The recording captured a trio at the peak of their collaborative intuition, with tracks like Wayne Shorter’s "" and Charlie Parker’s " Anthropology " serving as canvases for their fluid, harmonic interplay. The session was particularly fruitful, contributing to a massive box set released in November 2020 that grouped all four volumes of the Essais project together.
In the late summer of 2019, the Pierre de Bethmann Trio—featuring pianist , bassist Sylvain Romano , and drummer Tony Rabeson —gathered at Studio Recall in the South of France. Their mission was to record Essais, Volume 4 , the final chapter in their initial series of "essays" dedicated to the relentless exploration of musical standards . 2020 Pierre de Bethmann Trio - Essais, Volume 4...
The "story" of Volume 4 is one of transition. It marked the conclusion of the Rabeson-led drum trio era before Bethmann pivoted to a more intimate piano-guitar-bass configuration for later volumes in the series. This album remains a "milestones report" of a group that viewed jazz standards not as static relics, but as an infinite terrain for real-time exploration . Essais / Volume 4 | Pierre de Bethmann Trio - Bandcamp The recording captured a trio at the peak
Despite the uncertainty of the global pandemic that year, the album's release was met with widespread critical acclaim, earning several of France's highest jazz honors: Must TSF Jazz fff Télérama Elu Citizen Jazz Their mission was to record Essais, Volume 4