Stéphane Galland & The Rhythm Hunters
Tokyo Émplus / Challenge CR 73582
For ears accustomed to 4/4 beats, when the stress shifts, it can evoke a sense of unease. With jazz in 3/4 or 5/4 time signatures, or the complex rhythms of big bands like Don Ellis, we thought we had become quite used to irregular rhythms. However, listening to Stéphane Galland & The Rhythm Hunters, we realized that this journey goes much further and deeper. Jazz, after all, holds infinite layers of rhythm even within simple 4/4 beats, and those who delve into them are bound to feel the ebb and flow of rhythm, consciously or not.
This group, aptly named “The Rhythm Hunters,” showcases this like a grand panorama. Their lineup—three horns (trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax) and a rhythm section—is nothing out of the ordinary, yet their extraordinary skills draw listeners in, making the 40+ minutes fly by in an instant. It might sound contradictory, but I felt as though I had experienced “high-tech chaotic music.”
(Shunro Kobari)
