Amanda Dakota

Album review

Forget about jazz clichés! Forget about the violin! Keep it simple and forget about everything! With his Amanda Dakota, Théo Ceccaldi stirs up the hornet's nest to plant his own variegated banner. The atypical young violinist − founding member of Tricollectif, a collective from Orléans − is, of course, not alone in his fascinating disruptive initiative. With Benjamin Dousteyssier (alto and baritone saxophone), Quentin Biardeau (tenor saxophone and keyboards), Giani Caserotto (electric guitar), Valentin Ceccaldi (cello and “horizoncelle”) and Etienne Ziemniak (drums), he is launching a gang, explicitly named Freaks. A reference to Frank Zappa’s Freak Out!? Or to the elusive nature of punky jazz-rock? His deeply original album has all the features of a musical attack, but turns out to be a genuine invitation to travel. Unless this is all a remake of Tod Browning’s Freaks, in which you might cross path with the ghosts of John Zorn, Meshuggah, Charles Mingus, Igor Stravinsky, Carla Bley (Escalator Over The Bill), Henry Threadgill (Henry m’a tuer), the Lounge Lizards, David Lynch and Gil Scott Heron. Absolutely thrilling. © MD/Qobuz