Airelle Besson, Lionel Suarez: Au Lait

By Ludovico Granvassu
March 10, 2026
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On Blossom, Airelle Besson and Lionel Suarez offer a compelling illustration of how instrumentalists can be storytellers just as eloquent as singers. The choice of material highlights the French duo's distinctly cinematic sensibility, with an inspired selection of originals, freely improvised pieces and compositions by kindred spirits with a strong narrative voice, such as Carla Bley.

But on "Au Lait," their lyricism reaches a particularly striking level. This composition by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays becomes the ideal canvas for Besson and Suarez to turn their musical dialogue into a poignant heart-to-heart. Perhaps, as Alex Dutilh suggests in the album's liner notes, they had in mind how Metheny and Mays themselves might have been inspired by the legendary partnership of Nino Rota and Federico Fellini. Be that as it may, we can only hope the future brings us more trumpet-and-accordion projects like this.

Contact Ludovico Granvassu on All About Jazz.
I'm the Editor-in-Chief of All About Jazz Italia, host of Mondo Jazz on Radio Free Brooklyn and was once visited by Frank Zappa's ghost.... he was funny too.

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Airelle Besson Concerts

May 9 Sat

The Music of Keith Jarrett

Le Bal Blomet
Paris, France

Jun 5 Fri

Airelle Besson & Lionel Suarez

Espace Sorano
Vincennes, France

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