Produced by

Francis Dreyfus

ARTISTIC DIRECTION

1. 1.Francis Dreyfus
   

THIS ENTIRE ALBUM

2. 2.was realized without editing
   

TITLES :

3. 3.Resonance
   

4. 4.Lettre à Loïse
   

5. 5.My Romance
   

6. 6.August in Paris
   

7. 7.Memories
   

8. 8.Magic Mirror
   

9. 9.Smile
   

10. 10.Moody Piano
    

11. 11.Morning Star
    

12. 12.Dreamland
    

13. 13.Isopod
    

14. 14.Real Addict
    

15. 15.Corps et Âmes
    

16. 16.Nature Boy
    

Just Play

Released : March 2005 Dreyfus Jazz / Sony BMG

LINE UP :

Franck Avitabile (piano)

RECORDED

mixed and masterised in September 2005 at Studio Ferber by René Ameline,

In 2009, new mix by Benjamin Ribolet. new mastering by Raphaël Jonin.

Piano STEINWAY D

#545206 prepared by Pascal Bertonneau.

"From the first composed notes, we are seized by the sound. The sound engineer and the piano are himself for nothing there. But the touch is impressive at once.(). The dynamics, the potential of power and delicacy, the transparency of the phrasé, the appeal to the pedal of echo, the depth of the harmonious movements, the ever vague complementarity of both hands are exemplary just and reveal a firm and resolute thought. What confirms the skeleton of these eleven originals and these three standards. (). Deliberate or immediate writing? Cristalisé in the course of improviser's every day life(improviser's daily paper)? It is in this ambiguity that Franck Avitabile shows himself the most brilliant."

Franck Bergerot, Jazzman

"Just Play is an impressing disk, where of Resonance, magnificent personal composition under wings defenders of Ravel and Debussy to Moody Piano who smells sweetly his Oscar Peterson, we are never short of pleasures."

Bernard Loupias, Le Nouvel Obs

"Avitabile was a universe, profoundly original today, and his conceptions are henceforth anchored well in his play. What seems to restrain not at all its art of insatiable researcher, and reserves us no doubt of news surprised in the future. But such a blooming already terribly pleases to see. And to listen to, naturally."

Arnaud Merlin, France Musique

"Echos of Art Tatum to illustrate the intelligence of its technique and its jubilante risk-taking ( Moody Piano), depth of its comment (Morning Star), brightness of the language of the two hands (let us quote among others Magic Mirror), fantastic second reading (special mention for My Romance or Smile), brilliant eloquence, tension and relaxation admirably mastered, Avitabile gives to hear a music the relief of which would see itself almost. At least it exposes with a brilliant simplicity the essence of what makes the magnificence of the jazz."

Jean Mechernane, Jazz Magazine

"We find at Franck Avitabile the narrow relations with the French piano of the beginning of the last century, Debussy naturally, Ravel doubtless, what is worth to him the ecens of certain criticisms. But in the listening and solo, Franck Avitabile leaves an impresion of coolness: subjects played in the same vocal range which are linked without flame. We are far from Brad Meldhau."

Frank Duboc, Havre-Libre

"It is a very beautiful album, extremely lyric, extremely classic also by certain atmospheres. We are in the big romantic piano."

Ariellle Butaux, Un Mardi Idéal

"His best album from now"

Alex Dutilh, Jazzman

"Solo or in trio, it is a MUST in club"

Michel Contat, Telerama Magazine

"The album Just Play is the occasion to savor its delicate touch in accents taking from Art Tatum and from the classical author, with brightness on the Smile de Chaplin and composer's talents (Real Addict)"

Eric Delaye, Midi Libre

"A strong and generous opus, returning completely justice to Michel Petrucciani's vision which saw in him one of the hopes to come."

Jean Michel Proust, TSF

"At the end of the first listening, we notice that the album divides in two parts(parties), the first one is dedicated to ballads (fragments 1 - 7) and the other one in more modern improvisations (8 - 14). The pianist brings out with elegance in both registers there. To add to the pleasure, he(it) revisits also 3 standards " Nature Boy ", "Smile" and " August in Paris " with a new approach. "Just Play" is a total success."

Rohan Le Belleguic, Audiophilefr, audiophile system internet review

"Certainly the aforementioned fingers are irreproachable both for the sharpness of their touch and for their swiftness, but we rarely have the impression(printing) that what animates(stimulates) them and motivates their running(race) on the keyboard looks like more or less what we are in the habit of calling "jazz".

Thierry Quenom, Piano Magazine

"Franck Avitabile here chose to create an atmosphere which is certainly appropriate for him, by privileging the sound space, and the melodies. The rhythm is however present in three or four fragments so its remarkable very "smiling" version of "Smile". The most beautiful synthesis of all these characteristics is doubtless the magnificent piece " Real addict " which allows to appreciate the very big professional skill of the pianist and his exceptional touch in their summits. The piece " August in Paris ", length of 11 minutes inspired of previous " July in Paris " allows as for him to appreciate particularly all the colors which Franck Avitabile brings out of its piano. To understand him, we could believe that it is simple: "Just play" but it is really a music very worked for the biggest pleasure of our ears !"

