You don't come across a harmonica player capable of making electro swing every day, but Laurent Maur does it without hesitation. For this final Harmonica Days evening, we're heading to Beijing with his brand new Soundscape Quartet — and trust us, the trip is worth it. We knew him more in acoustic settings, alongside Mario Canonge or the Georges Kontrafouris Trio, or with Emilie Calmé in the wonderfully singular Youpi Quartet. This time, a complete change of scenery with a funk/jazz/electro aesthetic on "Dark Rêverie". Around him, Emilie Calmé returns on flutes, Curtis Efoua holds down the drums, and a newcomer shakes things up: Clément Simon on keys, bass synth in his left hand, piano in his right — a one-man orchestra all by himself. The album was born from a stolen moment in May 2024, two "off" days during a Chinese tour, on the sidelines of the Taihu Jazz Festival in Beijing. A title that speaks to the darker shades of our times, yet always leaves a door open to dreams and hope. On the menu: a groove that never lets go, and a genuine sonic novelty with electronic textures by DJ Uzul, while Laurent Maur's MIDI DM48X harmonica ventures into layers that flirt with synth territory, sometimes even evoking an EWI. An evening under the sign of Toots, to explore just how far the harmonica can take us.
