Estampes is a riveting album, from Guillaume Barraud & Mathieu Bélis, that presents a stripped down, yet carefully cultivated, dialogue between bansuri and piano. Both musicians approach their instruments with intelligence, and their creative energies are channeled together to develop a meaningful flow of music, smooth and without hesitation. Composers Barraud and Bélis have worked together for over a decade, and Estampes came about in the midst of the pandemic. Their series of improvisations result in a variety of intimate musical pieces with considerable emotional depth, including different tones and instrumental relationships in selections like “Major Minor,” “Jarrett,” “Procession,” “Douce Ivresse” and “Parade of Stars.”   

Each track has a distinct coloring of sound, and the bansuri (North-Indian transverse flute) certainly paints the canvas with more ancestral or aboriginal feelings. Coupled with Bélis’ delicate touch on piano, a synergistic effect allows all five senses to converge into one masterful accomplishment. What emerges is a sensitive language of its own with sonic colors that work together to produce various feelings. The duo’s eclectic universe of contemporary jazz brewed with classical, pop and traditional elements is embellished on two tracks, “Ballade du Duke” and “Perfect Blue,” with some understated, lovely contributions by guitarist Kevin Seddiki. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)