As a quartet formed (almost) exclusively for Jazz à la Villette, this meeting between saxophonist Melissa Aldana and the trio of pianist Levi Harvey is full of promise.

If jazz is the music of the unexpected, of meetings and new discoveries, then a festival dedicated purely to it is the perfect playground for all sorts of novel experiences and revelations. Of these, the creation coming out of Talents Adami Jazz is one we await with bated breath each year. Since 2019, it has organised an annual meeting between a young French group and an internationally acclaimed artist, with a view to giving three concerts at major festivals, including Jazz à la Villette. This year, Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana – a worthy successor to Wayne Shorter, managed by Blue Note Records – has joined forces with the young trio formed by pianist Levi Harvey, with bassist Cyril Drapé and drummer Pierre-Eden Guilbaud. Their acoustic repertoire oscillates between iconic classics and pieces penned by Melissa Aldana, straddling the intersection between modern and tradition.