Prérie(s) Emmanuelle Bonnet, Yvonne Rogers, Tabea Kind, Lucas Zibulski

• 1 A-Line (Or Sometimes) 05:19
• 2 Fame Is a Bee 04:40
• 3 Glisse Pic 01:48
• 4 Suite to Prélude 06:44
• 5 Prérie 06:56
• 6 Long Shorts 02:05
• 7 New Piece of Yesterday 07:29
• 8 Zanzare III 02:20
• 9 Troubled Fruits 04:15
• 10 Libellules 02:36
• Total Runtime 44:12

Info for Prérie(s)

Emmanuelle Bonnet's second album, "Prérie(s)," is an ode to expansive horizons, transience, and… insects. An ethereal, breath-filled moment, a warm breeze that inflates a shared space like a balloon, exploring the beginnings of sonic connection.

Together, the four musicians surrounding the Swiss singer and composer Emmanuelle Bonnet expand the boundaries of spontaneous composition, playing not only with sound, (dis)harmony, and texture, but also with each other.

They work with words, motifs, and miniatures, forming a collective whose dialogues unfold with delicacy and care—much like bees enjoying collecting pollen without causing harm.

The four members of the quartet met while studying in Basel and soon discovered a shared love of improvisation and collective experimentation. From the very first notes of the album, their shared understanding of playing and listening to one another is evident. In their view, composition emerges from the collective. Bonnet contributes her sonic ideas and compositional fragments, which the group then develops, planting the musical seeds for future collaborations. Bonnet grants this musical community complete freedom. Her principle is that of playing in the truest sense of the word: a space where musicians can develop their own ideas freely and without constraint, immersing themselves completely in each musical moment.

Exemplifying this approach is the album's opening track, "A-Line (or sometimes)," which explores the fleeting nature of time. "Sometimes" here refers to the precise moment the quartet meets, but also to the utter uncertainty that can arise at any time.

The first track, "A-Line (or sometimes)," exemplifies this approach. Emmanuelle Bonnet's Prérie Covers: In addition to Bonnet's own lyrics, there are two by other composers: The ironic piece "Troubled Fruits" by pianist Yvonne Rogers deals with the precarious situation of fruit destined for imminent decay. The sound of the words lingers like an improvised fruit salad. What are they to do? Does a single day make a difference to their existence? Will there be enough water in the future to nourish them?

The pre-nostalgic and melancholic ballad "Fame is a bee," based on a poem by Emily Dickinson, speaks of the fragility of bees, whose lives are as precious as their deaths are a nightmare for the ecosystem. Echoing this is the waltz-like piece "Prérie," imbued with nostalgia and grief. It highlights a key element of the album in particular: Bonnet's clear and pure voice flutters around the anchor points of the other, carefully positioned instruments. Like the constantly shifting rules and laws of the blooming prairie, the musical community continually renegotiates freedom. Together they create sonic matter, becoming part of the very fabric from which not only the prairie is made, but also our lives.

Emmanuelle comes from Geneva and initially played saxophone, later early music, and performed with choirs. From an early age, she loved improvisation and playing with sound, which led her to constantly seek out places that offered her voice a specific acoustic environment for experimentation—stairwells or cellars, for example. For "Prérie(s)," this space became a clearing with an unobstructed view of the sky, bees, mosquitoes, dragonflies, and flitting fireflies. Her search for complete sonic immersion remained, however—only this time she is not alone. (Uta Bretsch, ub-comm.de)

Emmanuelle Bonnet, voice
Yvonne Rogers, piano
Tabea Kind, double bass
Lucas Zibulski, drums

Emmanuelle Bonnet
is a Swiss musician, vocalist and composer originally from Geneva. Her musical practice explores various fields of experimentation ranging from jazz and free improvisation to singing madrigals and other expressions of her body. A 2022 graduate of the Jazzcampus of the Hochschule für Musik Basel, Emmanuelle holds a bachelor degree in jazz singing. Interested in sounds and voice, gestures or even speech, her interventions take place most often in various collective formations such as duos, quartets, trios or accompanied monologue. With an urgency to create, Emmanuelle often blends improvisation with composition on the spot, leading to new pieces born out of experimentation and collaboration. In search of textures and freedom, Emmanuelle explores different styles of music. She combines them, or not, with humor and sensitivity, always with the intention to be fully in the moment.

This album contains no booklet.