Hugo Blouin - Le Buffet [Ambiances Magnetiques 283]

Another fresh release put out on the circuit via the long-standing Ambiances Magnetiques label on December 5th, 2k25 is "Le Buffet", the latest full length album effort cooked up by Montreal-based bass player x composer Hugo Blouin who has been pulling together a fully flung band ensemble for this ten pieces and 53 minutes spanning longplayer which - according to the accompanying press sheet - deals with culinary food recipes collected from many of his friends conceptually. With this well interesting approach in mind we're entering a realm of eclectic, yet super funky Dancefloor Jazz with the opening piece "Soupe Pragmatique" flanked by frolicking female vocals playfully exploring upper registers for the most part before later evolving into a stripped down, yet not less groove oriented dancefloor vibe somewhat, yet only vaguely, reminiscent of the short-lived late 90s Exotica revival whereas "Apres Tu Manges" offers more of a dreamy and partly even romantic take on a (very) late night BarJazz ballad groove, "Un Art Du Temps" serves some breezy and slightly Latin-infused swing for a change and will surely be a rather welcome edition to the sets of experienced and adventurous Jazz DJs out there with its highly dynamic Improv sequences buidling up to a screaming climax whilst "La Sauce" weighs in a playful, classy, yet still laid back Jazz groove, "Pain-Beure-Chocolat" is as deep as it gets in terms of a classic ballad based on subdued piano sparkles and intimate bass grooves backed by minimalistic percussion and the concluding "Un Carmion Pizza" rounds things off with an infusion of heart-felt melancholia and an undeniably classy - and... well... French... - attitude songwise. One for the genre connaisseurs, this.