Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Benoit Delbecq: The Weight of Light

Benoit Delbecq: The Weight of Light

By Karl Ackermann
February 26, 2021
View read count

Parisian pianist & composer

Benoit Delbecq

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Benoit Delbecq has not recorded a solo album in more than a decade. His collaborations are with impressive company including

Tim Berne

saxophone, alto
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Berne,

Tom Rainey

drums
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Rainey,

Lotte Anker

saxophone
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Lotte Anker,

Mark Turner

saxophone, tenor
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Turner,

Steve Arguelles

drums
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Arguelles,

Gerald Cleaver

drums
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerald Cleaver,

Marc Ducret

guitar
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Marc Ducret,

Gerry Hemingway

drums
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerry Hemingway,

Mary Halvorson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Halvorson,

Taylor Ho Bynum

cornet
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Taylor Ho Bynum, and

" data-original-title="" title="">Kris Davis. It is Davis' Pyroclastic Records that Delbecq calls home for the eclectic collection The Weight of Light.

Delbecq is not a household name in the U.S.A.; many of his recordings were released on French labels such as Quoi de Neuf Docteur, Diaphonic, and Plush. The pianist has led or co-led numerous groups, including his Beno?t Delbecq 5, Beno?t Delbecq And

Fred Hersch

piano
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Fred Hersch Double Trio, Beno?t Delbecq Trio, and the Beno?t Delbecq Unit. In his various groups and collaborations, Delbecq has established openness to unconventional sounds. Tout Va Monter (Nato, 2015), his association with bassist

Joëlle Léandre

bass
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Jo?lle Léandre, is characteristic of Delbecq's unusual approach to sound. The album features a Minnesota rapper called Carnage the Executioner who is on board to function only as human percussion.

Delbecq's style on The Weight of Light is hard to describe and can vary from track to track. In the case of "The Loop of Chicago," he prepares the piano to generate percussive effects and distorted dissonance. The piece effectively evokes the tumultuous downtown hub. There are leaner compositions such as "Dripping Stones," "Anamorphoses," and "Pair Et Impair." Though minimal, each has its peculiar leaps and rhythms. Delbecq includes a nod to classical influences on "Havn En Havre," but the overall piece defies categorization. The album wraps up with "Broken World," a composition Delbecq has recorded several times and presents here on unadulterated acoustic piano.

Delbecq studied sound engineering and acoustics, and has had a long-time affinity for visualizing sound. He was musically mentored by

Mal Waldron

piano
1925 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Mal Waldron early in his career while playing with a French jazz orchestra. He was later taught by

Dave Holland

bass
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Holland, and

Muhal Richard Abrams

piano
1930 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Muhal Richard Abrams. In listening to The Weight of Light, all of those influences can be heard in dissecting the many dense layers employed by the artist. The album is a stimulating and exceptional original collection.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

The Loop of Chicago; Dripping Stones; Family Trees; Chemin sur le crest; Au fil de la parole; Anamorphoses; Havn en Havre; Pair et impair; Broken World.

Personnel

Benoit Delbecq

piano

Album information

Title: The Weight of Light | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Pyroclastic Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jazz-Rock-Fusion, Early Days: 1967-1...
< Previous

Thank You Mr. Mabern!
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.