CD Review no. 56 | All CD Reviews

In CD Review no. 55, I announced that Reginald Policard had released his latest CD, which I figured would be excellent. Now that I have had the opportunity to listen to it time and again, I can say that this CD entitled Sérénité exceeds even such lofty expectations. Some artists constantly improve with each album they release: Réginald Policard is one of them. Just listen to this CD to appreciate the point.

The CD is aptly titled because serenity is the feeling that comes through the excellent sound on this album. Right from the first tune "Ti Jules", Policard's playing makes you feel relaxed, even if the tune is a fast one. Listen to the introduction and the way the piano comes in: soft, harmonious, melodic. The brass arrangements are excellent. Tune No. 2 has a nice flamenco flavor brightened by Jacky Ambroise (Strings)'s flamenco solos. This a sophisticated melody which reminds me of Chick Corea's My Spanish Heart album. Just exquisite. Tune No. 3 is a beautiful, sentimental melody sung by Alan Cave in the most lyrical way. Réginald's piano is right on the money, with sensitive melodic lines reflecting the lyrics of the song. As any good Haitian musician, the CD would not be complete without a Brazilian song. Tune No. 4 "La Brésilienne" is a pretty, lighthearted bossa nova featuring on the guitar one of my favorite singers, Beethova Obas. It is just pretty.

But to me, Tunes #5 and #6 "Chita Tande" are the defining moment. No. 5 is a solo piece in which Policard lets himself go, wandering around in a pensive mood. Short as it is, it captures his soul, projecting that serenity all over. Tune No. 6, the second part is also a serene, pensive and nostalgic melody.

I could not fail to mention the beautiful rendition of the Haitian traiditional tune "Feuilles" (Fey in Kreyòl). This jazz interpretation features the excellent guitarist from Culture Chock, Jimmy Jean-Felix. What a job Policard did in arranging this song! I cannot tire of listening to it. I had never heard this song played that way. What a treat if you like jazz ! J. Jn. Felix does such an excellent job on the guitar. You have to listen to that.

I cannot say enough about this CD. Policard reveals himself an excellent composer and arranger, besides being a sensitive and soulful pianist. He has a generation of young and excellent musicians supporting him and the mixing on the CD is simply superb. If you are like me, you will listen to this album time and again, and never tire of it, discovering something new every time. Consider this an amendment to the list of the ten best CDs for 2001 by adding Policard's "Sérénité" . This is fully justified. So run to your CD store and get your copy. I guarantee you will draw tremendous pleasure listening to it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From jazz we move on to easy listening. On his "Cry for love" CD, Jacques Chancy calls what he plays "Foja", a mixture of Haitian folklore and jazz. Indeed, you can hear the drumming, the cowbell, the percussion… on this CD, his first in the US.

If you like the saxophone, you will enjoy this. Jacques Chancy is a pretty good saxophone player who I had the pleasure to hear in performance recently , both as a soloist, and with Beethova Oba. He was impressive. His playing and his music are reminiscent of Kenny G: very harmonious, sensitive and at times nostalgic. Of the seven tunes, five were written by him. Tune No. 4 "Eulogy for Gigi" is a very nice, melodious song which Chancy plays with a lot of feelings. Of notice is his interpretation of the famous "Autumn Leaves", played on a kind of rara beat. He has a nice, soft solo and you know, his solo in this song reminds me a lot of the legendary saxophone player Webert Sicot. One of my favorite guitarists, Makarios Césaire is also featured as a soloist on this tune, as well as on four other tunes. In the title tune "Cry for love" played on a traditional Haitian beat, Chancy's saxophone is harmonious, nostalgic and very lyrical.

Jacques Chancy plays a pretty nice saxophone and makes good use of the electronics. He is supported by a number of very good musicians who do him great justice. The mixing is pretty good. If you like easy listening music, this is a record you might want to add to your collection.

Serge Bellegarde
For Windows on Haiti