The sweet and sour in music has always been my concern. Ying and Yang, melody and rhythm, complexity in simplicity.
After thirteen years in the United States and a seven year relationship with the record label Blue Note, I decided to return home to France and make a record that would be the result of my experiment with melody and rhythm, marble and crystal both beautiful yet so complementary. I mean: like a man and a woman.
One year ago I met Francis Dreyfus and he asked me to be a part of his record label Dreyfus Jazz. So around Christmas time in my New York apartment, I proposed to Francis and his accomplice, Yves Chamberland, the idea of writing music for a string quartet that would have the element of both power and fragility. Easier said than done! But because he's a man of challenge, he took me up on it and we decided to work together for a while.
I knew the approach to writing the music for this record was going to be different, being that the power of the string quartet gives force to the trio by its fragility. I went to Paris to look for a quartet that was going to be capable of playing rhythmical arrangements. The cellist Vincent Courtois is a man that I met on the road, so I asked him to put a string quartet together. He got Vincent Pagliarin, first violin - Nicolas Krassik, second violin and Pierre Lemarchand, viola. Graffiti was born. These four men have both classical and pop backgrounds.
I don't think Tony Williams needs to be introduced, I thought of him for his project not only because he's one of the best drummers in the world, but also because he has the perfect touch with his force and strength to lift the energy of the music to the highest level possible.
Last but not least, Dave Holland on the bass, with his musical sensitivity and his incredible knowledge of melody and harmony, brought together as one the string quartet and the trio.
I had fun making this record for you, it represents a part of my life. I like to think that life is "MARVELLOUS".

Musically yours,

Michel PETRUCCIANI