LOOK NORTH

Gary Brunton, Daniel Beaussier and Célestine de Williencourt form a brand-new trio of multi-instrumentalists with a strong vocal presence, performing original works and inspired contemporary improvisations. The trio express itself via a certain form of Jazz Chamber Music. Through a narrative and lyrical approach to jazz creation, LOOK NORTH, the trio’s first album, takes you on a unique journey that evokes the wide-open spaces of Northern lands. An invitation to discover their captivating melodies and exciting spontaneous improvisations.

Gary Brunton (double bass, tabla) evolves in the company of Daniel Beaussier (oboe, clarinets, saxophones, flutes, English horn) and Célestine De Williencourt (voice, flutes). They form a unique trio, with each instrument playing its role in a fluid, organic musical conversation. The diversity of the musicians’ instruments and influences (Jimmy Giuffre, John Surman & Karen Krog, Jim Hall, Gary Peacock, Carla Bley), creates a rich atmosphere, both intimate and expansive, where improvisation plays a central role.

The album opens with Coldstream, a piece marked by Gary Brunton’s memories of this small Scottish town on the border with England. “These childhood memories of family Summer holidays inspired me to compose this melody,” he explains, evoking the River Tweed and images of his upbringing in the UK, cradled by nature. This intimate memory becomes more personal with Ata, a composition dedicated to his daughter Loreta. The title, which means “goodbye” in Latvian, captures the vitality and journey of Loreta, who was adopted from Latvia.

Islande en Vue is a poetic transition, almost a sonic haiku, that expresses the emotion Daniel Beaussier feels every time he returns to Iceland, his “2nd home since 1986”. “When the sky is clear, it’s magnificent and impressive,” he confides, evoking a land imbued with wild beauty. This impression of grandeur and solitude continues with Findlater Castle, a piece inspired by a legendary Scottish castle now in ruins. “This composition was adapted from my previous piece with Night Bus “Two wrongs don’t make a right”, which dealt with the death penalty in the USA,” recounts Gary Brunton, pointing out that the track echoes current war conflicts.
The album takes a more introspective turn with La Quadrature du Cercle (Polaire), where Daniel Beaussier explores the contrast between two musical worlds. « Circles can be polar during an expedition of the North, but also represent the bringing together of different individuals who work as a team on an artistic project”, he explains. The fast-paced, contemporary first part blends with a slower, more melodic second, a challenge to fuse opposites that the trio tackles with mastery. The journey continues with A Shrine in Your Home, a tribute to pianist Michel Graillier: “Michel shared Chet Baker’s natural gift of ballad playing, musical beauty, good taste and effective use of space,” recalls Gary Brunton, expressing his gratitude to a mentor who shaped his musical journey.
Following the thread of his inspirations and influences, the trio then pays tribute to Kapil Dev, a spontaneous composition dedicated to one of the greatest cricketers of all time. “It’s rare for a sportsman from a lower caste to rise to the top of Indian cricket,” confides Gary Brunton, celebrating Kapil Dev’s determination and success, which marked his youth. This track serves as a prelude to La Berceuse de l’Heur, a bittersweet song by Célestine de Williencourt, dedicated to a friend who passed away by accident. “This song is also a tribute to all the people who have crossed my path during my life,” admits Célestine, addressing mourning, serenity and nostalgia in a composition imbued with chiaroscuro.

The album then takes a more experimental turn with Daniel Beaussier’s Raga for My Lady and Taj Mahal Gardens. From the tabla introduction played by Gary Brunton and the intertwining of flutes in C and G, an improvisation emerges that humbly evokes the sounds of Indian classical music, inviting us to visualize another journey. This musical exploration resulted in a short composition in three parts, portrayed with a strong impressionistic stroke.
Next comes Lost in the Masked Crowd, a work by Célestine de Williencourt, a reflection on isolation and the mask we all wear to hide ourselves. After this plunge into the heart of the soul, Gary Brunton takes us back to a more sensory, grounded experience with Fresh Fish, a composition inspired by a stay with his uncle in Scotland and a fishing session in Cullen Harbour.
The next piece is a suite by Daniel Beaussier, Chemins d’Islande, 4 Impropositions, 4 evocative photos named Reykjanes, Skógafoss, Mýrdalssandur and Skaftafell. The trio plunges us into a volcanic and mystical universe. “The road from Reykjavik to a village in the South offers countless magical places,” explains the composer. His music evokes volcanoes, glaciers, black sand beaches and majestic waterfalls.

Finally, Gary Brunton’s Lindisfarne Horizon takes us to Holy Island, at the foot of Bamburgh Castle in Northumbria. « Another destination from my childhood that has left a strong imprint on my imagination”, concludes Gary Brunton, pointing out that this melody closes the album on a note of nostalgia and serenity, reminding us that every landscape, every place, is a mirror of our own history.