Taking the listener on a sonic journey, either during their concerts or while listening to their album, that is Pol Belardi's Force primary intention. The original compositions, subtly tailored by Belardi to be the band's playground for creativity, span from contemplative melancholy to unleashed energetic euphoria.
The language and writing lines up with the modern jazz idiom, but never gets too difficult to grasp, so that everybody will be able to enjoy the music, which can be heard on different levels: by enjoying the wide-spanning compositions, the driving grooves, lyrical melodies and clever harmony, the spontaneous interaction and improvisation, or the individual performance of the young and talented musicians.
Line-up:
David Fettmann: alto sax
Jérôme Klein: piano, keys
Niels Engel: drums
Pol Belardi: bass, piano, composition
: HAS PLAYED
Nancy Jazz Pulsations (FR), Biennale de Jazz (Le Perreux, FR), AJMI (Avignon, FR), Gaume Jazz (BE), London Jazz Festival (UK), B Flat (Berlin, DE), Schlot (Berlin, De), ABS (Köln, DE), Göteborg GMLSTN (SE), Kontoret Uddevalla (SE), Dizzy's Rotterdam (NL), Muziekgebouw Jazz Festival (NL), Tivoli Vredenburg (Utrecht, NL), Paard (Den Haag, NL), Luxor (Arnhem, NL), Casa Da Musica (PT), Jazzovia Festival (Gliwice,PL), Technopolis Jazz Festival (Athens, GR), Preveza Jazz Festival (GR), World Music Limassol (CY), Südtirol Jazz Festival (Bolzano, IT), Trieste Round Midnight Jazz Club (IT), New Around Midnight Jazz Club (Neapel, IT), Jazz Bez Intl Jazz Festival (UA), Philharmonic (Lviv, UA), Sibiu Jazz Competition (RO) → Best Band Award, Ankara Caz Festival (TR), Like a Jazz Machine (LU), Luxembourg Jazz Meeting (LU), Philharmonie (LU), ...
: PRESS QUOTES
"It is not quite ECM-ish, not exactly neo-Third Stream, not exactly anything but Belardian." - Gapplegate Music Review
"With a sound and feel of leading edge New York jazz from a time well before he was born, the 27 year old bass player brings the majesty that was in that music back to the front (...)" - Chris Spector, Midwest Records
: BIOGRAPHY
The new album Organic Machines by Pol Belardi’s Force has been released in Autumn 2019 in collaboration with French label Cristal Records.
After Creation/Evolution, which musically depicted the birth and development of a planet, the four musicians now take the listener a step further into an era of technology and machines. Thus, the compositions become slightly more minimalistic and less arranged, which leaves more space for interaction, spontaneous construction and large dynamics.
From acoustic miniature moments in duo to a range of electronic sounds, the repertoire can be described as a synthesis of organic rhythms, researched but yet comprehensive harmonic colors, melodies that rather come from the heart than the head and the right amount of energy fueled by an exceptional musical and human bond between the four musicians.
The sonic result can be situated somewhere between minimal cinematic soundscapes, modern jazz, alternative rock and electronica, but who needs style labels when you can just dive into this musical universe and find out for yourself?
David Fettmann – alto sax
Jérôme Klein – piano, keys
Niels Engel – drums
Pol Belardi – bass, piano, composition
