feature photo: Alain Mercier
The French-Canadian guitarist who came from France learned the value of a life lived without hurry or hassle. Slow is the ninth album from Samuel Bonnet and the no-fuss, straight-ahead jazz of his new offering has the swing and the crisp musicianship to make it a pleasant listening experience. Its relaxed mood won’t make you strain to decipher his musical message.
For half of the eight selections, Bonnet’s trio featuring Jonathan-Guillaume Boudreau on double bass and Simon Bergeron on drums is augmented by American trumpet star Joe Magnarelli, and his cool chops makes a fine counterpoint to Bonnet’s polished guitar.
That’s particularly the case for the track premiering the video above, “Liberation,” where Magnarelli is wielding a flugelhorn, the softened tones lining up nicely with Bonnet’s acoustic guitar. Magnarelli, Bonnet and Boudreau take turns putting down fresh, laid-back solos before a return to the breezy, buoyant chorus. The video shows the song just how it was recorded: live in the studio without overdubs and very little editing afterward, like the rest of the album.
Get your copy of Slow from Bandcamp.
- Ivo Perelman + Matthew Shipp – ‘Duologue 7: Distillation’ (2026) - October 6, 2026
- Samuel Bonnet Trio feat. Joe Magnarelli, “Liberation” from ‘Slow’ (2026): Video Premiere - October 5, 2026
- Christy Doran + Imran Khan – ‘Disambiguation’ (2026) - October 2, 2026
