On the occasion of his 70th birthday, Louis Sclavis, one of the most prominent free jazz and avant-garde clarinetists, goes on tour with a classical jazz quartet, which he returned to after a long break. He gathered these musicians for the first time in 2017 for the project "Loin dans les Terres", and this time he recorded with them his 13th album for the ECM record label "Characters on a Wall". It was inspired by the street art works of artist Ernest Pignon-Ernest, an old friend of L.Sclavis.
 
The traditional composition of the quartet was not chosen by chance: E. Pignon-Ernest is also a classic among his colleagues: his art stands out for its elegance, subtle color and emotional drama. L. Sclavis took inspiration from his friend's work and recorded the 2002 album "Napoli's Walls", which received wide recognition. But then the artist's works for Naples became a creative impulse, and this time the music was inspired by the eight collages of E. Pignon-Ernest decorating the cities of the world, from Ramallah in Palestine to Rome in Italy: the jazz virtuoso dedicated a composition to each of them.
 
L. Sclavis has always been attracted to the boundaries of music genres and styles and the territories where ultra-modernity and tradition meet. He was one of the first to use French folk music in jazz. The music of the quartet of this project, which is closest to jazz, also has a strong touch of classical music. "While creating, I try to find the most suitable way to convey my visions - sometimes classic strokes are the most suitable for this," said L. Sclavis.
 
The US publication The Village Voice has named him the most prominent bass clarinet master since Eric Dolphy. However, music itself has proven many times that its real instrument is the ensemble. L. Sclavis knows how to wonderfully communicate the most diverse combinations of instruments and performers.