SAMY THIÉBAULT

After the great success his 9th album « Awé » received, a nomination at French Victoires du Jazz 2023 and a Sacem audience prize for the soundtrack of « L’air de la mer rend libre » (Nadir Moknèche – 2023), the french saxophonist and composer Samy Thiébault immediately got back to work on his next creation – probably the most intimate and ambitious – centered around his love for the Ocean : « In Waves »

From a young age Samy Thiebault has been bonded to the water element, wether that being from his family roots, as well as his steady practice of surfing. « Surfing is the closest thing to what I’m looking for in music : transe. There is a certain self-abandonment in it, coupled to awareness and control. To keep balance on an unpredictable wave. It is also a communion with Nature, in which we can retrieve our humanity, both in an active and contemplative way » he says.

After months of writing, going back and forth on stage, and above all a three months tour in Oceania, South Pacific and South America a creation resiedncy will happen at l’Artsada in Marciac (France) in february 2024 before entering studios and release th album in October 2024 on his Own label « Gaya Music Productions ».

Since 2010 Samy Thiebault has been going around the world studying Caribbean music, Indian classical music, Coltrane’s modals, 20th Century’s French litterature, orchestration, North and West-African popular musical traditions. From this explorations a band is born, « probably the best I’ve ever had » he says.

Like an ocean, wide and unpredictable, the band gathers cultures with a strong bond to the sea (Caribbean, Morocco, West-Africa, Brazil) represented by its members.

The drummer Arnaud Dolmen (Victoires du Jazz 2022) trancends his instruement and his Gouadeloupean heritage. Damien Varaillon (« Now Beauty », Hermon Mehari, Musina Ebobissé, Baptiste Herbin, Naïssam Jalal…) is on double bass with his unrivaled lyricism. Leonardo Montana (true floating electron with mixed influences from Brazil, Caribbean and France) plays the piano and Fender Rhodes with an inventive and generous touch. As for the leader Samy Thiébault, his personal story leading him from Morocco to Ivory Coast, Venezula and France, his curiosity and passion… is the hardened skipper sailing on the ocean formed by this incredible crew. Last but not least, the flutist and DJ Marine Thibault (Wax Taylor, Alpha Blondy, Manu Dibango, Odezenne, Tony Allen, Hypoccampe Fou…) embarks in the cruise, to weave acoustic and digital sounds.