Internationally acclaimed French musician and composer, winner of several awards, including two Victoire du Jazz and a German Jazz Echo, Vincent Peirani is renewing the language of the accordion with his charismatic, cosmopolitan and uninhibited musical vision. Among his many collaborations, the names of Denis Colin, François Jeanneau, Youn Sun Nah, Émile Parisien, Michel Portal, Louis Sclavis and Michael Wollny stand out.
Let’s talk about your new live album Jokers: how does it compare to the 2022 studio album?
First of all, there are new tracks (three in total: two original compositions and a Jeff Buckley cover) in addition to the pieces already on the studio album. Then, two years have passed since those recordings, with many concerts in between. Naturally, the music has evolved, taking on a completely new dimension, both in terms of phrasing, wider forms, complete improvisations and, above all, in the energetic rock spirit of live performance. This is a distinctive element of this trio and is clearly perceived in this new work.
Compared to when you started, how has the accordion world changed, especially in recent years?
The accordion world has evolved considerably, but I think it is mainly non-accordionists who have changed the most. People are less attached to clichés about the instrument and are starting to discover it in other contexts and musical styles, where it fits in perfectly. Moreover, the new generation of musicians, including accordionists, is already much more open to different musical styles than a few years ago. But we must continue to push and take this instrument into lesser-known territories!
You have played very often in Italy, which we can consider the home of the accordion. In your perception, are Italians interested in this instrument or do they see it as being too tied to tradition?
I feel that in Italy, thanks to its strong tradition, people know the instrument well and are quite curious to hear it in other contexts. Personally, I have played solo, in duos with Michel Portal, Yamandu Costa, Émile Parisien, Ulf Wakenius, Youn Sun Nah, with my trio Jokers, my quintet Living Being, etc., and each time the audience has been very enthusiastic. It’s really moving!
This other question is consequential. Being an innovator within this instrument, whose expressive language you have reshaped, how do you see the future of the accordion in jazz?
Having met young accordionists exploring jazz, I feel that the future of the accordion is in good hands! This is natural, as we evolve with our environment. Young accordionists today have many more references for the instrument than twenty years ago, and that’s great. The possibilities are expanding!
You are constantly involved in very different projects and collaborations ranging from jazz, folk, rock and classical. Where does this creative restlessness come from: eclecticism, a desire for research and experimentation, or the almost genetic need to want to measure yourself against different musical idioms?
If I had listened to a lot of people when I was younger, I would have limited myself to classical or musette music. But, as a big fan of 70s rock bands, I had a revelation one day. I remember putting on Deep Purple’s Burn in my room and deciding to play the whole record with my accordion! That was the moment when I forbade myself to exclude any musical genre. Everything became possible. The problem was not the instrument but, perhaps, the musician, and it was up to me to make it work, regardless of the musical context.
We know that you have even composed music for children. Is this your Peter Pan Island? That ideal refuge that every artist needs to isolate himself ?
I don’t know if it’s related to the Peter Pan syndrome, but my wife, Serena Fisseau, who is a singer, works a lot with children, and of course I’ve taken an interest myself. My standards as a composer remain the same, whether I write for children or adults. It is essential not to treat children as ‘simpletons’, but rather to see them as people without preconceptions, capable of appreciating any kind of music!
Your association with Émile Parisien seems to be a very stable relationship, you have played over a thousand concerts together. Can you tell us the secret of this powerful elective affinity?
In fact, it’s a relationship that lasts and continues to grow. My relationship with Émile is very important for both of us. We grew up musically together, and there is a huge mutual respect for music, which drives us forward and we never get tired of playing together!
Your name is always linked to that of important musicians. You have been alongside Michel Portal, Louis Sclavis and Michael Wollny. Certainly, you were immediately influenced by them. Do you think they also took something from you? After all, every collaboration is an exchange, an osmosis.
I would also mention Daniel Humair, Youn Sun Nah, Émile Parisien, Richard Bona and others. Of course, they influenced me, and I hope the exchange was mutual in these collaborations! It is, above all, a human connection, with music being a ‘bonus’ for me!
