Pinilla Munoz Antoine

Quotes

SOUL BAG Septembre 2004

It is advisable first of all to indicate what this record is not: this tribute to Ray Charles is not at all an opportunist publication intended to
capitalize on the event of the disappearance of Génius. Moreover, his recording goes back up to October 2000.
On the other hand, as his author works on a second volume, his decision was taken, yet again, well before the first disturbing rumours of Ray Charles's health.
Fan of Jazz from the age of 7, Antoine Pinilla-Munoz discovers, while he is 15 years old (in 1961), the music of Ray Charles with the blues A fool for you. It is the beginning of a passion for a lifetime. About forty years later, while he became a pianist of Jazz himself, he decides to record in trio a tribute to the one that he calls gladly his mentor, by playing back some known themes but a majority of relatively dark one recorded by Brother Ray over a vast period (1950-1976).
While many pianists honouring Ray Charles gave a simplified version of his play, Pinilla-Munoz knew how to remarkably assimilate the rich and complex "pianistic idiom" of the Genius and he demonstrates it here brilliantly. Literally fidel, but also in the spirit, as shows with his interpretation of some piece of musique for which there is not " a recording of reference ",

Ray by giving only some vocal versions like Georgia, Love is here to stay, She's on the ball or Summertime with the exception for the latter of a short organ version. Ray Charles had not made a mistake himself there, who had declared to the listening of this record:
" It is the most authentic tribute which has been made to me during my career. "

Joël DUFOUR

" this CD is a first !It's the most authetic tribute I have ever had in my whole life". Ray Charles / Jean Pierre Grosz

" I enjoyed this CD very much. A lot of swing. Great ! " Allegrat Stuart

" It's a real pleasure ! Ray Charles'soul is always present in this album. While closing your eyes, the trio sounds so much like him that it confuses you... This CD alrealy belongs to my favorite ones". Patrick Kryszak

"It's a real Ray Charles in spirit. There is no European pianist I know, who try to rub themself to that style"
Philippe LeJEUNE

JAZZ HOT N°606 december 2003

"By recording this album in tribute to Ray Charles, Antoine Pinilla-Munoz goes toward the current dominant step of the French musicians. Indeed, for years, it is of good form to do, to encourage, to support that the jazz must be released from its American supremacy. And to produce an improvised European music often dull and without real interest. Here the musician play back some emblematic topics of one of the greatest jazz musician , of a major afro-American music artist of the 20th century history of music : Ray Charles "The artist he was, definitively chose, these last years, the life of a professional musician in south of France. As he is new in this job, choosen by passion, Antoine Pinilla-Munoz preserved the teen's enthousiasm, which does not displeased, and especially without giving a truth to its interpretations. The selected list is not enticing : "Georgia" certainly (how to escape when you intend to pay tribute to Ray Charles?), but more especially less known themes, for musicians, borrowed from known albums of the specialists of the "pianist" only ("Doodlin, The ray").
And that’s why this step is interesting and commendable: the pianist enters the matter, even the musical mind of the singer. Because the pianist Ray Charles is difficult to play : the rythm of its sentences , its musical "gimmicks" are subtle. And this guy (A.Pinilla-Munoz) is doing quite well.

A fresh album, a musician to discover.Félix W. Sportis