Collaborative lyricism from Skylark and Michel
When the Skylark Quartet toured Austria in 2023, they joined forces with Matthieu Michel for three nights in Graz. That spark lit a flame that became ‘Luna Rossa al Belvedere’ which brought a very special jazz-infused lyrical collaboration on its release in July 2025.
The flugelhorn takes on a special voice in the hands of the internationally acclaimed Matthieu Michel and that complements Skylark Quartet’s wide-ranging musical expression from complex melodic jazz compositions and smooth ballads to the more rocky and free jazz tracks.
Skylark Quartet is a creative ensemble that delighted with the release of their debut album Risveglio in 2023. Alongside Samuele Sorana (guitar), the collective includes Tobias Melcher (bass), Patrick Joray (saxophone and flute) and Marton Juhasz (drums). The addition of Matthieu Michel’s fluegelhorn for Luna Rossa al Belvedere adds a depth to these original compositions by Sorana and Melcher. Recorded in December 2024 at Unternehmen Mitte Studio, Basel, the album takes the listener on a journey through that special part of Europe – Italy, Switzerland and Austria – of the earlier tour.
The tunes are inspired by people and places encountered or experienced, with composition and improvisation mixing flawlessly. There is an intensity to tracks like Brain Drain, the sax and flugelhorn joining on the melody, while bass and guitar mirror beneath and join in before the improvisation takes each player on their own path before returning to a sense of togetherness and Michel’s final breathy flugelhorn.
Similarly, Ninna N’Anna’s breathy flugelhorn melds perfectly with Joray’s understated sax alongside Sorana’s guitar that says much about why the quartet wished to join with Michel for this musical adventure around Europe. As Sorana says: “We wanted a fresh energy and new sound in the band. Matthieu brought not only his artistry but his full presence – he helped shape the music from the inside.”
Closing Luna Rossa al Belvedere, the title track begins with Sorana’s solo guitar joined by sax, the simplest of bass lines and Michel’s understated but enrapturing flugelhorn and percussion in a track surely inspired by the sight of mountains and mediterranean coastlines. As the players weave around each other into a collective whole, the album finally finishes with a final beautiful recollection of the melody.
Sorana and Melcher’s compositions, the quartet’s performances and the contribution of Michel all combine to make this a perfect reflection of a moment in an ensemble’s literal and metaphorical tour around Europe.
You can listen or download the album via the group’s Bandcamp page here.
