Small Is Beautiful Small World Project

• 1CHIPMUNK ON ACID-GRASS04:35
• 2SAMBULERIA06:42
• 3RUPAKA01:18
• 4BOMBAY06:00
• 5CUERDAS DE PLATA04:56
• 6SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL05:06
• 7FOLLIAS05:19
• 8JONGO05:48
• 9OK O KENTUCKY00:20
• 10REEL DU GAZON BLEU02:43
• 11HAWAII02:43
• 12L HEURE EST GRAVE00:24
• 13FOLK SONG05:03
• 14IT S A SMALL WORLD02:08
• Total Runtime53:05

Info for Small Is Beautiful

There’s no doubt about it: It’s a small world — and it’s especially small at Small World project performances, where everyone plays small-scale instruments to produce rare and compelling musics of the world. Sébastien Dufour’s charango and ukulele take centre stage, accompanied by Patrick Graham’s miniature percussion section on the cajonito, kanjira, gattam, carillon and other diminutive devices. Resonating through it all is Frédéric Samson on his double bass — a big, contrasting exception in this small world of music, whose enveloping depths will balance the voices of the other instruments.

Drawing its inspiration from the four corners of the globe, the Small World Project’s music vibrates with Brazilian samba beats, Chilean folklore, flamenco Andalou, Hawaiian Island melodies, and the musical strains of Morocco, Senegal, India — with some good old American bluegrass in the mix. Primarily scored by ensemble leader Sébastien Dufour, this trio’s original music is all about decompartementalizing musical styles by integrating pure “world” elements, classical music and jazz.

'Minimalist, audacious, refreshing, this mini-trio's first opus distinguishes itself with the quality of its original compositions. They are already well-past the experimental stage at this point.' (Ralph Boncy – Voir Montréal)

Winners of the 2011 Opus Prize for the Concert of the Year – Jazz and World Music and winners of the 2008 CBC MMM-Galaxie Rising Star award, the surprising Small World Project are back with Less is more, the second offeringfromthe Montreal-based trio comprised of Sébastien Dufour (MG3), Patrick Graham (La Nef) and Frédéric Samson (ex-Vent du Nord). With their arsenal of small string instruments (ukulele, charango, banjolele, etc.), downsized percussion and double bass, Small World Project delivers a highly eclectic proposition, as afrobeat, techno-lounge, reggae, minimalist and Middle-Eastern idioms share the stage with Cuban montunos, Brazilian samba, Italian tarantella - and even Jimi Hendrix-style rock. Live, the trio dazzle audiences with their thrilling, high-energy performances – critics have even compared them to the likes of Paganini and Hendrix! Over the past two years, they have been busy performing at home and abroad, most notably playing at the Montreal Jazz Festival and the New York Ukelele Festival. This fall the band will be on the road in Quebec and Ontario before leaving for their first European tour, with concerts in France, in the winter of 2011.

Small World Project are:
Sebastien Dufour, ukelele, charango, strumstick, gazou, vocals
Patrick Graham, cajon, cajonito, kanjira, riqq, tambourin, wooden bongos, mini bodhran, udu drum, konnkkol, shruti-box, toys, gazou, vocals
Frederic Samson, acoustic bass, doubloe bass, ukulele, gazou, vocals

Small World Project
Since founding Small World Project in 2008, Sébastien Dufour, charango and ukulele (also a member of MG3), Patrick Graham, percussion (who plays with La Nef as well), and Frédéric Samson, double bass (formerly of Vent du Nord), have been making maximum impact with miniature instruments (the exception being the bass). In their first year, they released a debut album, Small Is Beautiful (2008), and snapped up the Galaxie-CBC Rising Stars Award at Musique Multi-Montréal. They followed up these exploits with their CD Less Is More (2010), which includes tributes to musical giants Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley. SWP has played both the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and the New York Ukelele Festival, and in the winter of 2011 toured France and Italy.

This album contains no booklet.