Emile Parisien: ‘Floating’

Tranquillity is at the heart of the music on ‘Floating’ from composer and saxophonist Emile Parisien: from the opening bars of ‘Asian Songs and Rhythms, No 40’ through to ‘Arco’, the gentleness shines through.

Even the more upbeat tunes like Bonbon and Portal are thoughtful and convey a sense of intimacy. 

Parisien makes his intention clear: “At its heart, this music is about peace, poetry, sweetness and love. In a world so full of worries and conflicts, where everything seems to be moving ever faster and in all directions, I wanted it to be a counterweight to all that.”

To achieve this, Parisien brought his finest saxophone and composition skills to bear, together with Yaron Herman (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass) and Prabhu Edouard (tabla). At the midpoint of Floating, the quartet seems to have found its most perfect vehicle, with 66, followed by the sensuous Ruth and the rhythmically grooving Nusrat.

Listen to the bass on As It Comes and Goes - Linda May Han Oh is spectacular. The vocals and tabla rhythms on El Toro sit perfectly with the sax and then join playfully with the bass: each musician is given the space to fly and float across this selection of compositions.

‘Floating’ from Emile Parisien is available on ACT Records