible.

NAÏSSAM JALAL – composition, flute, nay

For several years, the flutist Naïssam Jalal has been revealing a personal, vibrant musical universe which gives both in substance and in form, new meaning to the word freedom. In a continual search with boundless curiosity, she shines by her virtuous capacity to weave the bonds between different musical cultures and aesthetic fields. Commitment through and in music, and creation in the service of commitment: these are the guidelines of her many artistic projects that have never ceased to surprise by their originality, their authenticity and their artistic qualities. [more here]

CLAUDE TCHAMITCHAN – double bass

For the last thirty years, Claude Tchamitchian has been working in several different artistic areas, as well as composing original music for dance and theatre. In 1994, he founded Emouvance, a company that allows him to develop and be involved in artistic projects in the fields of contemporary and improvised music. During this same period, he founded the Lousadzak Ensemble, one of the main strands of his varied career.

Over time, Emouvance has become more than just a record label (more than 40 albums) – but a real production organization. In 2012, was set up the first edition of the festival known as Les Emouvantes, held each year in Marseille.

Present on the jazz and improvised musical scene since the eighties, Claude’s partners include Eric Watson, Christof Lauer, Andy Sheppard, Linda Sharrock, Dave Liebman, André Jaume, Marc Ducret, Beñat Achiary, Mat Maneri, Herb Robertson, Tony Hymas, Michel Portal, Gian Luigi Trovesi, Barre Phillips, Raymond Boni, Ray Anderson, Ernst Reiseger, Henri Texier, Jean-Marie Machado, Phil Minton, Kent Carter, John Tchicaï, Chris Biscoe, Jimmy Guiffre, Joe McPhee, Daunik Lazro, Naïssam Jalal etc…

His regular groups are: Solo with already 3 albums Jeu d’Enfants in 1993, Another Childhood in 2010 and Spirit in 2018. As leader with Acoustic Lousadzak quintet, Traces sextet, Trio Amarco, Ways Out quartet and Trio Etchmiadzine. In duo with Gaguik Mouradian, Yom.

LEONARDO MONTANA – piano

Leonardo Montana was born, in 1977, in the city of La Paz from Colombian and English parents and grew up between Bahia (Brazil) and Guadeloupe (French West Indies). He began learning music and piano by himself and started performing in 1995.

From 2004 to 2008, he studied at the Jazz department of the CNSM, in Paris. During this same years, he formed the Triphase trio, with Anne Paceo and Joan Eche Puig, with whom he recorded two albums and played many concerts in clubs and major festivals and was rewarded by a Victoire du Jazz in 2011.

Inspired by the Caribbean rhythms of his childhood, and many other influences the musical world of Leonardo is original and wide. Throughout his diverse participations in eclectic projects, he keeps broadening his practice and capacities.

Leonardo played with: Felipe Cabrera, Raul de Souza, Bill McHenry, Irving Acao, Gueorgui Kornazov, Dave Liebman, Mokhtar Samba, Anne Paceo, Bruno Schorp, Naïssam Jalal, Chico Freeman or Arnaud Dolmen.

His love of voices also brings him to work with many singers such as Omara Portuondo, Agathe Iracema, Charlotte Wassy, ​​Anne Sila, Cynthia Saint-Ville, Sofia Ribeiro, Chloe Cailleton, Viviane de Farias, Cynthia Abraham, Marcia Maria, Fredrika Stahl, Catia Werneck, Maria de Medeiros… and many others.