Théo Ceccaldi Freaks (FR)

In France, the relationship between jazz and the violin is arguably instilled through a long and fruitful tradition, perhaps more so than in any other European country. Moreover, there the violin is not connected to only one style of jazz, as is demonstrated for example by the legendary Stéphane Grappelli, Didier Lockwood, Jean-Luc Ponty, as well as Dominique Pifarély and Régis Huby, each in their own remarkable way. Dubbed as the successor to Huby, Théo Ceccaldi (b. 1986) may already be associated with this group of seminal jazz-playing French violinists, though he is distinctly a musical scion of his own contemporary era, as well.

Ceccaldi is a sovereign master of various styles of rhythmic music and seems outstandingly open to exploring any variety of musical genres. In this respect, Freaks, the sextet founded by Ceccaldi, and their debut album Amanda Dakota (Tricollectif, 2018) can be thought of as a kind of a manifesto for versatility – in the spirit of Frank Zappa and John Zorn, the musical influences mentioned by Ceccaldi. Though this music evokes impressive notions of experimentation, the song structures nevertheless seem carefully and intriguingly preconsidered, even in their fiercest visions of expression.