Elements Of Light Simon Moullier

• 1 808 05:08
• 2 Pyramid Of The Sun 06:34
• 3 Bird Of Paradise 06:18
• 4 Primavera 07:06
• 5 Elements Of Light 05:35
• 6 Jiwa 06:28
• 7 Olympus 04:25
• 8 Lotus 03:44
• 9 Oriental Folk Song 04:49
• Total Runtime 50:07

Info zu Elements Of Light

Throughout Elements of Light, vibraphonist-composer Simon Moullier reconciles his love for midcentury acoustic jazz with inspired production choices from pop and alternative rock, blending vibraphone and piano melodies with synthesizers. Here on this 5th album, he emphasizes the concept of "unfolding.”

“This is an important word — the unfolding of a song,” says Moullier, who was born in France and lives in New York. “It’s something I’m very attached to, and something I’m always working on.” As he explains, many of his essential influences —Wayne Shorter, Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Ravel, — have been masterful unfolders in their writing.

Elements of Light isn’t “crossover” jazz or “jazz-adjacent”; rather, it is a personal and original expression of a tradition Moullier inherited from his musical heroes.

The album showcases Moullier's unique skill in merging disparate influences with imagination. Along the way a couple of special guests elevate the proceedings. The pianist Gerald Clayton, who appears on the title track, gave Moullier deeply meaningful lessons when the vibraphonist was a student at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz (then still the Monk Institute). “Lotus,” featuring the Chicago-rooted trumpeter Marquis Hill, nods to the short piano compositions of Mompou, with a key change near its end that evokes the concept of rebirth (hence the title). On “Pyramid of the Sun,” Moullier integrates elements of progressive rock and blues. “Primavera” acknowledges Debussy, Stravinsky and Ravel in its intro, and the ballad writing of McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson as it unfurls. “Jiwa” is a tenderhearted homage to Moullier’s favorite Brazilian composers.

These are songs whose brief gesture moves us. And in turn, we invoke them for everything they release in us, if only for a moment.

"Across the expanse of the album, the tunes sound respectful of the past, but live in the here and now. Obviously, that’s a pretty fair description of the goal of every contemporary artist – no one wants to be stuck in the past, nor do they want to be seen as mere trendhoppers. It’s a tricky balance, but one that Moullier deftly pulls off on Elements of Light." (Michael Toland, bigtakeover.com)

Simon Moullier, vibraphone
Lex Korten, piano
Rick Rosato, bass
Jongkuk Kim, drums Gerald Clayton, piano (track 5) Marquis Hill, trumpet (track 8)

Simon Moullier
Award-winning vibraphonist, composer, arranger, and producer Simon Moullier has distinguished himself as one of the leading voices of his generation.

Mentored by Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Jimmy Heath at the Thelonious Monk Institute, as well as Darren Barrett at Berklee College of Music, Moullier has since collaborated with artists including Gerald Clayton, Terri-Lyne Carrington, Ben Wendel, Kendrick Scott and the SFJAZZ Collective.

Simon was voted Rising Star Vibraphonist of the Year in DownBeat’s 71st Annual Critics Poll, named 25 for the Future in DownBeat’s 90th Anniversary Issue, and selected as Up-and-Comer of the Year by the New York City Jazz Record.

In 2023, he was recognized for his work as an arranger on Terri Lyne Carrington’s GRAMMY® Award–winning New Standards Vol. 1, followed by a GRAMMY® nomination for his performance on her album We Insist 2025! and another GRAMMY® recognition for his participation in Laufey’s Bewitched in 2023.

His sixth album as a bandleader, CEIBA, will be released in April 2026

An active touring musician, Moullier has performed worldwide at many of the most respected jazz clubs and festivals, including the Village Vanguard, Blue Note Tokyo and Beijing, Jazz en Tête, Festival Radio France Montpellier, the Chiapas Marimba Festival (Mexico), International Jazz Day in Havana, Cuba, and St. Petersburg, Russia.

As an educator, he has given masterclasses around the world and has taught at institutions such as Berklee College of Music, the University of Southern California, The New School and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.

“Best vibes player I’ve heard...” - Quincy Jones

“His music is fresh. Never heard anyone play vibes like that before.” - Herbie Hancock

“Simon Moullier is the unchallenged new star of jazz vibraphone […] The playing is out of this world...” - Brian Morton, DownBeat

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet