French bass virtuoso François Moutin and adventurous New York-born vocalist Kavita Shah present "Interplay," their first duo record of jazz standards and original music adapted to this unique instrumentation. The 11 tracks include legendary guests and octogenarians Martial Solal on piano and NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan on vocals, who join Moutin and Shah on an improvisational journey across lyric-driven and wordless pieces alike. 

 

François Moutin (www.moutin.com), a virtuosic bassist, was born in Paris, and received a doctorate in physics at the age of 24 before choosing to become a professional musician. He was a member of the legendary Martial Solal Trio, and at 29 began co-leading the Quintet Moutin with his twin brother Louis, a project which later evolved into the Moutin Reunion Quartet. He regularly composes and tours extensively with this group around Europe & the United States; he has performed in every important European Jazz Festival, and toured in over 30 countries around the world. In addition, François has worked with such musicians as: Antoine Hervé, André Ceccarelli, Jean-Michel Pilc, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Toots Thielemans, James Moody, Terry Lyne Carrington, Michel Legrand, Birele Lagrene, Jimmy Heath, Monty Alexander, Lew Soloff, Billy Hart, Jeff Tain Watts, Ari Hoenig, Dave Binney, Adam Rogers, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Vijay Iyer, and Amir El Saffar.

 

Kavita Shah (www.kavitashahmusic.com), is a vocalist, composer, and lifelong New Yorker hailed by NPR for her “amazing dexterity for musical langauges”. Like Moutin, Shah studied languages and literature at Harvard University before pursuing a Master's in jazz at Manhattan School of Music. She was named Downbeat Best Graduate Jazz Vocalist in 2012 and won the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award in 2013. Her 2014 debut album VISIONS, co-produced by guitarist Lionel Loueke, blends the kora and tabla with a jazz quintet to reflect "the insatiably curious mind of an ethnographer, the soul of a poet, and the eye of a painter" (WNPR); it was released on Greg Osby's Inner Circle Music label & France's Naïve Records to great critical acclaim. Shah regularly tours across the US and Europe, performing in such venues as the Kennedy Center, Winter Jazz Fest, Park Avenue Armory, Art Basel Miami, Blue Note, Jazz Standard, and Joe's Pub.