Simon Moullier: Elements of Light
Candid Records
With Elements of Light, France-born and New York-based vibraphonist Simon Moullier returns with his fifth album and, more importantly, the next stage in the ongoing refinement of his artistry. One of the overriding concerns he had in crafting the set had to do with a song's unfolding, the term not only referring to the way one section of a composition flows into another but the clarity and directness with which it does so. Helping to realize his vision are the terrific players from his quartet, pianist Lex Korten, bassist Rick Rosato, and drummer Jongkuk Kim.
While two of the eight cuts include respective contributions from pianist Gerald Clayton and trumpeter Marquis Hill, it's the performances by the quartet that is the recording's major selling-point. They play like the most-connected of units as opposed to distinct individuals, and while the arrangements allow for ample individual expression the music's at its most engaging when they're burning in tandem. Without wishing to suggest any one of the leader's partners stands out more than the others, Kim constantly impresses for the invention and infectious drive of his playing (witness the firestorm he generates in the title track)—Moullier's lucky to have him.
While the quartet's sound is primarily acoustic, the vibraphonist sometimes weaves synthesizers into the arrangements but subtly, their presence almost subliminal, and their addition gives the music a sleek, modern quality. That Moullier's no acoustic purist is also shown in the drum machine loop he incorporated into the opening track “808” and the Moog synth bass he added to the title track. The quartet's entrancing sparkle is present the moment “808” initiates the album with a high-energy attack in 7/8, Korten waxing eloquently, Rosato percolating below, Moullier dancing across the vibes, and Kim powering the group with showers of cymbals and popping snares.
Less furiously paced is “Pyramid of the Sun,” which casts its own spell with blues-tinged and funk-driven elegance. Even at this early juncture, it's clear Moullier is less interested in dominating than in presenting balanced performances that emphasize the band members as a unit. Intoxication continues with the lyrical interlock of “Bird of Paradise” before “Primavera” follows its refined intro with a dramatic ballad expression of haunting character. Whereas the sultry “Jiwa” entices with evocations of sweltering Brazil beaches, “Olympus” dazzles with light-speed, bop-influenced intensity.
Guesting on “Elements of Light” is Clayton, who instructed Moullier when the vibraphonist was a student at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz (then called the Monk Institute) and contributes a swinging solo to a prototypically roaring statement by the quartet. While Hill alters the album's sound dramatically when he joins the four for the exotic “Lotus,” there's nothing displeasing about the trumpeter's presence on the rubato rhapsody. In concluding the album with a cover of Wayne Shorter's “Oriental Folk Song,” its bluesy swing tailor-made for the vibraphone, Moullier pays tribute to another figure with whom he spent time during his days at the Hancock Institute. His affection for legendary precursors resonates throughout the disc, but the fresh performances on the album incontrovertibly show that his vision is very clearly future-directed.October 2025