Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Stéphane Mercier: Live At The Jazz Station

Stéphane Mercier: Live At The Jazz Station

By Ian Patterson
April 21, 2025
View read count

Stéphane Mercier: Live At The Jazz Station

A graduate of the Conservatoire Royale de Bruxelles and Berkley College of Music—where he was lead alto in

Herb Pomeroy

trumpet
1930 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Herb Pomeroy's big band—Belgian saxophonist Stéphane Mercier has been leading/co-leading groups since the mid-'90s. This live album, captured from a gig at The Jazz Station, the famous Brussels venue in whose long-standing big band Mercier sits. That chair has allowed him to collaborate with the likes of

Kenny Werner

piano
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Werner,

Gregoire Maret

harmonica
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Gregoire Maret,

Jason Rebello

piano
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Rebello and

Emil Viklicky

piano
b.1948

" data-original-title="" title="">Emil Viklicky. Mercier also thrives in small ensemble settings as this energized, predominantly straight-ahead quartet outing demonstrates.

Six compositions weighing in at around the hour in total allow plenty of room for soloing from the leader, bassist

Nicolas Thys

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Nicolas Thys, pianist/keyboardist

Nicola Andrioli

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Nicola Andrioli and drummer

Darren Beckett

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Darren Beckett. Bebop and swing provide the templates for the most part, with a head-solo-solo-head architecture dominating. But more modern aesthetics also make themselves felt. Thys, who excels on double bass on five of the tracks, plays electric bass on "Quantum Stereo," while Andrioli switches between stylish bop-leaning piano and, on several tunes, fusion-esque synthesizer. Mercier chips in with some effects, though where pedals start and where keys end is not always clear.

The one standard is Richard Whiting's much-covered "My Ideal," which features extended solos—and fine ones at that—from Mercier, Andrioli and Thys. More contemporary sounding in both its melodic hues and steady rhythmic pulse is "Calling Colescott," which sees extended synthesizer input from Andrioli. On both acoustic and electric keys, the Italian musician—who also plays in

Philip Catherine

guitar
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Philip Catherine's trio— plays with an attractive balance of flair and economy.

It is back to basics on "Multi-Tonic Society," a bebop burner bookended by scurrying unison heads, and fueled by swinging rhythms and pumped solos. There are shades of

Charlie Parker

saxophone, alto
1920 - 1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Parker and

Jackie McLean

saxophone, alto
1932 - 2006

" data-original-title="" title="">Jackie McLean here, the latter who was a particular inspiration for Mercier when starting out. And if "Belgian Flies" threatens to follow suit with its bebop head, fast-walking bass and scorching alto saxophone solo, it is then sharply redirected by an electric keyboard passage that owes more, conceptually speaking, to

Sun Ra

piano
1914 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Sun Ra than, say,

Al Haig

piano
1924 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Al Haig or

Bud Powell

piano
1924 - 1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Bud Powell. Beckett has some fun with a feisty solo, refreshingly free from vamp accompaniment, before the quartet re-wraps itself in its bop robes to unite on the outro.

An entertaining programme ends with "Blizz," which transitions from feel-good swing—marked by a wonderful intervention from Thys—to curiously subdued ambient terrain and back again.

Whether the occasional electric and ambient forays ruin a perfectly good acoustic jazz workout or whether they freshen up a tried-and- tested formula is a matter of personal taste. Where there should be no dispute, however, is in the top-notch quality of the playing.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Quantum Stereo: My Ideal; Calling Colescott; Multi-Tonic Society; Belgian Flies; Blizz

Personnel

Stéphane Mercier

saxophone, alto

Nicola Andrioli

piano

Nicolas Thys

bass, acoustic

Darren Beckett

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Stéphane Mercier: effects; Nicola Andrioli: keyboards; Nicolas Thys: electric bass (1).

Album information

Title: Live At The Jazz Station | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Step By Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Miles Okazaki and Bill Frisell at th...
< Previous

Walter Blanding, Jr. with the John T...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.