Wheels

Text in englischer Sprache verfügbar

In 2016, Ray Lema and Laurent de Wilde recorded Riddles, which came out of their fascinating piano exchanges. What made this material so exciting was the way that both musicians, who met on a TV set in 1991, had always spurned the beaten track. The septuagenarian Congolese man flavours his music with spices gathered from all over the world. Laurent de Wilde, fifteen years Lema's junior, has been described as a mere "jazz pianist": but in fact he has always been a restless explorer, dabbling in electro, slam or reggae, treading the boards of the theatre or appearing in documentaries. The two men's beautiful hybrid language is what lies at the heart of Wheels, which was recorded on two Steinways. The wheels in question here are toothed and fit together perfectly in a display of mechanical precision. The name is a reference to the African concept of the "rhythmic wheel", which the pair have been studying together, as they work towards their goal of total complementarity. The compositions in their work play with notions of time and space, and their rhythms draw inspiration from Ethiopia (Abyssinight) Congo (Wheels and Lubbock), the Caribbean (Chicken bicycle, Saka Salsa), the United States (I Miss You Dad and Chains) and Nigeria (Human Come First). Clearly, these musicians enjoy an exemplary partnership. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz