Lynn Cassier - vocals
Airelle Besson - tr
Benjamin Moussay - p, qb
Fabrice Moreau - dr
Trumpeter, composer and arranger Airelle Besson has made a name for herself on the European jazz scene for her clear and powerful playing. Virtuoso, but never too ostentatious, her sound is based on emotion and musicality. Her background is in both classical and jazz music, and her main influences are Bach and Keith Jarrett. Winner of the Django-Reinhardt Prize of the Jazz Academy and winner of the Victoires du Jazz Award in the category of "French Instrumental Music Discovery of the Year", Airelle Besson is also an in-demand singer, leader and acclaimed composer.
Early talent
in 1978 March 23 Born in Paris, Airelle Besson developed a passion for the trumpet at the age of four, and began playing at the age of seven. As a teenager, she chose to be educated at home, for her father, music was the most important part of her education. In addition to the trumpet, she began learning to play the violin at the age of nine and continued to study both jazz and classical music. She studied musicology at the Sorbonne University in Paris, before entering the prestigious National High Conservatory of Music in Paris, where she graduated with a first prize in jazz. in 2002 it was during a seminar at the Cluny Jazz Festival that her turn towards jazz took place.
Between electronic and acoustic music
After graduating from the Conservatoire, Airelle Besson founded and co-led the rock and electronic music quintet Rockingchair with saxophonist Sylvain Rifflet. The band released two albums, Rockingchair (2007) and 1:1 (2011). in 2013 the group's trumpeter Airelle was selected to participate in the Take 5: Europe competition, which opened the door to the continent's biggest festivals (North Sea Jazz Festival, Molde Jazz Festival, Banlieues Bleues, London Jazz Festival, etc.). The following year, Airelle Besson turned her long friendship and collaboration with guitarist Nelson Veras into a poetic work, the album Prélude (Naïve Records). The album was a huge success, and both musicians toured internationally for several years.
Between small ensembles and large orchestras
in 2014 Airelle Besson formed her quartet with Isabel Sörling (vocals), Benjamin Moussay (keyboards) and Fabrice Moreau (drums). Widely acclaimed by the press and the public, their first album (Radio One, Naïve) is a tour de force of balance and transparency. All the melodic power of Airelle Besson's composition, as well as her talent for harmony, were elegantly revealed. Their second album "TRY!" was released in 2021. February 5 Airelle Besson spends more and more time composing and arranging. in 2014 English band Metronomy approached her for an arrangement for their Love Letters album. In 2020/21, she was artist-in-residence at the Cité musicale-Metz, where she created a classical jazz program with the Orchester National de Metz. Throughout her career, Airelle Besson has been a valuable asset to various groups led by prestigious artists, most notably in 2006. - Charlie Haden and Carla Bley in the Liberation Music Orchestra. Other notable examples include her duet work with Vincent Ségal and Lionel Suarez, her trio with German musicians Sebastien Sternal and Jonas Burgwinkel, and as a member of Lionel Suarez's Quarteto Gardel with Vincent Segal and Minino Garay. In all these ensembles, as in her ensembles, Airelle Besson stands out for her ability to say a lot with a few notes. In her playing, lightness and delicacy dominate over classical rigor and virtuosity. Her style, which embodies precision and clarity, is one of the best French jazz styles.
