IMPRESSIONS is both a tribute to earlier artistic movements and a bold statement of jazz’s continuing evolution. Like the best Impressionist paintings, it invites listeners to lose themselves in its textures and colors.
Rewound Echoes
Isabelle Olivier – Harp, Composer; Tom Olivier-Beuf – Piano, Accordion; Raphael Olivier – Electronics; STRING QUARTET: Mathias Naon – Violin; Anne Le Pape – Violin; Cyprien Busolini – Viola; Jean-Philippe Feiss – Cello; Baptiste Thiebault – Drums
French harpist Isabelle Olivier’s latest album, IMPRESSIONS, blends jazz’s spontaneity, classical influences, and a painter’s sense of style. Inspired by both John Coltrane’s classic tune and the shifting light and color of the Impressionists, Olivier weaves together a sound that feels both personal and wide-reaching. With one foot in Paris and the other in Chicago, she blends her musical influences into something that doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre; it’s just her, painting with sound.
“I think about Impressionism as a combination between elegance, minimalism, spectral notions, feelings and vibes, things that you can feel but you cannot explain,” Olivier shares. This philosophy permeates every track, creating music that feels simultaneously structured and ephemeral, much like the paintings that inspired it.
One of the album’s highlights is its remarkable ensemble, which includes Olivier’s multitalented sons—pianist and accordionist Tom Olivier-Beuf and electronic musician Raphael Olivier—alongside a string quartet (violinists Mathias Naon and Anne Le Pape, violist Cyprien Busolini, and cellist Jean-Philippe Feiss) and drummer Baptiste Thiebault. This versatile group moves easily between composition and improvisation, making the sixteen tracks feel both carefully crafted and full of discovery.
The album opens with ‘Fleurs de Soleil,’ a tribute to Olivier’s 94-year-old mother. The title, translating to “Sunflowers,” elegantly nods to Van Gogh’s iconic series that profoundly moved Olivier during an Amsterdam exhibition. Rhythmic harp and lyrical piano intertwine throughout this composition, enhanced by Thiebault’s nuanced brushwork and lush strings that create a soundscape balancing delicacy and drive.
One of the most striking pieces is ‘The Boating Party,’ inspired by Mary Cassatt’s American Impressionist painting. The soft sway of the waves comes to life through flowing string lines, while the harp weaves a delicate, Parisian-inspired melody, all supported by Thiebault’s wonderfully detailed drum rhythms.
The opening of ‘Eclats’ with the harp and violins sounding like something from a beautiful classical piece segues into Olivier-Beuf’s accordion’s French folk rhythms. The harp complements the accordion’s back-and-forth beat with perfectly placed single notes, while the strings keep offering both harmonic and melodic depth.
The album’s more experimental moments, like the stark, pointillist ‘A Pizzicato Life’ – a brief but captivating interlude of plucked harp and accordion – and the eerily atmospheric ‘Wrong Colors,’ demonstrate Olivier’s willingness to explore the boundaries of her instrument and ensemble.
The album’s closing rendition of Coltrane’s ‘Impressions’ brings the project full circle, with shimmering harp cascades and string glissandos transforming the jazz standard into a contemporary classical meditation while preserving Coltrane’s spiritual essence.
IMPRESSIONS is both a tribute to earlier artistic movements and a bold statement of jazz’s continuing evolution. Like the best Impressionist paintings, it invites listeners to lose themselves in its textures and colors.
