feature photo: Veronique Hoegger
The veteran pianist of adventurous jazz Sylvie Courvoisier made her latest move a couple of years ago forming a quartet that’s certain to generate a lot of buzz. This quartet that includes Patricia Brennan (vibraphones), Thomas Morgan (bass) and Dan Weiss (drums) is about as good a band you can get to carry out the intricate, complex charts of Courvoisier, who is also a master of exploiting all the possibilities offered by the piano like few has been able to do since Cecil Taylor.
So, it stands to reason that any album by this group is going to require some close attention. Well, there is one forthcoming and Amalthea — also the name of this ensemble — is slated for release on November 13, 2026 on Pyroclastic Records.
The quartet continues the musical partnership between Courvoisier and Brennan, who found much piano/vibes sympatico working together on the 2026 offering Talamanti. Now under her leadership, Courvoisier knows just what she’s got with Brennan and how to maximize her compositions with her.
The album’s advance single “At Risk” (video above) demonstrates that beautifully. As a pianist who puts rhythm on an equal footing with harmonics with her instrument, she finds a lot of common ground with Brennan’s percussive instrument. They play the theme in unison with forge a powerful resonance as Morgan and Weiss mete out a countering, complementing groove underneath. As they spin out of that motif, you can sense them stretching out but staying so close together; Weiss in particular has an uncommon telepathy going on with the pianist.
All throughout, there’s the right balance of looseness and discipline that always made Sylvie Courvoisier stand out. Sounds like she’s found her perfect vehicle in Amalthea.
Pre-order/order Amalthea from Bandcamp or pick up the track “At Rick” now from here.
- Sylvie Courvoisier w/ Patricia Brennan, Thomas Morgan + Dan Weiss, “At Risk”Something Else! sneak peek - August 28, 2026
- Denny Zeitlin – ‘Odyssey’ (2026) - August 23, 2026
- Henry Threadgill Zooid – ‘Cut You Where You Was’ (2026) - August 20, 2026
