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Leaf Music4.5
What if?
Joel Miller, saxophones and composition; Ensemble Resonance New Music: Andrew Reed Miller, double bass; Danielle Sametz, violin; Joël Cormier, percussion; Silvio Pupo, piano
Leaf Music, 2025
With his latest Leaf Music release, What if?, Joel Miller and his fellow musicians invite us to enjoy a multifaceted musical experience, drawing naturally on his own musical universe as a composer. The first five tracks, written by Miller himself, bring a smile to our faces. Each one is quite distinctive from the others, demonstrating the diversity of this jazz-inspired universe, often set to a danceable rhythm. The only regret is that the piano is too much in the background, especially compared to the saxophone.
Andrew Reed Miller’s arrangement of Debussy’s Clair de lune features beautiful exchanges between the violin and saxophone melodies. Other compositions by Miller reinforce the interaction between the two instruments, to the point where their sounds sometimes merge together. The vibrations of the double bass are more prominent in Wait for It, one of the most languid pieces on the album. The charm continues a few moments later with a cover of What a Wonderful World.
Each track flows naturally from the next, taking us seamlessly from one mood to another. While Pachelbel’s Canon gives pride of place to the haunting sounds of the xylophone, the album ends on a dynamic note with the Miller composition, Joé Chevere, offering a lively rhythm reminiscent of the jazzy character of the opening tracks.
In short, this is a relaxing album, like a balm for the annoyances of everyday life.
Translation: Lilian I. Liganor
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Français (French)
