Claude Bolling

Born: April 10, 1930, Cannes, France
Died: December 29, 2020, Saint-Cloud, France

Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio

• Composed: 1973
  
• Premiere Recording: 1975, with flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal, bassist Max Hédiguer, drummer Marcel Sabiani and pianist Claude Bolling.
  
• Duration: approx. 23 minutes

Claude Bolling composed his Grammy-nominated Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio in 1973. A “crossover” composition, the work is a fusion of classical and jazz performance practices. In the opening of the score, Bolling writes that “the classical instrumentalist (in this case, the flutist) should play as ‘classic’ as possible in contrast to the jazz piano, bass and drums, even if it brings some humoristic moments in some breaks of style.” The purposeful clashing of the more free-spirited timbres and textures of jazz with the more refined, resolute nature of the classical elements demonstrates Bolling’s love and knowledge of both genres. For instance, in the “Baroque and Blue” movement, the flutist opens with a baroque-like melody that gradually works its way into the blues-y themes of the jazz piano trio. The “Javanaise” movement incorporates the waltz-like feel of the French colonial “Java” dance within the five-beat pattern of a 5/4 time signature. 

The work’s premiere recording took place in 1975 with flutist extraordinaire Jean-Pierre Rampal, bassist Max Hédiguer, drummer Marcel Sabiani and Claude Bolling on piano.  

—Haley Bangs