🎷 WHEN TWO MUSICIANS BECOME ONE VOICE
Philippe Chrétien & Dani Solimine - “&”
An intimate Swiss chamber-jazz conversation on Audio CD
The enormous ampersand on the album cover is more than graphic design - it expresses the entire musical idea. This recording is not Philippe Chrétien accompanied by Dani Solimine, nor Solimine supporting a featured soloist. It is a genuine meeting between two experienced performers: tenor saxophone and guitar listening, answering and breathing together.
Produced in Switzerland in 2015 and released by Par Coeur, the self-titled album contains 14 carefully selected standards and original pieces. Radio Swiss Jazz records the sessions as taking place in Bachenbülach, Zürich, and identifies Chrétien and Solimine as the album’s two soloists.
THE MUSICIANS
Born in Basel in 1958, Philippe Chrétien initially studied piano and trumpet with Chester Gill before discovering his principal voice—the tenor saxophone—in 1979. International performances alongside musicians and DJs from widely differing genres helped him develop an immediately recognisable style combining jazz phrasing, soul, lounge music and atmospheric electronic influences.
Chrétien is also a pianist, composer, producer and DJ, but it is the personality of his tenor sound that defines this recording: warm, rounded and emotionally direct, with a relaxed delivery that never becomes emotionally detached. Guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg memorably described Chrétien as possessing a “killer sound.”
His live work reveals another side of that musical personality. The previously unreleased 2009 Live at Triibhuus performance—with keyboardist Jeannot Steck, bassist Luca Leombruni and drummer Simon Kistler—moves through future jazz, trip-hop, groove and downtempo textures. The 2015 album with Solimine strips away that larger ensemble and brings Chrétien’s melodic voice into a much more intimate setting.
Dani Solimine, born in Wattwil in 1963, began teaching himself guitar at seven. A professional musician since 2003, he has completed more than 1,000 live performances and participated in over 25 studio productions as a musician, composer, arranger or producer. He has also appeared as a guitar specialist on SRF 2’s Jazz Collection. His groups received Swiss Jazz Award nominations in 2009 and 2013.
TWO MUSICIANS BECOME ONE VOICEgreat strength is attentive accompaniment. He does not crowd the saxophone or reduce the guitar to simple background harmony. His chords establish colour and atmosphere; carefully placed melodic answers turn each performance into a conversation.
THE ALBUM
The programme opens with Benny Carter and Sammy Cahn’s “Only Trust Your Heart”, immediately establishing the album’s nocturnal, unhurried character. Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” becomes a reflective instrumental meditation, while Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” is approached with affection and rhythmic elegance rather than pop exuberance.
Standards including “Here’s That Rainy Day,” “Lover Man,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You,” “A Child Is Born,” “Easy Living” and “Estate” give the musicians room to explore familiar melodies without excessive embellishment.
The closing sequence is particularly effective. Chaplin’s “Smile” brings tenderness and quiet optimism before “I Thought My Shoes Were Cool” introduces a more personal touch. Finally, “Harlem Nocturne” returns the listener to the smoky, after-hours atmosphere naturally associated with Chrétien’s tenor.
EDITORIAL LISTENING VERDICT
The attraction of this album lies in restraint. There are no drums pushing the tempo, no bass anchoring every phrase and no keyboards filling the open spaces. Every note is exposed—and that transparency makes the performances feel personal.
Chrétien plays the melodies rather than attempting to overpower them. His tenor possesses body and warmth, but also vulnerability. Solimine answers with supple chord voicings, subtle rhythmic movement and an accompanist’s instinct for knowing when silence is more expressive than another note.
The result sits comfortably between chamber jazz, late-night ballad playing and sophisticated lounge music. It is polished without becoming clinical and romantic without descending into sentimentality. The clean duo arrangement should also appeal to audiophiles who appreciate precise placement, natural instrumental tone and the sound of two musicians occupying a believable acoustic space.
Independent contemporary reviews of this particular 2015 release are limited, but its inclusion in the Radio Swiss Jazz music database and the documented careers of both performers confirm that this is far more than anonymous background music. It is a thoughtful collaboration between two distinctive Swiss jazz musicians.
⭐ EDITORIAL RATING: 4.5/5
A quietly luxurious and beautifully intimate album for evening listening—recommended to admirers of warm tenor saxophone, sophisticated guitar accompaniment and timeless melodies interpreted with genuine feeling.
💿 Philippe Chrétien & Dani Solimine — Audio CD
14 tracks • Stereo • Digipack • Made in Switzerland
Available from The Sound of Tape
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🎧 Which performance would you play first: “My Funny Valentine,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” “Smile” or “Harlem Nocturne”?
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