Many of vibraphonist Simon Moullier’s prior albums hew closely to jazz tradition, reflecting the French-born New Yorker’s deep love of classic musicians like Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, and Cannonball Adderley. But that side of his vision was always only part of the picture, as he’s equally influenced by Brazilian music (Milton Nascimento is a particular hero), classical music, and progressive and alternative rock. For Element of Light, his fifth album and first for the legendary label Candid, he brings it all together into one direction.
“808” begins with the sounds of the titular drum machine, but it’s more than just a mashup of jazz and modern electronics. With its gorgeous melody, the drive of acoustic rhythm section Rick Rosato (bass) and Jongkuk Kim (drums), and the blending of Moullier’s instrument with that of pianist Lex Korten, the song lives in its own space, one where electronics and acoustics become more than friends – they inhabit the same dimension as if their atoms have been merged. With their Brazilian-frosted tunes and twenty-first century sheen, “Bird of Paradise” and “Pyramid of the Sun” follow suit, reminding the listener as much of the Pat Metheny Group’s masterpiece Still Life (Talking) as of the Shorter/Nascimento collaboration Native Dancer (but without any overt homage). The gorgeous “Lotus” rejects any easy comparisons and just luxuriates in its unfolding melody.
Across the expanse of the album, the tunes sound respectful of the past, but live in the here and now. Obviously, that’s a pretty fair description of the goal of every contemporary artist – no one wants to be stuck in the past, nor do they want to be seen as mere trendhoppers. It’s a tricky balance, but one that Moullier deftly pulls off on Elements of Light.
