Ramona Horvath Trio: ‘Absinthe’

It’s always a delight when artists contact me personally to suggest I listen to their music. It’s taken me a couple of weeks to listen properly to ‘Absinthe’ , the new album from French pianist Ramona Horvath, but I’m delighted to have found this treat from Fresh Sounds Records.

Horvath’s piano seems effortless and the arrangements turn some classic pop tunes - Michael Jackson’s Heal the World, Billy Joel’s Just the Way You Are and the Bee Gees’ How Deep is Your Love - into jazz standards in a mature and expressive way. The beautiful Kurt Weill Here I’ll Stay is similarly arranged for Horvath’s trio with Villeger’s melody, bringing the 1948 original right into the 21st century.

Similarly, their version of You Are the Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder is a modernised version with a sympathetic treatment that is nonetheless novel. Throughout, this ensemble features Ramona Horvath (piano and arrangements), Nicolas Rageau (bass) and Antoine Paganotti (drums) with guest appearances from André Villeger (sax).

The Billy Strayhorn Absinthe (Lament for an Orchid) is beautifully arranged and performed, with Villeger’s mellow sax. It takes a lot to adapt another Strayhorn tune, and Horvath’s version of Your Love Has Faded has just the right level of nostalgia from the sax with lovely backing from the entire ensemble.

The single original track - Horvath’s own JFK - only left me wanting to hear more of the pianist’s own compositions. Once more, the addition of sax adds a pleasing melodic and harmonic layer.

And now I have another artist to check out next time I’m in Paris.