Agnès Jourdain, Piano Bleu dot com

"A Francis Dreyfus protege, french pianist Franck Avitabile follows his own paths of quietly enlivening the jazz tradition (Bud Powell being a favorite). By the cover and the title of his first solo piano album, "Just Play", we might be tempted to think Avitabile is letting his hair down, so to speak, and wildly playing whatever crosses his mind and fingers. Nothing is more alien to him than that. His approach is one of sophistication again, hinting at jazz players (Jarrett, Hancock, Solal...), but also at classical composers (Debussy, Brahms, Bach...). The idea is to "just play", whatever the roots of the music can be. Which gives Avitabile's music a wonderful light and delicate colors."

JazzNews, RTBF

"Enter echo with the works of his illustrious predecessors, that they name Keith Jarrett, Bach or still Xenakis, such is the project of this 33-year-old musician".

The New Musician Magazine

"At the top of the keyboard: Franck Avitabile was definitively imperative in the world blocked by the pianists of the new generation. His teacher Michel Petrucciani had not made a mistake. He had declared to his comment: " Franck is a pianist of big future because he is determined, that is knowing how to avoid the traps of the dispersal and the mixture of the kinds to follow, with passion and stubbornness, his idea of the music and the improvisation ". At 33 years old, Franck publishes its fifth album, the first recording solo. What surprises at these young artist's it is at first the extreme masters of the keyboard; it is then the brightness and the liveliness of its play, the firmness and the delicacy of its touch. Following the example of his prestigious elder brother, Martial Solal whom he sometimes evokes, Franck makes dance mirrors and shadow plays on its keyboard, its imagination is fertile And his palette of rhythmic formulae without border. Franck likes "re-harmonizing" the standards (My romance, Nature boy or Smile, the attractive melody of Chaplin). The pianist likes to improvise pleasant intimist and original inspirations (Echo, Letter to Loise), inspirations quite filled with classic recollections or still Franck gives way to the meditation and to the melancholy (Real addict, Morning Star). To him only, the subject Moody piano, one of fourteen titles of the recording deserves the acquisition of the album, it is brilliant one fireworks which would not have denied Art Tatum itself !"

Clicanoo (journal de l'ile de la réunion)

"il trentenne pianista francese sfodera il piacere dell'articolazione e delle risonanze con sorprendente smalto. C'è buona dose di cultura nelle ditadi Avitabile : ascoltate come risolve Nature Boy, o August in PAris. Certo, c'è Debussy, ma c'è anche il Brahms della vecchiaia passata al pianoforte e laa lucentezza di Xenakis. E molto jazz (Art Tatum in specie)"

Enzo Sicilliano, Venerdi (Italie)

"Ma Franck Avitabile, trentatreesnne musicista francese, dimostra di avere molto coraggio nel mettersi in gioco con la sua prima prova da solista, l'llabum Just Play inciso per la label Dreyfus. Anche se il suo pianismo colto, raffinato e ricco di spunti impressionistici, sviluppato in un difficile equilibrio tra tradizione afroamericana, memoria europea e un ombrato senso del melodismo, fa fatica a raggiungere le corde dell'anima transmettendo la sensazione di un approccio alla materia sonora un po' disordinato nella sua genuina spontaneità. I capitolli migliori Avitabile, li scrive quando usa un taglio narrativo, come nel descritivo August in Paris e nell'immagnifico Memories, dove più forte si sente l'influenza di Jarrett."

Francesco Mazzotta, Pigreco (Italie)

"Qualcosa di più che un semplice erede Fracnk Avitabile, pianista tretaquattrenne di Lione, esce con il suo primo album in solo, "Just Play", ma ormai non occorre più rievocare le sue origini di talento scoperto e allevato dal grande Michel Petrucciani, genio del pianoforte moderno e oggi sepolto accanto a Chopin nel cimitero parigino di Père-Lachaise. Non occorre rievocarle perché nel disco si sente un'eco che da sola rende un tributo al maestro : una musicalità armonicamente complessa, ma melodicamente facile da abbordare, ricevuta in eredità e sviluppata in autonomia. Come dire, questo giovane pianista compone e suona con la testa avanti, con le oreccie al jazz contemporaneo, ma sa mettere al servizio della semplicità il suo talento. Attenzione dunque a non confondere questa semplicità con un neoclassicismo di maniera."

Guido Bosticco, Libero (Italie)

"Franck Avitabile delivers a real pianistique fireworks and given evidence of an astonishing rhythmic habilté which places him for the occasion rather in virtuosos' trail as Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson than in that of Liszt."

Nicolas Brémaud , Le Monde de la Musique, ****

"We admire especially the sensibility, the delicacy of the touch, sober beauty and transparent brightness of the phrasé, the logic and the wealth of the improvisations. Gourmet's delight"

THE LION Magazine