Javotte Quartet: Free Concert & Creative Process Showcase in Sainte-Croix-Volvestre

The French quartet Javotte is offering a glimpse behind the curtain this Thursday with a “sortie de résidence” – a residency exit performance – at Art’Cade in Sainte-Croix-Volvestre. The free concert promises an intimate look at a work in progress, blending jazz, rock, and Brazilian influences.

Art’Cade is hosting the event on February 12th, inviting audiences to witness a crucial stage in the creative process. Rather than a polished final product, the performance will showcase excerpts, sonic experiments, and potentially, direct dialogue with the musicians themselves. The residency exit is designed as a space for encounter and exchange, allowing the public to understand the artistic choices, research, and questions driving the group.

This event underscores Art’Cade’s commitment to supporting both amateur and professional artists and sharing the creative process with the local community. It’s a deliberate effort to demystify artistic creation and foster a deeper connection between artists and their audience.

A Fusion Forged in Exploration

Javotte, which won the public prize at the Nîmes Métropole Jazz Festival’s springboard in 2023, was founded by flutist and composer Lucie Jahier. The group’s core philosophy centers on exploration and freedom, resulting in music that deliberately breaks from convention and embraces stylistic fusion. Jahier composes pieces tailored to the band’s strengths, drawing inspiration from a remarkably diverse range of artists, including Hermeto Pascoal, Magic Malik, Naïssam Jalal, Ian Clarke, and even the Baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann.

The quartet’s sound sits at the intersection of jazz, forró, choro, jazz-rock, improvised music, and contemporary composition. This deliberate blending of genres isn’t merely stylistic; it’s presented as the engine driving their creative process. Javotte aims to create a vibrant, rhythmic, and often explosive soundscape, one that remains sensitive and inventive.

According to promotional material, each composition becomes a “terrain de jeu” – a playground – where virtuosity, collective listening, and spontaneity converge. The residency exit performance offers an opportunity to experience the music of this “atypical and rising” formation and to engage in a dialogue about their artistic journey.

The band’s origins trace back to January 2023, and they’ve quickly established a reputation for a distinctive and somewhat unconventional style. A recent interview with the band members, as reported by jeunes-medias-citoyens.cemea.asso.fr, revealed the individual backgrounds that contribute to their collective sound.

Lucie Jahier, the group’s leader, began playing the flute at a young age in Normandy. She participated in festivals like “Jazz sous les pommiers” before pursuing classical music studies. Pianist Laëtitia Bonnin initially focused on classical music before transitioning to jazz at a conservatory in Toulouse, where she connected with the other band members. Bassist Gonzalo Alfaro Ugaz, originally from Peru, moved to France in 2015 and pursued music studies. Finally, drummer Fabien Dechaumont is largely self-taught, having played in various groups throughout his youth before returning to music after a decade-long hiatus.

Interestingly, all four members have a connection to Music’Halle, a music school in Toulouse, suggesting a shared formative experience. Jahier described her compositional process as often spontaneous, stating, “When I tell myself ‘write a piece,’ it generally doesn’t work too well. Sometimes I have an idea, I’m at the pool, I stop and rush to write.” This suggests a process driven by inspiration and improvisation, rather than rigid structure.

Javotte also performed a concert in Saint-Chinian at the Jazz au Cloître festival, as noted on their Facebook page, hinting at a growing performance schedule. The band is currently booking gigs via javottemusic@gmail.com and is preparing for the pre-order release of their debut album, according to their Instagram profile.

The performance at Art’Cade is free and open to all, beginning at 5:30 PM. It’s an invitation to experience a vibrant, bold, and generous musical offering and to connect with the creative process in a uniquely intimate setting.